'The Playmate'

Chapter 2
A Day at the Park

It was a crisp spring morning with a piercing blue sky. Will strolled away from the ticket counter, steam rising from his coffee cup. It was still early, but streams of people were already trickling into the park, which billed itself as the “roller coaster capital of the universe”. He made a beeline for a quiet restroom and locked himself into one of the stalls.

Shaking with anticipation, he stripped off his North Face jacket, jeans & underwear and stuffed them into his backpack. Next, he pulled out what looked like a jumbo-sized band aid, covered on one side with a matrix of microneedles that would deliver the drug. Taking a deep breath, he peeled the liner off the patch, rolled up his left sleeve, and slapped it firmly against his upper arm.

For a moment, nothing happened, then he felt a dull throb in his arm and his body went limp. There was a whooshing sensation, as if gusts of gale-force winds were swirling around and blasting him on all sides. His insides felt tight, like an intense case of butterflies in the stomach, but it wasn’t painful at all, more like getting worked over by an excessively eager masseur.

It was all over in a blink of an eye, and by the time he refocused on his surroundings, he found himself standing eye-level with the latch on the door. Pulling his hands out of his drooping sleeves, he examined his delicate fingers with a keen fascination. Glancing down, he found his shirt hanging well beyond his knees, dangling over his wispy frame like a nightgown. Unable to resist, he raised it up and gawked at his prepubescent body.

But soon, he began to feel a chill. Hurriedly, he pulled out the old outfit he had rummaged from the attic the night before and dressed himself. Belatedly realizing that his wallet and phone didn’t fit into any of the pockets, he tossed them into his backpack along with his remaining adult clothing.

As he emerged from the stall, he caught sight of a boy in the mirror staring back at him. Unruly dark hair framed a pale, cherubic face with a pair of twinkling eyes. He was wearing a fuzzy knit pullover with a space rocket on the front, rusty brown trousers and worn-out nylon sneakers.

Will raised his hand and waved, and the boy dutifully waved back. Striding up to the mirror, he made a series of faces at himself until he broke out into fits of giggles. Whooping & laughing, he dashed outside, leapt over a bush, and then over a pair of benches, before sprinting with wild abandon to the ice cream parlor where he had agreed to meet his friend.

He was busy peering thru the glass counter at the ice cream flavors when he was tasered on both sides from behind. Spinning around, he found a chubby boy in a snappy white windbreaker with the collar turned up around his neck. “Hello!” the boy greeted Will brightly, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking on his feet.

“You… why… you’re Asian!” Will exclaimed with surprise.

“Korean, actually. Not that a Midwestern hayseed like you could tell the difference.” the boy teased as he dodged a punch. “So what’s your name?”

“What?”

“What’s your name?” the boy repeated impatiently. “Do you really want me to call you ‘ironlung’ all day?”

Will hesitated for a moment. “Billy.” he replied. It has been years since anyone had called him that.

“I’m Jimmy.” the boy reached out and shook Will’s hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“So what do you want to do?”

“I think we should go on the slower rides first. If we start with the high thrill rides right away, the others will be boring. After all, we have the whole day.”

And so they ambled over to one of the older coasters. But just as they were about to get on, the ride operator pulled Will aside and made him stand beside a vertical red line. “Sorry bud, but you need to be 54 inches tall to ride the coasters. Maybe next year?” the operator smiled as he nudged Will gently but firmly towards the exit.

“Bullocks, dude! Did you overdose?” Jimmy asked as they walked away.

“No! I guess, I forgot that I was smaller than other kids my age growing up …” Will looked crestfallen.

“Oh don’t be so grumpy. You can still ride the Ferris wheel. And the bumper cars!” Jimmy’s face creased into a toothy grin as he dodged another punch.

“It’s NOT funny!”

“Look, you come with me. I have an idea…” Jimmy dragged him over to the customer service pavilion where they approached an attendant. “Excuse me, can I get a height wristband please?” Jimmy asked with an innocent smile.

“Sure, go stand over there.” the attendant checked Jimmy’s height and attached a lime green band onto his wrist. The boys then scooted over to a quiet corner, where Jimmy gingerly peeled off the band and handed it over to Will.

“Put that on, and you won’t be stopped for being too short.” Jimmy announced with a satisfied tone.

“Thanks! How did you…”

“Oh my mother used to get them for me when I was younger. Now, we’ve wasted enough time. Shall we go ride some coasters?”

The next few hours flashed past in a blur of barrel rolls, raven dives and multiple inversions as the boys submitted themselves to a series of metallic monsters with increasingly ominous names: Storm Chaser, Cannibal’s Curse, Phobia Phear, Ultimate Delirium. After shrieking their heads off from the front row of a 100 foot near-vertical drop, even Jimmy was looking a little green.

“Oh, bullocks. My head hurts. Maybe… we should break for lunch?”

“Excellent idea.” Will agreed with relief as they wobbled unsteadily towards the food court. After getting their meals, they plonked down on a pair of metal chairs by the window. Still feeling queasy, Will had picked out a small salad. Jimmy, on the other hand, had piled his tray high with fried chicken, fries, onion rings and a candy bar long enough to be used as a weapon.

“So how’s life been after graduation?” Jimmy asked as he dipped his fries into his chocolate milkshake before stuffing them into his mouth.

“I want to do something that helps others with their lives. Like community development.”

