Chapter Three: An Actor's Life for Me
The next day, after breakfast, which Benjy found out was a meal people had in the day to keep them going until the afternoon, Benjy and his parents stepped outside as Benjy starred in awe at the children and ran around as May tried to put his jacket on.
"Oh, look at all of them Mom and Dad!" Benjy said excitedly.
"Wait a minute, sweetie." May said. "I have to get your jacket on, so you won't get cold."
"Who are those little people?" Benjy asked.
"They're children off to school." Ben said. "Girls and boys."
"Oh boy!" Benjy called out as May finally managed to put his jacket on, and he was about to run off.
"Whoa, hold on for a second there, Benjy." Ben said with a laugh as he picked Benjy up and gave him an apple. "This is for you to give your teacher. You know, start things off on the right foot."
"Why?" Benjy asked.
"So that you two can get along right away." May explained. "And here are your books."
"Now turn around and let us look at you." Ben said, and Benjy turned around from the neck down, and the two smiled at him. "Now run along now."
Webster then rushed off to follow Benjy before Ben and May stopped him.
"Hold on boy." Ben said with a chuckle as he held Webster's collar. "School's not for you."
Webster whimpered a little before he rushed up stairs to lick Gwen, who they let sleep late for a little, awake.
"Bye Mom!" Benjy called out as he left. "Bye Dad!"
"Bye son!" Ben said. "See you tonight!"
"Stay safe, Benjy!" May called out. "Hurry back after school's over."
They then went inside.
()()()()()
Coming down the road was a man with black hair that was flat at the top. He was accompanied by a muscular man with brown hair and dressed in brown pants with a green and blue striped sweater. The man wore a gray suit. This man's name was Hammerhead, and his companion was Flint Marko.
"Ah, Flint, listen." Hammerhead said. "The laughter of children on their way to school. Thirsty minds on their way to the fountain of knowledge."
"Those poor morons." Flint said with a smile.
"Now, now." Hammerhead said with a smirk as he picked up a stray cigar. "School's a noble institution. After all, what would this stupid country be without-?"
Hammerhead suddenly stopped and looked at a picture that said, "The Great Phineas Mason's Marionette Show"
"Well, well, well." Hammerhead said. "Phineas Mason. So the old rascals back in town." Hammerhead then laughed. "Remember Flint, the time I tied strings on you, and we tried to pass you off as a puppet? We nearly put one over on the nerd that time."
"Yeah." Flint said with a smile.
As they continued down the street, they passed a boy on his way to school, a wooden boy with blonde hair.
"Huh." Hammerhead said. "A wooden boy." After a few seconds, the shock of what he just saw hit him. "A WOODEN BOY?!"
"Holy cow!" Flint exclaimed. "Just look at him!"
"I know, Flint." Hammerhead said. "A puppet that moves along without strings and apparently of his own free will. That'll be worth a fortune to someone, now who…" Hammerhead then smirked as he thought of the poster. "Of course! Mason! That phony would pay a fortune for something like this!"
"Sweet!" Flint called out.
"Listen, we play our cards right, we'll be on easy street, or my name isn't Honest Hammerhead." Hammerhead said. "We better hurry before he gets to school."
They rushed to a corner just in front of the wooden boy, and Hammerhead smirked.
"Now here's the plan." Hammerhead said when he turned to Flint and saw he was carrying a ridiculously large mallet.
"Not that way stupid." Hammerhead said as he pulled the mallet from his hands. "Let's not be crude. I'll handle this."
Hammerhead then stood by the corner and extended a cane he'd grabbed out as he appeared to be talking to Flint.
"As I was saying to our associate just the other day, Flint-" Hammerhead began when just as he planned, the wooden boy tripped on the cane and fell over. "Oh my poor boy, I'm so sorry. I do hope you're alright."
"I'm fine." The boy said as Hammerhead surreptitiously slapped Flint's hand away from the boy's pocket.
"Well, well." Hammerhead said as he picked up the book the boy was carrying. It was an alphabet book for kindergarteners. "A man of letter's I see. It's not often we meet a scholar is it, Flint?"
"Nope." Flint said.
"Here's your book." Hammerhead said as Flint pocketed the apple as the boy wasn't looking.
"I'm going to school!" The boy said.
"Ah, school." Hammerhead said as he put an arm around the boy. "I guess you haven't heard of the easy way to success."
"Uh-uh." The boy said.
