Chapter Text
Chapter: 1
The tall blonde teen with an overcoat reaching to his knees climbed off his motorbike and onto the soft sand of the Pacific ocean beach. Reaching into his jacket, he revealed a pack of cheap cigarettes and took one to smoke. It was just him that night, waiting. He was glad he had parked so far away from the bright lights and crowds of the Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk was a great place to learn things in Santa Carla. If you were ever curious about what Billy said to Dianne or how Suzy cheated on Jimmy, then it was the place for you. It had become the hub of teenage life in that touristy beach town and every kid from Surfer to Brat-pack could find someplace to belong there. It was also, on this particular night, crowded in such a way that its noise scattered in the air like the choking gurgle of a stream.
“David, sorry I’m late. It took ages getting my makeup done just right.” A girl with bleach blonde hair and a crop top that seemed just tight enough to be trashy, bounced her way over to the teen, mid-smoke. Her makeup resembled a clown if it had sauntered its way home half-drunk from the red light district.
David had no idea what her name was, but he didn’t need to know. She was more or less a means to an end, because she had something he wanted very badly.
“I’ll be damned, I’ve never seen someone look so beautiful.” Taking off his gloves, he ran his fingers through his long, styled hair. He wondered if anyone sounded as obvious as he did when he lied.
The clown, as David had affectionately come to think of her as, made some ungodly snort that was presumably supposed to resemble a laugh. “You’re a real charmer, but I’m sure you get that a lot.” The gum she was chewing blew into a bubble, then popped loudly. “Well, I suppose I’ll cut to the chase. You wanted four tickets, that right? For you and your friends?”
It was unbelievable muggy that night for early spring. Something about her speech, her nasally cadence, made it seem more so.
“ Detail oriented as ever. But I believe that comes out to eight, four for me and my friends and four for our dates.”
Another snort laugh from the clown, her eyes looked like they were going to roll back in her head. “ Oh puh-lease! I got mine and the girls’ already, we’re all on the committee, y’know. And I’m sure they’ll just adore your friends, I feel a bit like a matchmaker.” She clicked her tongue, rifling through her purse. David’s head ached. It ached over the smell of cheap perfume and hairspray and that musty scent that comes off the ocean when the weather changes. He looked out across the waves, attempting to disassociate from the scene in front of him.
“Here they are, hon,” She sounded oddly excited about her discovery and thrust the tickets towards David. His attention snapped back to her in an instant. “Now, since that’s out of the way, can we get on with our date?”
David inspected the laminated paper pieces, rolling each over in his hand multiple times as if contemplating something, before stuffing them into his overcoat. Taking a final drag from his cigarette, he dropped it to the ground and stamped it under foot. It fizzled against the warm sand.
“Hey, David? You gonna just stand there all night and stare at those passes or are you gonna show me a good time? You realize how much of a favor I did you bringing those, hell if I know if you even go to that school!?” Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence and then faded like an old record with too many scratches.
David was laughing. It was something that started low and cackling and grew till it reached a pitch of mania. He put his gloves back on and placed a hand over his mouth.
“ No… no I don’t think I can show you a good time.”
The clown muttered something indistinguishable before backing up slowly, David inched closer to her. He was glad he had asked her to meet him so late at night. He was glad her family was asleep and had no idea where she was. He was glad he had parked so far away from the bright lights and crowds of the Boardwalk.
There was a quick scream and then… nothing. Like a candle had been put out in the breeze. Her blood looked starker somehow against the white sand of the beach, and richer perhaps, than any David had tasted before. He supposed that was what happened when you really hated someone, you enjoyed it when they stopped.
Pulling the passes back out from his jacket, he thumbed through them one more time. “Santa Carla High School Prom” was printed at the top of each in garish red font. David couldn’t remember the last time he’d salivated so intensely.