Cirque du La Terre
Chapter XI.
"Oh my god!" Bee exclaimed, hands flying to her stubbed left foot. She hopped around a little in the grass, trying to breathe through the throbbing pain emitting from her big toe. 'Okay, ask for help when putting up tents.' She gingerly placed her foot back down as an amused Longshot walked up to her from his own tent positioned a ways away.
"You're obviously still in lala-land from the long drive," he said, helping Bee to stabilize the tent's frame before trying to tether it into place, which was what she was trying to do before she hit her foot on a heavy box she'd forgotten she'd placed on the ground. "You'll zone back in after a while." Bee remained in brooding silence until they had successfully set up the tent. She searched around for anything she missed. She didn't notice anything... Yet. Now all there was to do was move all of her stuff in, which wouldn't take long seeing as how she didn't have many things other than her trunk and her cot.
"So what's up with you?" Longshot asked, half in a joking tone and half concerned. Bee rolled her eyes and went to pick up her cot. She tucked it under her arm before ducking into the rust-colored tent. Longshot raised his eyebrows before following the pissy girl, as there was no other way to describe her right now, inside. He watched Bee set up her cot, folding the legs out gently to make sure she didn't end up hurting herself again. After she'd set the thing up, Bee plopped down on her butt on the end of the cot, bouncing a little as she made contact with the thin mattress. Longshot sat down beside her and stared at Bee, observing eyelashes and smooth skin, slightly blushed now that Bee was irritated.
"C'mon," Longshot finally said, nudging Bee with his hand. "You were fine when we packed up, during the drive, and when we set up here. What's going on now?" Bee sighed and flopped down on the cot, closing her eyes. Longshot turned his head to look at Bee.
"I'm just tired, really," Bee admitted. "I'm not used to having to do this every five or so days. It's a little stressful. Not to mention that rude awakening Suki gave me- I didn't sleep very well at all after that." Longshot laughed and nodded in agreement.
"I know how you feel," Longshot said, shifting so that he didn't have to look at Bee over his shoulder. "I was the same way when I first joined." Bee sat up and crossed her legs. She cocked her head inquisitively at Longshot, not unlike a puppy when it's curious.
"How long have you been here Longshot?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Her eyes looked different without all the makeup on them. They looked… better. "You seem to know everything about everything here. That kind of knowledge only comes with time." Longshot sat in silence for a beat, playing with his fingers. Finally he sighed.
"I've been here since I was thirteen," he admitted. Bee arched an eyebrow, pursing her lips.
"That long?" she asked. Longshot nodded. "Why?"
"Issues," Longshot said. "Just issues." Bee propped her hand on one of his hands. She watched Longshot fidget, trying to decide whether to confide in Alice or not.
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything," Bee said, shrugging. "Everyone is entitled to secrets." Longshot smiled a small smile and moved to sit directly in front of Bee. As he crossed his legs he positioned himself so that his knees touched Bee's. They almost mirrored each other. Bee analyzed Longshot, noticing the way one of his eyebrows was raised slightly higher than the other, the way his hair hung over them messily and yet like they meant to be that way, how his mouth twitched slightly as he struggled for words to come out of his mouth. Bee felt a lump rise in her throat, a tingle in the pit of her stomach.
"I ran away from home like many of the other teenagers in the Cirque," Longshot said, locking his eyes with Smellerbee's. Bee waited patiently for Longshot to continue.
"I was being harassed," Longshot said, folding his hands together in his lap. He didn't look up from his hands as he spoke. "People at my old school were cruel to those who didn't fit in. I was one of those kids that didn't really… get along with kids my own age. "
"They harassed you for being different?" Bee asked, eyebrows furrowed together. Longshot raised his eyes to Bee's.
"Yeah," Longshot said. Bee gazed at him, sympathetic. "Shoving, taunting, threats, I just couldn't take it anymore. I tried to get the faculty into it to help me out, but they didn't help at all. You could tell they figured it was something I just had to deal with. After a while I just stopped trying, and like a coward I ran away from home.
"I heard there was a circus in town, so I snuck out my window in the middle of the night. I left my parents a note. I still feel bad for not giving them more than that." Longshot looked away, gazing into nothingness. Bee slipped her hand under Longshot's, wrapping her pale fingers around Longshot's slightly tanner ones.
"That's why I ran away," Bee said, casting her eyes down. "There was this thug named Hide. He's always had a thing for shoving me into lockers." Longshot winced. He tightened his grip on Bee's hand in support.
"Anyway," Bee continued. "I could always brush off those shoves and the taunts. Even the slushies weren't too bad after a while- it was just a part of school life. But one day I guess I just got fed up with it all and I followed him into the boy's locker room after his football practice to confront him. Next thing I knew, he kissed me." Bee bottom lip quivered just the tiniest bit. She could feel the hot tears fighting to fall down her face, but she held them in. Longshot felt his heart tighten, looking at those glistening eyes.
"Oh Bee," he said, covering their hands with his other hand, stroking the back of Bee's hand with his thumb. Longshot feared the worst. "He didn't-"
"No," Bee said, cutting him off. "It was nothing like that. But I shoved him away and he ran out of the locker room. After that he threatened to kill me if I told anyone, and the shoving and taunting just got worse. The administration at my school is flawed, they can't do anything. The only person who cared was my father." Tears began to escape from behind closed eyes, rolling down flushed cheeks. "The only thing I regret is leaving him, though I try to at least send him a text or something every now and then to let him know I'm alright."
