Circus in the Clouds (The Balloonist Chronicles Book 3)

by L. J. Higgins

  I laughed a little.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I don’t think you have it in you to not say a word to him ever again.”

  She smirked. “You’re right. I’m terrible at shutting my mouth. But I’m so angry at him.”

  The bus pulled up in front of the school and we slid out of the seat, thanking Gus, the driver, as we climbed off.

  “Are you okay, Lucy?” Hayley, one of Tracey’s friends, approached us.

  “I’m fine.” I looked between Suzan’s confused face and hers.

  “It must be hard knowing your mum killed herself because you were born half boy half girl.” She burst out laughing and joined Tracey, who shot me a glare as they walked off together.

  My throat tightened and my body froze, unable to process what she’d said.

  “That’s so messed up. Lucy? Are you okay?” Suzan stood in front of me, trying to get my attention.

  Tears welled in my eyes, and I swallowed to keep them at bay. What was going on? Had I become too happy and the universe was punishing me? First the revelations about Dylan, then Mike and Charity, and now Tracey and her herd wanted to knock me down even lower.

  “Lucy?” Mike’s voice sounded from behind me.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Suzan snapped at him.

  “Can we talk?” He ignored her.

  “You should’ve talked when it counted,” said Suzan. “She’s got enough to deal with right now she doesn’t need Mike and Charity drama on top of it.”

  I saw him leave in my peripheral.

  “Lucy, don’t listen to them. They just know you’re happy and they’re trying to bring you down,” she said.

  Why couldn’t Tracey leave me alone? Why couldn’t I be happy, just be a normal teenage girl without dramas or issues for once?

  The school bell rang.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I let it out slow and even, and squared my shoulders. Lifting my chin, I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. “Let’s get to class.” I sniffed.

  “Are you sure? Maybe we should go to the office?” suggested Suzan.

  I shook my head. “Let them say what they want. As long as I have you, Rachel, and Becca I’ll be okay.”

  She put her arm around my shoulders and we started walking towards school. “You’ll always have us, I promise.”

  It was all good and well for Suzan to say I’d always have her but she wasn’t in my English or Maths classes where Tracey and her herd had spread their new rumour. And although I knew it wasn’t true, it still sucked having the whole class talking and giggling about me. Did they really believe it was true? That I could be half boy, half girl. Or did they just enjoy the power spreading rumours gave them. Or the fact it wasn’t them in the firing line?

  By the time the bell rang for lunch I was eager to pack up my things and make my way to the edge of the oval. That was until I spotted Dylan passing a football to Ethan and my heart sank all over again. Part of me didn’t want to mention what Mike had told me. I wanted to pretend everything was okay for the next thirty minutes and just enjoy my friends. But when he waved to me, his eyes lighting up, I knew I couldn’t pretend.

  Letting out a sigh, I made my way to the group.

  “Hey, Lucy.” Dylan jogged over to me. “I heard you had a rough morning. Are you okay?”

  “Do you want to come have a talk?” I asked.

  His eyes widened and he swallowed hard. “Sure.”

  I dropped my bag next to Suzan, and she gave me a reassuring nod as I led Dylan far enough away from the others that they couldn’t hear us. Yet, their stares followed us.

  “Is everything okay?” He took my hand in his.

  I offered him a tight smile. “I have to ask you about something.”

  “What is it?”

  “I know we haven’t made anything official, and we’re just dating, but I heard something and since that night at the party the only guy I’ve been hanging out with is you. This is probably silly because we aren’t anything really are we?” I looked into his chestnut coloured eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.

  “Are you breaking up with me?” he asked.

  “No,” I breathed out. “Can we even break up technically? I mean you have to be official to break up, right?”

  “What are you trying to say? I’m sorry Lucy, I’m confused.”

  “I heard something and I wanted to ask you about it but now I’m here, I’m wondering if I have any right to ask at all.” I was making no sense. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “You have to tell me now. What did you hear?” he asked.

