Tiger's Curse Read Online Free Page B

time to join the troupe for dinner. I was eager to have a little time to myself, so I hurried back to the tent.
    I changed clothes, wiggled into an only slightly uncomfortable place on my cot, and pulled out my journal. As I nibbled on my pen, I reflected on the interesting people I had met here. It was obvious that the circus folk considered each other family. Several times, I noticed people stepping in to help, even if it wasn’t their job. I also wrote a bit about the tiger. The tiger really interested me.
Maybe I should work with animals and study that in college
, I reflected. Then I thought about my extreme dislike of biology and knew I’d never make it in that field.
    It was almost time for dinner. The delectable aroma coming from the big building made my mouth water.
    This was nothing like Sarah’s vegan cookies
, I thought.
No, it had the homey feel of Grandma’s biscuits and gravy.
    Inside, Matt was setting up chairs around eight long folding tables. One of the tables was set up with Italian takeout. It looked fantastic. I offered to help, but Matt brushed me aside.
    “You worked hard today, Kelsey. Relax, I got this,” he said.
    Cathleen waved me over. “Come sit by me. We can’t start eating until Mr. Maurizio comes in to make the evening announcements.”
    Sure enough, the moment we sat down, Mr. Maurizio strolled dramatically into the building. “
Favoloso
performance, everyone! And a most
eccellente
job to our newest salesperson, eh? Tonight is a celebration!
Mangiate
. Fill your plates,
mia famiglia
!”
    I giggled.
Huh. He plays the part all the time, not just for the show.
    I turned to Cathleen. “I guess that means we did a good job, right?”
    She answered, “Yep. Let’s eat!”
    I waited in line with Cathleen, and then picked up my paper plate and filled it with Italian green salad, a big scoop of spinach-and-cheese-stuffed shells covered in tomato sauce, parmesan chicken, and, not having enough room on my plate, popped a warm breadstick into my mouth, grabbed a bottle of water, and sat down. I couldn’t help but notice the large chocolate cheesecake for dessert, but I wasn’t even able to finish the dinner I had on my plate. Sighing, I left the cheesecake alone.
    After dinner, I moved to a quiet corner of the building and called to check in with Sarah and Mike. When I hung up, I approached Matt, who was putting all the leftovers into the fridge. “I didn’t see your dad at the table. Doesn’t he eat?”
    “I took him a plate. He was busy with the tiger.”
    “How long has your dad been working with the tiger?” I asked, eager to learn more about the impressive cat. “According to the job description, I’m supposed to help out with the tiger somehow.”
    Matt shoved aside a half empty bottle of orange juice, wedged a box of takeout food next to it, and shut the refrigerator. “For the past five years or so. Mr. Maurizio purchased the tiger from another circus, and they had bought it from another circus before that. The tiger’s history wasn’t well documented. Dad says the tiger will perform only the standard tricks and refuses to learn anything new, but the good news is that it’s never given him a problem. It’s a very quiet, almost docile beast, as far as tigers go.”
    “So what do I have to do to it? I mean, am I really supposed to feed it?”
    “Don’t worry. It’s not that hard as long as you avoid the big teeth,” Matt joked. “I’m kidding. You’ll just be bringing the tiger’s food back and forth from building to building. See my dad tomorrow. He’ll give you all the info you need.”
    “Thanks, Matt!”
    There was about an hour left of light outside, but I had to get up early again. After showering, brushing my teeth, and changing into my warm flannel pj’s and slippers, I hurried back to my tent and got cozy under my grandma’s quilt. Reading a chapter in my book made me drowsy, so I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

    The next morning after breakfast, I