The Tick Tock of the Clock

“Let me see Jack.” I muttered to Pete as we walked towards the castle, he has a hunch that Cindy is by her castle. “Pete.” I muttered reaching for the small boy on his shoulders, just out of my reach. “Pete.” I stated a bit firmly to him, stopping. Turning Pete looked at me.

“But… but…” He pointed at the castle. Staring at him I raised a brow while placing my hands on my hips. Tipping his head but as his shoulders slumped while he gave out a loud sigh as Jack stared straight down at him. “But I like my new buddy.” He whined looking back at me with a puppy dog face, as if it would get me to give in on the subject. I think he forgets who I am.

“Well your new buddy needs sunscreen.” I stated. With a whine and a groan Pete removed Jack from his shoulders handing him to me. “And so do you.” I muttered moving over to a bench in the shade. Setting my bag down I pulled out sunscreen and began putting it on him with his help; I mean Jack, not Pete. “Sit down and put on sunscreen.” I muttered watching as Jack rubbed the sunscreen over his face. Turning I glanced at Pete sulking over. Throwing himself down he sighed deeply.

“I was hoping to get a tan.” He whispered softly pulling the tube of sunscreen out of his bag.

“You look like you have a tan already.” I muttered putting some sunscreen on myself as well. I waited for Pete and Jack to finish; Jack to extra long imitating Pete’s moves. They turned it into a game. “Are you done?” I asked as Pete stuck his tongue out, Jack doing the same. Both looked at me. “I mean we’ve got all day… but, if you wanna waste time that’s fine.” Nodding Pete stood up. I grabbed Jack before he could.

“Evil.” Pete whispered pointing at me as we walked along, Jack on my hip. “Your evil… you know what you’re like the evil step-mother to Cinderella.” He gasped looking down at me as we walked along.

“And you’re Cinderella?” I asked

“Damn straight!” He nodded. I stopped turning to him as he stood froze to the spot running our conversation through his head slowly trying to figure out what didn’t sound right. His fingers moved as if he was counting in the air, twisting and turning, carrying the one here and there. “Man…” He whispered hanging his head. “Not only did I set myself up for that one, I walked straight into it.” He stated walking over to me and clapped me on the back. “I applaud you for that one.” He nodded clicking his tongue. “That was a quick wit… Oh! Oh!” He pulled his phone out fumbling with it as he tried to dial. “Trick! Oh my Jesus! I’m a genius.” He gasped into the phone.

“In your own ego induced world.” I muttered earning a glare from Pete’s direction, but not a word said.

“Because I’ve got new lines for songs… or a song… I don’t know.” He gasped throwing his arms up in the air. Jack turned to me and tipped his head to the side.

“He’s confusing not only himself but Uncle Patrick as well.” I mused to the confused little four year-old resting on my hips. Nodding he rested his head against my collar bone as I smiled down at him. “Don’t give me that look Peter.” I shot before I looked up at him making a face at me. “You look like a hideous monkey like that.” I stated slowly as I watched him, refusing to admit that way his lips were pursed and his nose was scrunched up was rather cute.

The look dropped from his face as he stared at me blankly.

“You’re a cruel human being, I hope you know that.” He stated. Nodding he sighed. “I thought so.” He whispered turning around. “Any who!” He declared throwing his arms up. “Do you have something to write this down on?” He asked, pulling my phone out I opened my notes section ready to take it down knowing Trick would only get half of it no matter how many times Pete repeated it. I mean were in Disney Land, Trick doesn’t care about song line at the moment. “Just like Cinderella.” Pete muttered, I typed it in quickly Jack watched my thumb move across the keys, and the words appear. “A quick wit.” Jack touched my hand and phone before looking up at me, smiling at him I glanced at Pete as he spun in a circle looking around at the old cottage styled buildings, the rides, the blue sky with a few clouds scattered in the sky. “Only you know cruelties truest forms.” I stopped after typing that one, glaring at him softly as he smiled at me. “Did you get that Trick?” He asked, saving the new notes I sniffled a bit lowering my hand to Jack’s waist holding him up a bit better. “What’d you mean no?” He gasped amazed by the fact.

