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The Circus of Talents
Raven recovered quickly, to Rose's relief. He had been worried. And classes were wrapping up as they neared the end of the year. Rose had gained ranks once again and moved up from eleventh to third; Mia and Rose being ahead of him.
Tonight was to be the Circus of Talents and the top students have been working on their talents for the event. Rose had been working on a different song than from the last circus. Hopefully this one wouldn't put everyone to sleep.
Rose had also been urging Raven to use his drawing talent in the circus, though Raven was reluctant. Whenever Rose brought up Raven's drawing talents Raven's cheeks would burn red and he would try and change the subject. Rose couldn't figure out why. Raven's drawings were spectacular.
Rose waited behind with the other Evers that would be participating in the event tonight. He was dressed in his white outfit (which still had the glitter and purple embroidery from Julie's modifications) with a small potted palm tree under his arm. Once the rest of the Evers were in the Theater of Tales the ten of them paraded in. Mia had liked the flare Rose had last year and wanted to try and duplicate it with the entire Ever team.
Rose hadn't tried to enter with flare. He had just been late. And this time he was holding a plant he awkwardly carried in as the Evers went in and the Nevers booed at them. Rose placed the palm tree in the corner of the room and sat down in between Mia and Stefan.
The doors shut as a wolf and fairy stood up front and welcomed the students, "Welcome to the Circus of Talents. You know what this is all about, so let's just get it started. Richard, Bard, you two are first." And the show of talents began.
Richard went first and half-heartedly did a shadow puppet show. Bard then proceeded to blech the melody to Blow the Man Down. A white flame extinguished and Richard's hands ballooned in size.
Lily was next as she recited a beautiful poem she wrote about flowers and Maggie rolled herself into a ball and rolled around the stage a little bit. A blue flame went out and Maggie's body bulged round like the ball she had just been imitating.
One by one Evers and Nevers went. Seth and Deloris. Charlie and Percy. Adrian and Vlad. Flames went out. Children were punished. Julie danced a ballet. Alexis embroidered a pillow in thirty seconds. Jeffery did a fire dance. More flames were extinguished.
Eventually, Rose's turn came. Rose grabbed his plant and centered it on the stage. Rose whispered to it that now was the time and it was the palm tree's chance to show of its skills. Rose then began to belt Palm Trees in the Wind. As Rose sang the upbeat tune, the tree shivered a little and little by little it wiggled to the beat. As Rose continued to sing, the palm tree started to shake its trunk violently and shimmy with the beat.
Everyone cheered for the plant.
Rose finished and both he and the tree bowed before the tree went stiff again and Rose took him off the stage. He set the plant down muttering how wonderful it was doing this with him. Rose then watched as his white flame went out. Rose supposed he couldn't compete with Eustis, who licked his elbow. Rose felt himself stiffen; he found himself immobilized as he stood by the tree.
Rose could only watch as Mia competed by singing opera against Jasper who shoved two horns in his nostrils and played a flat duet with himself. A blue flame went out and Jasper found that whenever he wanted to speak he could only honk.
Then it was Raven's turn. Raven stood up with a broad sheet of paper and Rose grinned. Raven was going to draw. Raven took a pencil and started to sketch. As time passed, Nevers yawned and mumbled how boring this was, even though Raven had only been at it for a minute. In four minutes Raven held up the paper revealing a beautiful rendition of the two schools and even a few Nevers awed at the drawing.
Raven sat down and Hawthorn took the stage. She took off her socks and shoes and placed a bow in between a set of toes on left food and placed an arrow in the right foot. She then rolled onto her hands in a handstand and knocked the bow with her feet. She pulled back the arrow and released it right down the center of the aisle and it thunked into the wall.
I watched horrified as a white flame went out and Raven was suddenly covered in black scribbles all over his pale white skin. The Circus Crown was lifted from its resting place and we all watched it hover. We watched as it floated over towards the Evers and hovered momentarily over Mia. It then glided over to the Nevers and hovered over Eustis. It came back and hovered over Monica. It went back over to the Evers and planted itself on Hawthorn's head as Nevers hooted and howled screaming, "It's ours! It's ours!"
The release of the curses landed Rose collapsing on the floor as he was unprepared for the sudden release. He picked himself up and looked at Raven, whose skin was cleared, as he knelt down on one knee towards Rose, "Rose, would you go with me to the Snow Ball?"
The Nevers rolled their eyes and some of them booed while others were still screaming about winning the crown.
Rose ignored them, "I would love to go to the Snow Ball with you."
Boys dropped down on their knees and asked their girls and Nevers paraded out cheering.
Following the Circus, the three boys Richard, Cedric and Raven were sleeping in their room. Raven woke up suddenly from the nightmare of his Grandmother dying. Drenched in a cold sweat, Raven wiped his face with the back of his hand when he heard an unusual noise.
Someone was gasping. Raven looked over to where the noise was coming from and spied a body over Cedric with his hands wrapped around Cedric's neck, choking him. Raven quickly got out of bed and wrapped his arms around the attacker's waists and hauled him off of Cedric.
The offender thrashed beneath Raven as Cedric caught his breath and turned on the light. Cedric and Raven stared down upon the thrashing Richard. Richard fought with Raven and reached for his neck now.
"Wh-what?" Cedric gaped at who had been choking him.
"Go and get someone, Cedric." Cedric rushed out of the room and Richard went limp. His eyes glassed over and stared at nothing as his breathing slowed, immobilized.
Professor Espada rushed into the room, "What in the world is going on? Cedric says Richard attacked him."
Raven nodded, "He was strangling Cedric."
Professor Espada frowned and urged Raven off of Richard. "Richard. Richard, can you hear me?"
Richard blinked and the glassy look disappeared. He looked at the professor. "Professor Espada? What are you doing here?"
Professor Espada frowned, "Richard, come with me."
The two left the room.
"Cedric, are you alright?"
He rubbed his neck a little but said, "Yeah. Let's get some sleep."
