Disclaimer: CDF not mine! I own my OCs though!
Hi, guys, I have a deviantart account so if you want to see some awesome Larten/Esther artwork, I'm BasiliskBlood13 on Deviantart or you can look up 'Larten and Esther' in the DA search box! You'll get some results of my art, and some of fellow fanfiction members who decided to do fan art for Feelings Not Felt! I thank them deeply! I'm happy to have such awesome fans! XD
R and R! Don't hate me for this chapter! XP
Feelings Not Felt
Chapter 9: Follow Me
"Esther still sulking?"
"Yep."
"When's she gonna get over it?" asked Evra.
"I really don't know. It's been two days." said Darren. "It's unhealthy, she won't eat."
"Well she's been through a lot, dude."
"Well I had to become a vampire and leave my family, Evra, and I got over that."
"Well your parents didn't hate you."
"True, if anything, you can relate to her."
"Sort of. Christmas is four months away, maybe you could cheer her up then!"
"...I don't want her skulking for four months, Evra!"
"Just saying." Evra muttered. "So what's her deal anyway?"
"I guess she just didn't want me and Mr. Crepsley to find out about her parents. Maybe it makes her feel weak? I really don't know, it must be some pride thing. I'll try and help her more today. Maybe take her to the river nearby. It's really relaxing over there."
"Well good luck, man, I gotta go feed the little people."
"Kay, see you later." Darren sighed and stared at Esther's tent. He could hear her iPod due to his vampire hearing. He had never heard the song before but she was singing along with it softly.
"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. And when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." she sang. Darren swallowed and walked into her tent. Too bad he walked in at the wrong time though. Esther was just slipping her shirt on.
"Agh! Jesus Christ, Shan!" Esther screamed, dropping to the ground and covering her bra-clad chest.
"I am soooo sorry!" Darren shouted, turning around.
"No, no, it's okay." Esther panted, putting her shirt on. Darren turned back around and the two sat in an awkward silence for a moment.
"So, um, what did you want?" asked Esther, turning off her iPod.
"I just wanted to talk." Darren said with concern.
"About what?" asked Esther with a bit of an attitude.
"Well, about what happened this weekend."
"There's nothing to talk about." Esther mumbled, looking in the mirror and combing her hair.
"Well you've only been out of your tent to shower, I just think that-"
"Actually, I was just about to go eat and maybe help you guys with some chores."
"Soo, you're okay?"
"Truth be told, Darren, I wasn't so hot the last couple days but I'm fine now. I got over it."
"Um, well okay. If you say so. Um, we could go help Evra!" Esther nodded and followed Darren out of the tent, not without tripping and falling on top of him though.
"Ow! Esther!" Darren laughed as he glanced at Esther over his shoulder. Esther rubbed her head.
"Sorry! Er, so much for 'cat-like grace!" she laughed. Darren chuckled and rolled over, Esther still on top of him. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment until Darren blushed and looked away. Esther muttered another sorry and got up.
"No, it's okay." Darren said, flushed. Esther scratched her cat ear and proceeded to leave the tent on Darren's tail.
The two met up with Evra and he gave Esther a huge hug. "Where have you been?" he shouted full of glee as he spun Esther around. Esther laughed.
"Taking a cat nap!" she giggled.
"I thought those were short!" Evra huffed.
"Whatever. Let's just get to it. What do we have to do?"
"Wolf-man." Evra grumbled, glancing at the cage on the edge of Cirque grounds.
"Feed and clean?"
"Yep."
"This should be fun." said Darren sarcastically. The three padded over to the wolfman's cage and they stared at him in disgust as he picked his teeth with a bone. The wolfman spotted Esther and some sort of instinct was set off. The wolfman crept forward and snarled at Esther menacingly. Esther's cat-side took over without warning and she crouched down, arching her back and hissing violently back at the beast. The wolfman howled and growled and Esther dug her claws in the ground. Her hair stood on end and her tail and ears stuck straight up. Her fangs glistened in the sunlight and the wolfman snapped his jaws in between the bars. Evra and Darren both tried to hold Esther back when she swiped her claws at the Wolfman's snout.
"Maybe this isn't the best chore for her!" Evra said, half-joking.
"Yeah." Darren grunted, looping his arm in Esther's, keeping her from lashing out at the wolfman again. Evra reached into his bucket of cleaning supplies (used to clean things around the Cirque) and pulled out a ball of yarn.
"I figured this might be needed." He smirked, waving it in front of Esther's face. Esther's eyes grew wide as she stared at the ball. Her tail wagged back and forth flowingly in amusement.
