Gifted, A Donovan Circus Novel

by Liz Long

  “It’s like a romance novel cover over there,” I said. They snapped out of it. I rolled my eyes. “We look ridiculous.”

  “Even I think he’s hot and I want nothing to do with penises,” Brooklyn said. She took another peek at him before turning back to us. “Bet he’s popular with the ladies.”

  “Yeah, that’ll be fun to watch,” Bianca said. “I can’t wait to see who goes for him. There are quite a few ladies who wouldn’t mind seeing him out of costume.”

  “He probably knows how good looking he is,” I pointed out. “Especially if he’s been in the circus!”

  “Who cares,” Bianca replied.

  “Where do you keep getting these hot guys like Keegan and Gabriel?” I wondered aloud.

  We began our walk to the Big Top, but to do so we had to pass that same booth where Gabriel stood. We got closer and Gabriel turned to look at us. I could see his blue eyes from here. I looked away and focused on not tripping over myself.

  Bianca looked directly at him and beamed. “Hey there, how are ya?”

  He nodded at us. “Not bad and you?”

  I gave a smile and continued my walk. The other two, however, decided to slow down and actually continue the casual conversation. I slowed, not wanting to be rude.

  “You’re Gabriel, right?” Brooklyn asked.

  He nodded and looked at me. He was just tall enough that I had to squint into the sun to look him. “Yes I am. You’re Lucy, right?”

  “Yep,” I answered.

  He gave Bianca and Brooklyn a brief smile then looked at me again. He actually gave me a once-over from head to toe. “Nice uniform. What about your gift? I forget what Sheffield said last night.”

  “Firestarter.”

  “How long you been performing?” he asked.

  “Pretty much since the day I was born,” I responded.

  “How do you like being new here?”

  “Twenty-four hours in, not so bad. How do you like it?”

  “It’s improving.”

  Bianca and Brooklyn watched our conversation like a ping-pong tournament. I felt like I was on the defense with Gabriel’s interrogation.

  “Are you gifted?” I wanted to be on offense.

  “I am,” he replied. I raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t continue. An awkward pause settled over us and I cleared my throat.

  “We need to get ready. Guess we’ll see you later,” I said.

  “I’d like that. We should get together.”

  “Well…I think there was talk of going out later if you get bored,” I said after hesitation.

  “I’ll definitely consider it. Thanks,” he replied with a smile. His steady gaze flustered me.

  “See you.” I had no idea how people got a real conversation out of me. I turned and walked as fast as I could to the Big Top. Bianca and Brooklyn followed.

  “You know how awkward you are, right? What was that about?” Brooklyn asked.

  “That was a little weird,” Bianca said.

  I reached the Big Top entrance and stepped inside. I stopped to turn around to face them.

  “What was with his interrogation? And yes, Brooklyn, I am a walking tragedy of conversation,” I said with a scowl on my face.

  “No idea what the deal was,” Bianca said. She peered out of the tent in Gabriel’s direction. “He certainly liked you.”

  “I don’t think that’s the case at all,” I said. “The way he was being about it was rude. I think he might be a jerk.”

  “A hot jerk,” Bianca said with a big smile. “I bet it’s the suit. You look good, girl! He liked what he saw. You should hook that up, Lucy. He’s just your type: action-adventure hero good looks with a soft spot to find! It’s your own fairytale or I guess in your case, comic book.”

  I cracked up. “On paper, that sounds pretty good.”

  The microphone squealed behind me. Sheffield was testing out the sound. It was almost time for the show. A flurry of activity went around us as folks ran around for final adjustments.

  The rest of the night sped by. I ventured out once to the grounds to find it swarmed with people playing games or waiting in line for the Ferris wheel. Small children gaped at stilt-walkers while boys tried to win their dates teddy bears or goldfish. When the show finally began, I remained in my place by the artists’ entrance at the Big Top to carry props out or direct customers to the correct side. I only caught glimpses of the inside with its sparkly lights and rumbles from the crowd.

