Patrick felt better the next morning but still felt something missing. He faked attention in his classes and for once did not stare at Mary. His dreams were filled again with clowns and he started to get worried what the clown nose might be doing to him at the same time it excited him being a clown. He joined his friends at lunch but ignored the conversation. Vowing not to put on the clown nose when he came home he threw his bag down and watched cartoons till his mom came home. He tried to concentrate on the cartoons but his thoughts kept drifting up to the clown nose in his room. He didn't hear his mom come home and she scared him when she said hello. She asked him what was wrong and he just mumbled a response. During dinner he was withdrawn and Patrick's mother just chalked it up to the upcoming teen sullen years and sighed inwardly. He and his mom watched some reality TV and he felt better before she reminded him it was bed time. Going to his room he was drawn to the box on his shelf where he kept it. Taking it down he opened it and stared at the clown nose, his heart pumping harder. With all his will power he put the box back on the shelf and crawled into bed. His dreams were haunted by clowns again, he was at the circus with his mom at 7 years old and there was a clown face painting booth, he begged her to let him get his face painted. He lined up as a clown painted the faces of kids in front of him. When it was his turn he hopped up into the chair and stared at the smiling clown before he told him to close his eyes. The smell of grease paint filled his senses as he felt a cool sponge apply it to his face. A stirring of excitement filled his body as tingles raced across it. He felt a brush start to sweep his face adding details the tingling spreading to his whole body. The clown told him to hold his breath as he powdered his face and the smell of baby powder added to the grease paint. He excitedly jumped down off the chair, which seemed shorter, and ran to the mirror. In the mirror was a twelve year old whiteface clown with a big red nose and blue spiky hair. He stared at the clown in the mirror his bright clothes, big shoes, white skin and smiling face finally comprehending it was him. He was a clown, a real clown not just his face being painted. Someone yelled "Hey Patrick we have to get ready for the show" and he followed them back stage before running out onto the floor into a ring. They did clown gags and skits much to the pleasure of the faceless crowd as their laughter ran through Patrick like bolts of lightning energizing him. They finished the set with Patrick standing center ring in the spot light bowing and soaking in the cheers and laughter. Patrick woke up with a start and looked at the clock, 12:38, his mom was asleep. He looked over at the shelf and without think about it got out of bed and grabbed the box. He was breathing fast as we ripped open the top, grab the nose and squashed it on to his nose. He sighed as he felt the familiar weight of it and as the tingles started to spread out to his body. Almost in a flash his skin turned white all the way from the top of his head to his feet, which started to shoot out. Blue streaks formed in his hair as it grew shaggier and longer. His eyebrows disappeared as black arches replaced them high on his forehead and two red circles formed on his cheeks. He smiled and his lips turned red and grew outward and upward to a wide smile. He looked down past his red nose to his yellow and purple striped boxers and decided to get dressed and go out. He went to his closet and chose a yellow and orange jumper with green cuffs and the neck and wrists and a pair of large orange shoes.
After getting dressed he open his windows and quietly slipped out except for his shoes squeaking comically. He ran across the backyard and with one leap jumped over the fence and into the alley. He ran around doing cartwheels and flips feeling free in the cool night air laughing feeling silly the emptiness gone. Running around the corner of a house he comes face to face with a man walking his dog. Without thinking Patrick reaches behind himself and pulls out a cream pie with a cherry on top and launches it in the guy’s face. The man falls backwards covered in white cream and a cherry sitting on his nose, his small dog launching itself at his owner licking him clean. Patrick dashes off threw the neighborhood before he realizes he is standing before Mary's house. He looks up to the second floor and sees a light on through purple curtains and in a single leap is on the roof on the second floor. He peaks in and sees Mary asleep at her desk with books in front of her. He admires her blonde hair as in cascades of her bare shoulders in the white tank top she was wearing. Her smooth flawless white skin, her pink lips formed in a wide smile under a pink clown nose..... He shakes himself and jumps down. 'That stupid stuck-up bitch, what to do?' Patrick considers the problem before pulling a roll of toilet paper from his back and proceeding to decorate Mary's house. When he was finished it looked like it had snowed, everything was covered in toilet paper even the car was wrapped up. Patrick skipped down the street whistling a tune giggling in joy. Patrick made his way back to his house and snuck into the backyard his shoes squeaking on the grass and dirt outside. Slipping inside he shut the window and stare at himself in the mirror, he felt so happy and alive but looking at the clock he needed to get some sleep. Reaching up to remove the clown nose he had a thought 'Why not just keep it on?' but his logical mind won him over and he pulled on the clown nose. It wasn't coming off, he pulled harder and with a pop the nose came off and flew across the room. He put it back in the box and laid down on the bed and went to sleep.
"Honey wake up" He felt his mom's hand on his forehead and his eyes snapped open. 'Am I back to normal? Oh shit what if I am not.' flashes through his mind.
"Are you feeling ok, you look a little pale."
"No, I am feel fine." he replied quickly
"hmmm..... ok, but if you want to stay home you can." She got up and started to leave as Patrick rolled over.
"WHAT IS THAT?" she yelled out
"What?" Patrick’s heart rate went up. His mom grabs his head and runs her fingers through his hair.
"That blue streak in your hair, that’s what."
Oh no, he hadn't changed back even after six hours. Patrick jumps out of bed and dashes to the mirror. He sees a single lock of blue hair on the side of his head. Patrick thinks fast and decides on teenager rule #1: Play dumb.
"I don't know mom."
"Yea sure. Well take a shower and if it is still there before school I guess I will have to shave your head." she says as she gets up and walks out mad.
'Crap what and I going to do?' His skin is even paler now as he is scared of his mom shaving his head and imagining all the kids at school teasing him about that too. He really didn't have a choice as he took a shower and hoped it returned to normal. Getting out of the shower his skin look normal again and he dried his hair looking for any blue which he didn't find. Passing his mom's inspection he ran to school to find Mary storming around pissed at what someone did to her house. Patrick smiled and headed off to class.