Under the Big Top

"Paige, Paige wake up!" Lizzy shoved her weight against my shoulder. However, being as little as she is, it didn't do much but move me a little. "Paige!" She whined. "You promised!"

I peaked an eye out from my hoody and glanced up at her. "What time is it?"

Lizzy dashed over the mattress and picked up the alarm clock across the room. Because she couldn't read it, she brought over the alarm clock. The big hand was at the three and the small hand was at the eight. I groaned and rolled onto my stomach. "Lizzers, too early."

"But Paige!" She whimpered and let the clock drop onto the floor with a thud. "I wanted to go by the pool first."

I sighed and sat up, pushing my hood back. "Did you change clothes?"

She nodded energetically, showing too big shirt for her that had a grease stain on one shoulder. She had on the same blue jeans and sneakers and her hair was down in her soft waves.

"Where'd you put the others?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Near the front door to where she scampered, she held up the black trash bag that held the clothes for the day. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. "Alright, give me five minutes." I got up off the uncovered mattress and began to take off my sweatshirt.

"Ok, don't forget, hold onto my hand and don't leave my sight if you have to let go, alright?" I grasped her tiny hand in mine as I held onto the trash bag with the other. I looked down at her to make sure she was listening.

Lizzy nodded and stepped a bit closer to me. After looking both ways, we crossed the street and disappeared into another alleyway. Like Dad had taught me when I was her age, keep to the shadows and stay out of the riches' way.

"How 'bout here?" she prodded my arm as we passed a dumpster next to a large chain-link fence.

I looked up and down the alley, searching for any windows or cameras. If the riches catch you, you know they'll call the cops. Any boxes? If anyone else like us lived near here, there was no way we'd be getting this stuff back. Coast was clear.

"Looks fine to me," I agreed and handed her the bag. "Hold onto them." I then moved to the dumpster and took out a piece of cardboard from on top of the pile. Then moving near the chain link, I pushed the bin back about half a foot. Taking the bag back from Lizzy, I squeezed it in between the metal back and the fence and then placed the cardboard over top of it, hiding it from view. "How does that look?" I asked, stepping back to look at my work.

Lizzy nodded and wrapped her arm around my midsection. "Can we go now?" she tugged.

Grinning, I chuckled and nodded. "Alright, alright, let's get out of here." I wrapped my arm over her shoulders as we walked.

"Sissy?" She glanced up at me as we rounded the corner. "Can you do my hair when we get there?" Lizzy looked at me with pleading eyes.

I laughed and hugged her closer. "Do you have a hair tie?" I questioned.

As her response she held up her wrist, showing a hair tie that had to have been white at one time. Making me laugh once more, I kissed the top of her head. "Ok, Ok, how do you want it then?" I steered her to the left before she could miss the turn.

"Hmmm," She thought for a minute. "Oh! Oh! Like how Mommy used to do your hair!"

Although my legs were still moving, I froze. I knew what she was talking about. In the earlier days when we were jumping trains, Mom would braid my hair down my back and tie it with pieces of string that we would find. Lizzy had grown her hair out to how long mine had been in hopes that she too could have it.

"Please, Paige? For me?" She tugged my hand and looked up at me with her big eyes.

How could I say no to her? "Alright, when we get there."

Now excited, she swung our intertwined hands back and forth, a smile plastered onto her face. Once we walked another five blocks, the park in the middle of a mess of streets and cars came into view. After crossing the intersections, she ran ahead of me to the large fountain. There was a mountain with little cupids flying around it. In front of the sculpture there was a plaque that read "Love Climbs All Mountains." Mom would take us here every morning when we were little.

Lizzy sat down on the edge of the wall and looked down at the blue water in the pool. She dipped her fingers into it and smiled before sitting upright again, holding out the hair tie. I sat next to her and ran my fingers down her long hair. I had always been jealous of it. I had gotten Mom's wavy hair. It was cut at my chest. But Lizzy had strait, beautiful brown hair that went down her back. It was so soft and smooth and sleek. I began to separate the hair into three sections on her back.

"How did you get the tickets, Paige?" She asked as she twirled her fingers in the cool water.

At this I froze, swallowing hard. I didn't want her to find out. Partially I didn't want her to realize why I hadn't eaten in weeks while she ate normally, but also because I didn't want her to feel different. "A nice old couple gave them to me." I lied and began to braid her hair.

She murmured something and drew her attention back to the water.