"Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee." [Milly]

[L.C. Milliner]

Oh God. She couldn’t do this. Her hands were shaking, her palms felt cold, and her fingers didn’t want to seem to hit the right buttons. After dialing the number wrong from the fifth time, L.C. finally sat the phone down on the bench beside her and took a deep breath. She could do this. This was Amelia for crying out loud, it wasn’t like she was going to rant or rave at her. Amelia probably wasn’t even capable of raising her voice.

But she had left her.

They had made a promise to run away together, and L.C. blew her off. Granted, she had been run out of her Mother's house, but nonetheless. Now she was on the hoops, which apparently were still not up to safety codes. Well, some things never change. L.C. had fallen off the hoops and broke her arm once- even then, they only fortified it just a little more, and had gotten rid of the safety bracelet. How they made things safer by getting rid of it, she’d never know. But now the act was handed off to Amelia- the same Amelia that flinched whenever L.C. would raise her hand. The same Amelia that needed saving from some bully every other day. That Amelia.

Was it such a surprise that L.C. had to help her?

After five minutes of calming down, the blonde reached for the cell phone she had ‘borrowed’ from Zac (he had three more, he wouldn’t care) and slowly, carefully, dialed the number written on the letter in front of her. She glanced around, noting the hallway was empty- everyone was still in the auditorium, celebrating graduation and gossiping about all that was said. She held the phone to her ear, swallowing as her mouth went dry. The phone rang once. Twice. Then-

“Amelia? It’s Lyra.” No time for catching up. “Are you okay?”

[Amelia Jeffords]

It was now the summer, which would only mean more crowds, more shows, more everything she hated. She didn't want to have to do the hoops for show after show, knowing that at any moment she could fall and injure herself. The summer also meant such things as heat waves and 4th of July, and there were always extra shows for the 4th. Somehow she never felt that patriotic during the summer months, watching people wear all their star-spangled red and white and blue outfits, paying to watch her take her life into her hands.

And Lyra still hadn't called.

Maybe she just hadn't got the letter yet. Maybe she would never get the letter; maybe the return address on the letter she'd found in Ms. Milliner's dresser drawer was inaccurate.
Or maybe Lyra didn't want to talk to her again, had new and better friends from school.

There were any number of reason that might have kept her away from the phone, and none of them were good.

She sighed dejectedly, splayed out on her bed, staring at the decrepit old cell phone her father had bought her for her birthday, willing it to ring. She had few reasons to use it; mostly her parents used if they wanted her help with something and she was off in another corner of the carnival. It wasn't as if she had friends to talk to, certainly not on the phone.

And then it did ring, an unfamiliar number popping up on the screen. She jumped, startled, then looked furtively around her bedroom as if expecting her sister or parents to appear.

"Hello?" She whispered, putting the phone to her ear, then, slightly louder. "Lyra! Yeah, I'm...I'm okay. I didn't know if you'd get my letter."

[L.C. Milliner]

Amelia’s voice on the other end of the other line almost made L.C. melt into a puddle of mush- after all these years it still sounded the same as it did when they were children. Granted, the phone made people sound different so she’d probably be surprised when she saw her, but right now she was taking things one step at a time. The first step- making sure Amelia was okay- had been a success. There was one more thing to cross off the rapidly growing checklist in her head. Now she just had to get her out of there, set her up in Pilot Ridge, make sure she got a good job...

Yes, she loved her friend and would do anything for her. Was it so surprising?

“I got it today, just before graduation. Good job on finding the address.” L.C. had known for a while that her Mother knew exactly where she was but hadn’t cared about it for a long time. The idea of her keeping the letter was a surprise for L.C.; she must’ve forgotten to throw it away. But the older teen didn’t write to Amelia simply because she was afraid of the response she would get. She knew how insecure and clingy Amelia was (it was endearing, honestly); her running away must have all but killed her.

The subsequent silence from L.C.’s end of the line signified that she felt awkward. She had so much to say, but so little time to explain. “I... I’m sorry.” She muttered, her free hand curling into a fist. “I’m sorry I left like that.” Glancing down the hallway to make sure no one was coming, L.C. lowered her voice.

