Read Online That Time I Joined the Circus by J. J. Howard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J. J. Howard
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little straighter, and I could tell she wanted to change the subject. “But she seemed to really like reading that play with you.”
As if summoned, Eliska appeared in front of us. “Hi. Lexi? Can I ask you to do something?”
“Sure,” I said.
“You were talking the other day about that English class you had last year that was so great. Could you mayberecommend some of the books you read in that class for me to read? I’d just like to … I’d like to read some of them.”
“Of course,” I told her, standing. “Let’s go to fiction and I’ll show you some good ones. Some famous ones that aren’t too dull.” I smiled. I looked back at Lina.
“Go ahead,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll meet you guys back here in about an hour and a half.”
I led the way to the fiction section and began pulling books off the shelves for Eliska.
“Okay, so you should probably read something by Jane Austen,” I began, pulling down a copy of Pride and Prejudice . “You may not like it — not everybody gets Jane — but I love her.”
“What are her books about?” Eliska asked, giving the girl-in-a-bonnet cover a dubious look.
“Just read it,” I told her. “I can’t describe it.” I handed her Wuthering Heights next, then Heart of Darkness , then Brave New World and Hamlet. “I’m sticking to Brit lit,” I told her. “But there are lots of American authors, too. There’re too many!” I stepped back from the shelves. “How big is your book budget?”
“I can probably buy about six,” Eliska said. “So one more. Can you pick just one?”
“I have some back at the trailer, too,” I told her. “You can borrow whatever you want.”
“Thanks, Lexi.” Eliska smiled that shy smile of hers at me again. Then I settled on Jane Eyre and found her a copy.We sat down to read in the café while we waited for Lina to finish shopping. Eliska dove into Pride and Prejudice , and when I heard her laugh out loud, I knew she got it.
As we were pulling back into the parking lot at Europa, Lina turned to me.
“Hey, how attached are you to sleeping in the crew trailer? ’Cause I was thinking, Liska and I each got our own trailer last year, but mine’s still a double. I kind of feel bad with you in there with all those guys … You want to stay in the spare room in mine instead?”
“YES!” I said, making them both laugh. I raced back to the crew trailer, got my suitcase out of the back, and met Lina outside her trailer. She helped me carry my bag inside and showed me the little room. It was very tiny, with just a twin bed and a small dresser, but compared to the shelf in the crew trailer, it looked like a thousand square feet.
When we were done putting my stuff in the room — in other words, in two minutes — Lina asked if I was ready to head to dinner. I followed her and joined her at her family’s usual table. Louie even smiled at me as I came in. Then came another surprise. I had gotten myself a plate of beef stew and sat down when Louie announced to me that he thought I was a good worker. “I can find a new clerk for the novelties wagon like this.” He snapped his fingers. “If you’re going to stay with us, you should be part of the show.”
I was already shaking my head before my brain had time to form words. I had a sudden, very clear mental picture ofwhat I would look like wearing one of Lina’s barely-there costumes. As cool as it would be to do something amazing like Lina and Liska, have people applaud for me , I knew it just wasn’t in the cards.
“I don’t really have any talent,” I told him. At his raised eyebrow, I added, “I mean, I could never do anything like dancing or performing or whatever. Nothing anyone would want to watch .”
“I’m not so sure about that. But for a start, what about something on the midway?” he asked.
“Dad thinks you can come up with something creative.” Lina smiled. “It’s a compliment, really.” She waggled her eyebrows, and I
As if summoned, Eliska appeared in front of us. “Hi. Lexi? Can I ask you to do something?”
“Sure,” I said.
“You were talking the other day about that English class you had last year that was so great. Could you mayberecommend some of the books you read in that class for me to read? I’d just like to … I’d like to read some of them.”
“Of course,” I told her, standing. “Let’s go to fiction and I’ll show you some good ones. Some famous ones that aren’t too dull.” I smiled. I looked back at Lina.
“Go ahead,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll meet you guys back here in about an hour and a half.”
I led the way to the fiction section and began pulling books off the shelves for Eliska.
“Okay, so you should probably read something by Jane Austen,” I began, pulling down a copy of Pride and Prejudice . “You may not like it — not everybody gets Jane — but I love her.”
“What are her books about?” Eliska asked, giving the girl-in-a-bonnet cover a dubious look.
“Just read it,” I told her. “I can’t describe it.” I handed her Wuthering Heights next, then Heart of Darkness , then Brave New World and Hamlet. “I’m sticking to Brit lit,” I told her. “But there are lots of American authors, too. There’re too many!” I stepped back from the shelves. “How big is your book budget?”
“I can probably buy about six,” Eliska said. “So one more. Can you pick just one?”
“I have some back at the trailer, too,” I told her. “You can borrow whatever you want.”
“Thanks, Lexi.” Eliska smiled that shy smile of hers at me again. Then I settled on Jane Eyre and found her a copy.We sat down to read in the café while we waited for Lina to finish shopping. Eliska dove into Pride and Prejudice , and when I heard her laugh out loud, I knew she got it.
As we were pulling back into the parking lot at Europa, Lina turned to me.
“Hey, how attached are you to sleeping in the crew trailer? ’Cause I was thinking, Liska and I each got our own trailer last year, but mine’s still a double. I kind of feel bad with you in there with all those guys … You want to stay in the spare room in mine instead?”
“YES!” I said, making them both laugh. I raced back to the crew trailer, got my suitcase out of the back, and met Lina outside her trailer. She helped me carry my bag inside and showed me the little room. It was very tiny, with just a twin bed and a small dresser, but compared to the shelf in the crew trailer, it looked like a thousand square feet.
When we were done putting my stuff in the room — in other words, in two minutes — Lina asked if I was ready to head to dinner. I followed her and joined her at her family’s usual table. Louie even smiled at me as I came in. Then came another surprise. I had gotten myself a plate of beef stew and sat down when Louie announced to me that he thought I was a good worker. “I can find a new clerk for the novelties wagon like this.” He snapped his fingers. “If you’re going to stay with us, you should be part of the show.”
I was already shaking my head before my brain had time to form words. I had a sudden, very clear mental picture ofwhat I would look like wearing one of Lina’s barely-there costumes. As cool as it would be to do something amazing like Lina and Liska, have people applaud for me , I knew it just wasn’t in the cards.
“I don’t really have any talent,” I told him. At his raised eyebrow, I added, “I mean, I could never do anything like dancing or performing or whatever. Nothing anyone would want to watch .”
“I’m not so sure about that. But for a start, what about something on the midway?” he asked.
“Dad thinks you can come up with something creative.” Lina smiled. “It’s a compliment, really.” She waggled her eyebrows, and I
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