The ringmaster and Atticus then went into his tent/office.
"What did you want to talk to me about, sir?" Atticus asked.
"I would like you to be part of our Casey Junior circus family..." the ringmaster said, he seemed to have a rather fiendish smile for some reason. "After all, you just said you didn't have a family of your own... So, I would like you to become a star attraction for us... Just think about it! We travel all around the country and people will pay big bucks just to see your super and special talent!"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I couldn't just leave Cherry and her family out of nowhere." Atticus said.
"Hmm... Too bad..." the ringmaster folded his arms. "I thought we could make something of you... After all, you're an orphan and orphans are just as good as living on the ground forever... You'll get a lot of money, fame, and fortune, anything your little heart desires!"
"I don't know..." Atticus said.
"And besides, if you don't sign, then you'll be known to everyone as a freak." The ringmaster said.
"A freak...?" Atticus whispered, feeling hurt by that term.
"Oh, yes, everybody knows if you're not apart of a circus and have special skills, you're a freak," the ringmaster told him. "You don't want to go back home and have everyone think of you like that, now do you?"
Atticus began to think about that and sighed. "Where do I sign?" he then asked in defeat.
"Just initial here, here, and here, and sign at the very bottom next to the X." the ringmaster smiled darkly, holding out the contract to him and clicked the pen for him to use.
Atticus grabbed the pen and started to sign the contract while regretting to do this, knowing that he wouldn't see Cherry ever again or her family.
"Excellent..." the ringmaster smiled darkly.
Atticus frowned since he was never going to see Cherry again and it made him cry, she may not had been actually, but she was like family to him.
"Now you'll just need a circus uniform like Atlas's." The ringmaster said.
Atticus slowly nodded.
Cherry couldn't help but listen in and she was a little angry. "You can't take my best friend away from me!"
"I can and I will, especially after he signed this legal contract." The ringmaster smirked evilly.
"NO!" Cherry refused. "I won't let you!"
"I'm sorry, Cherry..." Atticus bowed his head with his eyes shut.
"Unless you would like to join him." The ringmaster said to her.
"What?" Cherry put her hands on her hips.
"Join the circus, or leave now and never see your friend again." the ringmaster tempted.
Cherry thought it over and sighed, shutting her eyes. "I know I'm gonna regret this..."
"Perfect." The ringmaster smiled evilly before bringing up the contract for her to sign.
Cherry frowned uneasily, but she skimmed over the words as she gripped the pen and was ready to sign it.
"You don't have to do this..." Atticus said to his oldest friend.
"I must..." Cherry insisted, feeling like a slave. She began to sign the contract as she finished signing the contract her mother came into the tent before gasping.
"Oh, hello there, ma'am, did you enjoy the show?" the ringmaster asked, not knowing her.
"Cherry," Michelle rushed over. "What's going on?"
"Mom, I have to help Atticus..." Cherry told her mother.
"They are now part of the circus." The ringmaster told her.
"Nobody's putting my baby in a circus or her friends!" Michelle hugged Cherry then.
"We got a contract, lady..." the ringmaster showed her that Cherry and Atticus signed the contracts. "They are now legally mine."
Michelle was about to tell him off and say that he couldn't do that, but saw that the contract was indeed legal.
"Mom...?" Cherry lowly moaned.
Michelle had tears in her eyes. "I can't believe this..."
"Sorry, but they are officially mine." The ringmaster smiled evilly before putting the contract away.
"NO!" Michelle grew devastated. "My baby..."
Cherry came to her mother and gave her one last hug. "It's okay, Mom, I'm sure we'll be okay..."
"Yeah." Atticus said.
"Before anything else, these two need to get into their circus uniforms, by the way, little girl, what are you good at?" The ringmaster asked.
Cherry shrugged. "Finding the dark side in everything."
Michelle was too emotional to say or do anything.
"Hmm, you'll have to be our animal tamer." The ringmaster said.
"I guess..." Cherry held herself.
The ringmaster came up to Michelle and pushed her out of the tent/office. "Run along now, go back in the kitchen and start cooking for your husband, your daughter is mine now."
"Goodbye, Mom..." Cherry said lowly.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Butler..." Atticus added.
Michelle sniffled, she then went back to her car and decided to just drive home since there was nothing else she could really do.
