by Liz Long
Keegan rolled his eyes. “You’re playing right into their stereotype. Thanks for setting us back.”
Not five minutes later, we tumbled one by one out of the car, much like the clowns did from theirs. I hopped out and looked around; we stood in a large gravel parking lot facing a small building promising booze and music. Several people stood outside in the encased front section.
“Must not be a lot of seating,” Bianca mumbled.
“After being crammed in that boat, I think I can manage standing for a few,” said Finley.
“Keep it up, Fin, you’ll be walking those four miles back,” Brooklyn threatened.
Delia looped her arm inside mine as we took the lead towards the bar. From the outside, it appeared like a large shack. The windows were up, presumably to let fresh air in, since all I could see inside were bodies enveloped in a smoky gray cloud. The wooden walls were grainy and weathered. Someone walked out and as the door opened, loud country music poured out.
“Cripes,” I heard Bianca whisper to someone behind me, “do they really need to deafen themselves with that twangy racket?”
“We are in a Southern area, hon,” I heard Renata reply.
“Still. How can anyone have a conversation in these places? It’s like that everywhere. I don’t get how screaming at anyone is a good way to begin your night.”
I heard Nikolas guffaw at something Finley mumbled, probably a dirty joke. As we approached the main entrance, a guy appeared from the side to take our IDs and allowed us in. I half expected everyone in the place to turn and stare at us as we walked in, this strange group of misfits. Fortunately, it was all in my head, because I couldn’t spot a single person who thought anything unusual about us.
Delia caught my surprised face. “What, you thought all bars only had one type of customer?” she teased me.
“The music caught me off guard,” I admitted. Bianca nodded her agreement.
“We’ve been spotted by a few of them,” Brooklyn muttered to us under her breath. “Fair warning, they’ve already passed us off as another bunch of weirdos. And a few men are not in the gentlemanly state of mind, ladies.”
“Oh, great,” Delia and I both groaned.
Upon entering, we walked first into the several tables scattered across the floor. Towards the back of the room was the kitchen that connected to the actual bar. A melting pot of all types scattered across the bar: a pierced and tattooed crowd played pool in the back right corner, while hipsters in their flannel shirts and tight jeans smoked Pall Malls and drank PBR at a table behind us. To my left was a hallway to the bathroom; on my right, a group of overdressed girls giggled by the jukebox, picking out the next song. Farthest from the jukebox and to the side of the bar were the rednecks and their football game. A crowd of older men, who I guessed to be in their forties or fifties, all looked quite intoxicated by the bar.
All in all, one large square room with booze, something that advertised itself as “the best BBQ Burger in town,” and plenty of people. I caught the eye of one of those older men dancing like a fool near the bar and quickly looked away.
“Who wants a beer? I’ve got first round,” Keegan offered.
“I’ll pick up the second,” Nikolas countered. “We’ll go ahead and put that order in. I’m thirsty.”
We all put our order in and manage to combine two smaller round tables into a large one, almost right in the center of it all. Once we sat down and waited for the boys, I took another look around.
Brooklyn and Bianca, to no surprise, had lit cigarettes and I only caught the end of their conversation.
“Please, don’t act like you haven’t already checked out the Barbie dolls over there. That’s why we sat facing them, right?” Bianca said slyly, taking a drag off her cigarette.
“It never hurts to look,” Brooklyn said.
“Please, like any of those girls are your type or mine. Hell, I’d bet they aren’t even Delia or Lucy’s.”
I took another glance at the dressed up girls giggling over their appletinis and wrinkled my nose. “Nope. Definitely not my type even if I did like my partner in heels.”
“Thank god I have such high self-esteem,” Bianca said dramatically.
Brooklyn put an arm around her. “Baby, you’re the hottest one here and I’m not even saying that because I love you. You know you never have to worry about me.”
She planted a kiss on Bianca’s cheek as the boys came back with their arms full of beers.
“What’d we miss?” Fin asked.