"Go get it, Esther!" Evra laughed as he threw it as far as he could, letting the tail of string fly behind it. Esther pounced after it and began to roll around, batting it back and forth in between her hands.
"You're evil!" Darren laughed, looking hopelessly at Esther who was having the time of her life with that ball of yarn.
"I know. Now let's hose this cage down before she turns her attention back to Mr. Grumpy here." Darren nodded and the two boys began to clean the cage, glancing over at Esther every few minutes to laugh at how tangled up she was. When the boys were done, the heard a cough behind them. They spun around to see Esther in a very awkward, difficult position. She had apparantly come out of her cat state.
"You guys are real jerks." she growled. Evra and Darren had to choke back laughter.
"Go untie her, Evra."
"No way! She'll murder me!"
"You're the one that gave her the yarn! You untie her!"
"How about you untie her and I'll say I owe you one?"
"Ugh! Fine you immature snake-face!" Darren stuck his tongue out at him and Evra laughed. Darren approached Esther and helped her cut open the yarn she was viciously stuck in. When Esther was released, she glared at Evra.
"You are dead! You hear me, snake boy! Where do you keep getting this yarn from anyway!" Evra ran off and dropped his bucket, Esther darted after him leaving Darren to laugh himself purple.
After several more chores, it was four in the afternoon and Evra had to do some more chores. The other two were free from their list of demands though.
"I guess I'll see you guys at dinner." Evra sighed, walking of to go patch up a tent. Esther stretched and yawned. Darren nudged her and she looked at him curiously.
"I have some place I want to take you before dinner. Follow me." he said simply before wandering off into the woods. Esther furrowed her eyebrows before shrugging and following him. The two walked in silence for a few moments until they finally came to a small river that ran through the woods. The trees loomed over the sparkling brook and the clear water flowed gracefully over smooth stones and boulders. The squirrels and birds made the scene even more serene and peaceful.
"Oh wow! This place is so pretty! How'd you come across it?" asked Esther, sitting down in the green grass. Darren sat down beside her.
"I was looking for food for the Little People and I came across this river. You like it?"
"I do! It's nice!"
"I figured you'd like to have a place to relax...well... you know, after what happened this weekend." Esther's smile faded and she turned her gaze to the ground.
"It's okay to be sad, you know."
"Yeah, I know. I'd just rather not be. It doesn't suit me. I like being happy."
"Well everyone does." The two sat in a silence for a moment. "If you don't mind me saying, I really find it hard to believe that something like that happened to you. You always seemed so innocent and untouched."
"Heh, so I guess my little mask worked then, huh?"
"Yeah. I guess. Do you mind if I ask you something?" Darren asked.
"What?"
"Well...what did your parents do... exactly?" Esther sighed and lay down on her back.
"Everything. My dad was the physical one. Hitting, scratching, hair-yanking, burning, etcetera. My mom was the one who put forth all the effort. She did everything she could to make sure I looked like the kind of person she saw myself as. She would drive my friends away, telling them untrue things about me. She wouldn't let me do any activities with others. She let me have the laptop and other luxeries though so she'd look like she was being a good mother to her friends and family member. They both covered their tracks to look like the good guys. I tried telling my grandma once but she didn't believe me. She then told my parents and they made sure that I wouldn't tell anyone again."
"Why didn't you try running away?"
"I did. But each time, I'd have to come home. Whether I couldn't find a place to stay or didn't want to impose on the few friends I had. Soon, my parents told me to wear the same mask that they did. Make it look like nothing was wrong and that I was a happy little child in a perfect little home."
"Why did they do that to you?"
"I wasn't perfect. They wanted a little angel, not a rebel or someone who got a C in math. Of course, I wasn't a rebel, they were just convinced that I was one though. "
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. I'm just glad I can finally be rid of them." Esther sniffed and wiped her eyes. Soon, her tears fell from her eyes and trailed down her cheeks.
"I just wished I could have had my cat powers sooner so I could've kicked their asses." She bit back a sob and Darren wrapped his arms around her. He stroked her hair and she cried into his chest.
"It's okay, Esther. You're here now. Safe and no one will hurt you. No one will ever judge you or harm you here at the Cirque Du Freak." Esther nodded meekly. She pulled back and wiped at her eyes. She giggled softly.
"I'm sorry I got your shirt wet!" she smirked.
"Haha! It's okay! I was going to do this anyway!" Darren said, jumping into the river. Esther screamed when the water hit her. Darren came up from under the water and laughed.
"Get in, Esther!"
"I kind of want to but...my cat won't let me!" she laughed.
