The Cirque Read Online Free Page A

back against the window and he had his earbuds in. I didn’t know if he was asleep, or just trying to ignore me, but the effect was the same. It was clear I barely made his radar, yet I was always tuned in to where he was, what he was doing. With his eyes still closed, he stretched his legs out across the aisle, forcing his feet over toward mine, blocking me in my seat. I rolled my eyes and turned to Sasha, hoping a conversation would distract me.
    I learned how Sasha came to be in a traveling circus. She had what she called wanderlust – the inclination to travel. She was twenty-two, which surprised me. She seemed closer to my age. She filled me in on the background of some of the performers. She said a lot of them were running from something in their lives. Trixie, a belly dancer, had left an abusive husband behind in Kansas City. Others had skipped town to avoid debt collectors or old criminal charges. The idea of selling everything you owned and having no address appealed to people with baggage, she said. I was most curious about Gabriel, but she conveniently left him out.
    “We’re just a bunch of gypsies. And now you’re one of us.” She patted the top of my hand and smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes.
    ***
      When we arrived in Toronto all the semis were parked and unloaded, the big top was pulled taut toward the sky and Sasha and I moved into our trailer. I thought about my spacious apartment as I took in the two twin beds, two dressers…. There wasn’t much room for anything else. I couldn’t imagine living in the tiny trailer for three whole months, but I pushed that from my mind. I was here to explore, to try something entirely different. And so far, this was as different from ballet school as I could get.
    The following day we were to have a dress rehearsal. I headed to the cafeteria for breakfast with Sasha, where I learned we were encouraged to actually eat breakfast. But old habits die hard and I opted for my usual breakfast of plain non-fat yogurt though I was tempted to take a banana. The only person pickier than me seemed to be Gabriel. I’d yet to actually see him eat any food. He sat off by himself, and picked at a bagel with long, graceful fingers, as if he were lost in his thoughts. He downed cups of coffee and flipped through a tattered book. Not that I spent much time noticing, but if he were going to be throwing sharp weapons at me I preferred to have him properly fueled and alert.
    After breakfast, still dressed in the pair of shorts and the tank top I’d slept in, I ventured into the gym. It was alive with energy. Performers were perfecting their acts, trying new moves and pushing themselves farther. I sank down to the floor in the corner of the room to watch. Hearing the trainers call out instructions to the flyers on the trapeze reminded me of my own trainers in ballet school. My days were starting to feel empty without the structure of dance and the endless practices. Yes. Watching the performers sparked a wanting in me.
    When I looked up I saw Gabriel walking past the open doors of the gym. I hurried out after him. “Hey,” I called to his back.
    He turned.
    I hurried to catch up to where he stood, jogging the last few paces while he watched me. “Are we practicing today?”
    He shrugged, looked me over. I suddenly felt exposed in my tank top and tiny pink shorts. “Do you really want to practice with me? I can tell you’re not a fan of our act.”
    “Yes, I really want to practice.”
    He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking over my request. “Alright. I’m free now if that works.”
    “That’s fine.”
    He turned to lead the way, then stopped suddenly and turned to me. “Don’t you need to change first?”
    I looked down at myself, then back up at him. His eyes lingered on my legs, slowly working his way up my body and ending with his eyes on mine. I hoped he was distracted by my appearance, but on the other hand, I needed his complete focused attention on the