“Oh you know, my girlfriend is window shopping, checking out all the other ladies,” Bianca said. “It’s okay, though, because if she acted on it, I’d just transport her to Egypt and leave her there.”
Brooklyn raised an eyebrow but chose to drink her beer instead. I didn’t have to be a telepath to hear her retort about Bianca transporting anyone, but she stayed quiet. A wise choice, if anyone asked for my opinion.
“That’s my favorite thing to do when we go out,” Finley replied.
I thanked Keegan for my beer and took a sip. Keegan still stood, looking around at the table. Finley looked at him in frustration.
“Dude, we playing musical chairs or what? Pick a seat,” he said, annoyed.
Delia sat on my left and the girls were on the other side of her. On my right sat Nikolas. Keegan hesitated and then took a seat on the other side of Nikolas. Finley sat next to Keegan and immediately began scouting the room.
“So who am I fighting and who am I taking home?” Finley surmised. He took a giant swig of beer.
“You’re awfully confident of both things,” I teased him.
“Only one of those things is gonna happen and I’m willing to bet money on a broken nose,” Nikolas said.
“That chick’s gonna rock in bed,” Finley responded.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m already planning my conversation with that guy,” Renata said, motioning to one of the tattooed guys at the bar. “I need to finish my second one here.”
She easily downed her first one and began on her second.
“Liquid courage,” Delia said, smiling.
The jukebox changed abruptly from country to bubblegum pop.
“Well, looks like someone managed to find a quarter or two in their bra,” Nikolas said wryly, bobbing his head back towards the girls at the jukebox.
“Yep. See you guys later,” Renata said.
She slammed her now-empty bottle on the table, got up, and walked over to one of the guys at the bar. We all watched her greet him and just like that, he stood up and offered her his seat. We saw him motion to the bartender for her drink.
“Wow,” I remarked. “That’s pretty ballsy.”
“Renata is like that,” Delia replied. “The rest of us are more…refined. Well, the girls are anyhow.” She threw a look at Fin.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The girls I bring home are fine,” he answered with an innocent look on his face.
“For the half hour you use and abuse them,” Bianca interjected.
“First of all, it lasts longer than that,” Finley defended himself.
I finished off my first beer. Booty call talk made me uncomfortable, as I had a severe lack of experience in that department. Luckily the subject changed and we chatted for a while about the day’s show, what needed to be improved, and what went well. In my own opinion, it ran smoothly considering it was first day in a new town, but I understood why the criticism was necessary. Timing was everything and when one person slacked even sixty seconds, the whole show could be thrown off.
The guys and I talked more about our favorite superheroes while the girl gossiped about people in the bar. Delia seemed into a guy at the bar, but then shrugged and decided there was no one interesting. I had no real desire to pursue anyone there. Well, maybe Keegan, but that might be weird for everyone else. I didn’t want to push it too much. I tried to sneak a look at him every once in a while; I took it as a good sign that I’d catch him looking o
ver at me, too.
After the third round, I realized the hipsters and a few other people had left. I started when Brooklyn sat straight up in her chair. Bianca glanced at her and then set her beer down.
“I know that look. Something’s wrong,” she stated in a flat tone.
Brooklyn took one look at me, then around the room. “It might be nothing. I thought I heard…I don’t know. I couldn’t tell who it came from.”
“Why did you look at Lucy when you said that?” Keegan said. He sounded alarmed.
“No…no, it was nothing. It’s gone now. Maybe it was some drunk thought from one of those idiots in the corner,” she replied, motioning to the rednecks. She waved it off. “Probably thinking about those well-dressed ladies over there at their new table.”
Bianca looked over at the bar and smiled. “Guess we’ll see Renata later.”
Naturally, we all turned to look at the same time. Renata grinned at us, gave a little wave, and walked out with her cute new friend.
“She’s gonna—” Finley started.
“—go rock his world,” everyone but me finished for him.
