One Heart- The Greatest Showman

Chapter 2

Anything in Italics is Elizabeth's thoughts 

Anne and W.D. had left over an hour ago to return to their apartment - after Anne had her say on Mr Barnum's Newest member of our show, stating that he was a rich man who had no intentions in maintaining the show. 

The stage was empty, nothing flashy or colourful, except for a trapeze which had been left out as well as a thing piece of wire which stretched from one corner to the other. 

I spent the majority of my nights like this. Practising after the show, after everyone had left. It had become apart of my usual routine. Mr Barnum was kind enough to install a little bed up in my dressing room so I would not have to walk home in the dark by myself.

I quickly paced around the circumference of the stage, lighting candles and placing them in their appropriate lanterns, providing light for me in a room which had always been filled with coloured lights.

Lifting myself onto the tightrope, I began to , carefully, walk into the centre of the wire. Allowing my body to become adjusted to the differences.

Once I became comfortable with my centre of gravity, I closed my green eyes and began to picture the dance that had just been put on.

Soon enough, I was dancing and singing - on the tightrope - to myself. Pretending that the audience was still their, the crowd with their enthusiasm and energy for the show.

"Come one, Come all. To anyone who is bursting with a dream."  I sang, my feet gliding across the strand of wire. 

"Cause we're dreaming with our eyes wide open." 

"Whose there?"

A male voice rang out through the stage, startling me enough to fall off the tightrope and onto the ground below.  The person began to walk into the light, allowing me to see his facial features better; brown hair, blue eyes, cute smile....

Really Lizzy? I questioned myself. 

"Miss Gray!" Phillip said as he rushed over to help me off the cold floor. He looked around the stage, inspecting the tightrope before turning back to meet me. "My apologies if I caused you to fall." 

His hand lingered in mine for just a moment before we both, simultaneously remove them. 

"Not at all Mr Carlyle. I must of just lost my balance." I lied smoothly. "And you don't have to call me Miss Gray, Elizabeth is fine." 

"Okay Elizabeth" He tested the name out, seeing how it rolled off his tongue and echoed through out the room. "Well, Elizabeth, what are you doing here so late? Haven't all the performers gone home?" 

Performer. That's what he sees us as? Sees me as?

Elizabeth you ARE a performer. 

I quickly remove my attention from my head and back to Phillip, who was waiting to hear an answer to his question. 

"Oh well, I usually stay back to practise tightrope after everybody leaves Mr Carlyle. If you don't mind, may I ask what you are doing here so late?" 

"Please call me Phillip - Mr Carlyle is my father and I have no intentions of being like him. Anyway , I was just getting a feel for this place. Learning where everything is. " He explained . 

Doesn't want to be like his father? Maybe Anne was wrong about him?

Phillip looked at his watch before pushing back his wavy brown hair. "It's almost 10pm Elizabeth, would you like me to escort you to your house?" He asked. 

I began to smile at his sweetness. 

"Thank you for the offer, Mr Carl...Phillip" I corrected myself. "But you see, Mr Barnum was kind enough to provide a bed for me here for when I intend to stay after hours." 

Phillip looked at me if though I was telling him that the Earth was still flat. His eyebrows furrowed, caused his eyes to look more intensely blue ( if they even could).

"You stay here? By yourself?"

Now it was my turn to look at him with a confused look in my eye. 

"Of course I do." 

His furrow brow began to fade as his smile grew larger as he spoke. "Well since that is the case, Miss Elizabeth, I must request that I stay the night with you."

I was very taken back from his answer, especially after what Anne had told me about him. 

"He is an upper class playwright who only cares and two things; his money and his drinks. He would not even come close to caring about people like us Lizzy." Anne's voice rang out through my head. 

"That is very kind of you Phillip, but I must humbly reject your offer. There would be no where for you to sleep." 

"I insist" 

*******

After extinguishing all the candles, but one, I showed Phillip to my dressing room. I went to make him a bed out of the hay barrels on the other side of the room, but he politely declined and said he would sleep out side the door.

I walked over to my little bed and picked up the goose feather pillow Mrs Barnum had given me, before handing it to Phillip. 

"If I get the mattress, you get the pillow." 

He looked at me funnily before slowly accepting the pillow. 

I sat at my vanity and picked up the book I was reading - " Romeo and Juliet" By William Shakespeare. 

"Is that what I think it is?" Phillip inquired as he walked over and saw the book in my hands. "Shakespeare?" 

Sheepishly, I looked down at the metal legs of the chair. "Yes, my mother gave it to me for my last birthday." 

Phillip, watching my eyes trace the straw on the ground, replied quickly. "No, No. He is my favourite author? "Romeo and Juliet" right?" 

"Yes, exactly. Its my favourite because of how the two houses constantly fight and all it takes to change that is ..."

"A little bit of love." We both say in unison.

We smile at each other, our eyes remaining in contact fir a few moments longer than they should off until we were abruptly interrupted by the clanging of the clock tower , signalling that it was now 10pm. 

"Well Phillip, I think it is best if we head off to sleep now. Mr Barnum won't be impressed if we both oversleep." I say as I walk away from my vanity and over to my bed. 

Shaking his head, though he was waking up from a trance, Phillip replied. "Well yes. Goodnight Elizabeth."  As he walk out the door and closed it behind him. 

"Goodnight Phillip." I say loud enough that, hopefully, he would hear it. 

I blew out the candle which illuminated the room and began to settle in to the mattress. 

Is there a chance we may have similar hearts? I though to myself as I drifted off to sleep. 

A/N

Yay! Chapter 2 is done... again. 

I don't know what happen last night but I uploaded the chapter and saw that it was published and then it was gone when I woke up this morning. 

I know that the story is still a bit boring, but I promise I have something exciting planned for chapter 3 !

Thank you to all the people who read, voted and commented on my last chapter - it truly made my day. 

Please vote and comment 

Chapter 3 should be up tonight! 

Maya