Kiss Me if You Can — Chapter 52

For today, admission is restricted to invited guests only. The general public may not enter.

NEW BODYGUARD TEAM

HUFF...

DAMN IT, I CAN'T CALM DOWN.

I RUSHED TO ARRANGE THIS BEFORE JOSHUA COULD CHANGE HIS MIND, BUT...

WHAT IF HIS KID DOESN'T EVEN LIKE ME?

CHASE!

HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING LONG? SORRY, TRAFFIC WAS A LITTLE ROUGH.

N-NO... I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE LONG.

SAY HELLO. THIS IS PETE.

PETE, REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THE WAY HERE?

COME ON, SAY HELLO.

HI, PETE...

OH DEAR...

PLEASE DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA, CHASE. PETE ACTS THIS WAY WHEN HE LIKES SOMEONE.

...WHAT?

HE'S JUST SHY. HE KIND OF...

HAS A WEAKNESS FOR GOOD-LOOKING FACES.

GOOD-LOOKING FACES...?

VILLAIN!

PETE! YOU CAN'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT!

SORRY. LATELY, HE'S HAD A HABIT OF CALLING PEOPLE THAT WHEN HE FIRST MEETS THEM.

I-I SEE...

PETE, IF YOU SAY SOMETHING RUDE AGAIN, I'LL HAVE TO PUT BEANS IN ALL OF YOUR MEALS FROM NOW ON.

BEANS?

PETE ABSOLUTELY HATES BEANS.

I SEE... BEANS...

THERE'S NO WAY HE FIGURED OUT HE'S PETE'S FATHER JUST FROM THAT, RIGHT...?

SHALL WE GET GOING? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO RIDE FIRST, PETE?

Teddy's choo-choo!

SNACK BAR

OKAY, LET'S RIDE THE CHOO-CHOO FIRST!

COME WITH US, CHASE.

I USED TO COME HERE ALL THE TIME AS A KID,

BUT THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GETTING IN WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT IN LINE.

DID YOU GROW UP IN CALIFORNIA?

THIS IS MY HOMETOWN. I WENT TO D HIGH...

Daddy~!

Daddy, look at me! I'm over here~!

OKAY, PETE! I'M WATCHING!

THANKS, CHASE. THIS IS PETE'S FIRST TIME AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK.

I KNOW...

YOU TOLD ME BEFORE.

YOU REMEMBERED?

...AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AT ONE, TOO.

OH, REALLY? YOU SEEMED SO USED TO THE RIDES, I NEVER WOULD'VE GUESSED.

I'VE BEEN ON RIDES BEFORE.

BACK HOME, WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN.

THE SAFE AND PRIVATE MILLER'S ESTATE PARK

OH... IN YOUR GARDEN...?

...HAVE YOU BEEN RAISING HIM ON YOUR OWN FOR LONG?

AH...

YEAH. I'VE RAISED PETE ON MY OWN THIS WHOLE TIME.

I REALLY SHOULD TELL HIM NOW.

YOU SEE... PETE'S PAPA DOESN'T KNOW HE EXISTS.

HE DOESN'T KNOW?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN-

DADDY! JUICE!

OH, ARE YOU THIRSTY, PETE?

JUST A SECOND. HERE... AH.

OOPS. DADDY WILL GO GET YOU ANOTHER JUICE. YOU TWO WAIT HERE.

HUH? JOSHUA, WAIT...

THIS IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR THE TWO OF YOU TO GET CLOSER.

AH...

I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEING ALONE WITH A CHILD...

WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT?

H-HERE, THIS IS A MILKSHAKE. WANT SOME?

...THANK YOU.

WHAT DO YOU... LIKE? I MEAN... CARTOONS OR SOMETHING?

I LIKE CHOO-CHOO.

DOES HE MEAN ACTUAL TRAINS, OR IS HE REFERRING TO A CHARACTER?

A train character from a cartoon that's currently popular

*<Earth Taker>: the movie Chase is currently filming, based on an original comic series

THEN... DO YOU LIKE <EARTH TAKER>?

I KNOW <EARTH TAKER>.

REALLY? THEN, DO YOU KNOW DOCTOR FLAME?

I DO. BUT I DON'T LIKE HIM. HE'S A VILLAIN.

DOCTOR FLAME, PLAYED BY CHASE MILLER

THEN, WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER FROM <EARTH TAKER>?

Glacier Man!

*The main hero of <Earth Taker>

RIGHT. OF COURSE, MOST KIDS PREFER THE HERO.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE AGREED

TO PLAY DOCTOR FLAME SO EASILY JUST BECAUSE KEITH PITTMAN ASKED ME TO.

Mr. Pittman has offered you the role of Doctor Flame.

Then go with that.

HUH? IT'S CHOO-CHOO...!

IS THAT THE CHARACTER HE MENTIONED EARLIER?

LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A RIDE THEMED AFTER HIM TOO.

DO YOU WANT TO RIDE THAT ONE? I'LL CALL YOUR DADDY AND TELL HIM TO MEET US THERE.

Really?

YEAH.

Let's GO together!

AH...

UMMPH-!

THERE MUST BE A DOG OVER THERE!

NO...!

PETE, WAIT...!

MR. MILLER!

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?!

I'M FINE, SO GET THE CHILD FIRST...

UH...?

PETE...?