  I knew it was almost Keegan and Nik’s time when I saw the giant metal ball in which the boys rode their bikes. Three times an elephant’s size, it reminded me of monkey bars from a playground and I had a bizarre urge to climb on it. Five very large workers rolled it in through the performers’ entrance. They all wore thick gloves and put all their muscle into moving the ball. It hardly looked big enough for two Firestarters on bikes. People were probably shocked the bikes didn’t explode or the riders didn’t catch fire from close quarters.

  A blur came to a sudden stop in front of me.

  “Hey Delia.”

  “How is your first night going?”

  “Not too bad. I wish I could see more of the show, but I get that I’d be in the way.”

  “You have plenty of time.” She gave me an odd smile, one that could only be described as “the cat ate the canary.”

  “What’s up?” I asked cautiously. Her smile grew bigger.

  “Brooklyn overheard Keegan telling Nikolas how cute you are,” Delia said to me in a hushed voice.

  I blinked in surprise. That wasn’t so bad at all, actually. I thought about Keegan and blushed. “She’s only trying to tease me.”

  “No, I think she is right. He will not stop talking to you. I would not say he is shy, but it probably means something.”

  “He’s probably only being nice.”

  “Do you not think he is cute?”

  “Well, yeah, I’m not blind. He’s super cute but I don’t want to cause any drama. Does he date a lot of the new girls?”

  “Not that I know. We try to get dates outside of the circus, but who is to say you two would not hit it off right?”

  I paused for a moment to take that in. I wondered if dating someone you worked with here was a smart idea. I didn’t have much dating experience. I’d always feared I’d set the guy on fire if he kissed me too hard. On the plus side, I wouldn’t have to worry about that with Keegan.

  Delia looked around and after a second, her head nodded to my right. I turned to look at her pointed glance. Keegan and Nikolas walked with their motorbikes on the well-worn pathway to the Big Top. Fully dressed in very well fitted black uniforms, I could see that like mine, they were made out of the same fireproofed material. Keegan’s short dark hair matched the uniform; his eyes crinkled up as he laughed at something Nikolas said. I caught myself staring at Keegan’s muscles and mentally slapped myself back to reality.

  “Yeah, I’m okay with that,” I told Delia. She laughed at me while a big, ridiculous smile grew on my face. I needed to gain control of my facial muscles fast or I’d look like some cheerful idiot.

  “You two would be very cute together,” she whispered. I waved my hand at her in an attempt to shush her as the boys approached; the last thing Keegan needed to hear was a girly high school bathroom conversation.

  “Hey, Lucy,” Keegan said. He gave me an appreciative grin. “Like the suit.”

  “No kidding. You look way better in it than we do,” Nikolas agreed. The blood rushed to my cheeks, making them both chuckle.

  “C’mon, watch our act,” Keegan said, motioning inside.

  “Oh, I’m not really supposed to be in there unless it’s with good reason. I can’t get in everyone’s way unless I’m helping,” I said. Tripping up that acrobat and hearing her scream at me earlier had been terrifying.

  Keegan thought for a beat then presented me his helmet. “I need your help carrying my equipment in for my act, Lucy. Please?”

  “Sure.” I couldn’t help bu
t smile. I took the helmet from him and tried not to look at Delia, whom I knew grinned at me like I was a wallflower being asked to dance at the prom. If I met her eyes, I’d burst into giggles. We turned to walk into the tent.

  “Thanks,” Keegan said. I looked to see him duck his head, a smile on his face. Nikolas caught it, too.

  “Hey Lucy, carry my helmet too?” Nikolas offered with a grin.

  Keegan shot him a dirty look and Nikolas put his helmet back on the bike seat with a wink at me. I bit back a smile. That seemed pretty obvious, even to me. I noticed Nikolas’s suit came with gloves; he must keep some form of lighter underneath the fabric to jumpstart his flame.

  Once inside, the sight almost took my breath away. The Big Top, although with the same dimensions as the night before at the meeting, seemed transformed. It seemed like half a football field filled with sand and dirt. Lights shone everywhere, on the stands, the acrobat wires, and the center ring. Shadows hid in the uppermost corners of the tent. They put the considerably large crowd in perspective. I almost gulped before I reminded myself I wasn’t going on the floor. Clowns ran around center stage while the workers rolled out the motorbike ring.

