Dusty Covers && Fairytales

Kev stepped outside the costuming department and was pleasantly surprised to find the pier so sparse. They preferred the amusements this way, less blinking lights and minimal noise; just a few well-dresses groups hurrying around the pier, seeking out the late-late night life that Kev had little interest in exploring after a long day of sewing shoulder pads into performers’ costumes. Kev picked the band aid wrapped around their left thumb protecting the gash created when Kev jumped at the sound of the fireworks, unused to the way they reverberate off the concrete workspace walls.

Still a little shaken up, Kev pulled a cigarette out of their pocket and leaned against the brick wall, hoping some late-night people watching would calm their nerves. Despite being an official employee at The Pier for a little over a week, Kev had kept to themselves, preferring to watch the chaos unfold around them before getting too attached. After a few minutes of watching the blur of tourists and employees begin to reach their final destinations, whether they staggered sleepily into one of the many ocean front hotels or drunkenly into one of the bars, Kev felt calmer. Just as they finished their cigarette and began thinking about heading home themselves, Kev felt someone step up next to them and rest against the building. Kev took a deep breath, and attempted to sound more annoyed than anxious when they barked, “Can I help you?”

          HAVING NEVER HAD a job where she stood on her feet for so long, Isabelle was beyond exhausted. Her purse felt extra heavy, despite it usually being a bit large. After all, she had at least three books in it at all times. It had been such a long day that all she wanted to do was get home and put her feet up, pour herself a cup of hot tea, and finish a few chapters of her current read.

The more she walked, though, the heavier her feet got, and the brunette eventually felt like she couldn’t make it much farther. “Just a few more blocks,” she mumbled quietly to herself as she noticeably began to slow down. As she rounded the corner up ahead, Isabelle stopped to lean against the wall, not even noticing someone there. “Oh!” she replied with a startled glance as she looked up at them. “I’m sorry. I just... I’m so tired. I needed to rest for a moment,” she tried to explain while reaching down to rub one of her ankles.

  👻    She’d spent much of the previous night on an all-out bender, things were going well for her now that she was getting set up at the pier. She floated around between couches and paying for motels with the little income she had started generating. After finding a fellow delinquent skulking around the out of bounds area of the pier, the construction zone, she’d gotten to know peter rather well, crashing at the Treehouse until she got herself on her feet. She’d offered some of the other misfits discount prices on Z, some obliged and took it, but she was very careful as not to overstep here, this wasn’t her den after all. But it wouldn’t take long.

A light fog clung to the pier as she went out that morning, walking through it without really disturbing the air, just small wisps rolling off her leather jacket. With pouches of Zero stuffed in her left pocket and cash jammed into her right pocket she was ready for a day of work, her first stop for the day was the early morning carnies. Rounding the corner on her way to Sugar Rush she slammed face-first into someone, “Oi watch where you’re walking.” Brushing down her jacket she looked up at the stranger, glaring at them with piercing black eyes despite them not having really done anything.

          ISABELLE WAS STILL half asleep as she walked to work. She had stopped by her favorite coffee shop with just enough time to get her chai tea, but she hadn’t had more than maybe a sip. Therefore, she was still rubbing her eyes when she bumped into the other being. “Oh goodness, I’m so sorry,” she grumbled. “Really,” she muttered again, shaking her head. 

This was her second day heading into work, and so far, life on the pier wasn’t terrible. Isabelle just wanted to find her spot... She was anxious for her new apartment to feel like home, for her coworkers to feel like friends, and to find a spot along the beach where she could hide whenever she needed to. Having not developed those things yet, Isabelle was still a bit jumpy whenever something even newer presented itself, or in this case- herself.

A small laugh escaped her lips as she shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve got to keep you on your toes, don’t I?” Shae asked, glad that they weren’t exactly yelling at each other at the moment. Part of her did feel bad for bumping into her the last time, but girls had to stick together and protect each other, especially with everything going on. “The man’s not exactly the most trustworthy person and he called me, sounding suspicious. Usually, I’m not so worried because he’s always suspicious, but the timing made no sense. He at least knows something,” the dark haired girl explained, scrunching up her nose. Even if Hayden hadn’t done anything, he knew something. 

Isabelle raised her eyebrow slightly. “Are you close enough to him to be able to outright ask? Or did you already?” she blurted, thinking out loud. Truthfully, she didn’t want to be around or near any of the events currently happening, but as long as someone else was asking about it, she figured there was no harm in letting her mind wander. “Whether he did it or not, I’d definitely believe that he knows something. Then again, is it possible that he’s just paranoid like everyone else?” she asked curiously.

