Coulro

Chapter 1: A Day For Fun

"Percy, I don't really like clowns," Zachary, the little tyke, pouted with his small lips. His eyes wandered around like compact jelly trying to stabilize itself.

All around us were brightly colored balloons, rainbow hued tapestries, fruity tablecloths, bright banners and of course, the party-colored cake. Children roamed and yelled with glee at the sight of the clown's magic tricks. With one twirl of the hand, he could make a child-sized balloon disappear.

Crushing the plastic, red cup in my hand, I turned to give Zach an acknowledging glance before tossing the cup into the garbage bin.

"Yeah, me too buddy, I was never really a fan of them when I was your age either," I shuddered at the thought. Their eyes and makeup just made them seem so inhumanly human.

"They're so gross looking too. Am I always going to be afraid of them?"

I spent my time looking for a paper towel to clean off the excess soda that had dribbled off the cup and onto the tablecloth. My ears had gotten bored of the loudness, and so I hadn't noticed his question.

Then his mom came, and she swept him up with an aerodynamic hug. She poked his nose making him flare up with frustration. I could tell he was annoyed at being patronized, seeing now that he was turning ten, but his mom still insisted that she was his baby. Then she turned to me and flashed me a bright smile.

"Thank you so much Persephone. I know it was a hassle to keep an eye on the kids and help with the decorations. His sister is driving over in a little while anyway."

"No problem Ma'am. And 'Percy' is just fine."

I found more interest in the floor than I did in conversing with her. My gaze floated from the grass being crushed by the benches, to the sunken trees giving shade to us in the park. About a thirty-minute walk away was the amusement park. The emerald colored fence remained tall and fortified as it encapsulated the park in its strange 'S' shaped layout.

We, on the other hand, were in the small, municipal park adjacent to it. It was free, public and best of all: free. Free. That was really all Zach's family could really afford. Birthday decorations and supplies added up to a pretty penny.

"Veronica is always reminding me to call you Percy, but in my opinion your name is just too gosh darn beautiful to ignore."

"Haha, thank you," the clown juggled pins while, the children stared in awe. Something about those eyes and makeup...just no.

"Speaking of her, she told me something amazing! Is it true you're going for the women's national track championship?"

"Well, kinda. Specifically the outdoor preliminaries. It's college based and ya know...national," That soda has a terrible aftertaste. And those benches seem so uncomfortable. How could those kids sit there and be so memorized by the clown when the seats are so stiff?

"That's great! It's impressive that you've made it that far and that you're striving for more! I'm sure your uncle is very proud of you."

"Thank you. Without his support I'm not sure if I could have made it that far."

She held a kind and caring look to her eyes, but a certain frantic twitch in them reminded me to look away. The grass is made of grass, ah, I see now. That stress she was holding was understandable seeing as she scrambled to get everything ready for her little man. And from what Veronica had said, they didn't have much money.

"Anyway, I have to go make sure the food is being passed around. Oh, and pay the Mr. his wage," she shuffled around her purse.

"Being a clown isn't cheap I assume?"