Chipped Heartz & Broken Smilez

Cotton Candy

Elijah's Bookstore in Grid C was magnificent. People wearing dinosaur costumes tried to sell children's picture books on the first floor.

Searching for something more substantial, I climbed a grand staircase and toured the third level. A girl in a maid costume wagged her butt for a crowd of men who blushed and hurried to buy the romance books she was selling in exchange for a brief conversation. Once the men turned away, mild annoyance crossed her pretty face. Her gaze flickered to me, and she shrugged; then, putting on a cute high-pitched voice, she tugged on a man's suede jacket and asked if he would like to buy a novel about star-crossed lovers.

I turned away from her and made my way down aisle twenty-one, running my fingers along the smooth spines of the hardcover books. Below, I heard the distant laughter of children whose parents had taken them shopping.

Every book here was new; the pages fresh and uncrimped. The scented ink made you crave strawberries or a walk in the woods. I wouldn't mind being trapped here for a few days, reading as many books as possible after setting up a tent somewhere.

I took my cart up to the fifth floor, where the Science books were. After receiving Jason's pay, my wallet felt much heavier in my pocket, and my dreams seemed more attainable.

***

On Olivia's day off, we went to see a live musical in C-grid's entertainment section. Tall brick buildings stretched towards the sky. Vehicles drove slowly down cobblestone roads. On the side of the street, a man sold cotton candy, and a group of children between the ages of six and eight, wearing red tunics, arranged themselves in a line near his cart at their teacher's instruction.

The azure sky carried a few fluffy clouds. Olivia held my hand as we strolled; stars glittered along her red dress. The back was shaped like a deep V that ended near her waist. I put my hand on her bare skin, blushed at its warmth, and realized I would need four or five hands to cover it up adequately.

An airship sailed overhead, carrying wealthy patrons who could afford to splurge on a thousand-dollar ticket for an hour's worth of flying. People glanced at Olivia, drawn to her by some unnatural magnetic pull, but kept a distance. She joined the line of children waiting for cotton candy.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

She smiled. "You want some, don't you?"

I scratched my cheek and admitted, "I do." It was a cheap, tasty and common treat for children. The cotton melted and formed little crystals on your tongue. It was terrible for you, but life was meant to be enjoyed. If we didn't do things simply because they were bad for us, then life would be miserable.

"You really ought to start eating real food," Olivia said.

"And you really ought to learn how to not draw so much attention to yourself."

"I'm a celebrity; attention comes with my role."

"You may be a celebrity, but you don't have to dress like one. You could act like a normal person, sometimes."

Olivia expertly switched the topic, "Yolinda's getting married in August. She was wondering if you wanted to come to the wedding."

My fingers curled into a tight fist by my side. I was in a good place right now, and so much darkness was associated with Yolinda. Was it wrong for me to ignore her in order to retain my happiness?

"I'll send her a postcard, wishing her the best. But I would prefer not to see her again." Olivia turned and watched me. The young children in front of us had gone quiet, watching Olivia and me as if they knew they were witnessing something they weren't supposed to see. Olivia's gloved hand touched my cheek and caressed it. I could sense her running through a million calculations in her head, trying to understand what my words meant.