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THE FREAK SHOW WAS all I could think about that night I tried forgetting it but couldn’t, not even when I atching my favorite TV shows It sounded so weird: a snake-boy, a wolf- spider I was especially excited by the spider

Mo was up, but Annie did Annie isbut most of the ti on me if I misbehave, and she kno to keep a secret

"What’s wrong with you?" she asked after dinner We were alone in the kitchen, washing the dishes

"Nothing’s wrong," I said

"Yes there is," she said "You’ve been acting weird all night"

I knew she’d keep asking until she got the truth, so I told her about the freak show

"It sounds great," she agreed, "but there’s no way you’d get in"

"Why not? "I asked

"I bet they don’t let children in It sounds like a grown-up kind of show"

"They probably wouldn’t let a brat like you in," I said nastily, "but ized "I’m sorry," I said "I didn’t mean that I’ht Annie, I’d give anything to go!"

"I’ve got a makeup kit I could lend you," she said "You can drarinkles and stuff It’dhug, which is so I don’t do very often "Thanks, sis," I said, "but it’s okay If we get in, we get in If we don’t, we don’t"

We didn’t sayand hurried into the TV roo sites all over the place, so he’s often late He’s gru Annie around in a circle

"Anything exciting happen today?" he asked, after he’d said hello to Moiven her a kiss

"I scored another hat trick at lunch," I told hireat Well done"

We turned the TV dohile Dad was eating He likes peace and quiet when he eats, and often asks us questions or tells us about his day at work

Later, Mom went to her room to work on her stamp albums She’s a serious staer and more easily amused

I popped up fo see if she had any new stamps with exotic animals or spiders on them She didn’t While I was there, I asked her about freak shows

"Mom," I said, "have you ever been to a freak show?"

"A what?" she asked, concentrating on the stamps

"A freak show," I repeated "With bearded ladies and wolf-men and snake-boys"

She looked up at me and blinked "A snake-boy?" she asked "What on Earth is a snake-boy?"

"It’s a" I stopped when I realized I didn’t know "Well, that doesn’t matter," I said "Have you ever been to one?"

She shook her head "No They’re illegal"

"If they weren’t," I said, "and one cao?"