"When you're down, run off and join a circus." they say.
But this circus has secrets that violate
the strings of life-
✴︎✴︎✴︎
"We can dance until we die...
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✭Will I spend all the rest of my years wishin' I could go back?✭
"Kid!" a voice, a familiar Southern voice shatters the soundlessness sleep brought upon me. I blink away the darkness, quickly adjusting to the lowly lit room.
Both Em and Frankie stand on the wooden frame of the bottom bunk to peek over the railing of mine.
"Is it custom to never wake up on your own accord here?" I puff out, my throat feeling like sandpaper and my eyes feeling as heavy as metal marbles.
Frankie hums and pulls the blanket down my shoulders until it reaches my ankles. I jump and cover my crotch, the boxers I'm wearing don't cover much.
Em snickers and hops down as Frankie rolls his eyes and lies his chin on the railing. "Oh please, It's nothing I ain't seen before."
He jumps down as I begin climbing down the ladder, my hand still covering myself. "Well yeah, but you haven't seen mine." I retort.
I pull on a pair of pants and walk toward the window pretending I don't notice the look Frankie gives Em behind his back.
There must be something happening between the two but I'm no one to bring it up. It's their choice whether they want me to know or not.
I open the blinds only to be met with darkness. My face contorts into one of confusion. "What? But it's still night. Why did you wake me?" I ask, sitting down on Em's bed.
Frankie bites back a smile and leans back against our bunk crossing one leg over the other.
"We're in Las Vegas. We're going to a casino, kid. What did you think we'd just sit around and waste a perfectly good Vegas trip?" Em tosses me a coat from my wardrobe.
"But, Zai told me to get some sleep tonight because of tomorrow."
He steps forward, placing his hands on my shoulders, he looks me in the eye. "Kid, have you ever broken a rule? Hm?" he hums in question and I shake my head.
He sighs. "Of course not. Well, tonight will not only be a night of fun, but a celebration of you're first broken rule. I'd cheers to that but—" Em cuts him off.
"Frankie, don't you think we should meet up with the others? They might leave us."
He rolls his eyes but grabs what he needs and opens the door. "They can't leave without the life of the party." Em looks the short-haired boy up and down, likely for his cocky persona, and opens the door, cocking his head for us to follow.