Brooklyn groaned. “You say it, like, every time. Seriously.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t make it any less true. Her gift is just that good.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. This group, proof of many years together, made me hope I’d get the chance to jump in on their inside jokes and terrible puns.
Delia hopped up. “My turn for beers.”
Bianca, with a brief wink to Brooklyn, went to help Delia carry them back. I half expected Delia to blur to the bar, but remembered that would probably be a very bad idea out in public.
“This seat taken?” a male voice asked. I looked up, fully ready to say no to the perverted old men, but was surprised to see Gabriel standing above us. He motioned to Delia’s seat next to me.
“Well, Delia went to get—” I started, but he cut me off by sitting down in her chair anyways, “—beers for everyone. But sure, you can have her seat. I’m sure she won’t mind,” I finished.
My sarcasm either went over Gabriel’s head or he chose to ignore it. He set a half-full beer and a pack of smokes on the table.
“How’s everybody tonight?” he asked in a southern drawl. I tried to ignore his blue eyes staring at me over his cupped hands as he took a cigarette out of its box and lit it.
“Fine, man. Enjoying your first days with us?” Keegan responded.
“Definitely. Still re-learning the ropes and all.”
Nikolas and Brooklyn sat back in their seats and lit their own cigarettes. Finley sat in an unusual silence, observing the dressed up girls by the music.
Though Gabriel appeared oblivious, there was clear animosity towards him. I wasn’t sure why they felt that way. Maybe because he had inserted himself into the situation without warning? While annoyed he grabbed Delia’s seat, I didn’t want him to feel unwelcome. After all, he and I were new together and I had been lucky enough to have a nice roommate with welcoming friends. Maybe he wanted the same thing.
“What’s your role around the grounds?” I asked.
“Right now, I’ve got the same responsibilities as you—helping everyone with props, cages, that sort of stuff. Sheffield wants us to get acclimated, so I’m for whoever needs the extra hand. I helped my Uncle Rick with some of the machinery today.”
“I barely remember you from before,” Brooklyn admitted. “Weren’t you a teenager when your family left?”
“Yeah. My mom didn’t want to travel with circuses anymore. So we left, had a normal life for two or three years. When I turned 18, I went back to a nomad. Here I am,” Gabriel replied.
There was a brief silence. I snuck a peek at Brooklyn; she looked as though she was trying to read Gabriel.
Finley eyed him. “Are you gifted?”
“I don’t really use it,” Gabriel stated flatly. It was unmistakable that was the end of the discussion.
I gave a curious look to Brooklyn, hoping she got a read from him, but she gave a half shrug. Clearly, he did not want to risk any chance of revelation. If he knew about Brooklyn’s gift, he knew how to ward her curiosity off.
Delia and Bianca came back with our beverages. They both looked quite surprised to see Gabriel at our table, but Delia slid into Renata’s empty seat without a beat. Bianca gave me a “told you” look that was clearly directed at Gabriel’s sitting next to me.
“Here you are, friends,” Bianca said, passing the drinks around to us. “Hi, Gabriel. I’m Bianca, we met earlier.”
“I remember. You’ve got Henry, right?”
She smiled, obviously pleased he knew. “Yes.”
“So what brings you to our show, Gabriel?” Keegan asked.
He shrugged. “I’ve kind of been floating from one place to the next. A different job in lots of cities and lately money’s been tight. Called my uncle up, asked if Sheffield had a gig for me. Lucky enough, he did.”
“That is lucky,” Bianca said. “Have you been in other shows?”
“No, just this one years ago. Between then and now, I did odd jobs. Manual labor, waiting tables, bartending, that sort of thing,” he responded.
“Actual real world experience,” Finley drawled. He took a long gulp of beer, his eyes everywhere but at the table.
“What about you, Lucy?” Gabriel gave me a sideways look. “Heard you were a family friend of Sheffield’s.”
“That’s true,” I answered. I wouldn’t lie; it would only make me look like I had something to hide. I paused there and Gabriel raised an eyebrow as though waiting for me to continue. I sighed.