  “Nothing, it’s fine.” My mind raced so fast I thought I might pass out.

  “Please,” he begged, dampness in his eyes.

  “I heard you have a girlfriend at Tappinton High,” I blurted out.

  I forced my gaze up from my shuffling feet to try to read his reaction. He swallowed again.

  It was true. Mike was telling the truth. My heart dropped into my stomach and I wanted to run, but my feet wouldn’t budge.

  “We weren’t ever a couple. She was a girl I talked to on Fantasy Wars a few times,” he said. “We never even went on a date.”

  “You haven’t been seeing both of us at the same time?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “No. She asked me if I wanted to hang out with her after the party and I told her I was already seeing someone. I told you. This is all new to me.”

  Happiness swelled in my chest alongside embarrassment. “I feel so stupid.”

  “Don’t feel stupid. I’m glad you asked me about it instead of going all crazy jealous on me.”

  “Do you still talk on Fantasy Wars?” I asked.

  “Not since I told her I met you. I promise,” he said.

  “I’m sorry I made this so weird,” I said. “Just, I had drama yesterday at training, and then this rumour going around.”

  “Drama at training?” he asked. “You said it went well.”

  “I didn’t want you to freak out,” I said. I told him about the conversation with Mike, the argument with Charity. “You can run away now if you like.”

  He stepped forward and took my face in his hands. “I’m not going anywhere.” He pressed his lips to mine.

  My body stiffened for a moment before relaxing with the warmth of his touch, the softness of his lips against mine. It all slipped away, the stress, the sadness, the anger. And when he stepped back, the smile on his face told me what I wanted to know. He was telling the truth.

  I was on cloud nine after my kiss with Dylan and despite sitting through classes of giggles and quiet remarks, I was determined not to let Tracey’s lies destroy my happiness.

  When the bell went to signal the end of the day and I made my way towards the bus, I held my head high as I went to walk past Tracey and her herd… until she stepped in front of me, all of them blocking my path.

  “I’m not in the mood for your childish rumours.” I stepped to walk around her.

  “Come on, Lucy, it’s all just a bit of fun,” she teased, laughing with her friends.

  “Your idea of fun is much different to mine,” I said.

  “It must be hard to have fun when your mum killed herself,” she laughed.

  The mention of my Mum made the happiness dissolve, replacing it with a heat that coursed through my veins. I clenched my fists as I stalked towards her. She shrank back with her friends as I reached her, narrowing my eyes. “You know what, Tracey? If I were you I’d keep my opinions on others to myself. Especially when the people you insist on bullying know stuff you wouldn’t want the whole school to find out about.”

  “Is that a threat,” she bit back.

  Yes. I wanted to scream for the whole world to hear that her dad was a deadbeat and her mum was a junkie. I wanted her to feel like I did every time she created a new rumour.

  “Lucy? Are you okay?” Suzan’s voice cut through the thoughts racing through my mind and I released a breath, my body relaxing a
little.

  “I’m fine,” I said.

  I could tell everyone. I could make her life a living hell like she’d done to me. But then I’d be just like her, miserable and unhappy and needing to bring the people around me down to my level.

  “Tracey was just telling me she’s going to shut her mouth and leave me alone from now on,” I said.

  Tracey shuffled for a moment, mouth opening and closing, her friends looking between each other.

  Suzan arrived beside me, arms crossed over her chest and right eyebrow raised. “Is that right?”

  Tracey clicked her tongue and turned to her herd of friends. “She’s not worth it anyway.”

  Suzan and I watched as they walked away whispering to each other.

  As the adrenalin left my body, my legs grew weak and I was afraid I might drop to the concrete path.

  “Are you okay?” Suzan gripped my arm as though she sensed it.

  “I just want today to be over,” I told her.

  “Let’s go home.” She guided me to the bus.

  “She said what?” yelled Olivia, both hands on her hips. “That little…”

  “It’s fine,” I said.

