OddityVille: Funko (Book Three)

Chapter Two: Day Off

As the following dawn approaches, Marcus awakens to the same routine as usual. His alarm blaring in his ear and his mother hollering from below. He grunts, rolls out of bed, and begrudgingly twists his face as he gets dressed for the day. Once dressed, he starts down the stairs, where his mother stands with an excited smile across her lips. As Marcus reaches the bottom, his mother wraps her arms around him and squeezes tightly.

"Happy birthday, Honey!" She says before pulling away and locking her hands around his.

"Yeah, woo." He mutters sarcastically.

"Listen, I know I've been busy lately and haven't had a chance to plan anything, but I want to make it up to you."

"Mom, you don't have to do that. I'd be fine without it. Gifts and all."

"You'll like this one." She shakes him a little before letting go and reaching into the purple leather purse at her side. As her hand reappears, Marcus shivers. "Your friends told me you wanted to go, so I went out after work last night and picked up some tickets for the three of you!" He reaches out and collects the yellow admissions, holding them as distantly and loosely as possible, trying not to be rude. "Well, what do you think?"

"Thanks." His mother claps giddily and squeaks with excitement before speaking again.

"I'm so happy you've finally decided to go! It's upsetting that I can't go with you- I mean I've wanted to for years, but, well, you know." She jokingly raises a hand to her nose and pinches the air around it. Marcus rolls his eyes and looks back at the contents in his hand. "I'm just relieved to see that you've gotten over it. Also, you can stay home today if you'd like." At this, Marcus- intrigued- looks away from the tickets and back up at his mother. "I know, not something I say too often. Even though I can't, I want you to go and spend as much time there today as you wish."

"Well, what about Fae and Phil?"

"I already spoke to their parents and got them to agree to let them skip out today too. Actually, they should be-" ding, dong! His mother jumps as the doorbell rings behind her and turns towards it briefly before looking back at him. "That must be them!" She then swings the door open, exposing the faces of two teens. Fae waves at Marcus's mother before being ushered in by her. "Okay, I have to go, you guys enjoy the carnival! Happy birthday, Sweety!" With this, she blows Marcus a kiss and exits the house, shutting the door behind herself. Marcus looks away from where she stood and faces his friends.

"You two told her I wanted to go?"

"Well, yeah." Phil grins as he speaks and nudges Fae with an elbow. "How else were we supposed to pull this off?"

"You weren't." Marcus tosses all three tickets at Phil before turning to head back upstairs.

"I thought you said you'd do it?"

"I did."

"Then we go now." Fae demands as she pulls the door back open and tears the tickets from Phil's hands, ripping each apart at the dotted line that separates them.

"Look," Marcus starts as he stops at the top step to face them, "I'll go to the stupid show, but don't expect me to stick around for long. Rather spend my time at the mini-games or something."

"If you're going then why are you up there?" Marcus stares at Fae with annoyance before lifting his arms and pointing at his striped pajama pants.

"Think I'm going wearing these?"

"Why not?" The smirk on Phil's face tells Marcus that this is rhetorical. "You'll look like the rest of the clowns."

"Ha ha." Marcus sarcastically does this laugh before heading down the hall to his room and changing; his heart beating heavily all the while.