The Tick Tock of the Clock

“We’re not going to get him a henna.” I gasped tucking Jack into my chest as Pete glared at me. “No.” I muttered walking in the opposite direction of the henna tattoo booth and towards a nicely colored Japanese styled kite booth.

“Come on!” Pete gasped throwing his arms up as Jack reached for a spinning wheel on the stand. Reaching over I picked it up blowing on it watching his reaction. Jack’s nose scrunched up as it spun in circles the colors blending and mixing together. “Just one… please?” Pete gasped.

“When he’s fifteen.” I shot watching as Jack spun the wheel with his hand as it slowed down.

“Guys help me out!” Pete gasped turning to his three companions following us. Joe looked up from the pot stickers he’d bought at one of the booths, Andy quickly took interest in the spinning wheels still on the table and Pat pointed at something in the distance.

“Hey Pete what’s that?” He asked Pete leaned back looking. “Let’s go see!” He muttered pulling Pete along through the crowd of people in the direction Pat wanted to go.

“We were already over there!” Pete gasped as they fully vanished in the large crowd.

“It’s for your own good!” Rolling my eyes I looked at the vender smiling up at me as he watched Jack take the pin-wheel from my hand and begin to play with it. I smiled back.

“Do you want it?” I asked Jack looked up at me and nodded slowly, almost as if he was ashamed he wanted it. “Okay, how much?” I asked the man smiling at me still. It was rather creepy but he seemed egger to sell the simple toy.

“A dollar.” He muttered nodding I picked up another one and passed him the two bills. “Thank you.” He smiled I nodded looking around. Joe and Andy seemed to wait for me to move.

“You two don’t have to stick around.” I stated. “Just be back at the car by five.” I muttered nodding they both just gazed around almost a bit unsure what to do at the rather large culture festival. Glancing at my watch I sighed. “Five, four, three, two…” I paused for a second and looked back up. “Here.” I held the extra pin-wheel out to Pete as he slid between two people right in front of me with a frown. “No shush and play with the toy.” I muttered passing him.

“You know you’re way to go at that?” Joe asked blowing on his steaming pot sticker. I nodded lightly with a frown as Pete turned the pin-wheel every which way looking at it, analyzing it as if it were something complicated.

“You spin it Pete.”

“I know how it works thank you, I just don’t know what you handed it to me.” He muttered letting his arms drop to his side a bit confused by the action. I shrugged instead of telling him that I figured the simple action of spinning it would keep him quite and make him forget about the henna tattoo idea; obviously I was wrong. There is a first time for everything I guess.

“Thought you’d like it.” I mused as he rose a brow at me.

“I’m not giving up on the Henna idea, I think it’s a good one.” Pete muttered. “And I’m not easily distracted by… hello…” Turning I looked at Pete staring at several nacklaces hanging on a rack.

“not easily distracted my butt.” I grumbled as the guys snickered, Pete didn’t even noticed as he moved onto a different section of jewelry. “I don’t thin you need a belly ring.” I muttered Pete glared at me.

“Looking at the rings.” He muttered pointing at the display of rings above the belly rings. Nodding I clicked my tongue to let him know I didn’t believe him. “Seriously.” He mumbled lifting one as he tapped his chin. I glanced at the guys and quickly made a few hand gestures at them.

“What?” Pat asked as Joe tipped his head to the side a piece of food half in his mouth.

“We don’t know sign language.” Andy muttered crossing his bright red arms over his chest. “Ow.” He whispered uncrossing them and letting them hand at his sides.

“She probably said: I think Pete’s just stalling so I give in at let him get Jack a henna tattoo… I really like this one.” He gasped lifting a large ring with pursed lips. “That last part was me.” He added quickly as I opened my mouth.

“The sad thing is he’s right and he wasn’t even looking.” I snorted as Jack held the pin-wheel up to me. Blowing on it the guys laughed.

“And doesn’t know sign language either.” I nodded with a roll of the eyes while Pete turned back to us with a small laugh and wandered past me. Following him I sighed watching as he pointed out random things.

“Pete,” I warmed lightly as he stopped at a tent selling paintings. “I’m not stupid, I know you’re taking us in a huge loop back towards the henna stand.” I muttered as he turned to me with a small glare. “I’ve known you for how long?” I asked lightly a smile on my lips as I raised a hand to my ear listening for his response.

“Too long.” Pete groaned. “Please! It’ll be a small one!” He whined pulling on my sweater sleeve a bit. “Come on Ella.” He gasped grabbing my arm and shaking it. His bottom lip jutted out as his eyes went big and he began to play the puppy-dog face on me.

