Fly Girl

Chapter 1

"Net?"

"Clear!"

I jump off the board and sore through the air. I feel the wind in my hair, it's gently caressing my face while I swing back and forth on the trapeze. I let go of the bar and land on the net.

"You're really getting better at this, soon enough you'll be able to run away and join the circus!"

"Thank you Philip" I answered him shyly, I never liked compliments because I never know what to say back. "It means so much to me, being in this magical place and doing what I love. There's nothing like it!" I exclaimed.

It's true, there is nothing better than being here. 

You might be a little confused, so let me backtrack a little.

My name is Elodie Marron. I know, it's a rather unusual name. My parents are French, and I was born in Paris, but I grew up speaking English all the time. My French is still very good, it's my heritage and that's always been important to me.

I am 23 years old and just graduated from Harvard. Whenever I mention Harvard people start to see me differently, as if I'm some kind of superhuman because I got into that school. That's why I usually avoid saying that cursed name.

My life as a whole has been very unusual. When most girls say that "they're different" it's always a silly attempt at being quirky. Not me though, I am not like most people. My father works as a diplomat which meant that I had to move all over the world. The opportunity was amazing, and I don't regret it. However, not having a place I can call home was always tough on me.

My mother was an acrobat for the Cirque Du Soleil. My parents were very different, that's why their relationship worked so well. My mom loved her job, it was her passion. Seeing her perform were the highlights of my childhood. That also meant that I did not see her often as she would go on long tours. That's also how she passed away. She was doing a show on a cruise ship. The director changed the show in order for the troupe to perform it outside. My mother was a flying trapeze artist, and as she flew in the air, the catcher did not catch her correctly and she slipped. She bounced off the net to the side and snapped her neck. It was an accident. Talking about it has always been hard on me. The only way that I am able to connect with my mother is through trapeze, which brings us to today.

After college, I wanted to take a year off before studying for my masters degree. Thanks to my father's contacts, I was able to strike a deal with a resort hotel in Malaysia. The hotel is called Medina and is one of my favorite places in the world as it's where I first tried flying trapeze. The deal I have with the hotel is simple: I work as a circus instructor on the trapeze and I perform at shows, in exchange I get to stay for free. That means free room, free food, and I can use all hotel utilities for free! 

So that is how I ended up flying in Malaysia. 

Our circus team is fairly small, there's just four of us. Mia and Damian are still new at flying trapeze but they specialize in juggling, silks, and the lyra. Philip and I are the trapeze knowers. I am no professional, but I am pretty good. I don't catch or pull the safety lines, that's Philip's job. I am up on the board assisting people who want to have a go. My job is simple, putting on safety lines and aiding in departing the board. 

Many people would think it's boring, just helping people try flying trapeze. I love it. Everyone has a different reaction to their first time; some scream, some stay compeltry silent, some are still, and some won't stop fidgeting. Knowing that my actions help bring smiles to faces, that I am able to create unforgettable experiences for people makes me happy. 

I wish my mother was here. I wish she'd see me flying, just like she used to. I wish.

---

That was my last swing of the day. I'm tired and my hands are also hurting. As a trapeze artist, my hands look absolutely horrible. They feel like cardboard and when they rip, I bleed quite a lot. It's not a pretty sight and not very ladylike. But as we say in French, "c'est les risques du metier" which roughly translates to "it's part of the job."

I open my room and run to the shower. I'm all sweaty from being outside all day and have chalk all over me. 

I step out and put my hair in a towel to dry it. While it's up, I pick up my cotton shorts and a sports bra. I don't know why but I find sport bras very comfortable so I sleep in them quite a lot. 

Right on cue, my phone rings. I look at it and see that it's Jonathan. He was my boyfriend. We met at Harvard and hit it off very fast. He was the first boy I loved, we stayed together three years, which is also my longest relationship. Jonathan is the perfect boy to bring to your parents. Hence, my dad loved him. 

We broke up but decided to stay friends. The reason behind our breakup was me, I wanted a year off and flew to Malaysia while he got a job offer in New York. We both wanted different things so it was better to let each other go. He still means a lot to me, thus we call each other from time to time. I love him very much but I'm not in love with him anymore. Our relationship was picture perfect, it lacked passion though. I realized that once I was in Malaysia. 

"Hey Jon!" I answered the phone, using his nickname.

"Hiya Elodie, how are you?" he asked me.

We caught up for about twenty minutes. I love talking to him, it might sound weird but now that we're not together, he's like an older brother. Allways to talk about everything and anything without judgment. 

I am so grateful to have him in my life. 

However, I feel like something is missing from my life. Don't get me wrong, I love my life and the people in it. But I feel like there's a piece of me missing, like a hole in my heart that's empty and waiting to be filled...

Anyways, after our conversation ended, I went to bed and watched some Netflix before falling asleep. 

**A/N

There it is! The first chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. As this is the first chapter, I spent some time on explaining who the character of Elodie is. Don't worry, upcoming chapters will have more action in them.

If you guys are still a little confused about what flying trapeze is go on youtube and look it up, it's super cool. Also, if you've seen The Greatest Showman, it's the thing that Zendaya does. 

Don't forget to vote and comment please! Thank you for reading.

With all my heart, C.