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Sam was at the Boardwalk, yet again. He’d just left Edgar and Alan at the comic shop and headed for where the Lost Boys were playing.
Carnival noises played loudly, but the people there were louder. Every conversation, no one had any social etiquette here. Laughing, yelling, cheering or just normal talking, it was all loud. He could smell popcorn nearby and feel gum at the bottom of his shoe from the way it was sticking to the wood.
Ever since Michael fully turned into a vampire, he’d seen the bands show multiple times. Michael was always there watching them. The band were his friends but still, it must get boring. But Mike knew what he had gotten himself into, eternity spent 18 years old while Sam aged.
Sam still couldn’t wrap his head around why he had done it, gone through with the final step. He didn’t want to know the details of what Michael did when he got hungry.
Since Max had died, Lucy had even more work at the video store. VideoMax, eugh. They really needed to change that soon. They didn’t really know what they were going to do with the video store but they needed money. She worked most nights now, so Michael had to bring him home.
He’d either spend hours at the boardwalk doing practically nothing, go home with Mike, or go home with the Frogs. And he couldn’t do the last one everyday.
She wasn’t supposed to be working tonight but Maria hadn’t showed up today for work. He didn’t know why, but he hoped it was a sick day. Anything other than his brother being the reason she hadn’t shown up would be fine.
His mom was supposed to be making dinner tonight for Michael to come over. It would be around another hour until she could leave, so hopefully she closed the store early.
Michael tried to come over as much as he could, and that was less than Sam had thought. He’d stopped living at Grandpas house a few weeks ago, giving Sam more space now that it was just his room. They hadn’t moved out the extra bed yet, but nearly all of Michael’s things were gone. It all had felt so empty.
He could already hear the same song the band loved to play every time, Have to Have You. They always ended with this one, so Sam had heard it too many times. I mean, seriously? How had they not figured out the band were vampires sooner?
The only upside to this was seeing the bassist, Dwayne. He was the only good looking one in the band. Sam hadn’t been fully introduced to the band yet, but Michael had at least told him their names.
It felt a little weird to still like Dwayne in that way. Sam had used him, or rather his tattoos, to find where they lived and kill them. It hadn’t worked though. Even if this still was everyone’s ’happy ending’, he still felt bitter.
Things could’ve gotten way, way worse with Max. Hell he could be a vampire right now. But it could’ve gone better too, Michael could’ve been human again.
It was weird to accept himself for having a crush on a guy at all. He still hadn’t told his family, but he was pretty sure the Frogs knew. And even if they didn’t, they were weirder anyway.
Sam had been forced to face so much bullying in Phoenix because of a rumor. The worst part is that it was true.
Sam was sure his mom wouldn’t care, but Michael? He had no idea.
He knew Michael probably wouldn’t understand it. He was nothing like Sam, Star had helped prove that. He still wished that he could be closer to Michael still.
He was at the edge of the crowd, watching the show now. Because he was forced to see it so many times, he’d memorized some of their moves and parts already, whether he wanted to or not.
The singer, David moved around the most. Banging his head, moving his mic in circles, going near the others. David now sang Star’s part of the song so he stayed in place more lately. He’d still find little ways to move though, like going to sing in the others mics instead of his own.
Star had stopped performing at these since she was a full human again. Now she could do what she wanted to, without having the need or pressure on her to kill someone. He’d still seen her around sometimes, maybe she’d stayed in contact with Michael.
The guitarist, Marko, and the aforementioned bassist, Dwayne, had at least one line in the song that they weren’t singing background vocals with David. The guy on the drums, Paul, said “hey” drawn out once in the back before David started singing again.
Michael most of the time was in the front row or he was standing on one of the truss towers. Sometimes he’d sit, sometimes he’d get closer to the band by only holding onto the beam with one of his hands to hang off of it. Michael nearly all of the time only watched David during shows. And David in return, sometimes pointed at Michael.
That was another thing David liked to do during shows. He’d point to people in the crowd, bring them up on stage like Star, graze his hand on their cheek. He actually didn’t know If Star was apart of the band at all, or if David just brought her up sometimes.
His brother had changed a lot. His clothing had somehow been influenced by the band. Now he wore much more black and he wore so much more jewelry. That including a spiked bracelet matched with one David had, multiple necklaces, and the same sword earring was still there too. His clothes also looked like they’d been patched up multiple times, but Sam didn’t know if that was because of their version of hunting for food or not.
