A smile curled her lips. “Thanks. I just want to make a difference, no matter how small.”
“You are. You’re helping more than you know.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
ARINA
As soon as we got back to the caravan, Bobbitt disappeared to go talk to Hallow, leaving me to my own devices. I wandered around the parking lot, trying to work up the courage to knock on the door to the aerialist bus, but I gave up and retreated to my bunk instead. I lay there, bored out of my mind, wishing I had a way to pass the time that didn’t involve napping or staring at the underside of the bunk above mine.
It would take me some time to get used to the vast amount of downtime that came with touring; when we weren’t setting up, breaking down, or performing, it was kind of boring.
Bobbitt returned an hour later with a fat, unaddressed envelope that she stuffed into my hand with a smile on her face.
“What’s this?” I asked, squeezing it experimentally. It felt like it was filled with paper.
“Open it.” She plopped down next to me on my bunk, folding her hands in her lap and waiting expectantly.
Curious and confused, I lifted the flap of the envelope and peered inside. My stomach pitched toward the floor when I noticed a stack of crisp twenty-dollar bills.
“I can’t accept this,” I told her, my eyes wide in horror. “It’s too much.”
She threw a hand up, refusing to take it back.
“Family, I told ya.” She shook her head firmly. “There’s more where that came from, if ya get in a pinch.”
More where that came from? Yeah right.
I stared down at the envelope. I’d make this money stretch or starve.
No way was I asking for more.
“Thank you,” I whispered, crossing to my cabinet and tucking the envelope beneath a stack of clothes for safe keeping. “And tell Hallow I said thank you, too. Please.”
She grinned widely. “Can do, doll.”
Then, it was back to hanging around the caravan and wasting time.
Syxx offered to let me borrow her tablet to watch movies, which I suspected had something to do with Bobbitt, but I didn’t argue. I curled up in my bunk with Zero’s shirt wrapped around my head and watched cartoons until my stomach began to growl again.
Bobbitt was nowhere to be found when I decided to go find lunch, and I still hadn’t seen any sign of Daze. I could have asked Syxx or Sevyn to join me, or even one of the other clowns I’d yet to talk to, but I got nervous at the last second and headed to the restaurant next door alone.
I took my time to peruse the menu, enjoying the feeling of not being rushed. Ever since I ran away from home, my life felt like a whirlwind; I was constantly rushing. Even sightseeing with Bobbitt had felt hurried because of how quickly she walked and talked.
But for the moment, I could relax.
I could take my time.
Best of all, I could let my guard down and stop worrying about the future.
This—traveling with the Knotty Sideshow, eating at adorable restaurants, and performing for crowds around the country—was my future.
And it feels amazing.
I finally bumped into Daze on my way back from lunch, and my heart shot into my throat at the sight of his rainbow hair.
“Daze!” I called and ran to catch up before he could disappear again. He was actually wearing a shirt today, along with some black shorts and sandals. “Where have you been hiding?”
He smiled weakly. “Not hiding, just a little busy. We’re about to start setting up some of the highwire stuff.”
