“It never gets easier does it, no matter what I do.” Daniel had once again had a stressful day at his local high school, he was a fit athletic boy with a swimmers build but wasn’t one of the jocks, he had the brains to go places but he wasn’t one of the geeks, and he had the abilities to draw others to him but they only seemed to flock away.
“I just wish that sometimes there was a way out of here, just for a little while.” Letting out a sigh Daniel began the long journey home from his school. Walking down the street for a few minutes Daniel enjoyed the brief respite from the taunts he had to endure all day, here all he had to hear was the gentle breeze as it pushed litter down the vacant streets. Just as Daniel was coming to an intersection at one of the major side roads out of town a black hummer rolled past him, it was sleek and seemed almost fresh of the lot, the only obvious decoration on the vehicle was a logo on the side, P.I.E. Continuing without stopping to gaze at the vehicle Daniel missed as it came to a sudden stop and slowly backed up to the general area of where he was. Moving closer and closer to him Daniel finally came to the awareness of the strange attitude of the car and stopped moving, eventually the vehicle came to a complete stop right beside him.
“Hey kid.” A gruff voice called from within.
Momentarily puzzled Daniel looked around before pointing at himself, “Who…me?” his hand was extend with the finger stretched out awkwardly.
“Yes you, would you happen to know the way the local high school. I have an important meeting with some key members of the facility and I would rather not keep relying on my piece of crap smart phone.” keeping the gruff voice the person inside asked, before the window rolled down and revealed a grizzled individual who looked light a professional wrestler inside.
“Oh yeah it’s just down the block, take a left at Jefferson street and then enter the student/guest parking lot on your right.” Daniel responded his hand reaching behind his neck in a gesture of embarrassment about talking to a total stranger about what he hated thinking about. Stopping the motion before looking once more the man who seemed to be writing down the directions, while he also put down his phone (the faint glow dissipating with the devices shutdown). Wondering why the man needed to go there and unable to contain his curious wonder Daniel asked, “So if you don’t mind me asking why do you need to meet with the facility, I mean unless you don’t want me to know which is fine too, I don’t want to seem like I am trying to find out everything….and I am rambling again, sorry.” Sheepishly scratching his head Daniel stopped talking and looked at the man.
Whom was gazing back at him with a small smirk, “It’s no problem boy, I am an employee of Pleasure Island Experience a new and upcoming amusement park tailored to the small and underprivileged towns like these. We know that you don’t often get many forms out outside amusement, so my company has come to offer and all-expense paid trip to the students for their upcoming spring break.” The man said with little more than a smirk, while baring a slight condescending tone.
Briefly wondering about why an amusement park would be interested with this tiny town in the middle of nowhere Daniel leaned closer as the man began to put things back down in his car, but he decided that it was rude to intrude into this man’s business anymore and so with the grace of a clumsy teenager he backed away. “Ok, well I don’t want to take up anymore of your time so if you just follow those directions you’ll get there in no time, promise.” With a smile and that finale note Daniel watched as the man turned to him and with a small but gruff “Thanks kid, looking forward to seeing you there.” The window rolled up and the hummer drove towards the school.
Looking in the direction the hummer went Daniel couldn’t help the flash of joy that went through him, they were going to go to an amusement park for the spring vacation, sweet. Turning around and with a certain amount of swagger in his step Daniel began once more walking home, his previous feelings about his abuse at school a distant memory of the past, because it looks like he and his classmates are going to Pleasure Island and that sounded more fun than a spring of bullying.