Freaks and Fortune

Over the next two days, I only saw Ravi in passing. He rushed passed me three or four times, his face red and angry, preparing to shout at various people for a number of reasons. One time he scowled at me when I asked him how he did his hair. And he also scolded me twice for not properly putting away the cleaning equipment.

"How much do you wanna bet that I can fit through these bars?"

I looked up from my work to see Cal Orion, the Fire-Breather, wearing his leather jacket without a shirt underneath, coupled with a baggy pair of sweat pants. His hair was in his face. He blew it away with a puff of air aimed at his eyebrows.

"It's hot out," he commented, squinting up at the sun. "Seriously, do you think I could fit?"

I threw my shovel down with such force that, for a second, I imagined Ravi's angry face yelling, "How does a skinny girl like you break a shovel?". It only took me two long strides to reach the bars of the cage, and three seconds until I was right in Cal's face.

"Leave," I hissed acidly.
"Step back a bit, babe," he said, sticking his arm through the bars and waving his hand in front of my face. "Do you think it'll work if I turn sideways?"
"What you did the other day was rude and spiteful and immature."
"Don't forget annoying," he added. "I'm kind of skinny, but I don't know if all this muscle will fit through - Ouch!"

I reached out instinctively through the bars of the cage and slapped him solidly across the face. It was a natural response. I had never been treated so low.

Cal's hands dropped away from the bars of the cage so fast, you'd have thought I'd pumped ten thousand volts through them. He looked surprised at first, his mouth hanging open slightly and his fingertips brushing the red blotch on his cheek. Then, his golden brown eyes opened wide and he smiled unabashedly at me.

"You. Are. Awesome!" he squealed and hoisted himself up over the wall that divided the cage from the walkway.

He slipped effortlessly through the bars of the cage and ducked out of the way when I tried to hit him again. He was grinning hard against his chapped lips, and he kept dodging my attempted blows.

"Nobody's ever done that to me before!" he ranted. "You've got balls, babe!"
"Can't you take a hint?" I asked, clenching my hands into fists.
He shrugged. "Try being less subtle about it, I'm sort of a literal person."
"Then you should literally jump off a cliff," I growled, flying at him again.

He sidestepped me and reached out swiftly to grab both my hands. One of them was still balled into a fist. I looked down and saw that he was wearing a pair of odd biker gloves, leather and fingerless. Momentarily distracted by the strange choice of clothing (and in this heat!), I forgot to keep fighting. Cal must have mistaken this for a peace bargain, because he dropped my hands and stooped to pick up my shovel.

"What are you doing?" I asked hesitantly as he started to pile the dung into the wheelbarrow for me. Perplexed, I snatched the shovel out of his hands.

"What are you doing?" I asked again, my voice more demanding this time. I clutched the shovel protectively against my chest.
"I'm helping."
"Why?"
"Because I want something from you."
I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "And what's that?"

He took a deep breath. His cockiness had deflated, leaving him rather put out and desperate looking.

"Last weekend, I was supposed to go into town and scout out a new Kissing Booth Girl," he began. "And... I visited my sister in Dallas instead." He forced the words out quickly, looking at the center of my forehead instead of in my eyes.
"Your point?"
"I need... That is, we need..." His voice trailed off. "Nay!" he cried dramatically. "The entire Circus needs you!"
"You want me to be the new Kissing Booth Girl?"
"Yes!"
"No."

He winced.

"Are you sure? I mean, you could at least think it over and get back - "
"No."
"But I need to have found a new girl by Friday or Mr. Piccadilly - "
"No! It was your responsibility to find someone from town. You didn't. You used the money to go see your sister which, by the way, is a lame excuse."
"Excuse?" he demanded, defensive. "It's true."
"I don't like lairs. You probably don't even have a sister."
"Okay, okay. I bought a GameBoy."

For a moment, I felt sorry for him. He patted the pockets of his jacket and quickly located the large, purple GameBoy. He held it out to me in earnest, proving that he really wasn't lying. Sweat sluiced down his neck and slid over his exposed collarbone.

"C'mon. Try it out for a little while and if you don't like it - "
"Look, I'm sorry you screwed up." The tone of my voice let him know that there was a but coming. "But I actually don't have time for this. I have work to do."
"That's what I was trying to do before! I was going to - "
"Just leave," I advised. "If it makes you feel any better, its not you. I just don't really want to do it."

He scowled at me, all traces of confidence wiped away. "Please," he cried heatedly. "You're the only one - "
"I'm trying to be patient with you," I told him. "I've got a lot of work to do, so just - "
"But you're the only one - "
"Leave!" I warned, jabbing the end of my shovel at his ankles. He had to hop backwards quickly to avoid being seriously bruised.

"I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, hurt. "You didn't have to be so mean about it."

As he walked away, Cal half-heartedly kicked the old wheelbarrow. It shuddered but remained standing. I could see the clouds of dirt being kicked up by his shuffling feet long after he walked away.

I went back to my job, scowling and cursing Cal. I hoped that he wouldn't make these little visits part of his daily routine.

I'd seen the old Kissing Booth Girl before she ran off with the Strong Man's son. And she was gorgeous. Model gorgeous. She wasn't one of those dime-a-dozen bottle blonds with a spray tan and a giant bra.

She was this tall, slim, exotic beauty with caramel skin and thick, dark hair. Compared to her, I was a pale redhead with arms like sticks and eyes the color of the sky on a crappy day.

It was ridiculous! Ridiculous, ridiculous, ridiculous!

"What?"

My head snapped up. It was Ravi.

"Uh..." I stuttered.
"You were saying 'ridiculous,' over and over."
"Oh. I... No, that was nothing."

He reached out and hooked his first three fingers on the cross bar of the cage. He looked reluctant and nervous.

"Okay," he sighed, taking a deep breath. He was fiddling with the collar of his shirt. "Do you remember how I yelled at you yesterday?"
"Yes..." I said, suspicious.
"Well," he continued, rolling his eyes. "Sorry."

I nodded and continued on with the shovel. Ravi let go of the bar and sauntered off, clearing his throat and then clasping his hands behind his back. It was strange how he had acted... As if he were apologizing against his will.

I was loading off the latest wheelbarrow when I heard yelling. It upset one of the elephants and it trumpeted nervously. I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of the white-haired old man who I'd come to know as Mr. Hastin, Ravi's father.

"I already did, Father!" I heard.
Quiet murmering.
"Alright, alright!"

I dusted off my hands and started back towards the cages. As if by magic, the feeble old man appeared nimbly in the path, gently blocking my way. I was so surprised that I dropped the shovel in the dirt. Particles of dust floated around my ankles.

"Good afternoon," he greeted me charmingly, nodding. "My son has something he'd like to ask you."
Ravi stepped reluctantly in front of me, standing to the left of his father, who radiated a sort of power that made me want to be close to him, to have him on my side.

"Sorry," he said, flashing a fake smile. He then added under his breath, "Even though I already apologized..."
His father gently knocked his walking cane into the back of Ravi's legs. He sighed.

"Would you like to come meet the elephants?" he asked in a monotone voice, his eyes slanting off to the side.
"Uh..." I faltered.
"You are a nice young woman and..." Ravi continued on in the same bored voice. "And I'd really appreciate your company. Or, whatever."
I caught a glimpse of Mr. Hastin's broad smile and I felt inclined. "Sure?"

"Great," Ravi huffed. "Let's go."