CIRCO

by Tara Ellis

On the second day of rehearsals everyone inside the stadium was busy. They moved like drones inside a beehive trying to please their queen. In this case the queen bee was Artemis.

  Vanessa was configuring her light settings for each moment within the show. For every performer she customized a lighting pattern. As a person who had no experience within this field Vanessa was doing a relatively decent job. She was mainly fidgeting with knobs and buttons, trying to figure out how they correlated with the stage.

  Vanessa practiced her lights from morning to early afternoon. She was anxious during the several minutes performers transitioned on and off the stage. If felt like she was in a scary movie, with the scene so sullen, as if Timsley could walk in again at any moment. He didn’t. In fact no one walked in on Vanessa. She had been alone in the control room all morning.

  Two pm came and the cast and crew got an hour break for lunch. Vanessa’s tummy was crying out for food, but she was too afraid she would run into Timsley. She forgot to bring a lunch. The clock was ticking ten past two and her stomach was whining like a baby. Recollecting on her memories she realized the last time she had eaten was on the train. That was two days past. She didn’t get a meal last morning. And after dealing with the beastly Timsley how could she eat.

  She felt herself becoming weak. She peeked her head out the door, looked left and then right seeing an empty hallway. Vanessa eventually made her way out of the stadium with a vigilant attitude, walking down the sidewalk aiming for the first restaurant she came across. She went into a Burger King; she thought the food was ok, but hated their creepy royal mascot.

  Without even thinking she said “Hello. I’m Hungry; I want to pay for food.” The cashier had to refrain from laughing. Vanessa had no patience for her burger, as soon as the money was given she asked “Can I just have the fries now?” The cashier lady gave her the fries. Hot, salty, crunchy, oily goodness sparked in her mouth. The coworkers behind the counter were giggling as Vanessa moaned on every bite. The hungriest girl they had ever seen. When she got the rest of her food she sat down nodding her head, shimming her shoulders to a melody in her own mind.

  “I hope you haven’t been avoiding me,” said a voice. Vanessa turned around seeing a smile on Freddy’s face. She put her arms around his neck and welcomed him with a kiss.

  “I was looking out for you, where have you been?”

  “Oh I was working, at the circus, like always.” He smiled. Vanessa put her finger on his lips.

  “No sarcasm.” Then they shared another kiss.

  “I’m all done for today, we should go do something.”

  “Oh I so totally would, but I still have work to do.”

  “What time are you off?”

  “Like I think around five. After that we could do whatever we want.”

  “Sounds awesome.”

  Vanessa went back to her food and Freddy sat with her. He sat back with a smile watching her eat. Ordinary women don’t eat like that, he thought. But then again, there is nothing ordinary about Selena.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Vanessa giggled.

  “I have never seen a women eat like you before.”

  “What?”

  “You eat like a beast. I mean that in a good way. It’s actually a little nice to see.”

  “Is this flirting?” she said with a mouth full of burger. “Are you trying to flirt with me?”

  “You’re all sorts of strange Selena.”

  She shrugged her shoulders and said in a coy voice “There is nothing wrong with being strange. It’s just that people around me have the problem with it.”

  “Really is that so?”

  “That is so sir.”

  Freddy dropped his jaw and said “wow” and Vanessa mimicked him.

  “Since our topic is on the strange,” Vanessa started. “Tell me why you are wearing a scarf and it’s like eighty degrees out?” Freddy chuckled silently. “What are you going for? Like a hipster sort of vibe? It’s not working.”

  “It’s my swagger, Miss Selena Santana.”

  “Swagger, huh? You’re whiter than cream cheese.” Freddy said “Wow” with an exaggerated expression and Vanessa did the same to mock him.

  “I’m white like cream cheese huh…okay. Well you’re brown like a bean.”

  “Whoa, so you want to go there. At least a bean is more nutritious than a cracker.”

  Freddy smiled and shook his head. “Go ahead and say it,” demanded Vanessa.

  “Say what?” She then mocked his overstressed way of saying wow.

  They sat in silence for while staring in each other’s eyes, smiling.

  “What time do you have to be back again?” asked Freddy

  “I have about fifteen minutes. I should start heading back now.”

  “I’ll walk with you.”

  They walked out the building, heading up the street towards the stadium.

  “You know,” started off Freddy. “They say beans and crackers go good together.”

  “Yeah, they do.” Freddy offered his hand to Vanessa and she gladly accepted it. Strolling in each other’s embraces, she now realized that Freddy is the closest person she befriended since leaving home. Vanessa thought that maybe she should share the incident she had with Timsley.

  “Hey Freddy.”

  “Yeah?”

  She wondered how to say it to him.

  “Yeah what’s up?” said Freddy.

  She stammered; she couldn’t get one syllable out. Then a car beeped its horn at her. A Rolls Royce pulled up to the sidewalk. It gave the impression that somebody really important was in the back seat. The style of vehicle in front of them screamed elitist class. The back seat window came down revealing Joyce with a beaming smile.

  “What’s up Selena!” said Joyce.

  “Oh hey, not much.”

  Joyce hopped out. “You ready for the big night tomorrow?”

  “I can feel the bubbles in my gut, but yeah I’m ready for it.”

  “Me too.”

  Andre got out of the car. He paused with the expression of a startled cat. He and Freddy glared at each other like they were about to do battle.

  “Selena,” said Freddy. “I will catch up with you later.”

  “Oohkaay??” And then Freddy was gone. Joyce heard Andre mumble under his breath.

  “What?” she said.

  “It’s nothing.” He then went back in the vehicle.

  Vanessa saw Joyce’s face. “I don’t know what’s going on either.”

  Vanessa glanced at Freddy’s back as his image descended up the pavement. “I should get going.”

  Joyce asked if she would like a ride. Vanessa looked again for Freddy and he was nowhere to be seen. “Sure.”

  Vanessa hopped in after Joyce and her eyes popped. She was in the most ridiculously extravagant automobile she had ever seen. This is something Donald Trump would roll in, she thought. Joyce is more important than I thought.

  Black leather seats with heating, tinted windows, Joyce had the transportation of Kate Middleton. “Um Driver can you head back to the stadium,” requested Joyce.

  “Sure thing, miss.”

  “Selena, the cast is going to be partying at The Gold Room after the taping and you’re invited.”

  “The Gold Room?”

  She explained that it was a night club where a lot of big celebrities have been to. And it would be nice for Selena to reward herself for her hard work.

  “I’ll see you there?”

  “For sure.” Joyce went for a hug and Vanessa squeezed her back. The car stopped at the front entrance. Vanessa hopped out and returned to her job.

  “Wow, get a room you two,” said Andre. Then Joyce struck his shoulder.

 
“Why? Are you jealous?”

  “Yeah.”

  Joyce pulls his chin towards her and they puckered up. Andre loved the taste of her cherry lip balm.

  “I hope that makes up for it.”

  “It does a little bit.” She stared at him for a while trying to figure him out.

  “What was up with you and that boy?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I have time.”

  Andre turned away and didn’t say anything. They sat in silence for a while. Joyce knew she wasn’t going to get an answer out of him right then and she figured nagging gets a relationship nowhere. So she leaned her head on his shoulder and put her hand in his lap, slightly gripping his inner thigh.

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