Animatronic Eyes

Most of the families left after the incident. Either they were too scared or superstitious to stay, I couldn't tell.
"Employee meeting, my office, now." Mr. Miller said, tugging my sleeve.

When I found his office, almost everyone was there. Blake arrived last and shut the door behind him.

"What do you guys think?" were Mr. Miller's first words. "nothing actually happened to him, he left in perfect shape. After all, he was a trouble maker. Maybe he wanted to by cool, sneaking around backstage, got his nerves all bundled up and he thought he saw something and it freaked him out." Mr. Miller agreed firmly with his own decision.

"That could be..." Jess agreed, for once she was acting serious.

"Someone would have to be a real wimp to be that scared, though. Are we sure he didn't see anything?" Cyrus demanded.

"Could someone have been back there?" Cole asked with a shrug.

Mr. Miller thought about it. "That could be, and if there were, they haven't left yet. The security cameras are still up over there, and I've gone through the footage. I didn't see anyone, but there is more than one way in there."

"The blind spot." Jess breathed in disbelief.

"Exactly." Mr. Miller agreed.

"So what do we do?" Blake asked.

"We set up another camera outside the curtains of Pirate Cove." Mr. Miller concluded.

"But we don't have anymore surveliance cameras." Cole says.

"Hmm, we'll have to take one from the kitchen then." Mr Miller says. "Blake, get the toolbox from the animatronic repair studio, and grab the ladder while you're in there."

Blake nodded and headed out the door.

"What do you need us to do?" Jack asks.

"I want you and Decsi to go home, get a good night's rest and be back tomorrow at eight thirty to complete your service. After today's events, I can imagine you're all a little edgy."

I exchanged looks with the other girls and we nodded.

"Ok, it's settled, then. Jess, Cyrus, you girls can go, too. Me and Blake will take care of this."

We walked out, and went to my car. Even after we were buckled in and driving, a full mile away from the building, I didn't feel any better. Something uneasy sat in my stomach like a rock. And I felt a little trapped.

"When we get back, what are you going to do?" Jack asked when we were halfway back to my house.

I shrugged, glaring out the windsheild into the blinding light of day. It had stopped raining an hour ago and cleared up pretty quick.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of it."
"To the bottom of what... Exactly?"
My lip twitched "I need to know what that kid saw."
"What are you going to do? Abuduct him?"
I shake my head and laugh humorlessly. "No. I don't need Josh to tell me what it was, exactly. I can just Google it."
"How can you be so sure?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
"Because I'm 89% sure it's happened before." I simply responded.

When we arrived at my house, nothing went to plan. Me and Jack never made it back to my room for the research, because as soon as I pulled up, I recognized someone sitting on the step of the porch, doing nothing, really. But gripping the stalks of several daisies he'd plucked from my mom's flower garden.

"My parents were here, you know." Was the first thing that came out of my mouth, but he just smiled. Jack was confused.

"Wait, why is Franky here?"
"I can't wait to ask him." I muttered under my breath, slinging my backpack across my shoulder and approaching the boy.

Franky really wasn't that bad looking when he cleaned up and ditched the cop uniform. Then it didn't feel so much like my own dad was giving me googly eyes. Franky had shaggy brown hair that came to his jaw, green eyes and a soft face. He was tall, skinny and all proper with everything He believed in all the old school morals, asking the father first before even approaching the daughter, bringing flowers, tokens of awe. Opening the doors for the girl and showing her the skylights after dark.

This is what I didn't want.

"Hi Franky." I greeted him as I approached the door. Hoping that if I could treat him like a normal person who didn't have a crush on me, we could talk like normal people. But Franky corrupted that light first chance he got.

"I asked your dad, and he said it was-"

"Franky..." I sighed, "I know what my dad would say. But what bothers me is that it isn't my decision. I can't go right now anyways, I've had a... Terrible day." I mumbled.

Then Franky tried to pull the big puppy eyes "Please?"

I groaned and pulled open the door and walked inside.

"Franky's waiting for you outside, dear." Mom appeared in the kitchen with a smile.

"Mom!" I groaned. "I can't go out with him."

"Why not?"

"Because I can think of a number of reasons why." I defended. "one being, I really need a shower, I smell like the ball pit, two being, I am emotionally strained for one day, thank you very much."

I made a pass for the stairs but she interrupted me "How'd it go?"

I bit my lip to keep from spilling the truth. "It was... Stressful, long day. I just want to be alone now."

"Sweety...." Mom whined, trying to guilt trip me. "He's been waiting out there since he got off at noon."

"He's gonna be waiting a lot longer, then." I muttered under my breath.

"Decsi! You will go out with Franky, be nice to him. And when you get back, you can do whatever you want."

"And if I don't?"
She gave me a look "There is no bargaining to be done. If you don't, I'll get you a permanent job at Freddy's. Now, go change into that yellow sundress I bought you last week.

"Seri-"

"Decsi." She said firmly and I groaned. "What about Jack? We were supposed to study together."

She shrugged. "You could do it by phone or tomorrow."

"I have to work tomorrow." It slipped out.

She gave me a weird look. "I thought you said it was just for today?"

"Yeah, but Mr. Miller gave us the rest of the day off because it was slow business."

She must have accepted this answer because after she became thoughtful, she nodded to herself. "Ok then, just go for an hour?"

I groaned. "There's no way out of it?"

She smiled in the evil way parents do. "You know there isn't. Now go get dressed."

"What's wrong with this?" I laughed, indicating to my stained, wretched smelling clothes. She frowned "No offense, but you smell like the tile floor of the pizza place."

I nodded. There was no getting out of it now, I turned and trudged up the stairs with feet as heavy as bricks. I had come to the conclusion that the less time I spent arguing with my mom over my social life, was the quicker I could be gone and back and ready to do my research.

It was after I flopped out of an eight minute shower, quickly drying off and scrambling to get ready that I realized something. Something vital.
Franky is a cop. While he is a lower ranked cop, he's still a cop. Which means he's had access to files, data and countless cases that have taken place over the last decade... Including any incidents at the pizzeria.

I really didn't want to have to use Franky for research profits, but I see it this way: He'll either know nothing or less than nothing, or be missing some of the details, leaving me to google the rest later. So it's really not like I'm robbing his thoughts, just borrowing some of them...

"Are you almost ready?" My mom called up the stairs. I grumbled and fiddled with the strap of the yellow sundress. It was way too girly for me. I would have been plenty happy with some clean jeans and an old band shirt. But mom wouldn't have it. Because God knows what she wants from my future.

For me to date Franky, realize I love him, he'll propose, the wedding with be an entire town affair with flower bouquets, ring bearers and flower girls. Tux's, gowns, bridemaids, cake, the whole gig.

Only I wasn't into the fame of marrying an icon of the town. I really had never thought of getting married since I was addicted to princesses, then I did as all girls did, I waited for prince charming. But I also did as every girl did, wallowed in disappointment when he didn't come and eventually just forgot the whole affair to move on with life.

"Yeah!" I called back, brushing through my hair quickly, suddenly feeling giddy to get going. I dried out my hair and slipped on my converse, rummaged around in my backpack for my cell phone, then I jogged down the steps.

"See you in a bit Sweety. Have fun!" Mom called after me as I disappeared out the front door.