Chapter 8: Balloon Travel

John arrived at the ice cream cart.

"Hello." John said. "I'd like some ice cream."

"Oh, what do you want?" The vender asked. "Chocolate? Vanilla? Rum banana?"

"Raspberry." John said.

"Whoa, buddy." The vendor said with a laugh. "I may not know you that well, but I wouldn't wanna be rude to you."

John chuckled with the vendor.

"Anyway, raspberry for me, and a cherry ripple for my friend." John said.

"You got it." The vendor said as he handed John the ice cream.

"Thanks." John said.

"Anytime." The vendor replied.

()()()()()

While John and Clark were busy, Oliver and Chloe were walking around when Chloe saw a few balloons as she looked at her wallet, and there wasn't a lot of money as she turned to Oliver. She was a sucker for balloons, though she'd never really figured out why.

"Alright, Chloe." Oliver said. "Alright. I'll get you a balloon, but you have to pick ze color. Red or green?"

"Can I give ya a word of advice?" The balloon salesman asked?

"What?" Oliver asked.

"Why not take both?" The salesman said with a smile.

"What a wild idea!" Oliver called out excitedly.

"Yeah, a beautiful babe like that deserves two balloons." The salesman went on.

"Oh, stop." Chloe chuckled in a way that meant the exact opposite of what she just said.

"No, he's right!" Oliver insisted, not understanding Chloe's tone.

"I've got a bunch of guys coming through here; sometimes they get a bunch of balloons for their girls." The salesman said. "They go gaga for them."

"Gaga?!" Oliver repeated. "I'll take the whole bunch!"

"Uh… Ollie…" Chloe began as she felt that all the balloons were a little much.

However, Oliver already gave him the money, and the vender gave Oliver the balloons.

()()()()()

Clark was looking around the festival, having lost track of the others in the crowd.

"Ollie?" Clark asked. "I wonder where he went. Uh… John?"

"Clark!" John called out as he came up with two ice creams. "Oh hey, Clark."

John then looked around.

"Where's your brunette friend?" John asked.

"Well I'm not really sure." Clark said. "She said she was coming with us for ice cream, but-"

"Yoo-hoo!" Lois called as she rushed to the two in casual clothes and holding a suitcase. "Here I am! Here I am! I'm packed! I'm packed!"

"I can see that." Clark said. "What for?"

"You said I could come with you." Lois said, confused.

"Yeah, to buy ice cream, not to Hollywood." Clark said.

"Hollywood?!" Lois called out. "I just thought you were headed to Disneyland! Please, let me come!"

"Well…" Clark said. He did fell like one more person wouldn't make a difference. They still had a fair amount of time, and plenty of seats. "Sure."

Just then, Chloe rushed up in a panic.

"Guys!" Chloe called out. "It's terrible! Awful, all my fault, and we just wasted ten dollars!"

"What?" Clark asked.

"It's Ollie!" Chloe said. "I talked him into buying me a balloon, and the guy that looked like Richard Pryor talked him into buying the whole bunch!"

"And?" Clark asked.

"The balloons floated him away." Lois answered.

"You telepathic?" Chloe asked.

"No." Lois said. "He's floating over us."

Clark looked up and sure enough, Oliver was floating in the air, holding onto several balloons.

"Oliver, what are you doing?!" Clark asked in alarm.

"About seven naughts!" Oliver answered.

"We'll follow you!" Clark called to the rapidly disappearing Oliver. "To the car, John!"

"Yes sir!" The three then rushed to the car.

"Ollie, we're coming!" Clark called out to Oliver.

()()()()()

The group quickly chased after Oliver, with Chloe and Lois working together as navigators.

"Step on it, John!" Clark called out.

"Yes sir!" Clark replied.

"Oh, Clark." Lois said with a smile. "You're a born leader."

"Now where is he?" Clark said after blushing a little at Lois' remark.

"Up ahead near a wheat field." Chloe said quickly.

()()()()()

Oliver was floating along quite contentedly, looking over the world and God's creations.

"Oh, isn't this great?" Oliver said to himself. He wasn't that worried since he had practiced free falling during his college years. "Here I am, floating in space… Or the air, rather. Either way, this is the place to be! Whoopee!"

()()()()()

Down below, Clark got a look at Oliver as he began floating off due to the wind.

"John, bare left!" Clark called out.

"What?" John asked.

"Bare left!" Clark repeated.

Bobby turned to look at Chloe. She wasn't bare.

"No, turn left!" Clark groaned.

"Oh, right." John said. "I knew that."

()()()()()

Oliver was still in the sky as he saw the car driving by, looking like a toy.

"Wow, look at our little car down there!" Oliver called out. "It's like flying! Oh wait, it is flying."

Just then, Oliver noticed another car following theirs.

"Hey, who are those guys?" Oliver wondered to himself.

()()()()()

Back on the ground, Tess and Lionel were following the car as Tess looked up with binoculars.

"Hey Dad, isn't that the kid up there?" Tess was having trouble getting a clear look at the figure, and she didn't see the boy's face until after she had already asked the question.

"No, that's the kid up there!" Lionel called out, exasperated.

()()()()()

Clark and the others were so focused on Oliver that he and John failed to recognize Lionel's car.

"He's caught in the cross-winds, John!" Clark called out. "We're gonna lose him!"

"Oh no!" John called out in alarm.

()()()()()

Meanwhile, Tess noticed Lionel pulling out a riffle.

"Ah!" Tess called out in alarm. "What are ya doing, Dad?!"

"I'm going after the tires." Lionel responded plainly.

()()()()()

Luckily for the gang, Oliver stayed on course until the wind began working with them.

"The wind's dropping down." Clark said. "We're okay now."

"Phew." Lois said.

"Wait a minute!" Clark said. "I think he's beginning to come down. Stay with him, John!"

"Right!" John called out.

"He's right above us!" Chloe said as she opened the top of the car.

"He's okay." Clark sighed.

"Yeah, hi Ollie!" John said as he opened the door.

"JOHN, GET BACK IN HERE!" Clark shouted.

"Huh?" John asked.

"I said get back-" Clark began, but too late. The car slammed into a billboard for a pie factory, launching a pie filled with whipped cream into the air as it landed on a car just behind them.

()()()()()

Tess was so caught off guard by the pie flying at them that she broke right there as it landed right on the car, covering it in whipped cream as Lionel's shot went wild, obliterating all but two of the balloons Oliver was holding onto as he began literally falling.

()()()()()

"Oh… Crud!" Oliver called out as he fell, getting caught by Clark and gently set into the car.

"Gun it, John." Clark said, having noticed Lionel's car when he looked at the pie crashing into it.

"Yes sir!" John called out, and they drove off.

"Well, that was fun." Oliver said happily.

"Is he coming with us too?" Lois asked.

Everyone nodded, sighing with relief about the rather nerve raking day being over.

()()()()()

Back at the stopped car, Lionel was yelling at the top of his lungs.

"COME BACK, YOU!" Lionel called out. "NO ALIEN'S GONNA MAKE A MONKEY OUT OF ME!"

Tess sighed and had some of the whipped cream, which wasn't half bad.

()()()()()

Back at the carnival, several girls in bathing suits rushed out of the changing tent as Hank zoomed out as well.

"I've just gotta catch up with those guys!" Hank remarked as he rushed down the road, only knowing the vaguest of road directions, he had already gone the wrong way several times by now.


And so that's the end of that chapter. Sorry it took so long. I kinda got busy with other things.