Page 74 of Chalk Outline

“You see, I’m that good.” He steps forward. “I even canceled the password for you.”

I catch up with him and pull his hand back. “Dad.” I watch as he slowly turns to face me. “How did you do that?”

“Don’t sell all your cards at once, Reeve. Keep some of them hidden to surprise the other players.”

“Can you not speak in code?” I cross my arms over my chest and tilt my head to the side. I hate it when he does that, as if everything is a game.

He chuckles in amusement. “It’s my phone, son.”

“So why didn’t you say so? Don’t you want it back?”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Whoever finds it first gets to keep it. Those are the rules. You must pay the price when you lose something. It’s your responsibility. The world isn’t fair. So don’t play fair. Make a few bucks or keep it.” He winks at me and exits through the curtains.

I linger for a moment.

“Wait, Dad!” I shout, rushing outside to stop him.

Sheets of rain fall from the sky, washing my body anew. Thunderclaps echo in the distance. Through opaque vision, a distant silhouette retreats quickly from the circus grounds.

“Wait,” I shout again. “Dad!”

I wipe my face with defeated movements.

“Did you ever consider taking me with you?” I yell, my voice rising with fury and puncturing my thoughts.

“What are you doing outside?” a woman says behind me as I watch him walk away. “Get in here,” her voice becomes more urgent.

I turn to see the aerial gymnastics lady standing at the entrance of a tent, making rapid hand gestures to enhance her request. My brow hikes up. Maybe I should stay here, get pneumonia, and die in peace.

“Don’t make me come to you and drag you here,” she scolds, yanking the boy who stepped outside back inside. I assume he is her son, as she’s the only employee who doesn’t live in the circus.

I step into the tent before I get a lecture from someone I only exchanged two sentences with. They look up at me as I move closer, but stay a few feet away.

“I’m sorry, Reeve. I heard the loud music and the...” She pauses to look at the boy again, as if she’s uncomfortable saying the word sex around him. “I know they can be inconsiderate.”

I chuckle. That’s an understatement. Her words aren’t meant to be funny, but I find this whole situation ridiculous.

Her eyebrows knit together, giving me that sympathetic look that screams pity. I don’t need her pity. I hate it. It makes me feel as insignificant as an insect.

“That’s my son, Klaus. He’s sixteen. He loves cars and motorcycles.” She shifts the conversation, trying to lighten the mood.

“Mom, he doesn’t need my biography,” Klaus replies nonchalantly, giving her a side-eye and shifting his gaze to me with a twinkle of mischief in his murky eyes. “And hey.” His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his loose sweats before he pulls one out and runs his fingers through his hair, brown layers falling over each other.

“What are you doing here anyway?” I ask, refocusing on her.

“I forgot my paycheck.” She gulps, fidgeting from one foot to the other. “It was in Dick’s office.”

“He gave it yesterday. I saw you in his office when I came to pick up Mom’s paycheck.”

“Oh, yeah. Right… hmm, there was a mistake, and he needed to fix it.” She quickly explains, looking suspiciously at her son and then at me. Dick is many things, but he is overly cautious and calculated. Everyone knows that, including her. That’s why it doesn’t add up.

If she came here to rob him, I wouldn’t blame her. It’s justice in my eyes.

“We’re forced to hide in here because of the rain. We were on our way out, but it caught us midway,” she explains herself again while her son pulls his phone from his pocket and texts someone.

“My friends want to meet me. I’ve got to go.” Klaus rushes outside the tent.

I seize the opportunity to get out as well.