“I got them.” I stated slipping my phone away and reaching out for Pete’s. Snatching it from his hand, he began to rant that Trick wasn’t a true musician, or something like it. “Trick don’t worry about it, I got them. Enjoy your day.” I stated hanging up on the confused and flustered singer and guitarist. “Leave your friends alone Peter.” I stated holding the phone back out. With a pout on his lips he snatched the phone back. “They’re very distracted, now turn around.” I muttered seeing a woman in a long blue ball gown dress, blonde hair and blue eyes

With narrowed eyes, Pete turned slowly on his heels; debating if it was worth it. As he turned to see Cinderella I smacked him in the back of the head.

“OW!” He screamed holding his head turning to me with wide eyes as Jack giggled.

“You like it when he’s hurt?” I asked in a small voice hugging Jack tightly. “I think we’ll get along better than I thought.” I whispered to him as he giggled, Pete still glaring at me. “You,” I muttered flatly to Pete. “Go attack your princess.” I muttered waving him off, squealing Pete ran the twenty or thirty feet to her and stopped about four from her waving. I watched the woman’s blue eyes go wide as he smiled at her. “He’s weird.” I muttered a Jack pulled on his bottom lip while he walked closer to Pete and Cinderella talking; Pete using large hand movements as she held her self in a rather proper manor.

Stopping a few feet away I watched them and listened to Pete question her about what it was like working at Disney Land all day long. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t attacked her in a hug yet, and the fact that he was even asking her about her days at work.

“He’s really strange huh?” I asked Jack, nodding he tugged on the strap to my backpack. “What…” I muttered softly setting him down and removing the bag from my shoulders. “You want something?” I asked opening it, nodding he shifted through the things in my bag. I had lunch for both of us in it, plus a few extra drinks for him. He pulled out a decent size green sippy cup and pointed at it before tipping his head to the side. “Grape juice.” I muttered, nodding he put it down on the ground and closed my bag for me. Smiling I watched as he held the straps out to me. “Thank you Jack.” I muttered putting it back on my shoulders as he picked up his cup drinking from it.

Standing I took his hand as he held it out to me. Holding on to it he smiled at me still sipping from his cup.

“Ella!” My head shot up slightly startled by the outburst. Blinking slowly I stared at Pete staring at me; Cinderella seemed a bit confused before me. “Where’s the camera?” He muttered walking over and picking up Jack. “Hey buddy.” He laughed as Jack leaned into him. “Got yourself some juice?” He asked as I pulled the camera out of the bag. Nodding Jack held it up to him. “No, it’s your juice. I’ve got my own in my bag. Thank you though.” I laughed as Jack nodded tucking the cup against his and Pete’s chests. “You wanna met Cinderella?” Pete asked pointing at the woman standing only a few feet from us. Shaking his head Jack wiggled to get down. “Okay, you don’t have to I was just wondering.” Pete muttered setting Jack down.

Jack hurried over to me hiding behind my legs, clinging to one tightly as he looked at the woman with wide worried eyes.

Holding the camera up Pete nodded walking over to her. I didn’t move just zoomed on the camera to get the right picture for Pete. Taking it I smiled at it and nodded so he’d know I got the picture.

“Thanks.” He muttered waving at Cinderella. Running over he scoped Jack up spinning him around. “What’d you wanna do?” He asked holding Jack over his head letting the small four year-old giggle and squeal in delight. “Huh?” Pete muttered spinning in a circle Jack at arms length.

“Pete…” I muttered, all the things that flashed before my eyes weren’t good ones. Stopping Pete tucked Jack into his chest stumbling a bit. “Please be careful.” I muttered letting out a deep breath.

“Sorry.” He laughed as Jack giggled into his chest. “Whoa I’m dizzy.” He muttered stumbling a bit. Reaching out I held Pete steady listening ear piercing screams. “Andy and Joe are on a ride.” He stated slinging his arm over my shoulders. Nodding I held him up as we wandered off. “Small world?” Pete asked, Stopping I looked up at him a bit confused about what he meant. “The ride.” He muttered pointing at Jack still giggling a bit.

“Oh.” I muttered rolling my eyes at how obvious it was. “Yeah.” I muttered. Turning sharply Pete dragged me in the other direction.

“Hola Cinderella.” Pete muttered waving at her as we walked passed her again. Smiling as best I could I waved at her as well to be nice. “What you want Ella?” Pete asked as Jack reached for me whining a bit. Taking him I stuck my tongue out at Pete.