“Why are you apologizing?” He questioned, trying to hide the hint of annoyance that was threatening to find it’s way to the surface. She seemed to be one of those types that apologized for everything. Adam couldn’t quite understand why. “It’s fine. So you don’t have a book today. World won’t end.”

His words nearly caused her jaw to drop. “Considering I have many reasons for always having a book on me, yeah. It just might end today. You have any better ideas for how to spend a break alone without some source of entertainment?” she snapped back possibly more intensely than she had meant to do.

When his eyes met hers, he felt his heart sink into his chest. She was so beautiful and he couldn’t figure out how in the world it’d happened. He most definitely could figure out how she managed to not hit him or murder him by now. Garrett could be a pain and he knew it. What the stage of their relationship was, he had no idea, but he was going to do his damned best to make it better than it was, every single day. Nodding, he scratched his head and looked down at the floor. “I had to know you were okay. That crazy killer could be anywhere and I just… I didn’t want you to get hurt. I know you can take care of yourself, but, I can’t help be a little protective.” He was stuttering over his words and felt absolutely ridiculous. This wasn’t what he was like. Why was he stuttering and acting like a complete and total idiot? “Sorry. I’ve never really been protective over someone’s safety, it feels weird, but I like it.”

His words caused her face to flush in a way it never really had before. “Thank you,” she eventually muttered, not able to meet his gaze just yet. It meant a lot to her that he’d run out here, and this was one of the few occasions where she couldn’t just say he’d did it for all of the girls because this was a one-time thing. He had been forced to pick one, and it had been her. His apology finally got her to meet his eyes, those blue gems that could cause anyone’s heart to stop. “I... I appreciate that Garrett,” she admitted quietly before she began to move again. “Walk me home then?” she asked, looking back over her shoulder.

Isabelle kept walking, so Rayelle hustled to keep pace with her. When she reached Isabelle again, she settled down in the pace. “Well, I’ve just finished fixing a display over near the strip, the paint on it chipped. Thankful, it was an easy fix. Now, I’m going home,” Rayelle said simply while brushing her hair back, “ So, what about you?”

"That’s not so bad,” she replied, smiling softly. She had always loved what she’d seen about Rayelle’s paintings, so she imagined only the best. “I’m headed home as well,” she said with a sigh. “I came out here to get away, but I didn’t mean to stay so late,” she admitted.

A soft smile formed upon his face. Garrett couldn’t remember the last time he smiled like that and actually meant it. But he adored the way it made him feel. His body felt warm and wonderful. “Of course. Everyone needs it every once in a while to escape the stress in their life.” He didn’t want to pry into her life, wondering why she needed to escape. That was a conversation for them to have when the time was right. As she brought up dinner, he laughed lightly and nodded. “As you wish,” he stated, continuing to walk. Garrett loved the fact that he was walking with her to go somewhere, actually together. When it came around to paying, he would pay, it was gentlemanly, wasn’t it?

Quite honestly, he was terrified of this evening. She wanted to have an intelligent conversation with him and while he wanted to do just that, but he was scared he wouldn’t be able to. Perhaps he would surprise himself and the night would be a smash success. Garrett wanted to impress her. In fact, he needed to. This was the girl of his dreams. “We talk? Ask questions. It’ll be however you want to do it. You can ask me any questions you want and I’ll answer, however,” he started, turning away from her slightly. “Anything I say, will stay between the two of us, alright?”

Eyeing him quizzically, Isabelle was satisfied with his answer after a moment. “That sounds reasonable,” she obliged as they continued to walk. As they walked in silence for a few minutes, Isabelle began to wonder what he could possibly have to tell her that he wouldn’t want getting around, unless it was something that he’d told every other girl. In which case, that would make perfect sense. 

Just having his presence near her was more intoxicating than she had ever imagined it would be, and in all honestly, it made her terrified. This man was someone she’d been trying to avoid, but yet his bluntness only had her curious as to what she had been assuming about him. Had she misjudged him after all? The fact that he was incredibly handsome, minus the arrogance to go with it, didn’t help the matter because her mind began to dream about how the night could go up until the moment they arrived. “Is this it?” she asked, snapping out of her thoughts.

The pier at the moment was dangerous, far too dangerous for her to be on. She knew that she’d hurt someone if she found out some information, especially if she figured it was only a hunch. Those happened a lot when she tried to investigate. The girl was so hot headed and quick tempered that it made for terrible split decisions. But an impulse decision was her favorite. Those plans were always the best. It was in that, that she decided to head farther away from the pier, keeping her distance. When she saw someone else, she called out to them, hoping to find out if they knew any answers. As the girl jumped, Shae realized whom it was. “Shit, sorry Isabelle. I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess I’m just more freaked out than I should be. I don’t know anything and it’s driving me mad. Hayden won’t talk to me and I’m scared that he actually did do it.”