“Very cool! But what are you doing now?”

Will shifted uneasily in his seat. “Well, it’s been hard to find something full time, so I’ve been helping a lot of people out with little things.”

“What little things?”

“Like cleaning their homes, watching their pets, running some errands. Things like that.” Will whimpered in a small voice.

“Oh bullocks! So you’re a houseboy!”

“I am NOT A HOUSEBOY!!” Will yelled, causing people to turn around and stare. Embarrassed by his lack of self-control, his face went a bright crimson and hot tears started welling in his eyes.

“Hey, hey! It was just a joke okay! I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. ” Jimmy said, startled by Will’s outburst.

They continued to eat in an awkward silence until Will felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he found a man in a red blazer and security badge glaring down at him. “Hello, boys. Where are your parents?”

“They… they’re waiting for us on the other side of the park.” Will stammered.

“Nice try. I’ve been watching the two of you the whole morning. You’re in the park by yourselves. Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“I…we’re… visiting from another state.”

“Yeah right.” He cocked his head. “Now, which school are you from?”

The boys just stared blankly at him.

“Okay. Why don’t you come with me back to the security center? Maybe you’ll remember your school along the way. And don’t even think of bolting. This is my park, and I know every nook and cranny.”

They followed the security officer to a squat cinderblock building that also doubled as the lost-and-found. A few people were filling out forms on the counter, and an old heater hissed in the background.

“What do you have in that?” the officer pointed at Will’s backpack.

“Urm.. nothing. Just some clothes and stuff.”

“Please open it for me. Thank you. And whose clothes are these?” the officer pulled out Will’s adult jacket and jeans. A wallet fell out, which the officer opened.

“Now who is William Tailorwell?” he asked sternly as he held out Will’s driver’s license in front of the pair of boys. Will just stared back at him, not knowing what to say. He had never been good at thinking on his feet, and was even worse at lying.

“So, the two of you have been having a busy day, haven’t you? Playing hooky in my park, and thieving?” He placed the backpack on a shelf out of reach of the boys. “I’m going to have to call the police and hand you over. They should arrive in about an hour to take you to the juvenile detention center. Now, go sit over there behind the counter and keep quiet.”

Will’s heart thumped around his chest like a pair of sneakers in the dryer. If he grew back into an adult while in custody, he could end up in jail for illegal drug use. Fidgeting in his seat, his hands closed over the keys he had earlier stuffed into his pocket. The fob! With a flash, he remembered the argument he had had with his sister about the Personal Safety App.

“I just don’t see the point. I mean, if someone draws a knife on me, am I supposed to pull out my phone, unlock the screen, launch the app and hit the emergency call button? He’ll have his knife in my throat by then!”

“That’s why you buy the key fob too. So you can summon help with a single push of the button.” she had replied with exasperation.

“But… but the fob costs $75!”

“Look, I’ll buy it for you, okay?”

Will reached into his pocket and pushed on the fob, praying for his sister to arrive before the police did. Knots of anxiety writhed in him as the minutes trickled by like treacle. His heart practically leapt into his throat each time someone walked into the building.

After what felt like an eternity, Becky strode thru the front door with a puzzled look on her face. She checked her phone again, and scanned the room several times. As she approached the counter, she caught sight of Will waving timidly to attract her attention. Her brows furrowed for a minute, then her face stiffened and she gave him a flinty glare.

“May I help you with something?” the security officer rose to his feet.

“I’ve been looking all over for my nephew and his friend. Seems like you’ve been taking good care of them.” she gestured behind the counter at the boys.

“Oh!” he looked flustered, and then turned to pull Will’s backpack off the shelf. “I found them with this stolen…”

“My brother’s backpack. He’s been looking all over for them too. I’m Becky Tailorwell.” she pulled out her wallet and flashed her ID at the officer.

“But… urm… I need to see some proof...”

“I’m in a real hurry.” She leaned over the counter and smiled like an innocent schoolgirl, causing the officer to nearly lose his balance. Scribbling down a number on a scrap of paper, she handed it over. “Why don’t you give me a call if you have any questions? Maybe… after you get off shift?” she gave him a barely perceptible wink.

“Urm… thanks! Err… wait… HEY!” But by the time he recovered, she had already snatched the backpack, hustled the boys behind her and was out of the building in a whirl.

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Will sat at the back of the car, watching as the streets and buildings zipped by in an unfocused blur. They had dropped Jimmy off a while back, and a chilly tension still hung in the air.

There was a high-pitched beep, and Becky snatched a sidelong glance at her phone.

“How much longer before you turn back?”

“A few more hours. Probably in the evening.”

“Good. That should be enough.” she swung the car around.

“Where are we going?”

“To my office. The samples for my new summer collection have arrived. You’re going to model them for me.”

“What?! No way!”

“You scare the heck out of me, disrupt my busy workday, and make me speed thru traffic like a bat out of hell – just so you could indulge your childish fantasies?” she snapped. “Don’t you think you owe me a little something in return? Besides, I forgot what an adorable rugrat you used to be, and it’s not like anyone’s going to recognize you. Child models are expensive, and I know from experience that modeled clothing sells a lot better, especially the swimwear.”

“SWIMWEAR?!”

“Oh come now, don’t be such a big baby. Did that drug affect your mind as well as your body?” she laughed as a desperate flurry of kicks and punches rained down on the back of her seat.

 

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