The Will To

N I N E (officer dan parks, traveling circus pd)

A semi-circle had formed by the time I arrived. Nudging a guy with force, I squeezed between him and another person to break through. A heap of chocolate hair pooled on the floor, the curves of the waves catching light. The woman laid stomach down with her body heaving beside a small stool and what appeared to be her heels. I crouched down and leaned forwards, expecting to see a tear-soaked face.

She lifted her chin and a laugh spilled free, the sound jarring. Lifting herself with her hands, the woman made it to her knees and continued to laugh crazily. I'd seen her fall. She should be upset.

Still crouched, I glanced over my shoulder. Rey had broken through the semi-circle and was eyeing the woman just as curiously.

Cheers erupted all around me when the woman stumbled to her feet. I stood slowly to mine and turned to a guy with hair so full of product, I feared the scathing fluorescent lights might catch it on fire.

"What happened to her?"

He took a sip of beer and said, not losing contact with the woman, "She's doing the chair challenge."

"The what?"

He flicked his gaze to me quickly and explained, "The chair challenge. You know? It's everywhere—how do you not know?—" He nodded towards her. "Here, watch. See if she can actually do it without falling over this time. Girls are supposed to be the ones that have it easy."

The woman walked towards the wall and sealed her body against it. She was still laughing, and after another round of cheers, she took two wobbly steps backward in her bare feet. She slowly hinged forwards until the top of her head connected with the wall, forming her body into a perfect ninety degree angle. Someone from the circle slid the stool underneath her, and she slowly lifted it to her chest using both arms.

A guy behind me made a comment about her perky rear end and I slammed my pointy heel onto his foot. He erupted in a slew of curse words indicating pain.

"Sorry," I mouthed unapologetically with a shrug and returned my sights to the woman.

She was now standing upright with the stool still clutched to her chest, and the circle crackled with energetic hollers.

"I don't get it," I said to the guy.

He pointed forward. "Watch him do it."

A guy stepped up to bat, repeating the same series of movements as the woman. Except when it came to lifting the stool; he staggered off balance when he stood upright. Multiple attempts later and he was still unable to stand with the stool.

"You women have a special center of gravity, I guess," the guy remarked, and though he didn't, I felt his gross imaginary wink. "Even when you're completely trashed."

I sighed, having realized the last five minutes had been a waste of time. The woman wasn't being taken advantage of. She was just doing a dumb challenge. I pushed through the same two guys and exited the semi-circle.

"Tired of the fun already?"

I didn't respond to Rey, suddenly feeling a burning desire to be left alone, even more than usual.

"Where you going?"

"I'm leaving the BTP!" I called, coming to an abrupt halt to avoid colliding with a guy who shot into my path. I edged around him and pulled the front door open, stepping into the crisp air.

"Oh, you didn't know. You can leave the BTP, but the BTP never leaves you!" Rey exclaimed from behind me.

I lifted my hand to dismiss his comment and skidded down the porch stairs as best I could in heels. The night was cold. It felt good, like my bare arms and legs were soothed from the sticky, hot room they'd been suffering. Typically, I'd have stayed inside and continued surveying for any other concerning behavior, but my lungs needed air.