Our Heart - The Greatest Showman {Book 2 of "One Heart"}

Chapter 11

The Next Day 

Phillip's Pov 

We stayed at the Barnum's house that night before heading back to the circus the next morning. Helen and Caroline insisted that I was to come along, telling me that they had to teach me all the new routines. Lizzy watched from afar in the carriage, she was still a bit distant but that was to be expected I guess. She's just trying to get her head around it all. But even then, she seemed like she wasn't telling me something but when she's ready she would tell me. 

She caught me star..,looking at her and smiled. The light returning to her face, sparkling in her eyes. The girls had already had majority of the strawberries that Charity had packed for us, and there was only one left. 

Lizzy laughed. "You can have it". 

"No I've already had a few today".

"Honestly, i'm not hungry".

"Come on," I smiled as they girls were too busy obsessing about the circus to notice us talking. "This might very well be the best strawberry in the whole world. And you wouldn't know because you don't want to eat it." 

She shook her head, laughing a bit before eating the strawberry. "You were right." She said in between her giggling. 

The carriage pulled up at the docks not long after and we all walked towards the circus tent which stood out prominently against the water. It had changed a bit, seemed to have some extensions both vertically and horizontally. 

I pushed the flap back allowing Helen and Caroline to speed in front of us, causing a riot as they ran towards Lettie, W.D, Anne and I think her name was Ailsa? Lizzy ducked in next as everyone cheered that she was back. But I didn't know she left? Would have to ask her about that later on. 

I followed behind Lizzy, everyone fussing over Lizzy and the girls that they didn't even look up. 

I cleared my throat, "Gee, I thought I would of gotten a bit more of a welcome back." I joked as everyone looked up and looked at Lizzy then me again then Lizzy before cheering once more. I lost Lizzy in a sea of people as several people came up and welcomed us back. 

Once all the chatter and laughter had died down, I spoke up. "Well? What are we all waiting for? We have a show to prepare for!" Everyone cheered once more before heading off to work on tonight's performance. Lizzy went off with the girls as they all began to practise, but I didn't see Lizzy even go close to a trapeze or a tightrope, which is really unlike her. Usually, that's the first place(s) she goes to when we arrive. 

Anne walked up to me and began running me through the notes of the show. There had been many new songs added and with those new routines, but Anne informed me that the "ringmaster", which everyone had labelled Barnum and myself, was only in three of those. Apparently, everyone had been working on new acts as well, redesigning their old ones so they were new and contemporary. 

"I'm not even going to ask where you went, but it is good that you're back" Anne stated out of the blue. "She wasn't coping well." 

"How so?" I couldn't help myself to ask, maybe this might help me understand what she is hiding? 

"She looked for you for two weeks out in the forest before giving up, then we didn't see her come out of the house for a solid two months. She didn't show up here, not at the bar. Anywhere. Then we saw her once halfway through the third month, she came here and quit. Actually quit. " Anne explained. 

Two weeks? Out looking. 

Two months alone?

Quitting the circus? 

It explains a little but it's not what I think is bothering her. 

"I saw her I think maybe a week ago when i was at Barnum's, she was having a panic attack. And I believe she came briefly to the engagement part," Anne began. 

"Wait, whose engagement?" I asked, 

"Oh' yeah sorry. W.D and Ailsa are getting married next week."

I looked up to see Ailsa talking to Lizzy, Ailsa seemed really happy about what they were talking about but Lizzy looked pale and ghostly. All the colour, all the life, had seemed to been drained from her face, yet her smile remained etched. She pinched her cheeks quickly to bring the colour back but I could still see in her eyes that she wasn't okay.

I saw Lizzy excuse herself and make her way towards her dressing room, quickly. I told Anne I would be back as I didn't let me gaze break away from Lizzy. Something was bothering her, and Ailsa had, unintentionally, brought it up it would seem. 

And I was determined to find out what was happening because none of this made any sense. 

A/N (Please read :D )

1) I am in the process of making an Instagram account to link to here. I will let you know when it is up and running, but just giving you the heads up. It will have things like Polls, samples of writing, drawing/sketching/art and all that Jazz :D 

2) I am currently making a playlist for this book, so if anybody had any requests for songs let me know. The playlist may have some cross overs to the one in the first book, but most songs will be new, so to speak. 

3) What do you think Ailsa said to Lizzy? (If you guess correctly, I will tag you in the next chapter so good luck :D ) 

Until next time. 

Love, Maya.