The Boys, the Girls

“Now, ladies and gentlemen,” Richy Barnes announced from the stage, “This final number is someone new to the roster. She’s young, she’s talented, and she’s not too hard on the eyes either.” He chuckled and winked at the audience. “Please welcome Kimberly DeClaire to the stage!” he made a gesture to right stage and Carmen’s sister walked out onto the stage.

She smiled shyly and waved at the crowd. The crowd cheered politely for her. Kimberly turned to the band and told them they could start playing. Soon, a smooth, calming tune filled the area and then Carmen’s sister began to sing, “Darling, darling, doesn't have a problem, lying to herself 'cause her liquor's top shelf.”

“That your sister?” The chilling voice of the boy from earlier asked as he came up from behind her. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance and he chuckled. He was quickly joined by two more blonde boys, one with curly hair that looked around her sister’s age, and one that looked like he was from Twisted Sister, and a dark haired boy with tan skin.

Kimberly lilted out another line, “It's alarming honestly how charming she can be. Fooling everyone, telling them she's having fun.”

“Yeah,” Carmen replied to the boy’s question.

“So you’re Kimmy’s sister?” Twisted Sister asked.

“Yes, I am,” she raised an eyebrow at them, “And don’t call her Kimmy, she hates it.”

“She says you don't want to be like me, don't wanna see all the things I've seen. I'm dying, I'm dying.” Kimberly continued, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw the boys surrounding Carmen. Carmen knew it probably looked odd, because she normally never gave the boys of the boardwalk the time of day. But there was something about this group that was pulling her in, so Carmen just smiled reassuringly at her sister and gave her a thumbs-up.

“You wouldn’t happen to have seven bucks, would you?” Twisted Sister asked, pulling her from her silent conversation with her sister.

“Paul,” the boy from earlier snapped at his friend darkly.

“What?” Twisted Sister, apparently named Paul, asked innocently. “The guy at the food stand made me pay for her sister’s dinner and I just want my money back.”

“You cut in front of her, didn’t you?” Carmen asked Paul.

“She says you don't want to get this way, famous and dumb at an early age. I’m lying, I’m lying.” Kimberly continued on.

“Yes, he did,” curly top told her.

“That’s just that’s stand’s policy,” she explained to them, “If you cut in front of someone you have to pay for their meal when you get up there.” The boy from earlier smirked at his friends, “Not to mention the fact that the guy who runs it has a thing for her.”

“Grody,” Curly top gagged, Carmen chuckled.

“You know,” Carmen remarked a few moments later, “I never got your name,” She turned to look at the boy from earlier.

“I didn’t get yours, either.” He smirked. She raised an eyebrow at him, “David,” he told her as he swung an arm over her shoulders, “And this is Paul, Marko, and Dwayne.” He pointed to each of his friends in turn. Paul being Twisted Sister, Marko being curly top, and Dwayne was the dark haired boy. “What’s yours?” he asked her, his smirk growing.

“Carmen,” She replied easily just as her sister began to sing the chorus of her song:

“The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen; she gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes. She laughs like god, her mind’s like a diamond. Audio tune lies; she's still shining, like lightning, oh~, like lightning.”

Carmen smiled easily at the four boys around her and laughed at their reaction faces to the song. Her laugh was airy and full of life as she kicked her head back revealing her neck to them.
-
“You know,” The girl David had met earlier remarked, “I never got your name,” She turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I didn’t get yours, either.” He smirked down at her. Her eyebrow rose a little higher, forest green eyes sparkling expectantly. “David,” he told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “And this is Paul, Marko, and Dwayne.” He pointed to each of his brothers in turn. “What’s yours?” he asked her, his smirk growing.

“Carmen,” she replied easily.

“The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen; she gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes.” The girl on stage sang. Carmen smiled at them as she eyed each of his brother’s reactions, along with his. She laughed airily as she kicked her head back exposing the creamy skin of her neck. “She laughs like god, her mind’s like a diamond. Audio tune lies; she's still shining, like lightning, oh~, like lightning.”

His need to drain her of her blood had been abnormally overwhelming for the past few hours. The pounding of her blood running through her veins, circling through her entire body was echoing loudly in his ears. The sweet scent of it was suffocating his senses in a way he wasn’t opposed to.