“It’ll take some time, but... I’ll come get you. I promise.” The last words echoed in her head and she remembered the last promise she made to Amelia. “I mean it this time.”

[Amelia Jeffords]

"It...it's okay."

That was a blatant lie. It had been five years, and it still wasn't entirely okay. She'd learned that L.C. had no choice in leaving, and she'd repeated that to herself over and over, but that hadn't served to convince her heart.

Stupid feelings, refusing to bow to reason.

"It was such a shock, really, it was like you just vanished. It was months before anyone told me what had happened, I thought for sure you'd just got fed up and left." And didn't take her friend with her, as promised. But Amelia figured it made sense; had they run away together at that age she would only have been a liability.

"I'm so glad to hear from you, you have no idea." She added. And really, L.C. didn't. Because Amelia had done her very best to keep secret that she was somewhat infatuated with her friend.

Even after five years.

Even after having been abandoned.

"Oh," She realized she hadn't responded at all to the information that Lyra had graduated. "Oh, congratulations. Are you going to college?"

If she sounded rather in awe of that concept, it was because she was. Her mother had attended college, but she hadn't finished, and Amelia herself didn't even consider that a possibility in her own future. "That's....that's great." She was both happy for her friend and a bit bummed that she was leaving her old life further and further behind. What would they even have in common anymore?

"How long?" She wondered aloud. She'd spent enough time in the carnival that a few more months wouldn't really hurt her (probably) but now that they were in contact again she felt a growing desperation to be out. "I don't know how long I can wait, Lyra, they're driving me mad here."

[L.C. Milliner]

L.C. knew it wasn’t okay, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Instead, she took a shaky breath and nodded before realizing Amelia couldn’t see her nod over the phone. “...Okay.” She’d fix it. She’d make everything better, just like always. Whenever she bossed Amelia around she made up for it later. She’d take care of her friend and make sure she got the future she wanted- the future she deserved.

“My Mom... We got in a row, and she started throwing things.” She never told anyone this, of course. No one at Hammel knew anything about her mother. “She called me a freak, told me to leave. So I ran off.” Then spent the subsequent two months afterward on the streets, digging through trash bins, rolling drunks, and picking pockets. It was during that time she felt a little glad that Amelia was still in the carnival. It was cold and thankless out there. She never would have made it, even with her protection. But she’d never tell Amelia that.

L.C. smiled and looked down at her lap, smoothing out her dress. “It’s nice to hear from you too. I was very worried.” Sometimes the realization that Amelia was in still in that awful place would creep up on her and catch her by surprise, leaving her feeling guilty and upset. Many of L.C.’s bad moods could be blamed on that overwhelming sense of guilt about her friend. But now, she could set things right. That was what mattered. “I missed you a lot. And I’m not lying, promise.” She assured, her friend, knowing her all too well.

College? Oh god, where did she start. “Not yet. I was kind of slacking off, not thinking about it. I’ll work for a year and then try for something.” For what, she didn’t know. She didn’t really see herself as a college student. But that reminded her of an issue she needed to discuss. “Did you finish high school? Or at least get a GED?” They could enroll her in the local high school if she didn’t yet, but that would make finding her a job harder than ever. Maybe Kali could give her a chance.

L.C. paused as she saw someone pass by, and she waited until the footsteps on the linoleum receded before breathing again. She felt like she was doing something wrong by not telling anyone- but she couldn’t start asking for favors now. She owed Sean enough, and she wasn’t about to ask favors from Zac right off the bat. “Soon.” That didn’t sound reassuring. She sighed, looked at the clock on the wall, and made a decision. “Where will you guys be for the Fourth of July weekend?” Getting her from the carnival before the big holiday show was suicide, but there was no time to waste. She’d cash her paycheck that Friday and use the money to get to wherever they were. She already had enough money saved up from her other paychecks to pay the down payment on her rent, which was for three months. It only had one bedroom, but they’d manage.

[Amelia Jeffords]

"Oh." Amelia breathed, her reply nearly inaudible. That made sense, in retrospect; Ms. Milliner was known for yelling. Lots of yelling. Amelia found her intimidating, unsurprisingly.

