Tangled Up

▪️6▪️

John was a character. He wasn't a bad person, obviously, but there were things he did that made me wary. Like, he'd take pictures of everyone when they weren't doing anything or when they were setting up.

It scared me. What if this whole nice guy thing was a hoax and he just wanted to make us look bad?

The idea of him doing that made me ask people to always be doing something. For example, when the acrobats were taking a break, he would take pictures of them talking and laughing, so I asked Scotty to do that backbend thing for John, but he didn't take a picture of it. He did seem impressed but that wasn't the point of why I wanted him to do it.

I found myself following him and Craig to study him more. They went to Luke and Brock as Luke was sharpening the blades of his knives. Brock was talking to them but stopped when we walked in.

"This is Luke and Brock." Craig motioned to them. The two stood up straight and examined the normal. "I'm sure you two remember John."

They nodded and John waved. "Is now a bad time to ask you two questions?" He asked.

They looked at each other and seemed to talk to one another with just their eyes. They then turned back to John. "Only a few because I need to finish sharpening my knives." Luke said as he grabbed the chair he was once sitting in and spun it around only to sit in it backwards. Brock rested himself on a desk and swung his legs back and forth.

John asked them a decent amount of questions and wrote down all their answers. Most were about how they found the circus, why they stayed, and if they enjoy it. Simple things. Then, out of nowhere he asks, "How often do people not like your shows?"

"What do you mean?" Craig butted in.

"Like has anyone every booed or anything?" John asked.

Luke nodded automatically as he stood up, "Yeah, but it's not because they didn't like the show."

He put his chair back where it originally was and John got confused. "Why would they-"

"Because we're abnormals." Brock simply states as he jumped off the desk and went to the mirror to fix his suit.

John was still super confused. "Why does that matter?" He asked, getting upset, "If you put on a great show, why does it matter if you're a little different?"

"We preform." Luke said, not even turning around, "Imagine if we didn't, but we're still treated like that; getting booed for even living."

I knew how Luke felt. Most of the others could easily hide their features, but Luke couldn't. My eyes weren't as intense, but I still knew the feeling he held. I went to him and hugged him, rubbing his shoulders with my hands and rested my chin on his head. I could tell he appreciated the gesture, but he didn't let it distract him.

"Thats wrong!" John whined.

"It is." I said as I pulled away from Luke, "But we're used to it."

I looked at him and he looked at me with hurt and wonder. After what felt like a few minutes of him looking at me, he turns to the others and say, "I'm sorry for asking the question."

Brock shot his head to him and glanced at Craig. He nodded and Brock says, "It's okay. Really."

John turned completely to him and said, "It's not. It was just...you two seemed so happy about the circus and passionate to make people enjoy the show and I wondered if anyone didn't and to know that people boo you just because you're not like them just...upsets me."

"Why would it upset you?" Luke asked.

John turned to him and said, "Because I'm a normal." He stopped for a second, thinking and started again, "You know how there are some abnormals who are rude to all normals because most don't like them, so they feel like they have to give them a reason?"