Page and the Lion part III

Sweater: Forever 21, Earrings: Thrifted, Belt: Nordstrom Rack, Pants: J Crew via Downeast, Boots: DSW, Scarf: Freepiled

I have a few things to say.

• Last day of classes tomorrow, Holla! ("Holla" is a shortened version of the slang term "holler" or "holler back y'all", which basically means "What I just said was awesome, right?"
• I tried the half-tucked look today. Thumbs up, thumbs down?
• It is getting chill-E (notice the capital E to emphasize the coldness of current weather trends). I might have to start modeling parkas and babushka style hats for y'all. 

And now, as I promised, we will begin where we left our heroes Page and Sir Anthony. If this makes absolutely no sense to you checkout part 2 and part 1 first and then come back and see how the not-so-short story ends.

Page cleared her throat. Both Anthony and Porticus swung their heads around to look at her; from the way they stared they seemed to have forgotten she was there. “Well, I think I understand your side of the story a bit better, Sir Anthony. But why don’t you want to let him go back?” she asked Porticus.

“It’s not that I don’t want him to go back home, if that’s what he really wants. We’ve been friends for the last five years.” At this Anthony harrumphed, but Porticus continued, “I owe a lot to Tony. When we first met I was exactly what he said, a stable-hand, cleaning up after the horses at the fair. But when I brought Tony home, then people started really noticing me.” Porticus was staring off into the distance as he talked, and by distance I mean into the window of the apartment complex that was jammed across the alleyway from our building. “They started a whole new act for us. They had had lions in the past, but they were always either too dangerous or too docile. Tony was perfect. We could understand each other, and he said humans smell terrible so I didn’t have to worry about him eating anyone.”

“Well, what if Anthony wasn’t around anymore? What would you do then?” Page asked.

“I would be forced to either leave the fair or go back to working in the stables. No one needs a lion tamer when there is no lion,” Porticus said, looking over at Anthony.

“Why can’t you do something besides cleaning or lion-taming at the fair? Isn’t there anything else you’d like to do?”

“Well, when I first ran away as a boy, I wanted to join the circus and become Porticus the Tight-Rope Walking Wonder. But, in the travelling fair there aren’t any tight-rope walkers.”

“Even better,” Page said. “It can be your own, all new act. I’m sure many people will come to see Porticus the Former Lion-Tamer turned Tic the Right-Rope Walker.”

“That name is too long,” Porticus said.

Anthony roared softly at him.

“Okay okay, I can see the possibilities though.” And Porticus smiled as he became lost in his own dreams of heights and fame. (I, for one, was glad that the man across the alley wasn’t home, otherwise he might have been creeped out by the intense staring Porticus was doing into his window).

“So it is agreed? You won’t interfere with Anthony returning home?” Page asked.

“Well, no, of course not. But as I’ve told him already, I can’t find the pong that I fell in the night I landed in his world.”

“Well, that’s no problem at all,” Page said. Turning to look at the lion, she gestured, saying “Anthony, come forward.” Page stuck her hand in the front pocket of her bright blue hoodie and pulled out an apple-sized globe.

Me.

“What is it?” Porticus asked.

(Stupid lion-tamer. Correction, stupid former lion-tamer.)

“This is Anthony’s way home,” Page said.

(What was he expecting? A mirror? A wardrobe? Humans are so predictable, they expect everything else, even magic to be the same way.)

Anthony walked toward us without any gestures or words he was gone. (Don’t ask me how I do what I do. I just do it.

Yes, I can read minds.

And no, I can’t tell the future.

I’m not sure – oh, will you please stop with all of those questions? This is the end of this tale.

Oh wait –)

Page said good night to Porticus and wished him good luck in his career change.

She closed the door and went to heat up another cup of soup for herself.

(Okay. This is the end.)