DISCLAIMER: I own no rights to Cirque Du Freak or any of the characters in it

A/N: Set after Darren was blooded but before he went to the cirque. A couple of days after the freak show. Oh and in Darren's POV. Mix of the books and the film.

SUMMARY: How could I tell him the truth about what I really was? This was the hardest thing that I had ever had to do and I was dreading it. Maybe maths lessons are good times to tell the truth. Bad summary I know but please read it

TITLE: The hardest thing

~D~A~R~R~E~N~~S~H~A~N~

Chapter 2

Detention dragged on and if it wasn't for Steve, I think I would have died. We passed notes when Mr Kersey wasn't looking and I let out a couple of chuckles but he didn't notice which was lucky. We would have been in detention for a week if he had noticed. The problem was that now, I had to look forward to another one tomorrow. His detentions were so boring and long, they took forever. When it was finally over and I had to suffer no more, we headed for the door and began to smirk to each other.

"Man could that have lasted any longer?" I asked Steve whilst yawning. He grinned and looked at the clock.

"We were only there for twenty minutes." He said as I looked at him with wide eyes.

"Well it seemed like twenty hours." I knew that I'd eventually have to leave but it was just a question of when. I wondered how I would leave him. Would I just leave without saying a word? Would I tell him and hope for the best? I didn't know but the night was approaching when I would have to make a quick decision. A decision that would change my life a whole lot more than I wanted it to. "Steve, what would you do if I left?" I asked with a shaky tone as I looked into his grey eyes.

"I dunno, I'd be upset sure but you aren't leaving so…" He paused then began to think, which believe me is unusual, then frowned. "You aren't leaving right?" What did I do? Lie or tell the truth that I in fact was going to leave him. I finally broke the awkward silence with a sigh.

"Steve…" That was a bad thing to do. He nodded and bit his lip as though he knew what I was about to say. That piled on guilt and I felt even worse than I had done. "Steve, I'm not leaving you." I finally said a she looked up with a shining expression.

"Why did you scare me like that?" He joked and shoved me backwards. When the end of the day came, I was glad and I couldn't face Steve anymore. I had lied to him and I couldn't change it. There was a knock on the window as I peered down to see a flushed Vampire. I hauled the window open as he climbed inside and lay on my floor gasping for air.

"Why didn't you knock at the door?" I asked Mr Crepsley as he panted in more air.

"Oh yes and what exactly could I say? Hello Mr and Mrs Shan I have come to take your son?" I thought about it then realised that he had a fair point. I was actually going to leave my family and my best friends to go and live as a night time predator. "Did you tell anyone that you were going?" I shook my head and realised how hard this was. It was harder then first anticipated and a knock rippled from my door. I gasped and bundled Mr Crepsley into my closet.

"Hey Darren, you decent?" It was Steve. I quickly shut the door and yawned as I went to the door of my room.

"Oh Steve, I was just sleeping. What's up?" I asked as I fake yawned and welcomed him in. He made himself comfy on my bed and smiled at me.

"Do I need a reason to see my best friend?" He asked with a mocking smile. "Actually there is a reason. I need to know, Darren are you hiding something from me?" It was quite ironic for him to describe my lying like that seen as I was actually hiding a red- headed vampire from him in my closet.

"Well seeing as you ask, I have to leave Steve. I don't want to but eventually I'll have to. You know what I am and you know that I can't stay. I lied to you because I was afraid of hurting you. I want to stay Steve, believe me I do but there is something that I have to do." I sighed as he sighed sadly. I was living his dream and I could tell that he was jealous. I resented the vampire now even more. He had hurt Steve by blooding me and I wanted his dead body even more now than I had done before. "Hey vampire man, get out of the closet." He did as I asked and revealed himself to Steve. He gasped in terror and looked over at me.

"You, you told me that I had bad blood. What are you doing with him Darren?" I shook my head indicating that I was unsure.

"Steve, I am sorry but Darren has to come with me to the Cirque du Freak. I will let you…" He was interrupted by a loud crash as my window smashed. "What the hell is going on?" He asked as I shrugged and swivelled round to see a scary looking man with purple skin and gleaming red eyes. "You, you I want you out!" He screeched at the man as I guided Steve to the bedroom door.

"Go, I'll be fine with Mr Crepsley." I cried over the loudness of the argument. He shook his head as I looked over my shoulder at a struggling Crepsley. "Go now! I am telling you." I insisted as he continued to stand his ground.

"And I am telling you no. I can't leave you Darren, not like this." I sighed and pushed out of the door. As he tumbled to the ground, I locked the door and leaned against it. "Darren, Darren let me in!" he screamed as I pushed against the door.

"No, Steve please just go home and I'll talk to you at school tomorrow I promise." I said as he pounded on the wooden separator between him and me. The banging ceased as he mumbled.

"Fine but I didn't want to leave you. Remember that Darren Shan and I'll hopefully see you tomorrow." He sighed and reluctantly left. He had stood by me all I was going to do now was leave him. I looked back as Mr Crepsley tossed him out of the window. He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the window.

"Come on, we must leave now." I tugged my arm back as he had a loose grip on it and shook my head.

"No, no I'm not leaving. I can't leave Steve and my parents and Annie I just can't." I howled as he gripped my arm tighter.

"You must Darren; we have a lot to prepare for!" He shouted back angrily and began to tug on my arm. I held on to the door handle to stop him pulling me away and he eventually released his grip and looked at me fashioning an exasperated expression. "Why will you not come?" He asked with his head in his hand.

"Was it not hard for you to leave everything you had? Steve would stick by me and he wouldn't leave me. I can't leave him. I am the last thing he has, his mom's an alcoholic, his dad left him years ago and he has no brothers or sisters. What am I suppose to do, leave him on his own?" He nodded reluctantly and headed for the window; my arm no longer in his grasp.

"Fine, I will give you another week but then you must come." I nodded and closed the window. The next day, I avoided Steve as best I could but he caught me in French class at the end.

"Hey, take it you didn't go." I nodded and decided to tell him the news.

"No, I didn't go but I have to go next week." I sighed as he smiled up at me.

"Guess we'll just have to spend these last days as though they're your last." He grinned as we sneaked out of class. It wasn't like I had an example to set, I was gonna die next week anyways. I was going to spend these last days with Steve, my best and only friend I truly could believe in. We spent hours talking and reading comics together. I barely slept in three days thanks to my phone in my room. We chatted until five in the morning and he didn't seem to care that his mom was going nuts at him. When the day before I had to leave came, I lay on my bed and refused to go to school. I wasn't spending my last Thursday in some stuffy classroom with Mr Kersey. I was ready now, ready to die, ready to leave my friends and family forever.

A/N: I know that it was meant to be a one-shot but I couldn't resist adding another chapter. ^_^ as I always ask, please review to tell me what'cha thought.