Hood - Runaway 2 Circus

Girl Talk

The steam in the room felt thick. Blush burned my cheeks. Leona looked at me, waiting for an explanation. Vivian stood silently in the shower. Her clothes in my arms felt heavy with embarrassment. The water running was the only noise being made.

My mind was racing with what to say. I figured I would lie, I made a promise to Vivian after all. I concluded that I would tell her that I was looking at Vivian's shoes. I start to explain.
"It's not what it looks like Leona! I'm only in here so." I get cut off by Vivian's voice.
"So he could get something back from me! I borrowed something of his and I said I would only give it back if he dose this." She said.
I couldn't believe her words. Why would she say that? Why would she protect me? I don't move as I watch Leona move over to the sink with perfumes. She slides some perfumes to the side and sits on the counter. Leona crosses her arms over her chest.
"I'm ashamed of you Luke. You know Jill would be heart broken to here about what your doing. Anyways, you could've just told the Ringmaster. He would've gotten it back from Hood." She says. Then turns to the shower that Vivian was in.
"Now that I'm here. Where is the item you've stolen from Luke." She asked.
Leona grabbed one of her perfume bottles and wrapped her fingers around it.
Vivian spoke from behind the curtain. She sounded embarrassed.
"I-It's in the bag. To the left of the shower." She said.
Leona's eyes travel past me to look at Vivian's bag.
I shifted uncomfortably, still holding Vivian's clothing. Leona smiles. She looks me in the eyes.
"So. What did Hood steel Luke?" She asked.
I gulp. A idea quickly forms in my head.
"I'll show you." I say.
I walk over to the counter and set Vivian's clothes down. Then I go to her back pack. I feel like I was invading her personal space. I reach my hands on the zipper. I stop before unzipping and I look at the blurry shadow of Vivian.
"What pocket is it in?" I asked her.
I could here her shift in the shower. The water was still pounding the tile floor.
"The medium sized one, in the front." Vivian said.
I open up the pocket. There were a few things that wouldn't be believed as mine or things that wouldn't be important enough for me to be in the shower-room with Vivian, like a hairbrush or rope. But then a book caught my eye. I grabbed it and closed the bag. The cover was black and it had no title. I realized that this was a diary, not a book. My hand trembles as I hold it. Blush creeps across my cheek. The book weighed with importance and secrets. The sound of Leona putting her perfume down stopped my starring. Leona slides off the counter and slowly started pacing the room.
"This doesn't look good ya know. Let me just tell y'all how this seems to me.
I walk into the shower room late at night to git my perfume so the guys wouldn't mess with it in the mornin'. The first thing I see is Luke cuddling with a pile of clothes. His cheeks were red and he was hugging those clothes tight to his chest." She gets interrupted by Vivian's beautiful laugh.
Embarrassment washes over me at Leona's words. Why did she say that! Hoods laughter dies down. I hear her voice from behind the curtain.
"Were you really blushing? I thought you were to strong for feelings." She said.
My heart pounded in my chest. I don't answer. Leona continues her mild pacing.
"You were holding Hoods clothes, including her cape and next to you was a running shower with a girl inside." She continued.
I realized that she was just talking to me now as if Vivian wasn't in the room. Leona continues talking.
"With the way you were blushing and holding so tightly to her clothes, I immediately could tell that y'all were doing something romantic. I've never seen ya blush that much Luke, even though I've seen you and Jill make out quite often. That led me to believe that the two of ya were doing more than just making out. Now, I don't want to know what romances y'all were doing." Leona stopes pacing and looks at me.
"I'm about ready to tell Jill everything I just saw. I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. It's just. If something is going on. Jill needs to know." Leona says and sits back on top of the counter.
I didn't know what to do. She can't tell Jill that! That would ruin everything I worked for! My career, the only place I have, would be miserable!
"Don't tell her!" I say.
I hear Vivian gasp at my words.
Leona once again grabs her perfume.
"You admit that you we're doing something wrong." She says.
Vivian steps closer to the shower curtain. She turns the shower off.
"I already told you. Everything he did, was because I forced him too. I stole something from him because he was cute and I made him come here and do this. So don't say a word to Jill." She said.
My eyes widen in surprise. I didn't want her to take the blame, but at the same time I felt as if there was no other way without my reputation being ruined. Leona looks at me.
"Is this true?" She asks.
I was at a loss of words after everything that happened so I just nod. I see anger flare in Leona's eyes. She looks at the shower curtain.
"You got your book. So go back to your cart. Me and Hood need time to have some girl talk." She said.
I didn't want to leave Vivian. I liked being with her, and I still had questions, but I knew it would be best if I left. With her journal in hand I leave the shower-room and walk through the darkness to my train cart.