  “No, it’s not fine. You’ve been so good about all of this, keeping her secrets and putting up with her and Catherine, and she says that about you? That’s an all new low.”

  “Well, I’m hoping me losing my temper with her was enough to make her leave me alone for a while.”

  “You need to tell your dad,” she said.

  “No way. And you can’t tell him either,” I said.

  “He should know Lucy.”

  “But we’ve just started getting along again. I have my dad back, I don’t want to make him feel like he has to stick up for me to Catherine, because he doesn’t.”

  “He should,” she said.

  “Since when are you so wound up over things?” I asked her.

  She sighed and plonked down on the mattress beside me. “Since I care about you a lot, and I can’t stand the way she treats you. I’d hoped when I go she’d leave you alone.”

  My eyes widened and my throat tightened. “You’re going? The balloon’s fixed?”

  She gripped my hand in hers, shaking her head. “No, it’s not. I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean, if I was to decide to go home I’d want to know that you’d be okay.”

  “I have Suzan, Rachel, and Becca. Tracey can’t hurt me anymore,” I said.

  “You girls home?” Dad’s voice boomed through the house.

  “Don’t say a word,” I warned Olivia.

  She mimed zipping her lips shut before we made our way out to greet Dad.

  “Here’s my two favourite girls,” he said. “How were your days?”

  “I cleaned toilets, sinks, showers, stripped beds,” said Olivia. “All the fun stuff.”

  “You’re not enjoying your job anymore?” Dad flicked on the kettle.

  Olivia shrugged. “It’s good to be earning my keep, but I wouldn’t say cleaning is my dream job.”

  “Hopefully one day we can find a way to get you more permanent identification so you can get a job you like,” said Dad.

  “One day,” she said.

  “How was your day?” I asked him.

  “I sold some of our cattle today. Fixed another fence. Helped Pete next door sell his pig and had lunch with Catherine.”

  I tried not to flinch at the sound of her name and shot a look at Olivia, warning her to stay quiet.

  “Sounds like a busy day.” The kettle clicked and I rushed into the kitchen. “Who wants a cuppa?”

  “Yes please,” said Olivia.

  “That’s why I turned it on,” said Dad.

  I poured us each a black tea, adding a dash of milk to mine and Olivia’s along with a teaspoon of sugar, and placed them all on the breakfast bench.

  “Catherine invited us to her place for tea tomorrow night,” said Dad.

  “But I have touch football tomorrow night,” I said.

  “Can you miss one game? Catherine’s excited,” he said.

  “Some friends from school were going to come watch,” I told him.

  “I’d really like it if you could be there,” he said. “Consider it as payment for letting you go to the movies.”

  To be honest, the last thing I wanted to do was face Charity or Mike. “Sure. Sounds nice.” I was sure Dylan would understand. Things must be bad if Catherine’s dinner was the lesser of two evils.

  22

  Lucy

  Bilstone, Australia

  The moment I stepped through the door of Catherine’s brick home with its stark white walls and salmon coloured drapes, dread wedged itself firmly in my stomach. I did my best to plaster a smile on my face as Catherine hugged each of us in turn. She wore a pastel pink skirt and a white blouse, her hair twisted up into a fancy bun at the back of her head.

  “It’s so nice to have you all here. Tracey!” Catherine called out behind her.

  Tracey appeared around the corner wearing a pink floral dress and I gritted my teeth to muffle my laughter. Karma was sweet.

  “Tracey, you look nice,” said Dad.

  “Thank you, Bruce,” she greeted Dad, avoiding eye contact with me.

  “I wish I’d known we were supposed to dress up for the occasion,” he added.

  I hugged my black cardigan closer around my chest.

  Catherine looked me over then to Olivia, who also wore jeans, a t-shirt and a black jumper.

  “I didn’t realise you were coming, Olivia. When I said family I assumed it would just be Bruce and Lucy.” She guiding us into the living room.

  “Olivia is family.” I gave Olivia a sideways look. There was no way I could’ve gone into that house without her.

