"Todd, be good, and I will buy you three hotdogs and a funnel cake. I am meeting the guys by the Ferris Wheel at 5pm. So I want you to get lost until say midnight?"
"You told mom you'd have me home for my 10 o'clock curfew."
"You're curfew doesn't apply when you're with a responsible adult. And you're with me."
"But you said to stay lost until midnight?"
Rick rolled his eyes. He needed his folks car, but he didn't want to be saddled with his kid brother. Sure he was teen, but in Rick's eyes he would always be the annoying 10 year old who ruined Rick's dates. Rick was meeting the guys, but Susie would be there, and she was the real reason he was goingredients.
Rick was good to his word and stuffed Todd with food, and handed him like a hundred tickets, and headed off toward the Ferris Wheel. Todd wasn't sure at first where to go. Then his stomach rumbled, one too many chilli cheese dog. He headed for the men's room, which actually a trailer.
When Todd emerged from the trailer, it was dark and the lights had come on, he stumbled into a tent that hadn't been there when he entered the Bathroom? Or maybe he came out the other side of the trailer. Yeah, that had to be the reason. The tent was purple with gold white and red mystic symbols painted on it.
The barker was shouting, "Real magic! Your deepest desires can come true!"
Todd handed him a couple tickets and went in.
An old woman dressed like gypsy grabbed Todd, and asked him or told him, "Your desire is for your brother to be your best friend?"
"Yeah, how'd you know that? "
She didn't answer his question, but instead said, "This is your lucky day, Todd," as she led him through the tent. This tent was apparently the backstage for the big magic tent by the Ferris Wheel.
She lifted a curtain, and Todd could see Rick on stage with a magician in a tux. The magician had Rick step inside hoop, and then he had Susie and Max raise the hoop which had a curtain attached. Then he made some banter with the audience. He walked over to his toplace hat and began to extract bits of fabric which he wrapped around a clothesline. He then spun the clothesline quickly unfurling the fabric. Rick's entire wardrobe hung there tight down to his athletic socks, and Blackbox erst with red hearts. The audience gasped.
Susie exclaimed, "those are Rick's clothes, even his undies!"
"Ah, young lady, and you recognize this young man's underwear?"
She blushed.
"Lower the curtain, slowly," he ordered.
A shirtless Rick appeared above the descending hoop.
Susie shrieked, and Max guffawed. Both let go of the hoop, and revealed to the audience a naked Rick. Startled Rick turned red and covered his exposed crotch.
Todd snickered in the wings.
The audience howled and applauded. A few people walked out.
"Gimme back my clothes!" Rick demanded angrily.
The magician raised the hoop curtain up over Rick's waist. Rick grabbed the hoop, and held it tightly. He glared at Max and Susie for dropping it in the first place. Rick couldn't figure out what happened. One second they had raised the hoop curtain over his head, the next second they lowered it. Time had stood still for Rick while the curtain was raised. He hadn't heard Susie's comment about his boxers.
The magician instructed Rick to raise the hoop up himself, "hands completely inside," adding, "Now we will see about making this lad a bit more presentable for an audience."
The magician strode over to the clothesline and began rapidly spinning it, the clothing became a blur, and then the clothesline was empty.
The audience applauded.
The gypsy pushed Todd on stage after thrusting a leather leash and collar into his hand.
"Oh, great wizard, this boy is looking for his best friend. Can you help?" She asked, as Todd stumbled between the magician and curtained Rick.
"Ah, a boy in need of his best friend?" The magician asked.
Max whispered, "Todd what are you doing here? "
The magician took the collar and leash, saying, "I may be able to help."
He waved his wand, and snapped his fingers, and the hoop curtain dropped revealing the naked male standing on his two hind legs. Except this time the male was a big dog. It fell forward on all fours.
Rick blinked. Somehow he lost his grip on the hoop. He was naked in front of the audience again? No he was wearing some sort of fur costume. He fell foward onto the stage. The magician fastened the collar around Rick's neck, connected the leash, and tied the leash to Todd's wrist.
"Now hold tight, Todd. Dogs sometimes bolt with all the lights and commotion from the audience." The audience was on their feet standing and applauding.