"Now you two, go into the dressing rooms and put these on." The ringmaster told them before giving the two of them the new clothes they would wear.
Cherry watched as her mother's car drove off without them, she then sighed and followed the ringmaster as she was now going to be a circus girl with Atticus. Atticus's uniform was like a strongman costume only it was in his size and Cherry's uniform was a suit with a whip. Cherry did not like the bow tie, she stuck her tongue out at it, but she wore it anyway.
"Oh, the next town is going to just love you two," the ringmaster smiled darkly, then turned to Atlas. "Uh, I hope you can find business with your life elsewhere, Atlas, it was nice knowing you..."
"This is an outrage!" Atlas snarled, storming off as he was basically fired from his circus occupation.
"Wait, um, why can't the circus have two strongmen, wouldn't that be good for show business?" Atticus asked.
"Sorry, but it was in his contract, he's on the streets and I don't bend the rules for anybody!" the ringmaster selfishly replied. But he then thought about what Atticus said and where he began to imagine all of the money that he would gain and how many people would come to see two strongmen instead of just one.
Atticus merely shrugged.
"Excuse me..." the ringmaster walked off then.
Cherry came to see the female elephants. "Mrs. Jumbo, are you okay?" she asked the kindest out of all the elephants. "You seemed to have your mind elsewhere during your act today."
"Oh, forgive me, young one, I just have a lot on my mind..." Mrs. Jumbo smiled bashfully. "I'm expecting a special delivery..."
"Is it a baby?" Cherry assumed.
"Yes, as a mater of fact, it is, I've been waiting for Mr. Stork to deliver it to me." Mrs. Jumbo told her.
"Guess he hasn't come yet, huh?" Cherry asked.
Mrs. Jumbo sighed. "No, but I'm a little tired of waiting... I'm really excited and a little nervous, I just hope I'll be a wonderful mother."
"I'm sure you will, ma'am." Cherry encouraged.
"Oh, thank you and I hope your friend's kindness will be able to rub off on Atlas." Mrs. Jumbo said.
"I hope so..." Cherry said softly as she looked back. "Atlas seems like a real Gaston..."
"Whom?" Mrs. Jumbo wondered.
"Never mind it for now..." Cherry said, then gently rubbed her trunk in a petting gesture. "Well, I guess I could make a living at the circus and never see my parents again..."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Mrs. Jumbo frowned.
"I'll be okay..." Cherry said softly. "It'll be like when me and Atticus lived with Cinderella."
"Good to know." Mrs. Jumbo said.
"So, what happens after the final show in the county?" Cherry asked.
"We clean up, get in the train, and get ready to go to the next town," Mrs. Jumbo explained. "Maybe your friend could help set up tents and we have a parade on the first day of a new gig after we get some sleep after an exhausting travel."
"I see..." Cherry shrugged. "Oh, well, I always wanted to go around the world."
While they were talking, the ringmaster was agreeing with Atticus's idea.
"Atlas, come back here!" the ringmaster called.
Atlas scoffed and walked over. "What now?"
"You're not fired, you and Atticus are going to be partners." The ringmaster said.
"Partners!?" Atlas sneered. "I share the spotlight with no one!"
"It's that or nothing, buddy," Atticus folded his arms at the egocentric man. "Be thankful, I saved your career!"
Atlas hated to admit it, but Atticus was right, Atticus didn't have to save his career. "All right, but don't make me look stupid, kid!"
"I won't." Atticus said.
Atlas folded his arms. "Right..." he then nodded once.
"Well, let's get ready for our next travel on the train then!" the ringmaster proclaimed.
The ringmaster then left the two alone to tell the others.
"This is gonna be fun... I guess..." Atticus shrugged. "What have I got to lose?"
"Just don't show me up." Atlas glared.
"I won't..." Atticus rolled his eyes slightly. "Sheesh..."
"Good that we have an understanding," Atlas said. "Now, come on, we gotta help bring everything down so then we can get to the next town and while we're getting to the next town, you are going to have to exercise a lot with me if you are going to have muscles to show your strength."
"Yeah, yeah..." Atticus laughed, Atlas felt like a boorish older brother substitute, but he went along with it.
Once everything was settled, it was time to load up the train and clean up to go to the next stop.