The Midnight Carnival by Erika McGann Read Free Book Online

reappeared, beaming brightly, and closed the glass door.
    There was a flurry of clapping and cheering, and Grace couldn’t believe that that ball of tangled limbs was a boy, bigger and taller than her, squashed inside that tiny box. Unaturned to her, her hands clapping furiously, and an expression of pure delight on her face.
    ‘That was really gross!’
    Grace laughed. ‘Okay.’
    ‘Seriously. Totally gross. So glad we came to this.’
    The applause continued as Drake unfurled from the glass box and took a sweeping bow. He looked for Grace again and smiled at her.
    ‘You’re gone all red.’ Rachel was watching Grace with narrowed eyes.
    ‘No, I’m not.’
    ‘Yes, you are.’
    ‘It’s warm in here.’
    Rachel turned back to the stage, still clapping and smirking slightly.
    ‘It’s not that warm.’

    The girls couldn’t get tickets for the main show that night, but they hung around the emptying park anyway, playing a few games at the stalls that were still open and wandering around the red-and-white striped tent listening to the cheering of the audience. It was officially a school night, and Grace knew they would all be in trouble for getting home late, but these were the last precious moments of summer and they wanted to cherish them. When the crowd finallyfiled out of the big top, and the lights went out, the girls drifted towards Justine’s tent, hoping to get a glimpse of the bearded girl before they all went home.
    ‘Hey there.’ She strolled towards them, pulling hairpins out of her soft, brown curls so they tumbled to her shoulders. ‘Didn’t catch you guys at the show tonight.’
    ‘We couldn’t get tickets,’ Rachel replied.
    ‘Well, goodness, you shoulda come to me. I’d have got you in.’
    She smiled as she ducked under the tarpaulin door of her tent, and held it up for them. They followed her inside and sat on the cot bed and stools, watching her wipe off her stage make-up.
    ‘Something the matter? Y’all seem a little down in the dumps.’
    ‘School starts tomorrow,’ said Grace. ‘We should really get going. It’s late.’
    ‘How about we feed you a little something first? Can’t be sending you home with empty bellies now, can we? That wouldn’t be neighbourly.’
    Grace grinned with the others as Justine led them out of her tent to a large marquee, sheltered behind a line of trailers. It was filled with long, fold-out tables and chairs, and every performer the girls had seen in the past few days sat gobbling up bowls of delicious-smelling stew.
    ‘Take a seat. I’ll go rustle you up some grub.’
    Across the tables Grace spied Agata and Drake. She waved at them; Drake looked at her but only Agata waved back, and neither of them got up to join the girls.
    ‘I guess they’re wrecked after all the shows today,’ Jenny said.
    She sounded as disappointed as Grace felt. ‘Guess so.’
    ‘Beef strew with all the trimmings.’ Justine had arrived back with a large tray. ‘Eat up.’
    The stew of chunky beef, carrots and potatoes, tasted as good as it smelled. The girls ate as much as they could stuff in on top of all the hotdogs, candy floss and popcorn they had eaten that day, but they couldn’t ignore that everyone was taking sly glances at them as they ate. Maybe they don’t have outsiders for dinner very often , Grace thought.
    ‘We saw a great show today,’ Una said, breaking the silence.
    ‘Is that right?’ said Justine.
    ‘Yeah, with the strongwoman. Agnes, is it?’
    ‘Agata.’
    ‘Right. She was cool, but the boy with the green skin was amazing. He squished himself into this tiny box, it looked like he had no bones.’
    ‘Uh-huh.’
    ‘How come he’s not in the main show? You should put him in, he’s fantastic.’
    ‘It’s not up to me, that’s Felix’s decision. You know, the ringmaster.’
    ‘I’ll say it to him if I see him. He’s missing a trick there.’
    ‘You gotta be a tight group for the main show, you know? It’s a fast-moving thing and