"No?" Hammerhead said in surprise. "I'm speaking, my boy, of the theater!" Hammerhead might have made a good actor himself with all the dramatic cons he pulled. He then tugged the apple away from Flint before he could eat it and handed it back to Benjy. "Here's your apple. Anyway, the theater. Bright lights, applause, fame!"
"Fame?" The boy asked.
"Yes!" Hammerhead said. "And with that personality, that profile, that physique! Why he's a natural born actor, eh, Flint?"
"Oh, he'll make all the kindergartner girls melt." Flint said. "Everyone will wanna be friends with… Um… What's your name?"
"Benjy Reilly." The boy said.
"Benjy Reilly!" Flint called out. "I can see it on big letters over the box office! B-E-N-J-Y R… Well, it'll be up there!"
"You're funny." Benjy said with a laugh.
Hammerhead then put his hand on Benjy's shoulder. "On to the theater!"
Hi-Diddiley-Dee
An actor's life for me!
A high silk hat
And a silver cane.
A watch of gold
With a diamond chain.
Hi-Diddiley-Day
An actor's life is gay!
It's great to be a celebrity.
An actor's life for me!
Hi-Diddiley-Dun!
An actor's life is fun!
They walked off in the direction of where Phineas Mason's carriage.
()()()()()
Gwen was sleeping in the bed as she was being shaken.
"Gwen, wake up." A voice said. It didn't sound like the mean lady who ran the orphanage. She opened her eyes and saw a lady with blue eyes and gray hair, and it all fell back in place.
"Oh shoot!" Gwen called out.
She rushed out of bed, tossed off the night-gown Mrs. Parker had given her and tossed on a red shirt and blue jeans Mrs. Parker had set out and grabbed a green jacket as she rushed down.
"See you tonight Mr. and Mrs. Parker!" Gwen shouted as she ran out of the door.
"A fine conscience I am." She said to herself as she shoved her arms through her jacket. "I over slept on the first day! Oh well, how much trouble can he get in between home and school?"
Eventually, she arrived at an arch and heard someone humming.
"Ooh, a parade." Gwen said with a smile as she watched for it to pass, and she saw Benjy in the ground.
"WHAT?!" Gwen asked in alarm. "Benjy?! Where is he going?"
Gwen ran up and grabbed the man's shirt to get him to stop.
"Huh?!" The man called out.
"Oh hi, Gwen!" Benjy said.
"Get off of me, kid!" The man said. "Could ya help me, Hammerhead?"
"Oh, it's just a little-" the other man, Hammerhead, said before the first man shoved her off, and she landed on Hammerhead, winding him.
"Uh-oh." The man said as she looked down and saw Gwen there. "I am in trouble."
"Help me up, ya idiot!" Hammerhead gasped.
"Don't worry Hammerhead, I've got ya!" The man lifted Hammerhead up as he continued to groan.
Hammerhead rubbed his hands through his black hair and glared at the man.
While this happened, Gwen took Benjy aside.
"Hey Gwen!" Benjy said excitedly. "I'm gonna be an actor!"
"Oh yeah?" Gwen asked. "Remember about temptations, about how the wrong thing may seem right at the time?"
"Yeah." Benjy said.
"Well that's basically what this is." Gwen said. "That guy and his friend are temptations."
"No they aren't." Benjy said in a perfectly friendly way. "That's Mr. Honest Hammerhead and his friend Flint."
"Oh… Boy." Gwen mumbled. "Look Benjy, you should go to school to get an education and an actual career. Just go over there and tell them that you can't go to the theater, say thank you just the same to be polite and that you're sorry, but you have to go to school."
"Okay." Benjy said.
"So Benjy, ready to continue?" That Hammerhead guy asked as he walked up and turned Benjy away from Gwen. "On to the theater, eh?"
"Bye Gwen!" Benjy called out as he walked on.
"Good-bye?!" Gwen exclaimed as they walked off. "Benjy, we've gotta- You can't-"
Gwen watched them walk off.
"What am I supposed to do?" Gwen asked herself. "Wait, I can just go tell Mr. and Mrs. Parker! No, wait, I'm supposed to do good things since I'm a conscience, and if I told them that'd be snitching, and that's bad. I'll just go get Benjy myself."
Gwen then ran off after Benjy.
Oh yeah, that was a real smart choice. A five-year-old goes off to try and take a wooden boy away from a guy like Phineas Mason!
Gwen: Two days!
Penny (sleepily): Yay…