Happyland

Chapter 1: Part 1
****Credit to MTV for TV Story****
It was another happy day in Happyland. Or at least thats how it seemed on the outside. Meanwhile, backstage was hectic. I suppose I shouldn't have expected any different either. As a backstage Happyland intern, days were usually chaotic and fast paced. My mother and I lived in Happyland as workers, and she played The role of Princess Adriana. Together we got by, but it was hard growing up without ever having a dad to support the two of us. "Cowboy Ricky is on in two!" A voice yelled, calling me back into the present. "Where the hell is my new Ricky?" I spoke into my headset. I continued to scramble down the hallway and turned the corner only to see two of the other park employees half naked making out. "Jim, Joe, either of you seen the new Ricky?" I asked impatiently. "I'm not Joe..." One of them replied wearing the top half of the Bigfoot costume. "You're not Joe?" Jim replied. I left the room and continued down the hallway to avoid drama, and quickened my pace to hopefully compensate with my lost time. "I need a giant raccoon in a cowboy hat in the next six seconds!" I yelled to no one in particular as people raced past me. "Lucy." A voice called from behind. I turned to see it was my best friend at the park, Will, who I had known since we were little kids. "I can do it!" He continued. Will played other Ricky characters but he was not prepared for this big of a role. "You're still in your Hawaiian Ricky costume" I replied. "I'll switch out costumes." He persisted. Just then a park manager came over. "Hey keep that tail in your pants Will, you know union regulations. Look over there, that corporate suit guy to the right decided to pay us a visit. Keep it tight." "Got it" I said and kept moving. I could not screw this up. "All eyes on Ricky Raccoon, I repeat, all eyes on Ricky Raccoon." I spoke once again into my headset right before turning around and nearly running into the new Ricky Raccoon. "Im assuming thats me." The new Ricky said from under the costume. I had no time or patience for this. "Look, I know you're new here but you're on in 3." He nodded. "This goes without saying, look how I'm dressed!" He stifled a laugh. With no time left for jokes, I grabbed him and shoved him down the hall. "Ok, to review, you enter through the curtain and do the dance with the cowboys. The speaker behind makes the words come out. Then you have the love and shouts. You know, hug a kid, do a skit, sign an autograph. Pray you dont get small pox while I run interference." I pulled him up a staircase leading to the park. "Remember: to these kids you ARE Ricky Raccoon, so no dream-crushing on my watch. If you are in destress on stage, the signal is to take off your cowboy hat, Got It?" He paused. "So, I shove and then make love to Cowboys..?" I pulled him through the exit doors and through the park to the stage. "I could really go for a burrito." He randomly stated. Wait.. "Hold up is that pot?" I sniffed his costume as he ran into a pole. "Are you.. Are you stoned?" I asked him again. "Im getting kind of a high stress vibe from you so I really don't think there's any answer you're gonna like. Hey, Ow!" He exclaimed as I gave him one last shove out the curtain and onto the stage. Children and parents lined the stage and gathered behind shouting "Ricky! Ricky!" Repeatedly until he entered. "Ok 420" I spoke into my mic. "You're on." He wobbled onto the stage half heartedly, trying to keep his balance. I settled myself behind the kids keeping my eye on him for faults as the music and voice over of Cowboy Ricky began to play. Ricky grabbed on to one of the dancing cowboys to try and balance himself, but instead stumbled backwards, then collapsed on the stage with all of the kids watching. A collective gasp ran through the crowd. "We have a Ricky tumble." I passed on to the manager through my mic. "We've got a Ricky tumble!" I heard him repeat to the other backstage workers. "Why is Ricky taking a nap on the Job? Silly Ricky." Dancing Cowboy #2 said, trying to stay in character. "Alright. Pick him up." A security guard said as 6 other guards entered and hauled him offstage. The background music and Ricky voice continued to play as well, totally ruining the illusion. "Ricky will be right back boys and girls." Cowboy #3 said nervously. "Ricky! Ricky!" The crowd repeated. A new Ricky replaced him and entered the stage. "Switch outs done, wide eyed wonder preserved." I relayed into my mic.