Hey! Its Alice! How'd you like the previous chapter? Did you listen to the songs? Anyways…here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Cirque Du Freak and/or Darren. I only own Phoenix and the plot.
Darren watched as Phoenix's silhouette faded into the distance. He spun around in an angry fury. He shoved Mr. Crepsley back.
"What did you DO?" he yelled at his mentor.
"I was protecting you, Darren."
"No! You weren't!"
"Darren, please, listen t wh—"
"NO! YOU made Phoenix LEAVE! And she's probably NEVER coming back!"
"Darren, please relax. She's just a girl. Nothing to get worked up over."
"I will NOT relax. She wasn't just a GIRL. She was PHOENIX. Our friend! MY friend!" he yelled. "She was a freak, just like the rest of us!"
Mr. Crepsley shook his head. "She was dangerous, Darren. A liability."
"She wasn't EVIL! She was PHOENIX…IS Phoenix. And she was our FRIEND!"
Evra sat back and watched as the two vampires fought. He thought of Phoenix. His 'sister'.
Flashback—Evra and Phoenix are ten.
"Come on, Evra!" called Phoenix, who was running in front of Evra.
"I'm COMING!" he called back.
The two children were running in the forest, back to camp after 'exploring'. Phoenix, always being the faster out of the two, was ahead of Evra.
"Hurry! We'll miss the show!" she called over her shoulder as a beacon of light appeared at the edge of the forest—the cirque tent.
"I'm going as fast as I c—"
Evra's foot got caught in a loose tree root and he fell. He sat up from the ground, tears forming in his eyes. Phoenix stopped and flew back to Evra.
"Evra! Are you hurt?" she asked, patting his knee softly.
Evra shook his head 'no' and got up. Phoenix got up as well and hugged the small snake boy.
"Its okay, Evra. Everything is okay." She murmured softly in his ear.
He nodded into her shoulder. "I'm fine, 'Nix."
"Are you sure?"
He sighed. She was ALWAYS like this—VERY protective and caring. Stupid girls, he thought.
"Yes, I'm FINE."
"Okey Dokey," she said, letting go of her best friend. "Ready?"
She was talking about a race. Evra already knew who would win and so did Phoenix, but she still liked to give him a chance. He nodded.
"On the count of three. 1…2…3!"
The two took off towards the bright beacon of light. Phoenix made it first, of course, and waited for Evra. He arrived shortly, panting for breath. She smiled and took his hand, leading him to the big red tent to watch the AMAZING show.
End of flashback
"I'm going to find her!" Darren yelled at Mr. Crepsley.
"You will do NO such thing!" he yelled back.
"Watch me!" Darren spun on his heel and stormed off after Phoenix.
"Darren, wait!" called Evra.
"You can't stop me, Ev."
"I know! I'm coming with you."
Darren spun around in shock this time.
"You ARE?"
Evra nodded and caught up with his friend. "You're right. Phoenix is our friend."
"Are you sure about this, Evra? This is your home."
"Yeah, but Phoenix is my sister. She needs me."
Darren nodded in understanding, remembering his own sister.
"Let's go. She couldn't have gotten THAT far."
Evra scoffed. "Oh yes she COULD. She's a freaking cheetah."
Darren laughed. "She IS pretty fast."
"'Pretty' fast? She's like a track star on steroids."
Darren laughed again and continued walking, Evra at his flank.
After a while of walking and laughing, they got down to business.
"Phoenix!" they yelled in booming voices. "Phoenix!"
"Where IS that girl?" Evra asked himself, which was answered by an 'if we knew that we wouldn't be searching' from Darren. Evra rolled his eyes at that.
"Phoenix, where are you?! It's me, Darren."
"Oh yes, Darren," said Evra sarcastically, "because she's seriously going to reply to that."
Like Clockwork, Phoenix spoke up.
"D-Darren?" she asked.
Darren looked at Evra and smirked before turning back to Phoenix.
"Yeah."
She stepped completely out of the shadows, tear streaks down her face and her hair messed up. She saw Evra at the corner of her eye and stopped dead in her tracks.
"Evra," she whispered.
Darren, noticing that she was SCARED, went and took her hand.
"He isn't here to hurt you, Phoenix," he murmured in her ear.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked, looking into Darren's eyes.
"Because you're my sister," Evra spoke up.
She looked at Evra and smiled.
"So…I'm guessing you guys stood up to the cirque and are staying with me?" she asked her boys.
"I am," said Darren, "I don't know about Evra."
"I'm staying," confirmed Evra.
"Your snake?"
Evra flinched because staying with Phoenix meant not coming back to the cirque and leaving his snake. But Phoenix was his SISTER. A snake is just that, a snake. He could always get a new one.
"I'm staying with you, Phoenix," he promised.
She smiled and ran to the snake boy, giving him a hug.
"Thank you," she said.
Good chapter? You like? Comment and Review.
--alice