Maybe Sam was being picky, but he’d never expected his brother to move away from the white t-shirt and jeans stage. As much as he hated that style as well.
Today Michael was on one of the towers, the other being used for crowd surfing when a person jumped off of it.
The song had ended soon enough. The crowd dispersed while the band had started to pack up. The only two that had stayed were Michael and Sam. Since Sam was in the back of the crowd, he moved to the side to let people pass. When he looked back up, both David and Michael were gone. Of course, this just had to be more difficult for him.
He’d been backstage a few times, it was nothing unique.
“Mike!” He called, sighing when there was no answer.
He could hear some shuffling around the corner. Sam could be at home right now, reading comics, but Michael just had to make this very difficult.
“Mi-“ His feet were frozen in place, eyes wide and staring.
David had pushed Michael against the wall, kissing and his neck. He had his hands locked onto Michael’s waist. His brother was laughing about something, digging his fingers through the other’s hair. That only caused David to bring his face up to kiss his lips with a sly grin on his face.
Sam’s breathing was heavy, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even know why he was breathing hard.
Something he had done had caused David to stop and turn to look at him, Michael soon followed. Maybe it was their enhanced hearing, listening in on his breath or heartbeat. He ran.
He needed a way to get home by himself, like a bike or something. Just a normal bike, he didn’t want one like Michael’s. Santa Carla wasn’t safe, but he knew the most dangerous thing in it. So he might be fine. If his mom allowed him, that is.
He didn’t really know where he was going. His only way out of the Boardwalk was Michael’s bike. He’d only gotten past the stage. Paul, Dwayne, and Marko were sat on the stage talking amongst themselves.
“Sammy..!” Shit. Michael had caught up to him easily, it wasn’t like he was going to run away. Even if he did, Michael probably would’ve found him. “Let’s go”
He wasn’t going to say anything?
David appeared behind Michael, gave Sam a smile, and joined the bands conversation.
Sam reluctantly followed Michael to his bike and climbed on.
The trip home was awkward to say the least. Sam had to grip Michael tightly so he wouldn’t fall off. Unfortunately for him, his brother didn’t have any helmets. It made some sense, he was a vampire and healed quickly. Even if he got into a crash he’d be fine.
Michael wasn’t looking at Sam when he ran inside the house, or when they were both sitting inside.
Sam couldn’t even comprehend what he saw. It wasn’t like David had forced Michael into that position, it looked like his brother didn’t mind it at all. Gross.
But, how had Sam never known? Did Michael like girls? He seemed pretty interested in Star. With David of all people too.
There were some signs for sure. David always kept a hand on Michael, and Michael always seemed to be looking at David.
“How long have you….?” He didn’t know how to phrase this. Did Mike feel the same way Sam did about being different? Lonely?
His brother was setting up the table to get ready for when mom came home. He didn’t look up at Sam.
“A while.”
“How long is a while?”
“I don’t know.” He wasn’t going to get an answer out of Michael easily. Michael was quiet, but he wasn’t shy. More like he spoke when he needed to, or if he wanted something. He got angry pretty quickly, but that was likely because of their dad.
“…don’t tell mom.” Michael added.
“What?”
“I’ll tell her on my own, at some point.” Michael looked nervous. Really nervous. “David said he doesn’t care what I do”
“Sure…..okay.” So he had thought about it. It seemed they that in common, not ready to tell mom more about themselves.
“You don’t hate me?”
“No?! I thought you’d hate me.” Shit. Sam what the hell. Don’t say that.
“Why?” Michael actually looked up at him this time, confused.
Shit.
“No, no reason.”
“Sammy, what does that mean?”
“I don’t know… it’s just I thought that…” he stammered “well… I’m different.. I guess. Less different from you than I thought. I thought you only liked girls, that is.”
“You’re..?”
“Yeah.” Tears were welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want to come out this way.
“Oh.” Mike had come closer to Sam now. “Me too, sorta.”
Before either could say anymore, their mother bursted through the door, apologizing on her way in. She quickly maneuvered her way into the kitchen to start food. They definitely weren’t eating anything special tonight, not that they ever really did, to be fair.
Michael gave one last glance at Sam and gave him a reassuring smile.