Hood - Runaway 2 Circus

Night

I look at Jill. I hear the door close behind Hood and Julian. I get fidgety. My finger taps my side. My eyes dart between Jill and the closed door.
"Yeah. I'll walk you to your cart." I say.

The circus lights were behind us. The moon was low in the sky. The night had just begun. Me and Jill were holding hands, she was swinging them back and forth. "You know. Your really lucky to have me. With your background and all." She gives me a sideways glance.
Any other time I would've put down my pride and agreed. But I felt different tonight.
"Did you hear me?" She said, annoyed.
"Yeah." I mumble.
She stops walking. I did too.
"What's wrong?" She asked me.
I shrug. "Headache."
She comes up to me and kisses my forehead.
"A kiss from an angel will do you good." Jill said.
We continued walking.
She breaks the silence.
"That Hood girl is creepy. Don't you think?" She said.
I nod.
"I hope she doesn't join us for breakfast." Jill said.
"Why?" I ask.
"Well.... I don't like her Luke. She seems like she brings trouble." Jill says.
I looked into her eyes. I could tell that she was worried. I wrap my arm around her and whisper into her ear. "I'll protect you Jill."

I walked to my cart after dropping off Jill. I stepped up the first metal step and saw light flooding out from Leona Dares cart. Leona was the one who would walk and do tricks on the tightrope. She always wears her brown hair up in a long ponytail. And she's especially good at makeup. I walk up to my door on my cart, our cart doors were across from each other, only a coupling that connects the train cars separates our doors, but that's easily jumpable.
"Howdy Luke. Quite a show you put on today." She said. She was sitting at her vanity looking at the mirror while brushing her hair that was still in a ponytail.
I wasn't sure if she was talking about my performance on stage or about what I said to Hood.
"Thanks." I say.
"The Hood girl is atypical isn't she. Or should I say odd, or queer." Leona said while delicately brushing her long hair. She still wasn't facing me.
"She's different all right." I say, not wanting to call her a freak again.
"Did you see her shoes?" Leona asks.
This question confused me. Shoes? Why was she asking me about shoes? She didn't wait for my answer.
"It was black hickory leather. It's expensive. Like half our paycheck expensive." Leona continued.
I listened. Suddenly feeling cold by the night air. Leona was smart. All the circus members knew to listen to her.
She gestured with her hairbrush at her right wall. It was filled with fashion magazines and posters, clothing and makeup, purses and shoes.
"You know I'm into fashion. I know rich fashions when I see it.
Hood is a rich girl. She doesn't belong at the circus." She said.
My throat went dry. I remembered seeing her earlier, half starved. Rich? She couldn't be?
But Leona said so herself and it seemed sensible.
But dose that mean she doesn't belong?
I laugh to myself. "Leona. Not to be mean, but the circus is for people who don't belong isn't it? Isn't that why I'm here? Why your here?" I say.
I knew that struck her like a stone. She slowly set her hairbrush down. "Indeed." She said.
With that I turned to my cart and went inside.
My cart wasn't the biggest. Especially for someone with as much muscle and handsomeness as me, but I made it work. It had a bed, a wall of dumbbells, weights, and objects for my show. I had a closet with my clothes and chest with my belongings. It wasn't a lot. But I liked this life. The bathrooms were in the main circus tent. I grab my things and shower then go back to my cart to sleep. I lay in my bed. The events of the day spin in my mind.
Then I turn my lamp off.
Darkness falls upon the room. And soon, I was dreaming.

——————
It was night.
I was at the store getting food for me and my parents. It was a usual thing I do. I grabbed a loaf of bread when I saw a guy run down the isle. He was wearing a ski mask and all grey. Looks like he didn't have anything black in his wardrobe. He ran next to an elderly women and snatched her purse. The women screamed. The force from the guy caused her to fall over. I started running for the guy. He turned into another isle. I caught up to him and tackled him but he hit his head on something sharp. I saw me picking up the purse, thinking the guy was knocked out. And raising it in pride.
Then the click from a gun.
"Put your hands were we can see them!" A voice barks.
I drop the purse and put my hands in the air.
"Now turn slowly!" The man said.
I turn slowly and horror washes over me.
There was blood pooling from the guy on the ground.
And two officers with guns pointing at me.
What have I done!?

The floor starts melting beneath my feet and I fall into darkness.
The darkness goes away and I'm sitting in a chair at a table. A officer comes into the small blank room through a door.
"I know you didn't mean to kill him. But death was to big a price for a purse.
Your going to have to be separated from society. Or monitored.
Your choices, jail, army, or close monitoring." The officer said.
I take a moment to think.
"What about the circus?" I say.

••Hood••

"Your bed." Julian pulls a tarp away, revealing a pile of ropes. We were in his training room. It was filled with props and crates and these ropes were behind a curtain in the back of this room.
He continues talking. "But first. Take off your hood." He says.
"I have permission to not do that." I say.
"He said you had to give ALL of us a good enough reason. Your act, isn't good enough for me."