“He likes me better.” He stated childishly as we wandered towards the ride. Rolling his eyes Pete mimicked me as he moved his hands and bobbed his head annoyed.

“He only liked you better because you have the food, drinks, and what not for him in your backpack. I bet if I switched bags with you, he’d like me better for the day.” He shot, rolling my eyes he laughed.

“Is that all you could come up with on short notice?” I asked

“Yeah.” He sighed holding his hand out. “Give my your phone.”

“No!” I gasped moving away from him. “Last time I gave you my phone you threw it into a pool!” I muttered watching a we passed several fountains, unsure if Disney Land was the safest place for my phone.

“Then write that down!” He gasped pulling out my phone I brought up my notes waiting for him to go on. “Is that all you could come up with on short notice.” I dropped my arm not even writing it down. “What?” He asked looking at me a bit startled.

“I say that all the time!” I gasped at him shifting Jack up on my hip higher. “You can’t remember it? I’ll say it later when you use another bad come back.” Throwing his arms up he sighed. “You know it’s true.” I muttered, huffing his stuck his bottom lip out at me. “Fine, just put that face away.” Smiling at me he nodded as I typed it in. “you need to take this lines out of my phone later tonight, I’ve got at least thirty in by the looks of it.” I stated before shifting my phone back into my jean pocket as I watched Pete bob his head through fully.

“Okay, thirty lines could be like… two songs… or one really awesome son…” He trialed off as a loud ringing rang out from my pocket. Bowing he lifted a hand to me so I could answer it. Pulling my phone out I did as a told.

“Hello?” I asked a bit unsure.

“Umm… I lost Brendon….” Closing my eyes I hung my head a bit at Patrick’s words.

“What?” I asked my lips forming a hard line. Jack slipped from my arms. Looking up I noticed Pete hugging him close to his chest as he back up from my harsh tone.

“I didn’t mean to, I looked down at the map to try and find where we wanted to go, and when I looked back up he was gone. I figured he ran ahead to the Splash Mountain like we’d planed on going to, and he’s not here.”

“We haven’t even been here for an hour.” I snapped into my phone. There was a whine from the other end of the line that sounded something like ‘I know’ “What’s around Splash Mountain?” I asked there was a hum from Patrick.

“Go carts… this weird submarine ride looking thing, and some shops.”

“Check the submarine thing… and try calling him.”

“I did that’s the first thing I did, he didn’t answer so I went to the ride thinking he was already on it, because that’s a Brendon thing to do, right. Then he wasn’t here, called like four other times before I called you. But I’ll look and call you back.” Letting out a deep breath I pinched the bridge of my nose annoyed that today was already going to hell in a hand basket by the looks and sounds of things.

“I’m going to ask…” Pete muttered looking up at him as he stepped back half a step. “What happened?” He asked lightly. Sighing I sank to the ground holding my head. “That bad?” He asked, nodding he wandered over helping me up. “Come on, let’s sit over here.” He muttered practically carrying me to the bench and sitting me down. “Okay.” He sighed crouching in front of me. “Tell me what’s going on?” He asked placing a hand on my knee.

“Your retard friends,” I stated

“They’re your friends too.” He shot in quickly. Glaring at him I laughed.

“Not at the moment.” I bobbed his head with a soft: ‘fair enough’ and rolled his free hand for me to go on. “Well Brendon’s magical, and Trick’s an idiot.” I simply stated crossing my arms over my chest leaning back against the cool stone staring up at the sky. The few clouds had started to gather casting shadows on the ground.

“So Trick lost Brendon and can’t find him?” I nodded. “Okay, hold on.” He muttered sitting Jack in my lap and walking several feet away as he dialed on his phone. I watched as he paced back and forth holding the phone to his ear, lips moving. I know for a fact he either called Patrick or Brendon.

A tugging on my shirt made my look down at Jack staring up at me.

“We’ll get to the ride don’t worry.” Turning he hugged me tightly. Smiling I wrapped my arms around him tightly. It was good to get a hug to cheer me up and make me feel better. “Thanks.” I whispered as I pulled back from the hug. Smiling he nodded and tapped my collar bone where my heart was then his and smiled at me. I don’t know what it meant but I hugged him again.