  “Well, there’s family, and then there’s extended family. But you seem to have firmly rooted yourself within their little family unit.”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but a warning glare from Dad forced my lips back together.

  “Bruce and Lucy have been very kind to let me stay for so long,” said Olivia.

  “Tracey, can you please set another place at the table for our surprise guest,” said Catherine.

  Tracey nodded and left the room, no doubt happy to be out of our presence.

  Catherine gestured towards a three seater couch that looked as though it’d been upholstered in a grandma’s curtains, the floral fabric bright pinks and greens. Olivia and I sat beside each other while Catherine and Dad sat on the three seater opposite us, a dark wooden coffee table between each couch laden with cheese, meats and crackers, a white teapot, and four teacups.

  “We’ll need another tea cup too,” Catherine called out towards the kitchen. “Tea?” she asked us.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” I replied.

  “I’ve just asked Tracey to fetch another,” she said.

  Dad gave me a look that said ‘drink the damned tea’.

  “White with one sugar please,” I said.

  “Olivia?” she asked.

  “I’ll have the same, thank you,” replied Olivia.

  The pleasantries were making me nauseous and I was happy once I had a tea to my lips, the warmth attempting to sooth my stomach.

  Tracey returned with a teacup and poured herself a tea standing between us.

  “Don’t hover, Tracey, sit down beside Olivia.”

  “Sorry, Aunty Catherine.” Tracey did as she was told, shuffling as far away from Olivia as possible.

  “So, Olivia. How long are you planning on staying with Bruce? He’s already struggling financially you know, it must be even harder with another mouth to feed.”

  I looked at Dad, unaware we were struggling at all.

  “I wouldn’t say we were struggling,” said Dad. “And Olivia has a job and is paying her own way. She’s welcome to stay as long as she likes.”

  “We love having her with us,” I added.

  Silence fell between us and Dad took some food from the table and stuffed his mouth while t
he rest of us sipped on our tea.

  “What do you all think of Tracey’s dress?” asked Catherine. “I think she looks like a beautiful young lady. Wouldn’t you agree, Lucy?”

  Catherine’s gaze made my heart rate kick up a notch. “It’s nice.”

  “Maybe I could take you shopping some time, help you pick out some more feminine clothing. You can’t spend your life living in jeans and a t-shirt. You’re a young lady.”

  “She likes to be comfortable.” I was thankful Dad was at least trying to stick up for me.

  “Nonsense. She’s a young lady. Maybe you and Tracey could spend some time together. She tells me those friends of yours are a little…”

  Tracey dropped her gaze to her lap.

  “Strange. Different. I know they’re the first friends you’ve had but maybe you should think a little bit harder about the company you keep.”

  “My friends aren’t strange or different. They’re loyal and caring.” My spine stiffened.

  “That might be so, but getting drunk at parties isn’t exactly lady like,” she said.

  “I have to agree with Lucy,” said Olivia. “Her friends are good to her.”

  “Yes, well. I don’t think it would hurt for you to learn a thing or two from Tracey here,” she said.

  “And what exactly is she going to learn from Tracey?” bit Olivia.

  I placed my hand on her leg, trying to calm her down. Dad looked between them as though unsure what to say.

  Catherine’s eyebrows pressed together. “How to dress. How to speak to others. How to be polite.”

  “Do you know your niece at all?” asked Olivia.

  “Olivia,” warned Dad.

  “Tell them, Lucy, tell them how lovely and well-mannered Tracey is.”

  “I think I might go check on dinner.” Tracey rose from her seat.

  “No.” Olivia stood to meet her. “Tell them, Lucy.”

  I looked at Dad, his face full of confusion and hurt. Should I tell them? Should I risk losing my dad once again? But I took one look at the dirty glare on Catherine’s face, and looked to Tracey, who had every confidence to belittle me at school but couldn’t lift her gaze from her feet when her herd weren’t nearby.