  The crowd, loud from the conversation and laughter, was all I could focus on. Small children clapped and screamed their excitement, their eyes huge in wonder; adults passed beverages, popcorn and other treats back and forth, discussing the acts. The aromas of food made my mouth water, but the noise made me want to cover my ears. I couldn’t believe how loud it was inside; from where I’d stood outside all night, it sounded like a dull roar.

  Sheffield turned to see us walk in. He spotted me next to Keegan and cocked an eyebrow. His look was clear: didn’t he tell me to stay outside tonight? I grimaced and handed Keegan his helmet. He looked disappointed at my exit.

  “That’s my cue. Better go before Sheffield gets annoyed. Break a leg!” I said to them. Once outside, I smoothed the flap shut behind me, grateful for the sound barrier. I was no chicken, but I’d spent the majority of my life avoiding the spotlight. This would take some time. For the next several minutes, I could hear the crowd’s reactions go up and down in surprise and fear, then finally jubilation at Nikolas and Keegan’s talents.

  Once done, I pulled open the tent flap while the three workers rolled the giant metal ball out. As it got out of the entrance, part of the Big Top’s fabric snagged on the ball.

  “Shit, hang on. We can’t let it take down the tent,” one of the guys said.

  Another grunted his agreement. “Don’t look so bad, but dunno how bad it’s caught.”

  Keegan and Nikolas rolled out their motorbikes and saw everyone. They matched our gaze upwards and saw the problem. They cursed their displeasure.

  “I can fix that,” I heard myself say. Before I could stop myself, I grabbed hold of one of the spaces of the ball.

  “Watch it now, miss, this thing’s burning hot, why we got the gloves on,” one of them warned me.

  “Not a problem,” I assured him. I waved my free hand at him to let him know I wouldn’t feel a thing and climbed like a monkey to the top. My shoes flexed without resistance as I clambered to the top. As I clambered up, I could hardly believe my boldness.

  I reached the problem area—thank goodness the men hadn’t continued pushing or the movement might have scared the audience. The fabric was stuck pretty well and I tugged at it for a second.

  “Anyone got a pocketknife?” I called to the boys on the ground.

  “I got you, baby doll,” a worker said. He reached into his boot then tossed up a small object. I lucked out, catching it on the first try and jimmying the fabric apart without ripping it too much. As I let the material go, it fell back and I could hardly see any damage. Mission accomplished. I descended, jumping the last few feet down. I landed easily and the men looked at me impressed. I shrugged, pleased, but felt my cheeks grow red. Luckily, we had to get going, so the workers went back to work getting the ball out of the entryway.

  “Thanks, Luce,” Nikolas said.

  “It’s what I’m here for, right? No problem.”

  “Bianca mentioned going out tonight. You in?” Keegan asked me.

  I nodded. “Definitely.”

  “Great, see you in a little while then,” he replied with a big smile. Nikolas rolled his eyes but looked rather amused.

  The boys said goodbye so they could take the bikes into their proper locations. I stayed behind and kept an eye on everyone to make sure they didn’t need me for anything. The rest of the evening flew by without any problems.

  At last, a cue I remembered: The same five large workers walked past me; two steered a giant wheelbarrow filled with tent material while the other three kept the material off the ground. It was the second to last act, the acrobats. The last act of the show was the human cannonball. I heard no complaints from the last two performances, so it must have ended well. I heard thunderous applause and shrieks from delighted children. As people exited the grounds, Bianca popped into my sight and scared me half to death.

  “Grab a broom. We’ll sweep up the stands and help with trash. We shut down pretty fast if we work together,” she said.

  We walked into the Big Top and grabbed two brooms that were in place for cleanup. We swept the audience seats and Bianca ran a rake over the center ring to keep the dirt floor even. Others joined us to pick up trash and clean the seats. All the artists from the first half of the show were finished putting their things away; they came to help with shutting down while the second act cleaned and situated their own aftermath.

  Perhaps an hour after we cleaned and put everything in its proper place, we were done. I looked at my watch: barely eleven thirty. In circus hours, that was early. I could get used to that. Delia had joined us to run requests back and forth. Bianca and Brooklyn followed soon after, then the boys. Our conversation was brief as we walked back to our campers.