He pulled her closer to his chest as they continued to watch the girl’s sister perform. He soon began to rub circles on her upper arm with his thumb, trying to gain some form of reaction from the girl, whether it be repulsed that he would try to make “a move” so quickly, or it’d just be a smirk that implied she was into him doing that. All she did, though, was shrug her shoulders to get him to let go of her and pull away from leaning against his chest. As she moved forward, more into the crowd, she began to slowly and methodically sway her hips and twirl to the music while her lips silently formed the lyrics to the song in time with her sister’s singing:

“Baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go. That's the little story of the girl you know. Relying on the kindness of strangers, tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favors. Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on. Sing your song, song, now, the camera's on. And you're alive again.”

“Mon amour, je sais que tu m'aimes aussi.”

“What language was that?” Paul asked.

“French,” Dwayne told his friend.

“Oh, and do you know what she’s saying also?” Paul teased.

“My love, I know you love me too,” Carmen spoke. David and his friends turned to stare at her confused.

“Tu as besoin de moi. Tu as besoin de moi dans ta vie.” The girl on stage lilted out slowly.

“You need me. You need me in your life.” Carmen’s hips swayed as she spoke.

“Wait,” Marko remarked, “Are you translating?” Carmen nodded in reply. David’s eyebrows rose impressed, Carmen smirked.

“Tu ne peux plus vivre sans moi. Et je mourrais sans toi.” Her sister on stage continued.

“You cannot live without me, and I’d die without you.”

“You think she’s just shitting with us?” Paul whispered to David, who shook his head in reply.

“Je tuerais pour toi.” Her sister finished the softly lilted speaking.

“I would kill for you.” David chuckled lightly at the irony of the moment.

“The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen; she gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes. She laughs like god, her mind's like a diamond. Audio tune lies, she's still shining: like lightning, oh~, like lightning. Like lightning, oh~, like lightning.

“Darling, darling, doesn't have a problem lying to herself 'cause her liquor's top shelf~.” Her sister finished and the crowd cheered.

“Where’d you learn French?” David asked her.

“One of my father’s whores,” She replied with ease as she smiled.

“One of your father’s whores knew French?” Marko chuckled, “I don’t think–”

“No, one of his whores was French.” She told them, “He’s a very elite business man, only the most eloquent and tasteful did he show off.” She remarked in a snooty voice.

“Are you talking about dad?” Carmen’s sister asked as she walked up. Marko and Paul burst into laughter.

“And Cézanne Marguerite,” Carmen’s sister sneered slightly at the name.

“What, you don’t like her?” Paul asked in a false simpering tone.

“She was the first whore after he divorced our mom, of course I don’t like her.” Carmen’s sister snapped.

“I don’t believe we’ve caught your name,” David remarked, stopping the conversation.

“Kimberly,” She told them.

“David,” David told her, “and this is Dwayne,” he gestured to his friend, “I think you already know Paul and Marko.”

“I do,” she replied.

“You did great up there,” Marko told her.

Kimberly blushed softly, a shy smile spread across her lips, “Thanks.” David smirked at the display.

“You girls wanna go for a ride?” David asked them, his eyes never leaving Carmen who had gone to stand closer to her sister.

“Maybe some other time,” Carmen told them with an apologetic smile, “We’ve got to be up early tomorrow.”

“It can’t be that early,” Marko remarked, “It’s still summer.”

“We’ve got to drive to Pacific Grove tomorrow to meet our mom for breakfast.” Kimberly told them.

“I’m sorry,” Paul chuckled.

“For what: the drive or the breakfast with the mother?” Carmen asked.

“The breakfast with your mother,” Paul chuckled.

“Thanks,” Kimberly sighed before turning to Carmen. “We ought to get back home,” she muttered.

“Why don’t we drive you home?” Marko offered. David raised an eyebrow at the two. Kimberly bit her lip and looked to Carmen who eyed David and his boys suspiciously.

“We drove here,” Carmen told them, “And besides,” she continued, “I’m not so sure I want you knowing where we live just yet.”

“Bu–” Carmen cut her sister off with a glance.

“Come on,” David began his eyes piercing Carmen’s. Usually, that’d dissolve that girl’s resistance, but she didn’t bat an eye. Instead, she met his stare head on, her eyes freezing over, their depths penetrating David’s stoic-ness.

“I said no,” She replied firmly. She turned on her heel and walked off with her sister quickly following.