She scooted up against her pillows, drawing her knees to her chest and cradling the phone tight, wishing she could capture those words into her memory forever. Lyra missed her, and she sounded sincere about it. That thought brought a smile to her lips.

"GED," Amelia confirmed, "Mom insisted. I think she feels guilty about dropping out of college." Maybe if she hadn't she would have had a normal job, one that didn't involve traveling about and long hours. That would have meant no dad, but he barely paid attention to his daughters anyway.

"You're working? Doing what?" Please don't say performing. She willed.

She bit her lip, trying not to cry. God, she was so glad that Lyra was coming to get her. "We'll be in Maryland. Landover, Maryland. Are you really coming? Do I need to pack?" That might look suspicious; maybe she could hide her stuff in a box under her bed.

[L.C. Milliner]

“Yeah.” That was all L.C. had to say about her Mother- she didn’t want to give the woman any more attention than she deserved. If it were up to her she’d call herself an orphan. Mother from hell, a regular old David Copperfield of a Dad, and as an added bonus, a brother so foul vultures turned up their noses at him. Oh yeah, her life was certainly a snapshot from the Brady Bunch.

Alright, a GED was good. She could work with that. “See, you were always the smarter of the two of us.” She chirped, trying to lighten the mood. “Took me five years to finish high school here. What a surprise, right?” L.C. never claimed to have a good head on her shoulders when it came to school. Wit and sarcasm seemed to flow endlessly, but she hit a brick wall when it came to classes. Once upon a time she was a downright child genius, but that time was long gone. “We can get you a job, get you enrolled in the community college for the spring semester...” God be damned if L.C. was going to let Amelia waste away and end up a waitress her whole life or something like that. If it meant that the older girl had to hold off of college to help Amelia pay, that’s what she would do.

L.C. smiled, happy to talk about her job. She wanted to brag a little bit. “I’m a barista in the local café. I make excellent frappes, apparently.” She actually was rather good at it- the girl liked her coffee. That, combined with her eagerness to repay Kali for taking her on, resulted in a fantastic and downright sociable barista behind the counter.

The blonde could hear the relief (and the oncoming tears) in Amelia’s voice and felt her eyes starting to water as well. “Okay.” She whispered, one tear streaming down her cheek before she wiped at her eyes furiously. No. She would not cry. She was the stronger of the two. “Yes. Pack your clothes and whatnot. I’ll take care of the rest.” She’d tell Mr. Anderson to screw off and make sure that ring came with them, even if she had to tear the rope apart herself.

“Uhm, the contortionist. Yue-ming, is she still around? She’ll help you out if you tell her what’s going on. Hide your suitcase in her trailer.”

[Amelia Jeffords]

Amelia knitted her brow into a disbelieving frown. "That's not true," She contradicted quietly. "You're very smart!" Granted, the simple fact that Lyra was willing to stand up for her meant that she had a bit of a biased view on her friend. "Five years isn't....it's not that bad, you probably had a lot of catching up to do cause we don't learn anything here, that's for sure."

She could barely comprehend enrolling in community college; she'd never had much of a plan beyond escape the carnival, had never put much thought into what she would do to survive once she got out, and so she couldn't help but expressing some of those doubts. "Oh. You're sure they'd let me in? I don't even know what I want to do, Lyra!"

She tried to envision Lyra as a barista and smiled. The older girl was the more outgoing of the two, she would probably do a fabulous job. She probably didn't take crap from the customers, either. Amelia wished she had Lyra's spine. "Really? That's great. You'll have to make me one then."

Packing would be easy as she owned very little. It was figuring out what to do with it while waiting that would be the hard part -- or it would have been if Lyra hadn't already been making plans. "She's still around." She confirmed. While a part of her wasn't too sure she wanted to trust anyone else at all with her decision, if Lyra said the she was trustworthy then Yue-Ming was trustworthy.

"Yeah, I'll do that, then, if you're sure she won't tell."

She couldn't help that small seed of doubt, the one that said all adults were conspiring against her to keep her where she was. Never mind that she was legally an adult now and had very few privileges denied her by the law. Drinking and renting a car, yes, but she didn't have to stay with the carnival, she could make her own decision about that now.

