The Circus isn't a Love Story (COMPLETED)

Chapter 2

"How long does traveling usually take?" Roman asked after two days stuck in a caravan with his brother.

"Oh, it depends." Eric said from a beam in the caravan he had somehow perched upon.

"Depends on what?"

"Where we are in the country, our next destination, the distance between the two towns, the weather-"

"He doesn't need a whole essay on it, Sparks." Remus snarled.

"Basically, the time on the road varies." Eric finished with a glare at Remus. Roman sighed dramatically and flopped onto his fold-away bed. "But we've been traveling forever!" he groaned dramatically, earning a snicker from Eric.

"Keep that attitude up and you'll be out of the circus before you can say 'Show Time'. I got you a few swords, by the way." Eric said, not missing a beat or looking up at Roman's astonished face.

"I didn't say I needed any swords."

"Well, you didn't bring any luggage with you so I guessed that joining the circus was a spur of the moment idea and you did actually bother to invest in anything."

Roman started to protest but the sighed. Eric was right. "Fine. Thanks, I guess. Where did you put the swords?"

"When we stop in the next town, I'll give them to you." Eric said, leaping down from the beam and going to check in the horse pulling their caravan.

It was late at night when the circus finally arrived at its destination. Roman was awake at the time but he was still disgruntled at having to help set the circus up at what felt like the middle of the night.

As Roman was helping set up a stall, he stifled a yawn.

"Tired Princey?" A voice from behind him asked, making him jump.

"Oh, no. No, I'm not tired at all. Just-"

"There's no point lying to Virgil, Roman." Janus butted in, his face no longer half snake scales. "He's probably one of the most observant people here. He sees everything."

"Well, you've got to when your act involves you dangling 100 or so feet in the air." Virgil snapped good-naturedly, wrapping his black coat around him a little more and helping Roman with the stall.

"You're setting this up wrong, by the way." He muttered. "The stuffed toys are meant to be further back and the cotton candy machine's meant to be at the front." He fixed Roman's mistakes before climbing up and sitting in a tree.

"Is he always this.... eccentric?" Roman asked Janus doubtfully.

"No. Usually, he's snappy with new people. Consider yourself lucky he's actually talking to you at all." Janus said, looking at Roman out of the corner of his eye. "But you'll need to watch out. If his brother catches wind of you being too friendly with him... you'll be lucky if you're still alive."

"Are you going to explain that or are you just going to leave it as an ominous warning?"

"No. I like watching newbies squirm." Janus said, grinning toothily before walking off.

"I can see what my brother and that guy have in common." Roman thought bitterly before being poked in the back. "JESUS CHRIST! Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm Silvia." A girl said, holding out her hand and smiling slightly. The name rang a bell for Roman.

"You're the contortionist, aren't you?"

"Yep." Silvia said, a tiny bitter edge to her voice.

"You don't like being addressed as that?" Roman asked doubtfully.