“No.” I muttered staring him straight in the face. He stuck his bottom lip out farther. “I’ve become immune to that look so no.” I muttered watching his puppy dog face turn into a frown and glare combo. His hand slipped off my arms as I walked around him.

“Do you always have to ruin my fun?” He asked I stopped turning to him.

“The last time you uttered the phrase I was beating you at Monopoly, so yes.” I muttered spinning back around walking over to a snow cone stand knowing it’d cheer him and the rest of the guys up after being in the hot sun for a while.

“You were only winning because you’re really good with money and business affairs.” Pete muttered waving a finger in my face the second I turned to him and the guys to ask what they wanted.

“Actually, I think it was because she was handling both your monopoly estate and her own because you were being lazy.” Pat muttered. Turning slowly Pete glared back at his best friend. “Just sayin’.” Pat muttered as he raised his hands in his own defense.

“What’d you guys want?” I asked pointing at the board, instantly their eyes shot up to it. Joe declined instantly already having food to stuff in his mouth and keep him quite, the other three stared at the board as if it were a row of beautiful women and there were too many to choose from. “What’d you want?” I asked Jack softly holding him up a bit higher so he could see the board. He shook his head and lifted his pin-wheel. “Really what do you want?” I asked again. Jack blinked up at me a bit surprised and hid in my chest. “I wouldn’t ask if you couldn’t get it.” I stated he looked up at me a bit skeptically.
“What’d you want?” I asked again pointing at the board.

“I don’t know yet.”

“I’m not talking to you Peter.” I muttered

“Fine be that way.” Pete snorted as I looked back at him. “No, no I don’t wanna talk to you either.” He muttered holding a hand in my face as I opened my mouth to ask him what he wanted this time. “And I want watermelon.” He added still holding his hand in my face and not looking at me. Nodding I turned to the guys.

“I got myself covered.” Andy muttered, Pat muttered something along the lines as I let them step in front of us while Jack still stared at the board a bit unsure if he was really allowed to get something or not, and if he was what he wanted even.

“What’d you want sweetie?” I asked again ignoring Pete hovering over my shoulder a bit. Jack pointed at the board, lowered his hand and held up four fingers. “Fourth one down?” I asked he nodded with a weak smile. Looking up I smiled at what he wanted, he wanted grape. “Okay.” I muttered nodding watching as he stuffed himself into my chest with a smile, his pin-wheel hugged to his chest tightly. I looked at Pete a bit confused. Pulling my phone out I began to text Pete not wanting to vocalize my thoughts with Jack still clinging to me.

I sent him the message quickly.

‘I don’t think Jack’s use to getting a lot of thing. I mean I know my sister wasn’t rich, but she also wasn’t poor.’

It didn’t take Pete long to respond to my message as his thumbs moved over the key pad of his side-kick much quicker than mine ever could.

‘Why do you say that?’ He asked, I glanced at him lightly. He had a brow raised to question me more than the texted did it’s self. Sighing I responded quickly, not as quickly as he had, but quickly enough.

‘Because he looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him and he held up his pin-wheel as if to say he already got something to day or ask me if he had to choose. I’m not sure which.’ I watched Pete as he flipped his phone open with pursed lips, eyes falling to the screen as he read it quickly, fingers tapping against the body of the phone as he read the message, before his thumbs moved quickly again.

‘Oh… well buy me my snow cone lady.’ I frowned at him as he pointed in front of us. I smiled at the vender.

“Sorry.” I muttered lightly. “A small grape, a large watermelon and a small lemon please.” I muttered softly looking down at Jack as I asked for the grape, he smiled up at me seeming to be rather pleased that he was getting a snow cone.

“You’re weird.” Pete whispered, turning I glanced at him. I stopped noticing he was sliding the money to the man before I could even grab my wallet. “Yes, I’m paying, Shocker I know, but lemon? Ew.” He gasped his nose wrinkling up at the thought. I wanted to call him an asswhole, but kept it to my self knowing I would be teaching Jack a bad word even if he wouldn’t use it for a while. “I know, I know, I’m the A word.” He gasped taking his snow cone and mine as I took Jack’s passing it to him. “Now, I’ll read your mind again.” He stated. “Let’s go find somewhere to sit and eat out snack… right?” He asked I nodded. “I’m good!” He gasped before taking a large bite of his snow cone. “Cwold.” He gasped mouth hung open as I took mine from him. Smiling at him I laughed at him small amount of misery. “Swut it.” He muttered his mouth still frozen as he tried to talk.

