The first shop was called Antiquities and Such. I opened the bright pink door and ventured inside. Strands of Christmas lights framed the shelves and piano music drifted from a pair of frayed speakers. The smell of old things tickled my nose. An elderly lady looked up from her magazine and smiled somewhat warily at me.
‘Can I help you, young man?’
I smiled back. ‘I’m just looking, thank you.’
She nodded and returned to her magazine, and I ducked into the first aisle. Row after row of delicate collectibles taunted me. The sight was discouraging. What would Josephine like? I’d barely talked to her; if one could count a few awkward sentences as actual conversation. I should have asked Katie’s advice, but it was too late now.
I checked my phone. It was already 5:30 p.m.. I was running out of time, and I wasn’t going to find anything here. I spun around, fumbling for my keys, and dropped my phone in the process. It clanked against the glass shelving. As I knelt to pick it up, I noticed the bottom shelf was empty, save for one object: a porcelain figure.
She was dressed in a patterned skirt and peasant top, painted bright orange and yellow. The artist had captured her in the middle of a dance, with her arms extended, her back arched, and her hair billowing. Lifelike green eyes stared back at me, holding my gaze so intently that I could have sworn she was real. I leaned in closer; captivated.
A Gypsy figurine that resembled Josephine Romany. Romany. I could almost hear the wheels clicking together in my head. Could it be that the traveling circus was made up of Gypsies, too? Is that why Hugo had abruptly cut me off when I mentioned their arrival? Was there still more my brother wasn’t telling me?
‘Young man, can I get that for you?’
I toppled backwards off my heels, narrowly missing the breakables on the shelf behind me. I blinked up at the wrinkled face. ‘It’s her,’ I murmured.
The woman looked at me as if I’d escaped from a mental institution. ‘Well, I’m glad you like it. I’ll package it up for you.’
She took the figurine and hobbled to the counter. She rolled the porcelain girl in crinkled paper and bundled it into a bag.
‘That will be fifteen dollars.’
I scrounged up enough bills to pay for the gift. Back inside my van, I placed the bag on the passenger seat and stared at it, feeling a little hazy. Was I cursed with seeing Josephine in every dancing image for the rest of my life? I forced my gaze away from the gift and glanced in the rearview mirror instead.
I shoved back my hood and raked my fingers through my hair as if I could somehow brush out the pewter sheen. But nothing changed. I had to hand it to the guys. They were taking this initiation pretty seriously. I gave my head a fierce shake, yanked on my hood, and drove back to Sixes High School.
I’d given little thought to the cast list until I arrived. I just wanted to look at the sheet, congratulate those who had gotten roles, and commence with the most difficult part of my day: Josephine’s party.
‘Okay, Sebastian,’ I said, ‘let’s get this over with.’
A crowd had gathered to see the audition results, and I eased closer to the posted sheet, trying not to draw attention. The first thing I noticed was all the leads. Josephine was Titania, Queen of the Fairies. She would be perfect. Brandon had snagged Lysander, and Emma was Hermia. I doubted their love scenes would take much effort. Avery won the part of Oberon, and I was proud that Katie had been assigned the role of Hippolyta. Of course, I would have to give her some good ribbing over that name.
And then I saw the unexpected: my own name. I looked away and back. Sure enough, there it was, right next to the character of Nick Bottom, the weaver. I cringed, knowing exactly what was in store for me.
As if on cue, Mitchell’s mischievous face came into view. ‘Hey Sebastian, isn’t Nick Bottom the guy who gets turned into an ass?’
Avery shoved Mitchell while the rest of the group laughed.
The ass. I sighed deeply. Perfect.
My van protested as I hit every pothole on Fairground Drive. But none of my passengers seemed to care. They were too busy discussing the cast list. I’d volunteered to drive – not because my van held the most people – but because it provided some distraction. And not from the incessant joking about my role in the play, either; I was used to Mitchell and his junior high level pranks. They didn’t faze me.
But attending Josephine’s party was a different story.
‘Look, guys,’ Emma squealed, nearly jabbing me in the eye as she pointed over my shoulder from the back seat. ‘We’re here!’
‘Way to state the obvious,’ said Brandon, pulling her back into his lap with a laugh.
She poked out her bottom lip. ‘Not funny.’
He leaned in for a kiss, and I shifted the rearview mirror so that I didn’t have to witness any more of the public displays of affection that pretty much summed up their relationship. But Avery craned his neck around from the passenger seat and made gagging noises.
The Fairgrounds was a twenty-acre expanse designed for recreational activities, just outside town. As I pulled through the gates, evidence of the Circe de Romany was everywhere. An enormous tent loomed overhead, covered with lush red and gold stripes. Bright pavilions and booths, in similar colors and trimmed with green, lined the perimeter of the grounds. Katie met us in the parking lot, flushed and beaming like a blast of sunshine.
‘Pretty cool, huh?’ Katie was at my elbow as we piled out of the van.
‘It’s all right,’ I said, ‘I mean, if you’re into this sort of thing.’
She grabbed the edge of my jacket and yanked me down to her level. ‘Listen to me, you social invert, you’re going to have fun tonight.’ Her blue eyes narrowed playfully. ‘Understood?’
My lip twitched into a grin. ‘Does fun include hovering dangerously close to the exit door, looking for the most opportune moment for escape?’
‘You’re impossible.’
She tried to hit me, but I dodged out of the way with a laugh.
Avery jogged up. ‘This is awesome!’
‘I know,’ Katie replied. ‘And Josie said the Circe’s added some new acts and expanded the carnival since their last visit.’
Avery looked as if he was in heaven. ‘More games and rides?’
Katie bounced on her toes. ‘Yep. And I hear the new shows are going to be really cool.’
I locked up the van, noting the numerous cars in the lot. Josephine had apparently wasted no time making friends. Just as I stuffed my keys into my pocket, a stocky young man strolled through the fence. A broad smile flashed across his tanned features.
‘That’s Francis, Josephine’s twin brother,’ Katie said, following my gaze.
‘I didn’t know she was a twin.’ Granted, I didn’t really know much about Josephine at all, but I could see the sibling resemblance. ‘So, is this his party, too?’
‘Well, technically. But he’s not big into parties.’ She crossed her arms. ‘Sounds like someone else I know.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ I replied in my most innocent voice.
‘Hey, guys,’ said Francis as he approached. He was friendly, and I got the feeling that, despite Katie’s words, he’d be perfectly at ease with any party thrown his way. ‘Thanks for coming.