The Way It Should Be

Chapter Eighteen

I wake up and see Darren and Evra are gone from their beds.. again. No surprise there. I walk out of the van and look at my wolves, who are running around, chasing Darren, Evra, and Sam..?

"Hey." I say grumpily.

"Good morning Tux!" Darren says happily.

I groan.

"Hey Miss Grunp-Grump." Evra says.

"You should have seen her when we were children, she almost bit off my finger at least a hundred time." Darren laughs.

I growl showing my sharp teeth.

"You wont hurt us." Evra says.

"Not you but Darren is an option."

"Why me?!" Darren yells.

"Shut up! You know exactly why!"

I walk closer to him, getting in his face. His face turns a slight red he can feel my warm breath on his own face.

"Wha-What are you doing?"

"When you're here at the Cirque you will not say a word about our life back 'home'  I came here to get away from that, not to be dragged back into it." I snap.

He smiles at me, "But is it so bad to remember the good old times?"

"Maybe you should think for me, too. Maybe for you its fun and games, but the pain I felt thinking you 'died' was real!"

"I didn't think it was all fun and games... I never said or thought that. I just... want to try and remember how things were before the Cirque."

"Its hard for me, you know. I'm here because I thought... I thought-" I start crying.

He hugs me and we share a friendly moment.

"Are you two dating?" Sam asks.

I release Darren and glare at Sam, pointing out a finger and yelling, "How rude!"

He laughs, "Sorry, sorry, just the way you two acted sort of reminded me of a couple."

I sigh before wiping my tears away, "Did you guys clean the Wolf-Man?" I ask.

"No, that's your job." Darren says.

"Wow, been here for not even a week yet and your being all bossy."

"Whatever."

"Wait wait wait, she cleans that beast?!" Sam asks amazed.

"Oh so these two showed you around?" I ask.

"Yes but you clean that thing?"

"Course I do, no one else wants to, that's the only chore I'm ever awake to do, Evra does most of my chores for me as long as I clean the Wolf-Man."

"Wow, are you ever scared of him biting you?"

"Heh, I don't take him out of the cage, I don't even touch him, I just drop a bucket of water over him and he does the rest. Most don't like getting super close to his cage, he tends to bite people."

"H-he does?" Sam stutters.

"Yeah, I better go wash him, be right back." I grumble. I walk over to the Wolf-Man then pour the bucket on him, quickly run behind the wall, and go back to the boys.

"I'm back." I say.

"She's still grmupy." Darren says.

"Nah, really? I thought I was being happy!" I say.

"Great he doomed us all." Evra says.

"Mr. Tall won't let that happen." I say. "Sadly."

"Sadly?! You were gonna hurt us?!" Darren asks.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"Cause I'm your best friend."

"Really?" I ask unconvinced. "I should find a better best friend then."

"What?! What have I done?"

"Existing is the only thing I can think of right now."

I yawn, Nona runs up to us whines - probably wanting me to pick her up - but I pat her head and ignore her.

"OK, me and the wolves need to go hunting. Be back in a little."

I walk away and the wolves follow.

I am distracted while hunting today, I wasn't yesterday because I was excited and happy about Darren being alive but today I'm wondering more about Darren being a half vampire.

He doesn't burn in the sun, he hasn't been drinking blood, no fangs, and he seems completely the same.

I want to know why, if he's really a vampire he'll have to prove it to me.

Scar and the other wolves were getting a lot of food but I got nothing, we ate as soon as we caught it.

Nona tried giving me some meat they caught but I refused.

When we get back to the Cirque Darren, Sam, and Evra were inside our van. I opened the door, lied on my hammock, and thought.

I left the wolves untied like Larten told me to - of course to my dismay, he was right, they hadn't gotten into any trouble... yet.

Sam was sitting on the floor near Darren's hammock, Darren lays in his hammock, and Evra lays in his. The snakes sleeping in their little corner.

"Tux.. Tux.. Tux!" I hear and look to see Sam talking.

"Mmh?"

"You werent speaking so we got worried. What's wrong?" Darren speaks.

"Nothing." I say.

"You sure it doesn't seem like nothing to me." Evra says.

"Can't say here."

"Why not?" Sam asks.

"Just can't."

"But were friends you need to tell us." Darren says.

"I'm not your friend and never talk to me again!!!" I scream. Then I feel really bad and just get comfortable to fall asleep. "I'm going to sleep."

"OK, I'm sorry for angering you." Sam says.

They walk out.

•Darren's Pov•

"She'll get over it, she always does." I say, kind of hurt about what she said.

She is probably thinking about Steve or her family. I wouldn't blame her, I have been thinking of my family and of Steve for the last two months as well.

Since Steve is out to kill me now I don't know what to think.

Tux is such a confusing person... she could be overjoyed on second and at someone through the next. She has mood swings faster than a vampire can run.

"Darren." I look up and look at the Snake-Boy in front of me.

"Huh?"

"Don't let what she said get to you."

"I told you she'll get over it."

"We both know that's a lie, she isn't one to just give in, she's stong and has a good memory, she won't forget."

"I know, just trying to think positively."

We here a scream from inside the van and quickly run in.