Isabelle scoffed and shook her head. “Are you trying to make a habit of scaring me?” she said, mostly teasing as she looked over to Shae. Considering last time, Isabelle was just grateful that she wasn’t needing a new shirt this time. Her words caused her to hesitate for a moment, and Isabelle wasn’t sure what to say exactly. “Why do you think he did? The same reasons that everyone else does?” she asked a bit more calmly, genuinely curious as to what she had in mind, even if the bookworm’s original plan was to avoid it all together.

He knew he couldn’t go anywhere without someone jumping him. It was starting to really take a toll on him. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to take care of himself and actually try and get some food in his body? Practically storming through the pier, he hissed at everyone who tried to accuse him of something. He almost pushed someone over the edge of the pier. With the anger he was feeling, he would’ve killed them and they’d have another completely ridiculous issue going on. The man didn’t have the patience for that. Instead, he was going to find someone and use them to prove his innocence. How exactly that was possible, he didn’t know. Upon seeing a girl walking through the pier, he tried his best to get her attention. But she was on edge and he knew this was going to suck. “Don’t even start with me. I didn’t fucking do it. I just need you to help me find answers.”

Adam was grateful for his break. He had been dealing with a number of rude individuals when there had been a delay with one of the rides. People and their stupidity were something that set him off fairly easily. He had done his very best to keep himself together and not lose his cool in front of the customers. He’d fixed the problem and then slipped off to the break room where he’d had a little bit of a fit.

He was calmer now and sitting down minding his own business. He didn’t always talk to other people very often. He found it was easiest to keep to himself over anything else. He heard the voice and looked up for a moment. “No, go ahead.” He replied, waiting for her to sit down. She seemed surprised a moment later and he realized why. “Well, I won’t bother you if you don’t want me to.”

“You’re not the problem, I...” she muttered, unsure of how to explain her books. Most people looked at her like she had lost her mind whenever she did. “It’s complicated,” she said before sighing heavily. “I’m sorry. I’m just never usually without a book, so I’m not real sure what to do with the rest of my break,” she added with an awkward giggle. Isabelle shook her head and made a point to look up at him. “I’m so sorry.”

After all of this, after the murder, there was one person he wanted to see, one person he was worried about. Lately, all of his thoughts were about her. He needed to know she was safe, more than he needed to be sure he was safe. But this wasn’t any different than it used to be, aside from the fact that she was accepting it now. Garrett was very thankful for this, very glad that she wasn’t completely disgusted by him anymore. He was getting a little restless, not really knowing where she was. By this point, he’d walked way too far. That was when he saw her, that beautiful girl that sent his heart on a roller coaster ride. As he called out to her, he pouted when she jumped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to know you were okay. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Despite her jumping, as soon she recognized the sultry voice, Isabelle felt at ease again. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, smiling at first until his words registered. While she would consider them to be on a much friendlier level now than they had been no more than weeks ago, the bookworm still wasn’t sure that she would call him a friend, yet. “Looking for me?” she asked inquisitively as soon as the words finally sunk in. “Why were you looking for me?” she asked, finally turning to face him. In the back of her mind, she certainly processed the fact that he was more protection than the winter coat she’d been holding onto.

Rayelle had finished working and was on her way home. The air was turning bitter as it went from day to night. Usually she would walk alone. Which wasn’t great for her nerves but she had no choice. Today, however was different. She spotted Isabelle from a far. Rayelle only talk to her a few times but she seemed nice. Besides, Isabelle probably wouldn’t mind company either. Rayelle walked briskly to catch up to the brunette and called after her. Yet, Isabelle kept walking. Eventually Rayelle  caught up to Isabel and tapped her on her shoulder and begged, “Hey, Isabelle would I be able to walk with you?”

Taking in a sharp breath, Isabelle finally breathed once again when she noticed who it was. “Oh. Of course. That definitely sounds like a good idea tonight, doesn’t it?” she asked, trying to smile as best as she could when she knew all she wanted was to be home already. “What are you doing out so late?” she asked curiously as she began to walk again, hoping the other would follow along.

Staring at her phone, Isabelle reread the message at least five times. She wasn’t in the mood to be the one to solve this puzzle. The police were supposed to do that, but then again, it almost seemed like it would be staring her in the face if she found the right person. The only clue she had at the moment seemed to be the red. “Who likes to wear red?” she asked into the silence around her. “That’s not too difficult to figure out, considering it’s Christmas,” she added with a sigh. This was going to be difficult, and she had a feeling someone thought she would be the girl to solve it.