cry little sister → t. l. b.

01. boardwalking the plank

I sit on the stone wall by the sea, legs dangling, listening to the distant live saxophone music blasting out from the boardwalk. There are so many stars out tonight, I can't help but stare in awe at them, distracting myself from the scary night ahead of me. 

I'll probably find somewhere to sleep for the night. I might be able to break into one of the small shops on the boardwalk. But, still. If I was caught, I'd be completely screwed. I have no money. I'm only sixteen. Oh, God. What if they try to track down my family? No. It's best to stay here, for now, at least. To live in the moment.

There are still a lot of people around, even though the moon is well up in the dark blue sky now. I wonder if there's anyone else looking up at the sky right now, just like me. A cold wind rips through the air and I pull my denim jacket tighter around me, long gypsy skirt flapping. Maybe it's best to stay where there are people and not lose myself in my head too much. It's always best to stay alert, after all.

I wander through the boardwalk, my old black Doc Martins scuffing the pavement. It's a habit for me, walking slowly. I want to see everything, to not miss anything.

I spot a little shop with a big window in the front, radiating soft blue light. On the front, it reads 'Star's tattoo and piercing parlour'. I badly want to go in. I wonder if they'll do anything for free.

As soon as I step in, a wild looking girl with curly dark hair comes up to me.

"Sorry, we were just about to close for the night," she says, smiling at me.

I blink. "Oh, oh. I'm sorry," I say, flustered. I'm not used to being talked to.

"No, it's totally fine! What were you thinking about getting done? I might be able to do it if it's quick."

I shake my head. "Uh, well, you see. The thing is, I haven't got any money on me. I just came for a look."

"Oh that's okay," she says. "Are you from around here? That's a very pretty bracelet." She fingers the silver bracelet on my wrist. It's got charms on it from loads of places I've been to, whenever I had any spare cash or small tokens I've found.

"Thanks. And no. I'm not really from anywhere." I mumble the last part, not intending for her to hear. But she does.

"Really? Neither am I. Is anyone? Tell you what, I'll give you something for free. As a welcome present to Santa Carla. Are you looking for a tattoo or piercing?" She leads me over to a table with a bunch of big books spread across it.

"I'm not sure," I say, but then my eye catches on something in an open book. "Hey, what does that tattoo mean?"

She looks to where I'm pointing. "Oh, that? It's a ... it's a vampire thing. You probably wouldn't—"

"It's beautiful," I say, awestruck.

She pauses. "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose it is."

"Is it okay? You don't have to do it if it's too much. Really, I should be heading somewhere for the night. It's late."

The girl smiles. "Of course I can do it. Where do you want it?"

I think for a moment. "The inside of my wrist. That way it won't be too obvious."

She sits me down in a chair and starts to sketch out the design on my wrist, all swirls and curves. This girl is very talented.

"Hey, what's your name, by the way?" she asks, not glancing up.

I hesitate, not sure whether to give my real name, but something about this girl makes me feel like I can trust her. It's not like I'll see her again anyway, right? "Afternoon," I finally say. "What's yours?"

"Well, it's kind of obvious. Star."

"That's your real name? Guess your parents are hippies too."

She laughs.

When the tattoo is done after about twenty minutes it stings, but it looks incredible.

"Thanks so much!" I tell Star. "I wish I had some money to give you. Hey, what about this?" I undo my bracelet and pull off one of my charms. It's an interesting symbol, very similar to the tattoo. It's one of the reasons why I chose it.

"Oh, wow!" she exclaims, turning it over in her hand. "Where did you get this?"

"I found it on the beach over there. It'd just been washed up by the waves," I say. "If you sell it, you could probably get something for it."

"No way. I couldn't sell this. It's worth more than any price," she says.

I'm thrilled she likes it so much. "I'll see you around, Star. Thanks again," I say as I leave the parlour.

"You too, Afternoon," she says, waving as she closes the door behind me.

I wonder what the symbol means as I walk around the boardwalk again. It seems to have some significance to Star, but why?

"Hey, you're pretty," says a voice behind me.