When Alaska Met Jerome

Circus Mysteries

I was totally absorbed in the movement of the snake and how the lady, Lyla, moved in relation to it when a buzz came from my jeans pocket:
Me^2
Where ya at babes?

"Who's Me squared?" Jerome's voice questioned near my ear.

"You remember that insufferable twin I told you about?" His smiling nod indicated that he remembered. "Well, she's just wondering where I am and such. She probably wants to yell at me some more or something."

"You're welcome to hide out with me for the rest of the circus if you'd like? I bet we can find something to do."

"I'm good just watching this performance, but I better try out the other acts or I'll regret it."

"Why would you regret it? If you're enjoying something why leave?" The curiosity in his eyes was intriguing, everything about this boy was a mystery.

"Well, if I don't try the other attractions then I won't have the complete circus experience, and I'd like to have a complete first circus," I said in all seriousness, which caused him to let out a gruff chuckle.

"We wouldn't want it to be incomplete I suppose." He tapped his chin, as if deep in thought before suddenly jumping and grabbing my wrist saying, "I know exactly where to go!" And just like that we were off again.

•*•*•*•

"Oh piss!" I looked down at my phone and noticed that I had multiple missed texts and two missed calls from Potter. The most recent of these texts along the lines of 'It is almost midnight where the hell are you?!?' Reading that text I noticed it was well past midnight. I had spent hours with this boy learning about him and his life at the circus, and he had spent just as long listening to my life story.

"I take it your sister is a bit upset with you?" Jerome's eyebrows were slightly raised and he was just concealing a smirk.

"You could say that. Look, I've gotta go or I'm going to be toast, but I really want to see you again." The words came out before I even thought. I had just assumed that he wanted to hang out again, and I in turn assumed he actually enjoyed today. Before I had time go back track though he was already speaking.

"I would like to see you again as well. I'd ask for your number but I don't have a phone..." he trailed off a bit at the end and I realized he was waiting for an idea.

"Well, if it's not to much maybe you'd like to have coffee? With me?" The awkwardness of the situation was nearly too much for me, but he seemed at ease, so I copied his cool composure.

"Sure, there's a coffee house just down the street we can meet at. I'm free tomorrow at around eleven?" I nodded my acceptance of the time and then quickly said goodbye to the red headed wonder that was Jerome Valeska.

•*•*•*•

"Where the hell have you been?" Potter's voice reaches my ears and I cringed at the anger in her words.

"The circus?" I phrased my answer like a question, but she didn't laugh like I had hoped.

"The circus, nah dip Sherlock. Why'd you leave me alone the entire time? I ended up having to call-" she cut herself off before supplying a name.

"Call who Potter Tot? It wouldn't be the mysterious coffee shop boy would it?" I gave her a little shove which she returned, and pretty soon we were in a shoving match the whole way home.

•*•*•*•

"Okay, in all seriousness Laskie, where were you?" My twin was staring at me like a predator sizing up prey. "I shouldn't be expecting a niece or nephew anytime soon should I?"

"No, I don't even have a boyfriend Potter, much less someone to partake in extracurricular activities like that." I scoffed a little at the thought, but my brain decided to direct its thoughts to Jerome.

"Oh my gosh, you're thinking of somebody aren't you!" She jumped out of her chair and lunged at me, attacking me with tickles. "Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"Nobody, just some guy I met at the circus. We hung out for a bit and talked. That's all, nothing else happened." She ceased tickling me, which allowed me to attack her. "Now, you tell me who coffee shop guy is. Immediately!"

"Okay, okay fine. We met two days ago and he's really cute. He's actually an engineer, I think the two of you would really get along." I released her after I was satisfied with the information and assumed a normal sitting position.

"I'm not gonna get a name am I?"

"Am I going to get your circus mystery's name?"

"Nope."

"Then there's your answer."

"Fair enough, now go to bed you're never gonna get up in time to meet Mr. Coffee." I gave a wiggle of my brows to tease her, which she returned with a solid punch to the shoulder.

"Whatever, just don't drool while your having dreams of Circus Mysteries." She walked away chuckling darkly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I pondered her wording before deciding she had probably meant something dirty by it, and with that I decided to leave her alone.

•*•*•*•

"So, Mr. Valeska, hows your coffee?" I stared intently at the eighteen year old ginger that was sipping on a straight black coffee.

"It's great, how's your sugar rush?" He pointed at my overly creamed up coffee with maybe just a tad too much sugar for a normal person.

I took a nice long sip before letting out an overly exaggerated sigh. "You know, it's absolutely wonderful, thank you for asking. Now, let's focus on your clear issues." I folded my hands on the table and put a blank expression on my face.

"Wh-what do you mean?" He got a little jittery which confused me, seeing as I was only joking.

"Only someone that is severely whacked can drink black coffee. I'm sorry but we're gonna have to get you looked at." I let a smile break through on my face, which sparked his slightly abnormal -but adorable- laughter.

"I could say the same about you. I mean, it's obvious isn't it, only someone that's completely jumbled up would intentionally ingest that much sugar into their body." He gave me a serious look, like he was actually concerned about my physical and mental health, before being taken by the laughter again. About five minutes later we had to be asked to leave due to the ruckus we were causing, this only spurred us on more once we were out the door.

•*•*•*•