“My father and Sheffield are—were—very good friends. We were in the Donovan Circus from the time I was born until I was almost a teenager. We moved away, did the human thing for a while. Time went by, my folks both passed away, so I took Sheffield up on an offer,” I explained.
“Wait ‘til you see Lucy’s firepower in action. She deserves to be here,” Keegan said. He gave me an encouraging wink. I blushed; I could already feel my crush on him grow bigger.
Gabriel turned his whole body to face me. “Oh yeah? You a talented Firestarter?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I said.
“Do not mind her modesty. She is unbelievably good,” Delia added.
He put his cigarette out and sat back in his chair. “How so?”
“She can harness fire that isn’t her creation,” Bianca jumped in.
“And send out a heat wave so big it knocks your ass over,” Finley said. He looked over at my face and grinned. “Don’t look so embarrassed, Lucy. We can brag on me or Brooklyn next if it makes you feel better.”
“Was that fireball dance in the sky last night your doing?”
I nodded, feeling the blush creep up in my cheeks.
“Pretty impressive for a girl,” Gabriel commented.
“What did that malaka just say?” Delia asked. A secret smile flitted through the group.
“You know. ‘Cause Firestarters aren’t normally female, right?”
“It’s not like they’re nonexistent. Just less of them,” I replied.
“I’ve never even heard of female Firestarters, honestly,” Gabriel said.
“She’s definitely better than me,” Keegan said. I looked over at him; he gave me a shrug, like we all knew it was true. No one argued and I wondered if it was because they agreed.
“Well, what about you? I heard you’re the best one here,” Gabriel said, glancing at Nikolas, who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation.
Nikolas paused for a moment before he leaned forward. He took a sip of beer and looked at Gabriel. It definitely appeared as though Gabriel was baiting him. I did not approve.
“She’s a great Firestarter, for a girl or guy. I think we all have a lot to offer, regardless of what gift,” Nikolas finally responded. He took another sip from his bottle and kept his hard gaze on Gabriel, who raised an eyebrow. I found that to be a very diplomatic, mature answer
.
“For example,” he continued, “Brooklyn here is a Telepath. She keeps us updated with any potential threats.”
Jesus. Never mind that mature thing I just thought. This was about to get heated. I didn’t want to look at Brooklyn in case everyone else was looking at her too, but I snuck a peek anyways. All eyes were on her, but she only gave a weird half smile and finished off what I could only guess to be her fourth beer. If I were her, I would’ve fallen right out of my chair.
“Yeah. I do that. I get the machismo happening here. Don’t put me in the middle of it. Gabriel, I don’t read minds that don’t want to be invaded. Nikolas, Gabriel’s provoking you. Let’s not set anything on fire. Everyone grow up, drink your beers and go back to X-Men comics or whatever the hell you nerds love to bore me with, okay?”
Delia and Bianca laughed, while Finley and Keegan also cracked a smile. I had to admire Brooklyn’s tenacity, as well as agree with her. My palms slapped to the table as I stood up and spoke.
“C’mon, you know I’ve never been out like this before? You guys are in charge of showing me what it’s like to be back in circus life as an adult. Who wants another beer?”
Everyone ordered a beer and I moved through the tables to get to the bar line. In front of me were a few of the older drunk men. A couple of them looked at me, so I smiled in greeting to be nice. One gave me a normal (albeit drunken) smile back, while the other sort of leered at me. Creepy.
“Thought I’d join you up here,” Gabriel said from behind me. I jumped. What was he, a ninja?
I turned around to look up at him. “Why? You were doing so well with everyone at the table back there.”
“I didn’t imply anything but the truth.” He looked down at me and raised his eyebrow again. It was like Spock how often he did it. I bit back a laugh at that last thought because of how nerdy I sounded.
“You agree with me?” he said. Damn, he had caught that.
“No. I was comparing you to a Star Trek character.”
“Wow. You are a nerd.”
“But now that I think of it, you were being a jerk.”