  “C’mon,” Finley said. “Let’s celebrate a great opening night with some fun at the bar down the road. I saw it when we drove in.”

  “Yeah, I could use a drink outside of my camper tonight,” Bianca replied.

  “Everyone meet at the parking lot in half an hour!” Nikolas yelled.

  We split up to our respective closets to get changed.

  Chapter 6

  “Delia, I have no doubt I’m totally up for it, but I should warn you that I don’t usually do this,” I said nervously. I looked in our tiny mirror to pull back my hair into a ponytail.

  “You are, what, twenty-four? How is this new for you?” she replied. She grabbed my hand to stop me. “Hair down.”

  “Twenty-three. And I don’t know. I’m a good girl, okay? I was always with my parents before. I never snuck out or used a fake ID or anything, so I’ve only been a couple times the last few years. I worked with a bunch of old ladies in a boutique so it’s not like I went out after work a lot the last two years.” I looped a belt in my jeans and smoothed out my black tank top.

  “You will be fine. We shall go out, make fun of some townies, drink a few adult beverages, and be back before you know it. It will be fun!” She pulled a piece of lint off her snug yet flattering royal blue top. She looked gorgeous and for a split second, I let myself hate her.

  “I’m not worried. I thought I should tell someone who wouldn’t make fun of me when I get tipsy off two drinks,” I replied.

  “You would not be the first lightweight at our table. You should have seen Jade on one of her few nights out. Two of those malty beverages in and she was done. If you can outlast that, and I am sure you can, you can avoid the teasing. Are you ready?” Delia asked me. I nodded.

  We both checked our hair and teeth one last time and walked out to meet everyone. We were the last to arrive. They all stood by the parking lot, ready to pile into Brooklyn’s gigantic SUV.

  A wavy-haired blonde girl who fit right in with Brooklyn and Bianca waved at me. “I’m Renata,” she greeted me. The dimples in her cheeks deepened as she smiled at me. “Welcome to craz
y town.”

  “Thanks. So you’re the Earthshaker?”

  “Yep. Don’t worry, I’m pretty good about not stomping my feet into the ground,” she said. I looked from the group to Brooklyn’s vehicle.

  “Are we all going to fit?” I asked.

  “The way I see it, if all those clowns can fit in their tiny car, we can get everyone in mine. This thing hauls campers, people. It’s a fuckin’ boat,” Brooklyn replied.

  “How far away is the bar?” Bianca asked.

  Nikolas shrugged. “Maybe four miles. It’s not really a big town. Shouldn’t be a long ride. But I call shotgun!”

  Everyone groaned but stepped up to pile in the vehicle.

  “It’s going to take longer to get in and out of the car than actually being at the bar,” Bianca grumbled.

  “Oh, c’mon, it’s not like we’re all getting into Bianca’s car!” Brooklyn defended herself.

  “Hey now, my old car can fit like 3 people and a midget!” she responded.

  “We should test that theory after we get back from the bar,” Finley said.

  With Nikolas and Brooklyn up front, Bianca, Renata and Delia behind them, and Keegan, me, and Finley in the very back, it was a very tight fit.

  “You can sit on my lap if you’re uncomfortable,” Finley said and grinned at me. Keegan shot him a dirty look that I pretended not to notice.

  “I’ve got a goal to get into a bar fight tonight! Who’s with me?” Finley yelled.

  “Not me,” Brooklyn replied from the driver’s seat. “That brawl two or three cities ago was enough to last me a few months.”

  “They’re not serious, are they?” I whispered to Keegan.

  “Yep. We were somewhere in Indiana—or was it Illinois? We all went out and got harassed by a bunch of drunks. They recognized us from the circus and insulted us. Finley and Nikolas, and as you can guess, Brooklyn, are not ones to back down from crap like that.”

  “I hope we can avoid that tonight,” I said.

  “Not me,” Finley butted in. “There’s nothing more I like than giving a drunk townie a good punch to the face when all he wants to do is call me and my friends a bunch of freaks.”