“I didn’t say anything.” I muttered finding a table and sitting down with the guys eating my snow cone as I made sure both Jack and Pete didn’t make a mess of them selves. Pete every once in a while would open his mouth and muttered cold, some of the snow cone falling out every now and again. Jack was just a bit of a sloppy eater with it came to melting snow cones, he had purple running down his chin, on his nose and a little on his cheeks. “You’re making a mess.” I muttered softly picking up a napkin.

“Who? Pete or Jack?” Joe asked leaning on his hands already done with his food. I glanced at Pete and sighed.

“Both.” I muttered reaching up and sticking the napkin to the small spot on Pete’s chin as it appeared.

“Thanks.” He groaned removing it as I took another napkin cleaning Jack’s face as he continued to try and eat his frozen treat. “He’s got some on the side of his neck.” Pete muttered softly removing the purple stain from Jack’s neck. “There you go buddy.” He laughed as Jack looked at him a bit surprised before he smiled and began eating again.

“Don’t eat too fast you’ll make you’re self sick.” I muttered Jack slowed down a bit looking up at me with large green eyes.

“Who? Jack and Pat?” I looked up at Pat freeze bit bite to scowl at Joe this time.

“Bite me.” Pat muttered through a mouth full of food. Laughing I shook my head at the two arguing lightly over Pat’s eating style at the moment, which quickly spiraled into ‘yo momma’ jokes. “You don’t even know my mom!” Pat gasped offended slightly.

“Yeah I do you freak.” Joe laughed. “She made me cookie for my birthday a couple months ago, just like she does every year for us on our birthdays.” It was true Pat’s mom made all the guys cookies on their birthdays unless it was Pat’s then she made a cake. Pat rolled his eyes. “And I see here when the bus picks up at your house on some tours.” Tour pick ups went in rotations, Pete’s house first, then Joe’s, then Andy’s and Pat’s turn last though none of them really noticed it as first or last they just knew who they came after.

“Bite me.” Pat muttered again as a tug on my shirt made me look down at Jack holding the paper cone up to me. He held his hand under the bottom of it frowning.

“Oh I’m sorry sweetie.” I muttered noticing it was dripping on his pants. Quickly I grabbed a few napkins and wrapped it around the paper cone to stop the dripping. “There.” I muttered he nodded slowly sucking on the item for a few seconds before holding it up to me. “Are you done?” I asked he nodded. Taking it I threw it away for him. “Okay.” I muttered looking at the guys who were also finished with their’s. “Now wear to and if you say the henna stand Pete I’ll repeat Christmas.” I stated watching Pete snap his mouth shut quickly. “That’s what I thought.” I muttered as the guys laughed and we wandered around.

We wandered around for a few more hours, every time I looked over my shoulder that blonde woman seemed to be there. I wasn’t sure where I’d seen her before but I knew her from somewhere.

“Pete.” I whispered he hummed glancing at me away from the booth we were currently stopped at. “Do you recognize that woman?” I asked softly nodding in her general direction. “The one with the man in the back LA hat.” I clarified as he glanced that was then back as me and shook his head.

“No, why?” He asked softly.

“She looks really familiar, she didn’t earlier today to. I’ve seen her somewhere before.” I whispered back I Pete bought himself a new belt buckle he’d probably never use. It’d more than likely get thrown on the floor of his loft when we got back and I’d step on it in a couple of weeks and complain about how he buys crap he never uses, he’d then tell me he uses it on occasion just not recently.

“So? What do you think she’s stalking you or something?” He laughed softly.

“I’m not good enough to stalk.” I stated watching as he froze.

“Not another one.” He groaned following me willingly. We’d lost the guys somewhere but it didn’t really matter, they knew where we were parked and they had cell phones they could use. “Man, this sucks.”

“She’s been twenty to thirty feet back at all times today.” I muttered softly as we walked along watching as he rubbed his chin.

“And she’s staying in the same hotel as us…” He pointed out with a frown at the thought.

“Oh my god, you figured that one out on your own.” I smiled up at him slapping my free hand over his mouth. Smiling he stepped back and bowed at me. “I’m proud of you.” I muttered patting his head before he stood back up and slung his arm around my shoulders.

“I know me too… but you don’t think do you?” He asked, I knew what he was referring to.

“I don’t know if she is, I hope not. I can only handle one Jessica.” I sighed rubbing my head where the scab still was from being hit with a frying pan.

“How’s that doing by the way.” He asked reaching up. I pulled my head away with a small growl at him for trying to touch my head. “Okay, I won’t touch it.” He laughed holding his hand up in defense. Nodding I looked around that woman catching my attention. “Ignore her.” Pete whispered pulling me in another direction.