Cirque Periculum

Chapter 7

Adam and Riley found Connor just as people began to file in. Once again, they were holding food (churros this time) and gave one to Connor.

"Meridian's looking for you," Riley said. "She wants to go over y'all's act again before the show starts."

Adam went into a fit of giggles. "Y'all?"

Connor laughed. "Texas is catching onto you fast."

Riley rolled her eyes. "It is part of your training to learn what will please customers in certain regions. I'm surprised you haven't learned anything about it yet."

The trio walked through a line of attractions and down the hill to the performance tent. Meridian was waiting outside the entrance already in her blue and silver costume.

"You three hurry and get changed into your costumes. Mr. Summertin doesn't want you wandering around," Meridian said, ushering them inside the tent.

It was just as Connor had remembered it. The circular stage connected the three entrances together, and the bleachers filled the rest of the space. Their costumes hung just out of the non-public entrance, which Connor found lead to a small part of the tent that was sectioned off as a dressing room. Adam and Connor took theirs outside, allowing Riley to have the dressing room, and quickly changed. Connor's was a mostly-blue long-sleeved jumpsuit with a stripe of silver around his waist and another running diagonally from his left hip to his right shoulder. The skintight long sleeves ended with two bands of silver and the rest went to his knees. He was given nothing to put on his feet.

Adam looked at Connor and laughed. "I never thought I'd see Connor the Con in a getup like that," he said.

"Well you don't exactly look fit for the streets neither," Connor retorted.

It took a few minutes after they were both dressed for Riley to come out and join them. She blushed and smiled as she came out. Connor felt his cheeks turn red as he looked at her costume. She wore a golden dress with white shoes. The fabric of the dress seemed to shimmer in the lamplight. Her hair was braided and draped over her shoulder, tied with a white ribbon.

"How do I look?" she asked.

Connor searched for an answer but the words didn't seem able to reach his lips.

Adam beat him to the punch. "You look weird!"

Riley punched him, still smiling. "Connor, how do you think I look?"

"I- well you- you look pretty," Connor stuttered, blushing profusely.

Riley beamed at him. "Do you really think so? I wasn't so sure about this thing when I saw it but I guess it isn't bad. You don't look bad either," she said, blushing back at him.

Meridian poked her head out. "Connor, if you don't hurry we won't have time to practice. Oh, and Riley, would you help Adam with his tie? Thanks."

Connor followed Meridian back into the tent after a quick wave to his friends. In the time it took for Connor to put his costume on, Meridian had set everything up, but Connor immediately noticed something was missing.

"Where's the net?" he asked, the concern obvious in his voice.

Meridian laughed. "Why would we need a net?"

Has she lost her mind?

She continued, "Did you forget what we can do? You won't be anywhere near the ground."

"Oh yeah," Connor chuckled nervously. "We definitely don't want this to be safe."

"Where's the fun in 'safe'?" Meridian winked. She turned and climbed a ladder at the side of a tent that led up to her starting platform. Before being told, Connor did the same.