Double Life

1

Flashback:

Eliana looked in horror as she watched her best friend's parents fall. The Flying Grayson's falling in front of her eyes. Her heart stopped as she watched Dick's face as he stood on the tall platform of the trapeze. 

She pushed her way over to the platform where Dick had crumpled into a heap. Dick's emotions fought over domination. In the end shock and sadness won. Tears streamed down his face. 

Eliana pulled him into a hug. Dick clung to her as if she was her only lifeline. Eliana drew a shaky breath. Her own tears falling as well.

They climbed to the bottom. Eliana's trembling hands shaking as she climbed down the ladder.

As they reached the bottom. A man in a long trench coat came over to them. He knelt down beside Dick. 

"Hey, Kiddo." He said softly. His mustache covering his gruff voice. Dick trembled as he wiped his tearstained face.

Eliana felt a sharp tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Jimmy the Clown with another officer. 

"Come on. There is some bad news." Jimmy said. His usual funny demur lost, now replaced with a sad sullen look. She looked over at Dick who was talking to the police officer. Their eyes locked, and Dick gave her a small nod.

She followed Jimmy out of the main tent to the grassy field of the circus. "What's going on?" Eliana asked. Jimmy looked at the ground with a sad sigh, "Haly's circus might have to close down." Jimmy said as took off his squeaky red nose.

Eliana felt as though her whole world had come down. she had lived and traveled with Haly's circus her whole life. From an abandoned baby, to training in acrobatics with Ragdoll and Mary. It was her life. But where would she go now?

"What about me?" Eliana whispered. "You will have to have a foster family, El" Jimmy says softly. "When will I have to leave?" El asks, her voice straining. "We will take you to childcare services soon." Jimmy replies. "So, you might want to pack."

El closed her eyes. She was having to leave so soon. The thought made her head spin.

"Hey, it's ok."  A tear slipped from her eye. No, it wasn't. It wasn't ok at all. "I'm going to go pack." she whispers. As she walked back to the main tent, she plastered on a fake reassuring smile. Dick ran up to her. His eyes red and puffy.

"I have to go live with someone else." He murmurs. El's smile sagged. "Me too." She looks down, only then realizing that Dick is holding his duffel bag with his stuff in it.

El's heart hurt a little seeing how quickly it took Dick to move on. Dick pulled El into a hug. "I'll come visit you. I promise." He said quietly. El hugs him back, "You better idiot."

El watches as Dick follows a man in a suit to a fancy looking car. He turns around to wave at her. She watches as the car drives away.

"Bye"

That was the last time Eliana ever saw her best friend again.