"Oh, yeah! Cats hate water!" Esther nodded. "In that case! I'll have to do this!" exclaimed Darren, splashing her. Esther squealed again and stuck her hands in the water, splashing him back. The two laughed and splashed each other for a while before Darren finally yanked Esther by the arm, pulling her into the river. She screamed and scrambled over to the shore. She flung herself onto the grass, panting. Her tail hung limply and her hears lay flat on her head. Her eyes were wide and she was shivering. Darren laughed.
"You look just like a cat!" he laughed harder. Esther glared at him and shook herself like a dog. The fur on her ears and tail puffed out and she looked more like a half-persian now.
"You look rediculous!" Darren clutched his chest as he doubled over.
"Not as rediculous as you!" Esther said.
"How do I look rediculous?" Darren asked.
"You don't have a shirt on, stupid!" Esther laughed. Darren looked down in confusion and noticed that his shirt, had indeed come off. It had snagged on a rock and was ripped completely off his body. Darren glared at her but after a moment of staring, the two were laughing again. They calmed down after a few moments and Esther set her focus on the sunset that could be barely seen through the trees.
"It's so pretty." She whispered with a grin. Darren nodded in agreement and they stared at the sunset for another moment before Esther took this moment to her advantage. While Darren was distracted, she tackled him and they both fell into the water, making a huge splash. The two grabbed onto a boulder on the other side of the river and they smiled at each other.
"Point for Esther!" Esther sang.
"You only got that one 'cause you cheated!" Darren laughed. They both hung onto the boulder as the current washed gently against them. Darren was caught in her eyes, staring into her green pools. Darren swallowed and they stared at each other in a peaceful silence. Darren leaned in a bit and Esther followed the suit, a bit more hesitantly since she was new to this kind of thing. Darren leaned in a bit more and their lips were barely touching. Darren closed the gap and caught her bottom, scarred lip in between his. Esther wrapped her arms around his neck and her tail swayed happily. The two kissed back and forth, playing with each other's lips for a few moments until a teasing hum came from behind them. The two looked up to find Evra standing there with a smirk on his lips.
"Esther and Darren, sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-OW!" Esther threw a rock at his leg and Darren laughed.
"Lay off, Evra!" he joked, getting out of the water, followed by Esther.
"Dude, where's your shirt? Did I interrupt something?" Evra teased.
"No! His shirt just got ripped off, idiot!" Esther giggled.
"By who?" Evra chuckled.
"Your mother! Now let's go eat dinner, I'm starved!"
"Yeah, that's why I was coming to get you guys...and the mother joke wasn't called for, Esther!" Esther shrugged and the three misfits trudged along back through the woods, making jokes and teasing each other like the friends they were. Halfway there, Darren snaked his arm around Esther's waist, which made her jump.
"Sorry, scaredy cat!" Esther punched him in the arm and placed her arm on his waist as well.
Larten just got out of his tent, he stretched and scratched his infamous scar. The scent of pork chops and buttered corn reached his nose. He smiled as he thought about the dinner he would have with his assistant and Esther, that is, if she had left her tent yet. Larten walked along towards the 'kitchen' tent until he heard laughing. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Evra, Darren and Esther come out of the woods. Evra was making a kissy face and Darren shoved his pal to the side playfully. Larten was happy to see that Esther was out and about, but his attitude quickly changed when he saw his assistant's arm wrapped around her waist. His heart panged with a bit of jealousy but his brain told him to calm down. It could be just a friendly gesture. Darren kissed Esther on the cheek. That was not a friendly gesture! Larten growled to himself and stormed off towards the kitchen tent before the three could notice him. He stopped suddenly. Why did he care if his assistant chose to be mates-er, have Esther as a 'girlfriend'?
'It should not matter to me!' he thought to himself. 'It is not like I am infatuated with her! Sure, she is attractive and talented and out-going and-' He shook his head. 'I need to stop think like that! Okay, I had a bit of...an 'attraction' towards her at first but that was it! I am over it! I have much more pressing things to think about anyway!' Larten dared to look over his shoulder and saw Esther and Darren sharing a kiss. He snapped his head in the other direction. He remembered a few nights ago when his mouth touched hers like that. He enjoyed it. He hated to admit it but he did. Larten shook his head again. 'It was not even a kiss! I was healing her wound!' He thought for a moment. 'I was, however, a bit too eager to do it though.' Larten scratched his scar furiously. 'I should not concern myself in such petty matters! I do not like Miss Esther in that manner and she is obviously fond of Darren so I need to stop thinking so foolishly!' he scolded himself and continued to walk to dinner. 'So why does it hurt so much?' he thought, looking one last time at his assistant and the cat girl.
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