Circus Freaks

Chapter 13-Love

"Y/n, you're gay, right?" Emma asked, walking alongside you in the garden.

"Nah, I'm straighter than the pole your mom dances on." You said with a small laugh, making the girl stop in her tracks, her jaw dropped in shock. "Emma, of course I'm gay. Was that not obvious?"

The girl recovered quickly. "Well with the way you stare at Miss P, I'd say it is."

"I do not stare at her!" You responded a little too quick.

"You do." Emma responded casually.

"Goodbye." You said simply, leaving the girl alone in the garden and rushing back to the house. You went into the kitchen but froze when you saw Alma. She was about to say hello but you turned on your heels and sped walked out of there. Leaving her confused and thinking she'd done something wrong.

"I do not stare. I do not stare. I do not stare." You muttered to yourself, trying to convince yourself that Emma was just lying.

"What are you on about?" Olive had been walking by an heard you.

"Emma told me I stare at Al- Miss Peregrine." You waved her off.

"Oh, yeah you do. I always thought you were just in love with her or something." Olive shrugged than walked off.

"I AM NOT!" You yelled, loud enough for the whole house to hear you.

"What's going on?" Alma had come to check out the noise.

Now you had been muttering to yourself. "I don't love her. I don't love her."

"Y/n?"

"I don't love you." You said, confusing the poor woman. "I don't even like you." She was taken aback, worried and hurt. She turned around and left, walking faster than usual. Perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say.

Dinner came around and Abe refused to sit down, claiming he had an announcement. So when everyone finally settled down and was quiet, he began to speak. "I'm going to leave the loop and join the army. I can help protect people. And while I'm out there I can hunt hollows. It'll be easy with my peculiarity."

"Abe!" Emma yelled, shocked. "You can't, you could get hurt, or worse! Miss Peregrine, stop him!"

"I'm afraid I couldn't. He'd find a way to go, one way or another." Alma said, giving in and not bothering with arguing. "So long as you visit at least once a month, and write. Your top priority will be your own safety. Understood?" Abe nodded with a large grin, happy his headmistress had agreed so willingly.

You said nothing, opting to stay quiet. You didn't want to mess up again like you did earlier. You felt Alma looking at you a bit throughout the meal. Not once did you glance up from your plate. After dinner you were the first to stand and put your plate in the sink. Alma grabbed you by the back of the shirt when you tried to leave. "Start the movie without us, children." She spoke to the kids as the filed out of the room, then pulled you back by the shirt to face her.

"Uhm, yes? Did you need something?" You tried to stay calm as she kept her hands on your shoulders, her talon-like nails digging in a bit as she made sure you didn't try to run away.

"You don't like me." It wasn't a question. "Then why are you even here? You could leave at any time. Go back to London to be with your family before you end up stuck in the loop."

"I don't want to go back to London. I like it here, in the loop. With the children, and you." You responded simply.

"But you don't like me?" This time it was a question.

"Right, I must apologize, I didn't mean to say anything of the sort. I was stressed out at the moment, Emma and Olive had said a few things that got stuck in my head. I do like you." You gave her a small reassuring smile as you reached up to your shoulders and placed your hands on hers.

Her stern expression softened and she let go of your shoulders, instead bringing you into a hug. "You scared me.." She muttered into your shoulder. You apologized again and held her tighter.

Though you suppose Olive was right, you did love this woman.

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I absolutely love the picture tho-