Longshot sat, speechless. He continued to rub circles on Bee's hand, trying to sooth the girl a little bit. Bee seemed to relax a little. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled, but she seemed to regain composure. They both looked up into each other's' eyes and smiled.
"Well," Longshot said with a strangled laugh. "I didn't expect a heart-to-heart this morning." Bee laughed along with him. "Do you feel better?" Bee pulled a handkerchief out of nowhere.
"Yeah," she said, wiping her nose on her handkerchief. "It felt good to tell someone. The only other person who knows why I'm here is Iroh." She tucked the handkerchief back into her pocket. "Thanks."
"Anytime," Longshot answered, giving Bee's hand one final squeeze before letting go. "Whenever you need someone to talk to, I'm here." Bee let out a breath and smiled, bringing her knees to her chest.
Longshot stood up and held his hand out. Bee looked at it, confused. What now? Longshot shook his hand a little, trying to get Bee to take it.
"C'mon," he said. "I want to show you something." Bee wrapped her hand around Longshot's, allowing the taller boy to pull her up. She trailed behind Longshot, her right hand in Longshot's left. She was slightly light-headed, all of the emotions she'd experienced in the past five minutes swirling in her head. She concentrated on the comforting feeling of Longshot's hand around hers, hoping she wouldn't fall flat on her face in this current state.
The two teens almost ran to Longshot's tent. Longshot murmured a quick "watch your head" before letting go of Bee's hand. Bee just stood, gazing around the tent. It was very different from hers. There was stuff everywhere even though they had just now set up camp. She spied the guitar she'd heard many nights ago, playing the lullaby that helped her sleep, even though Longshot wasn't aware of it. Bee winced when she remembered the epic fall she'd taken that night, but the valiant way Longshot had rushed out to help her. Her stomach fluttered.
"Here we are!" Longshot exclaimed. Bee jumped at the sudden sound and turned to see Longshot holding a small, brown plush monkey in his hand. Bee raised her eyebrow. Longshot motioned for her to sit on his cot. Bee sat, down, Longshot following after. Longshot handed the monkey to Smellerbee, who cradled it in her hands, feeling the soft fabric on her fingers.
"This is going to sound strange," Longshot warned, "But it's true, so bear with me." Bee sat patiently, waiting for Longshot to speak.
"Every time someone has joined the circus," Longshot started, "Well…ever since I joined, I've found a small stuffed animal on the ground a day before they arrived." Bee processed this information for a moment before coming to a realization.
"So this one is me?" she asked, holding the small monkey up. Longshot sighed in relief, glad Bee didn't think he was insane.
"Yeah," he said, holding his hand out for the small animal. Bee handed the plush toy to him. "This one I found during clean up the day before you came to ask Iroh is you could join. I kind of saw your performance," he admitted, a blush creeping to his cheeks. "I've named him The Duke."
"The Duke," Bee echoed, politely gesturing to take the monkey back from Longshot. She turned The Duke in her hands, noticing that he was unblemished save for a smudge on its left arm.
"Do you have the other members' animals?" she asked. Longshot nodded and gestured to a small trunk that contained small animals of every color and species. Bee walked over to them, still holding The Duke in her hand. She saw a red bird, a blue crane, a green snake and at least a dozen other colorful animals.
"This one is Suki's," Longshot said, holding up a green cat with large, plastic gold jewels as eyes. "Was it not meant for her?" Bee laughed.
"Definitely was." Longshot put the cat back down and stood up. He stretched his arms, still a little sore from his uncomfortable position during the ride.
"Um, Longshot?" Bee asked, looking down at the little monkey. "Would it be out of tradition if I asked to maybe keep The Duke?" Longshot crossed his arms and cocked his head.
"Well, I have everyone else's with me, but I'd be willing to part with The Duke," he said with a smile. "But only if you take care of him." Bee nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course!" she said, holding the monkey close. "Thanks, Longshot."
"Not a problem," Longshot replied. "Now you should probably get back to unpacking. No doubt Jet is going to start practice this afternoon." Bee groaned.
"Don't remind me," Bee replied, but there was a playful glint in her eyes that made Longshot chuckle as Bee stepped out of his tent. When he couldn't hear the soft footsteps of Bee anymore, he walked back towards the trunk full of animals. It seemed incomplete without The Duke, but Bee seemed so eager to have that little brown monkey that Longshot couldn't refuse. Longshot sighed, closing the lid of the trunk.
After Bee had told him why she'd joined the Cirque, Longshot couldn't help but feel like a coward. His situation hadn't really been near as bad a Bee's, yet he ran away like the cowardly lion. At least Bee had courage that Longshot never thought he could have. He mused over the part where that thug had kissed Bee. Longshot clenched his jaw. What if that had been Bee's first kiss? How dare that Hide take away something that was probably sacred to a girl like Bee? The thought made Longshot's blood boil.
But it was over and done with, and Longshot swore he'd never let anything happen to Bee like that again.
Okay quick thingy: Hide was in one episode (The Headband) in Book Three. I chose him to play the character I did because I was running out of names from the Fire Nation that I knew. Not sure if I'm going to include him later into the story but just making sure you guys knew that. Okay. Okay. Oh and the hooker/waitress from the other chapter is a girl from The Promise (the comic series).
I would post more notes but they distract from the story.
The Nerd
