Walking A Tightrope (Greatest Showman fanfiction)

Chapter Three--Old Dreams, New Perspective

A couple of days later, Phylis jumped and pranced around her room. Gymnastics had always been one of her many hobbies. She flipped in the air doing an aerial walkover. She loved gymnastics. It took away the stress of her life and right now, she was really stressed. This seemed to be the best way for her to express herself. It was why she thought she would be perfect to be a part of her Dad's circus.

She was so busy prancing that she didn't even notice that the girl's cheers were getting louder. She imagined herself on a big stage performing her solo. She threw her ribbon in the air then did a tuck jump and caught it with her hand. Right as the girls were finishing their round of applause, their father came into the room.

"What's going on in here?" he asked laughing. He was wearing his father's old top hat and looked like he was up to something too.

"Phylis is showing us gymnastics tricks," Helen cheered. Phineas grinned proud of his daughter.

"Well, that's great. Caroline. Helen. I believe your mother needs help cleaning up," he announced to the girls. Both girls groaned.

"But Daddy! Can't we stay and watch a little bit longer?" Caroline complained.

"And why doesn't she have to help?" Helen moaned.

"That's quite enough, girls. I need to talk to your sister alone so can you please go help her?" he asked. All three girls knew that when their parents had to just speak to another child, it was a serious matter so Phylis put her wand down and sat down on the bed with her Dad beside her. "I see you're back to your old roots, my little gymnast."

Phyllis rolled her eyes slightly. She hated it when he called her that but it had always been a pet nickname so she just got used to it. Besides, she loved that her father thought of her as amazing. That's all she ever wanted from him.

"What makes you think I ever stopped?" she questioned suspiciously. Phineas laughed at her reaction. This was going to be easier than he thought........He handed her her jacket as she placed it on confused.

"How would you like to go do some business with me today, huh?" he questioned. Phylis raised an eyebrow confused. She didn't say anything though. If she knew anything about her father, it was that he loved keeping secrets. He was the best with surprises. He always had been and the girls in his life were always willing to see what he had in store.

After finding out her father had indeed taken her words to heart, Phylis got in the carriage with Phineas and they were off. When the two began their mission, Charity and the younger girls pressured them to tell them all about it. Phylis looked out the window spotting an unfamiliar house. The carriage stopped and Phineas put an arm around his daughter seeing she was shaking. Once they arrived at the door, Phylis tried to calm down the best she could. An annoyed-looking woman opened the door confused.

"You must be Gertrude Stratton. We're looking for your son," Phineas informed her with a smile. The women looked confused.

"I don't have a son," she attempted to lie but both could see right through it.

"Well, the hospital records say you do. Charles, age twenty-one. Is he yours?' he asked.

"Um......yeah," she answered. "What do you two want?"

After hearing about making him a star, Gertrude took the two to a bedroom. A second later, a small-looking adult came out the door. The two sweetly went over to him shaking his hand.

"P.T. Barnum, at your service. This is my daughter Phylis," he introduced. Phylis gave him a wave before leaning down to shake his hand. He shook it back. The older Barnum bent down to him, his daughter looking down at him still grinning. "We're putting together a show and we need a star."

"You want people to see me on stage just so they can laugh at me?" he wondered.

"Well, you shouldn't be too quick to judge, kid. They'll laugh regardless." Charles headed back into his room as Phylis shoved her father slightly. He sighed realizing he had said the wrong thing and allowed his daughter to step forward.

"Look, dude. We're not here to scare you. People up there will love you. And guess what? No one in their right mind would laugh at someone like you in our circus. We won't allow it," she admitted through the door as he moved the door open a smidge.

Phineas almost felt like crying. It was at that moment he realized that he couldn't have picked a better person to help him.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked the man standing in front of him.

"I was thinking maybe an army horse. You could be the real-life version of Tom Thumb. That's what people want to see," he answered back as Tom frowned thinking for a second. A second later, he grinned and shook their hand again.

The two smiled at each other and went back to the carriage waiting to go back home to tell the others about their success. They were both nervous but if their reactions said anything, they had three girls by their sides no matter what.

That night, when the younger girls had gone to bed, Phylis and her father stayed up making posters while Charity made the two some tea and helped in any way possible. Using a ruler and a pack of colored pencils they found around the house, the two spent hours doing art. They worked so hard that most nights, Charity would have to force them to go to bed because she was getting tired. A few days later though, Caroline and Helen came up with a resolution they couldn't help but accept.

With all four Barnums doing the work together, the job seemed to be getting done faster. Not only did it cause the girls to spend more time with their Dad but it caused Phineas to actually be able to get four times as much work done. He had even gotten Phylis to be one of the first people he advertised for his circus. 'The glamorous gymnast.' As corny as she thought it sounded, she just shrugged it off. Besides, she was finally getting her wish. Her happiness was ruined though by a man playing cards nearby.

"Are you guys looking for freaks?"

"Not---" she began to correct.

"Do you want my help or not?" the man snapped. She nodded, deciding not to say anything more about the matter. "Great because I happen to know where you can find one of them."

"Really? Where?" her father asked.

Before they knew it, they were at the laundromat. They seemed to not be more lucky. The second they arrived, they overheard this gorgeous voice from inside. Ushering his daughters inside, Phineas went inside following the voice. Phylis stood in the back with her younger sisters, an arm around each. Despite the pleas from the employees, he still followed the voice. He didn't know what she was singing or even who she was, but one thing was for sure, she sounded gorgeous.

"Who's doing the singing?" he asked, pushing past everyone. It was then that a lightbulb went off in his head. He went towards a nearby curtain. "It's you, isn't it?" he asked the person behind it.

"Sir. You're not--" she started.

"You are so talented, blessed, and-" Phineas continued, throwing the curtain open to reveal that the woman had a beard. He stared at her in amazement. "........ extortionary. I would even say beautiful." Phylis shoved her father slightly as the people around them laughed at the last word.

"Sir. Just do me a favor and leave me alone," she pleaded quietly. Helen handed her a flier grabbing onto her hand for a second. She glanced down at the paper in her hand. A conflicted look crossed her face.

"You are amazing. They don't know it yet but they will," he whispered to her. After a second to think, she agreed, leaving Phineas with three acts.