Carmen's Busy Day

The next afternoon, Carmen was busy pinning shirts up on the line when EJ rode up.

"Hey, Carmen." EJ replied, smiling.

"Hey, EJ," Carmen smiled back, then she patted Jupiter's muzzle. "hey, Jupiter."

Jupiter knickered happily.

"Did you manage to get some sleep last night," EJ asked. "you were looking pretty tired yesterday."

"Yeah," Carmen nodded. "I'm still having that dream I told you about though."

"Have you seen the boy's face yet?" EJ asked curiously.

"No, not yet," Carmen replied. "so, I really have no clue who he is right now."

Carmen looked up with a smile at her new friend.

"What are you thinking?" EJ asked Carmen.

"Maybe it's you!" Carmen said half-teasingly.

EJ tugged nervously on his collar and blushed a little.

"I'm very flattered," EJ said. "but I don't think so, from what you told me, it sounds like the boy in your dream doesn't swim very well, and, not to brag, but I was on the diving team at my last school."

"Wow that's cool," Carmen said.

"Thanks." EJ said shyly.

"Maybe, I'll eventually see the boy's face." Carmen said wistfully.

When EJ didn't reply, Carmen looked up to see him peering at the roof of the big top.

"What're you looking at, EJ?" Carmen asked.

"That flagpole to the left of center on the roof of the big top," EJ replied. "that doesn't look like a flag on it, it looks like a leather jacket."

Carmen's eyes widened as a bad feeling washed over her.

Running over to the trailer door she opened it so she could see the coat rack by the door, sure enough, her leather jacket was missing!

"My new jacket," she thundered flying into a rage. "I'll bet Lavinia put her brother, Carlos up to this! They know Rafael doesn't lock this door."

"Let me guess, Carlos helped put up the tent, right?" EJ said.

Carmen nodded.

EJ motioned to the dark clouds off toward the horizon.

"You've got another problem coming!" EJ said.

"Oh no," Carmen snapped, she stormed off toward the big top, muttering angrily as she went. "wait till I get my hands on those two!"

EJ jumped off Jupiter and raced after Carmen.

"Carmen," EJ said, catching up to her. "wait a second, please."

"What for?" Carmen asked.

"You can't just go in there and start busting heads!" EJ said.

"Why not?" Carmen snapped, getting a little impatient.

"Because you told me that everyone here is part of making the circus a success," EJ said. "so putting Lavinia and her brother on the injured list could hurt the circus's earnings right, you'd be down an act."

"We could manage!" Carmen snorted, not wanting to admit that EJ was right even though she knew he was.

"Carmen." EJ said, giving her a knowing look.

Carmen took a deep breath and calmed down a little.

"Okay, then what should I do?" Carmen asked.

"Tell them that, if the rain ruins that jacket, they'll have to pay for it out or their allowance?" EJ said.

Carmen began to smile.

"Yeah, Lavinia and her brother are always begging for raises in there allowances," Carmen said. "so, that would hit them where it really hurts!"

EJ raised an eyebrow, "How do you know that about them?" he asked Carmen.

Carmen grinned, "Lavinia and her brother whine loudly and the walls of romani trailers aren't that thick!" she said with a snicker.

Carmen raced off in a different direction.

"Where are you going?" EJ called after Carmen.

"To talk with Mother and Father," Carmen called back to EJ, looking at him from behind her right shoulder. "they'll know what to do!"