Alderic smiled, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "We did our best. And we were especially popular at a phoenix village. Full tent ever show." He said grinning.

A'ine nodded. "Yes its hard for me to sleep with any light so I usually get up early. But I have gotten up pretty late before." She answered yawning again at the end.

Mitch chuckled a little at Ember shaking his head. "Well, almost anything at least." He said smiling kindly.

Jora sat up as soon as she could. "I-I'm sorry." She said again unable to really think.

"Why would you come here when you could be in a circus?" Alice asked somewhat incredulously. She didn't particularly look forward to the idea of going to school. She had no idea how her family had convinced her, but here she was.

"Don't sleep in too late tomorrow, or you'll be late for class," Kanin warned with a smile. "I am sure if you told Ember you wanted to retire to your rooms, she would understand," he added with a glance at Ember.

"Optical illusions is all they're good for. Maybe I could run a haunted house," Ember said, attempting to joke. She was glad for Mitch's kind words.

Orion sat up as well. "No problem," he said smiling. Then his expression switched to one of concern. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked worriedly.

Alderic chuckled a little. "My mom wanted one less homeschooler. It was probably too much with the triplets. Also, I've been in the show since I was five so I'm up for a new challenge." He said grinning. He could tell Alice was a little indignant at the moment but he didn't react to it.

A'ine chuckled a little. "Wasn't planning on it. And I don't want to pull her away from a conversation she's enjoying so much." She said smiling as she looked over at Ember and Mitch.

Mitch nodded. "I can see that working in your favor. So, you're a Jabberwocky and you can control shadows, any other hidden talents in your possession?" He asked smiling leaning his elbows over his knees hunching his back.

Jora swallowed looking at her feet, her hair hiding her face from him again. Her flipflop on her right foot was broken. She pulled her foot over sucking in her breath. "I think I sprained my ankle..." She said blinking a little. "Idiot... Can't you not ruin stuff?" She whispered to her she she felt her ankle to make sure it was just a sprain.

"Are you in any clubs?" Alice asked Alderic. She still didn't see why he would rather be in school than in the circus, but she respected his decision.

Kanin looked over at Mitch and Ember as well. "Have they known each other for long?" he asked. He swore he saw a shadow at Ember's dance, but he wrote it off as a trick of the fire light.

Ember paused to think. "I like to write," she said softly, shrugging. "I don't know if I'm any good though," she said truthfully. Only her sister and her parents occasionally read her writing, and since they were family, of course they would say it was good.

Orion was close enough to hear Jora whisper. "Hey, don't say that," he said gently to Jora, moving in front of her to look at her ankle. "I'm not letting you walk on that ankle," he said.

Alderic shrugged. "None yet, what about you?" He ask rolling his neck a little.

A'ine shook her head. "Just a day. But with Mitch, I'm pretty sure he at least knows her. He's good at asking the right questions." She explained looking away from the other two before they could notice she had been watching them.

Mitch sat up. "What kind of things do you write?" He asked looking at her, giving her his undivided attention.

Jora shook her head. It was true, she messed up everything when she and Orion were together. "How do you plan on not letting me?" She asked standing up carefully avoiding setting her right foot down, letting the broken flipflop dangle for a moment before reaching down, taking it off. Her legs stun a little from some scrapes she hadn't noticed before.

"Nope," Alice said. "Although many have come to me begging me to join their club," she joked, gesturing her hand toward herself and grinning.

Kanin looked away as well, his gaze sweeping over the whole group. "Did you all meet when school started?" he asked. "You seem to know each other well."

Ember shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, well, fiction mostly," she said, twisting one foot back and forth in the dirt again. "Poems too," she added, much to her own surprise. Not even her sister read her poems.

"I'll carry you," Orion said, standing close to Jora in case she tried to put any weight on her injured ankle.

Alderic brust out laughing. "I see that you do grin. At least occasionally." He said grinning back at her.

A'ine nodded slowly thinking. "Yes... Mostly at least, Mitch wasn't until today. We all had a small scare with Jora that definitely brought us all closer." She said swallowing a little running her fingers through her short white hair.

Mitch smiled. "I'd love to read a few of your works sometime." He said glancing around. "I wonder what time it is." He said glancing at his watch pressing a button. He was surprised with how late it had gotten.

Jora shook her hear. "No, you don't have to do that..." She said hopping a little on her one foot, beginning to wobble a little

Alice put on an over-dramatic scowl and stuck her tongue out at Alderic. "I grin plenty," she said. "I least I don't constantly look like a child who just got a puppy for Christmas," she said, sending a pointed glare towards Alderic.

"I am sure you will all become even closer," Kanin said, deciding not to ask about what happened with Jora. Instead he asked, "Is she alright now?"

"Really? I guess I could show you a few of my stories..." Ember said, happy that Mitch wanted to read her writing. "What time is it?" Ember asked, leaning closer to him in an attempt to see his watch.

Orion caught Jora's arm. "Yes I do. Unless you plan to hop the rest of the way," he said, smiling. He knelt down in front of her. "C'mon, piggyback ride," he said, turning his head backwards to grin at her.

Alderic stuck his own tongue out at her. "Well, I'm doing what mom said and not growing up until I have to." He said ending up grinning about it. "Besides I hear happiness is contagious so I'll smile until it's an epidemic." He said joking before laughing.

A'ine shrugged. "She's better than before, but still not all the way." She said yawning again. "I might just have to leave Ember here I'm sure Mitch can walk her back." She added chuckling a little.

Mitch smiled a little. "And some poems hopefully I like poetry." He said tilting her watch towards her so she could see it. It was almost eleven forty-five. (Me thinking: Hmmmm. 11 would be good but midnight might be a more realistic late night for teens..... Let's go in the middle! XD)

Jora sighed a little. "I'm just guessing there's no point in arguing that point with you..." She said with a little bit of a smile as she putting her arms around his neck.

"Aren't epidemics usually a bad thing?" Alice said, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"I do hope she feels better," Kanin said. He tried not yawn, but failed horribly. "I could accompany you if you like," Kanin offered politely.

Ember leaned back to her original position once she read the time. "No one's ever read my poetry before," she said hesitantly. She silently debated with herself whether or not to show him her poetry later.

"Nope!" Orion said cheerfully, standing up, and hooking his arms under Jora's legs so she wouldn't fall off. "Do you want the flip flop?" He asked, jerking his head in the direction of the aforementioned flip-flop.