The Jester of OZ

Chapter Fifteen

"HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

"SLOW DOWN!!!" Amber cried, face full of both fear and excitement. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU DOLLFACE- You'll have to yell louder!" The Jester grinned wildly. He could hear her very clearly. He only said that so she'd play along. They were zooming down the corridor, peddling on a red bike that had four white wheels, which could only be operated by two people. He always wanted to try it out. After all, flying monkeys and green-skinned soldiers didn't have the right spirit to accompany him. Usually he would just casually ride around on his unicycle every now and again to pass the time, as bored as he usually was. Being the new ruler of OZ got lonely from time to time. As for her, Amber questioned how on earth she had gotten herself into this. She had danced for him, performed an old ballet number she remembered, he applauded, he juggled for her, he tried to teach her how to juggle, turns out she wasn't that good at it, he made fun of her for a short while, then after that... well, one thing led to another and they both got a little spontaneous. That was when he had the bright idea to hop on the bike. In this very moment, she could feel herself forgetting about the rest of OZ being in peril. Amber admitted to herself she was having fun. It was a strange discovery to think of that word again. Back home, fun was hard to come by, even harder if you were alone. She used to avoid places like skating rinks, parks, arcades, and even popular restaurants out of fear of running into her bullies. Even the occasion of a school dance was too much of a struggle. So much of her life had been revolving around the pain others imposed on her, yet here she was, for the first time in many years, feeling like she broke her own curse. Was this what it felt like to have a friend? Or was it more like a date? Was this what it felt like to have a boyfriend? Whichever it was, she loved it.

"HERE COME THE STAIRS!" He called out, hands grasping the handles of the bike while the bells on his head and shoulders jingled with the wind blowing behind them. A couple of guards lining the halls looked surprised, trying their best not to react. Amber, still trying to keep up peddling, couldn't help herself as they raced down the spiraled steps. She let out a loud yelp, losing her balance. Just before she could fall off, she caught herself by throwing her arms around him. In the middle of the ride he felt a thousand emotions rush to his heart when she did so. At first he thought it was just the adrenaline, but he had no chance to react as they neared the end of the stairs. "WATCH OUT!" She screamed. The Jester tried to put his foot on the brakes, but to no avail. "AHHH!" They both yelled as the bike fell out of control. He tried to stop it, but they were going way too fast. Just as he took both his feet off the petals, the wheels screeched- slamming into a nearby wall. He fell off one side, landing right on his stomach before tumbling over on his back. As for Amber, she was flung off of it like a ragdoll, landing right on top of him. The bike fell over, practically broken into bits! One of the wheels detached and rolled away right passed them with a soft screech. For a few moments neither spoke. For some reason, it only took a moment for them to get lost in one another's eyes. They both panted, and she immediately scrambled to get off of him once the moment floated by, "Sorry..." She murmured awkwardly. At first his expression was in between blank and shocked, but then he smiled that sly grin she was now accustomed to, "OH no you don't! No one messes with the Jester!" He rolled over her. Amber busted out laughing, "Hahaha!!! S-Stop! Please! Haha!!!" She couldn't contain herself as he began to tickle her. In an effort to gain the upper hand, she began to strike back. "Wait- what're you- HAHAA!!" Now it was his turn as she began to tickle him.

Using his hands, the magic coming off of them caused her to freeze. Shocked, her eyes widened at the sudden change, but he only chuckled, "Nice try, puppet, but I'm the only tickle-torturer around here. Understand?"

"Understood." She smiled back, genuinely happy with herself. He gave a small delighted hum before deciding to stand. His hand offered to help her back up, so she took it. Amber stood, brushing off the ballet uniform she was still wearing. While it still felt like a grand costume of some kind, she reminded herself that this was most likely how he felt when he woke up every day. "Are you hungry?" He suddenly asked. "A little." She replied. "Good! There's somewhere special I'd like to show you, we can have lunch there." He piped, grabbing her hand. Amber grew a little used to the feeling by now. The Jester had a way of wanting to show off as often as he could. Whether it be by using his magic, or just by being himself, there always seemed to be a surprise around every corner. She didn't know why he did this so often, but she had a feeling that maybe deep down, he wanted to prove that there was more to him than being the fool. He always walked with his head high, using the scepter as some sort of baton wherever he went. The more she observed him, the more she realized he was almost boasting with each step. He practically dragged her back up the stairs that they had rode down, leaving the old bike behind. She guessed he didn't care that much about it considering he had the power to repair it if he so desired. Beforehand he had commanded the scepter to hover behind them as they sped down the halls, but as of now, it was resting in his left hand. But Amber wasn't thinking about that. Instead her eyes were fixated on the side of his face. Every once and a while she glanced down at her feet to make sure she wouldn't trip over the steps, but ever since she got to OZ, she made a small pact with herself to make eye contact with people instead of staring at the floor like she usually did.