Chapter 14

America the beautiful

In a way, Kurt wished they could have arrived in New York City so the Statue of Liberty could have been the first American landmark he saw, just like in the movies. Yet he wasn’t disappointed with Boston; it was everything he had heard about.

Margali agreed that everyone should be able to do a little sightseeing once everything was set up. Although the trip was very long and very tiresome, things still had to be done and a schedule was to be kept. They had only four days in the state of Massachusetts, and then it was off to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where they’d travel up and through the mid-west and into Canada.

To some it was too late to tour the city by the time everything was finished at the camp, but to Kurt it was perfect. Nighttime had well been underway and a good many of the people were off the streets.

From Battleship Park to Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument, Kurt made sure he saw it all. He inwardly laughed to himself when a thought of “How good teleporting is when you’re pressed for time” ran through his head. The only thing he wished he could experience was the insides of museums rather than take a peak inside from a rooftop across the street.

Nevertheless, Kurt was fascinated by the American culture. Hundreds of restaurants littered the streets along with malls and countless small shops. If he were able to experience everything as a “normal” person, he could’ve easily spent a week there and not be bored for a moment.

Yet through all of the self-tour he gave himself, there was one thing he was most taken with. A church that was obviously a few hundred years old was undergoing restoration—this would be the only Bostonian building he could go into and not be feared.

Many of the pews and statues remained in the large sanctuary of the church. Even the candles were untouched by construction workers who had their scaffolding set up along every wall, inside and out.

Kurt blessed himself and took a moment to say the Lord’s prayer in English, seeing that he was now in an English speaking country. It gave him a sense of hope and relief at the same time. Kurt knew that this trip would be different than any he had ever been on. There was so much to see in America, yet so little time to see it.

It would’ve been his pleasure to tell everyone back at the camp what he saw in the city, but by the time he returned at four in the morning, everyone was sleeping in their trailers. He knew better than to expect them to be up and waiting for him.

Taking his time to get into bed, Kurt sat by the window inside his trailer and looked around at the grassy lands surrounding him. Although it had only been a day, America had treated everyone well and he was eager to continue the rest of his time there.

* * *

The crowds had been massive and every night the show had been sold out. By popular demand, Margali made the last to days a double show were people had to buy tickets ahead of time either for the early or late night show.

Kurt had never seen such a turnout. He knew that this country had its own circuses, so the only thing he could possibly think of was that they were foreigners compared to everyone else. But Amanda reminded him that not every circus had the picture of a blue mutant centered on every poster.

Kurt nodded, knowing she was right. He was thankful that he was living this life and that him being a part of the circus was what kept it alive and well. So many times had he finished a show and people cheered for more. The life in the circus was thrilling, and Kurt wouldn’t give it up for anything if he didn’t have to.

After Harrisburg came Memphis and following that was Lincoln. Each show became a double feature, but Kurt didn’t tire of any of them. He loved the thrill of a good audience, but through it all, he wondered if it was right to play against God in the skits he performed in. After all these years, Kurt still played the devil and his lines were completely anti-God.

He hoped, rather prayed, that he wasn’t going against his faith. He begged God to forgive him for going against His word, but he did it for the show and only the show.

Kurt figured God wasn’t going to unleash his wrath on the young mutant by the time they had down dozens of shows when they reached Canada after doing a three day stop performance in International Falls Minnesota. The summer was almost over, but the tour was only half done.

And although Kurt was enjoying the United States and now Canada, he was tired of seeing Amanda and Werner.

They had become what he feared most, or at least that’s what it seemed by the looks of things. They were constantly together, holding hands every so often late at night when everything was over, and what Kurt hated most was the scene of a quick kiss they shared.

There was always the denial Kurt felt that he could never be with Amanda, and he knew that she deserved someone that didn’t have a face like his, but it twisted his heart to see the girl he loved in the arms of dense man like Werner.

Upon the arrival in Winnipeg, Kurt decided that the only way to get Amanda to notice him was to show off. The only problem with that was getting the chance to do so. No matter where she went, Werner was there with her and Kurt refused to do anything that would involve Werner watching.

There was only one alternative: during a performance. It went against his original plot to not let Werner see, but he could make up an excuse that it was for the show.

He decided the best time to do the stunt he had thought out in his head was the last show in Winnipeg. This way, when she most likely rejected him and called him a stupid fool, he’d be able to sit in a different truck than her and hopefully by the time they arrived in Calgary, she would’ve forgotten about it.

Changing the lines in the middle of a performance was a huge risk for the people that used words for cues (although Margali always said to look on stunts instead). He knew it couldn’t be something simple because Amanda might not realize what he was getting at. No. He needed to be drastic with this one, and it only made the fight between the little invisible devil and angel that sat on his shoulders more vigorous.

Kurt’s nerves were on edge the entire night. He knew it was a dumb thing to even consider, but he’d do it. He had to try. “God doesn’t help those who won’t help themselves,” he kept telling himself. Maybe, just maybe, something would go right in his life…

* * *

After such an absurd stunt, Kurt was worse off than he had been before. Because he wasn’t paying much attention to his actions he almost got Amanda killed. If he hadn’t teleported in front of hundreds of gazing eyes and caught her, she would’ve died.

Saving her, (which he didn’t regret in the least), resulted in breaking two of his own ribs when they landed on the ground, Kurt breaking Amanda’s fall. Then came the lecture from Margali. He could still hear her voice echoing in his ears…

“What were you thinking? You can’t change the cues in the middle of a performance! Especially when the net hasn’t been rolled out yet!” She had shouted after Kurt had been bandaged up. “Why would you do such a thing?”

Kurt knew exactly why. He told Margali that the devil made him do it, but that only came out when he saw Amanda hugging Werner outside the medical tent he sat in while being lectured. He was ashamed of himself and he couldn’t bear tell Margali that his love for her daughter caused him to risk lives.

He didn’t need Margali to tell him that he wouldn’t be able to perform for a few weeks. There was no way he could with his ribs busted up. He figured the pain from his injury was the punishment he had to get from doing what he did. “All You had to do was let my life remain empty without Amanda,” he said after a prayer.

And although he was told to rest and stay in the medical tent for the night, Kurt couldn’t help but get up and search out the nearest church. It was the only thing he could think of that might make him feel better. God was the only one that semi-accepted him.

Little did Kurt know that that single innocent trip to a church would change his life forever. He would never see Calgary, never be able to apologize to Margali more so than he did that night, and he’d never be able to laugh with the people he called his family for a very, very long time.

**********

The quote: “What were you thinking? You can’t change the cues in the middle of a performance! Especially when the net hasn’t been rolled out yet!” She had shouted after Kurt had been bandaged up. “Why would you do such a thing?” is copyright to the writers of the “Nightcrawler Prequel.” They are the words Margali uses in the comic when she lectures Kurt for his stupid stunt…so yeah, that who thing “did happen.”