Page 29 of Circus From Hell

“Oh. Morning, Mox.”

“Are you kidding me, Spiral?” Her high-pitched voice hurts my head, and I turn on my side, groaning and using the pillow to cover my ears.

“Piss off. I’m hungover.” That’s a lie; I don’t get hungover. Moxie doesn’t need to know about my wonky brain or the pain I use alcohol to run from.

“You’re always hungover because you’re always drunk, idiot. Why the hell did you say that monster’s name? You know it’s always me drinking your cum in the mornings.”

“Slip of the tongue,” I mumble. Big lie. “Don’t you have leaflets to hand out?”

“Baxter’s gone to do that.” Oh great. He’ll turn everyone away. Who would go to a circus to see that twat? “Why did you moan Karma’s name?”

“I told you. It was a slip of the tongue,” I snap, throwing off the pillow and jumping out of bed, ready to escape this conversation. “Go practice or something. Your somersaults are getting sloppy.”

She crosses her arm and huffs, quickly leaving my tent and taking the tension with her. I blow out a breath. That was close. Moxie will be obsessed with that now. She doesn’t let things go, and she really does not like Karma.

Moxie was nearly as jealous as me when Kreo introduced his latest creation. I was always his favourite, but Moxie wanted to be noticed by him every chance she got. Karma’s existence was sure to take that away. Suddenly, Kreo wasn’t interested in anyone but her. Moxie kept trying, but Kreo wasn’t bothered, always studying Karma. He has tons of diaries dedicated to her and her alone.

Moxie doesn’t fight for his attention anymore. She fights for mine. She’s cute and takes a double stuffing like a champ, but she’s needy. I don’t do needy.

After I sort myself out, take a few gulps of whisky, and pass by Karma’s tent to see if she’s awake, I’m surprised to find it empty. She normally stays in her tent until showtime, talking to that creepy pet rat-thing.

I told her she was going to stay with me today, that she wasn’t to sneak off.

She disobeyed me, and now I have no idea where she is.

CHAPTER TEN

KARMA

Ican’t sleep tonight.

Snake creeps into my tent in the early hours, and we play tic-tac-toe until sunrise. But I know what he really wants.

“No,” I whisper, and he folds his little arms as far as they’re capable of folding. “Not allowed.”

He hisses and jumps up my arm. When he reaches my shoulder, he points to the flaps of my tent. He wants to go to the forbidden trailer.

“I told you, Sssnake. I’m not allowed to.”

He rolls his big eyes, diving off me and onto the floor, scurrying across the room to the top of my dressing table. He bypasses the polaroid photo of me and Kreo and leans over the edge, tapping his nose against the little padlock on the drawer.

“Yesss, it’s locked.” Snake waves his head back and forth before jerking it back towards the flaps of my tent. “Not locked? The trailer?” He nods quickly.

That trailer is always locked. Unless Spiral forgot to lock it last night.

I look down at my leg, and when I shift it, I can feel the twinges of thread starting to come loose. I do need more thread, and that trailer would have some, wouldn’t it?

I don’t know why I’m trying to convince myself to go when I should be convincing myself to stay away. Snake jumps in excitement to land on my back as I walk past.

The sun is ascending in the distance, casting a warm glow across the grass and numerous tents. I’m forced to duck and hide behind a flamethrower’s tent when I see familiar pink curls bouncing in the distance.

Moxie.

One of Spiral’s entourage.

She hates me more than anyone. And it’s for the same reason as Spiral. Both are jealous; both are leftovers.

She quickly strolls across the field in her white and pink jumpsuit, and she sneaks into Spiral’s tent on her hands and knees. Yeah, they’ll be up to something dirty in there. Not that I give a shit. Everyone in this circus is permanently horny.