And yet she still felt as if she was doing something wrong.

"God," She sniffed, wiping at the her eyes with her free hand. "I never thought I'd talk to you again."

[L.C. Milliner]

L.C. snorted and rolled her eyes at Amelia’s comment, smirking as she shook her head. “I’m not that smart, Milly.” She chided, chuckling to herself as her friend stuck up for her. “I suppose you’re right though.” She didn’t really learn much at the carnival in all honesty- their schooling program was taught by a half-blind albino, after all. “Does Harold Wayne still run the carnival school?” She suspected he still would if he was alive, but he was getting on in years when she was little, so she questioned his health.

There was one thing that L.C would hold her ground on though, and that was Amelia getting a good education. “Of course they will. And I’m sure you’ll find something.” What that something was, she didn’t know exactly. She wasn’t sure what Amelia liked anymore. Did she still like peanuts, or had she outgrown it? Did she like girly clothes, or the baggy clothes that came with carnival life, the hand-me-downs from generations past? She couldn’t be sure of anything Amelia liked anymore. Her friend had changed, if only minutely.

Snorting, L.C. shifted the phone to her other ear and peered down the hallways again. It was as clear as ever. “I’ll make you as many as you want.” It wasn’t a lie. If Amelia wanted coffee, the older teen would drown her in it. Now that she was going to be reunited with her friend, she wanted to make up for leaving her behind in any way possible, no matter how small.

The confirmation of Yue-ming’s presence made L.C. feel a bit better about her plan- or what little of it was taking shape, anyway. Maybe she really could pull this off after all. “She won’t. She’s a good lady.” She would stake her life on Yue-ming. She was the one who was the most opposed to Lyra’s aerial hoop act, aside from Magda. If there was anyone who would help the two of them out, it would be Yue-ming.

Amelia’s confession on the other end of the line made a knot form in L.C.’s stomach, and she bit her lip, sitting in silence for a minute or so before replying, taking a shaky breath beforehand to try and steady herself. “I’m sorry. For everything.” L.C. sniffed and the tears started up again, coursing down her cheeks with reckless abandon. She couldn’t remember the last time she cried. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice wavered and she hung her head so no one could see her face.

[Amelia Jeffords]

Amelia shook her head slightly at her phone, despite the fact that Lyra couldn't see her gesture. "Nooo, he retired. Sort of. He was starting to get stuff mixed up, confusing people with their parents and forgetting who was dead. He's supposed to be living with his daughter now."

Heaven help the poor woman; dealing with senility was difficult, and it had to be painful to see your father forget even who you were. She didn't even get along with her father and she still thought she would be sad if he started to mix up his memories.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to think what she could go to school for. Maybe she could go to technical college and learn something practical, like plumbing. Or typing, sitting behind a desk all day sounded infinitely better than performing dangerous stunts in front of crowds.

The shaky tone that said Lyra was crying was enough to break her own resolve, and the tears she'd barely kept at bay began to stream down her face. "Don't be sorry." She whispered, hunching into as small a ball as possible. "You had your opportunity and you took it."

She'd been upset for a long time, been sure that Lyra abandoned her, but she wasn't about to voice any of those doubts. Besides, that didn't matter now. What mattered was that they had a plan now, they would see one another again. Lyra would rescue her.

Footsteps fell in the hall outside her bedroom, and she inhaled sharply. "Ugh, someone's coming, I have to go. I'll be waiting for you. I still miss you. See you when you get here."

She hastily snapped her phone shut and shoved it in her pocket, wiping away the tears as the door creaked open, revealing a girl several years younger.

"Milly? Who are you talking to?" Brown eyes stared with mild curiosity at the older girl.

Amelia nodded toward the worn copy of The Wind in the Willows lying on her bedside table. "I was just....just reading out loud..." She mumbled, sliding off the bed. "Is it dinner time?"

The other girl nodded, gesturing for her sister to follow her. "We need to set the table. Come on, before daddy gets mad."

Amelia sighed and followed her sister out of the bedroom. July seemed endlessly far away, but now her anxiety about the holiday performance was supplanted by eagerness.

Soon Lyra would be here.

Soon she would be free.