Chapter 35: Phoebe Falls

The next day I play along with being grounded, but I make a big point of showing Phoebe my new tattoo where I know my parents will overhear.

"It's a rose, see?" I said, "Know why?"

"Aunty Rose?" Phoebe asked.

"Uh-huh." I said, smirking at the anger I felt radiating from Jasper.

That evening I put Phoebe to bed as always then go to my room and leave through the window. It's hard sneaking out of a house full of vampires, but I'd perfected it over the last three years.

I ran most of the way to the studio through the forest, then walked at human speed through the town. The studio where Lucas and Tori's band rehearse and play in was small and dark but it fit the four of them in with their instruments, plus a little room for the groupies a.k.a myself, and a girl called Flo who was pregnant with the baby of the band's drummer.

"Dee!" Tori called when she saw me walk in, dropping her hands from her guitar to hug me instead. I kiss Lucas quickly then settle down on the couch to watch them as they play. They're quite good really, but they've never played anywhere bigger than pubs and bars.

The practice goes on for an hour before the band get bored and decide to go for a drink. Lucas orders for me, flashing his ID. He was frozen at the age of ninteen, but had been a vampire for a couple decades now. Tori has a fake ID and gets her own drink easily, the bartender barely checking the card before handing her a beer.

Lucas pulled me onto his lap, whispering in my ear, "I could hear your parents yelling halfway down the street."

"Yeah I'm grounded." I told him.

He smirked, "And yet here you are."

I smiled back, "Here I am."

"You wanna sleep over tonight?" Lucas asked.

I take a sip of my drink, "No, I shouldn't. I promised to take Phoebe out in the morning."

"Since when do you keep promises to your parents?" Lucas asked.

"I don't." I said, "But I just can't resist my sister."

It was true; no matter how rebellious and distant from my family I became, I was always Phoebe's big sister and I knew I'd do anything for her.

We drag out the night, drinking and dancing. Lucas takes me home in the early hours of the morning. I make a racket climbing in through my window, but by the time Alice opens my door I'm locked inside my bathroom, holding my breath so she can't smell the alcohol and running the water as if I were peeing. As I said; years of practice.

The next morning Phoebe gets me up bright and early by bouncing up and down on my stomach. I push her off and she leaps across the room, landing on my couch.

"Let's go to the park!" She yelled, "C'mon c'mon!"

"Chill out, Phee." I said, throwing a pillow at her. She sticks her little pink tongue out and attempts to throw it back, the cushion landing feet away from my bed. She begins to pull at my arm.

"Get up, get up!" She said, her lisp appearing as it so often did when she wanted something. She was cute and she knew it.

"Okay, okay, I'm up..." I say, rolling out of bed. I glance in the mirror and shudder. I didn't take my make up off last night and its smeared down my face, my hair is a mess with bits stuck together with what's presumably alcohol but I don't remember. I barely have time to throw on jeans and a t-shirt, wipe off my make up and pull my hair into a pony tail, before Phoebe starts shrieking that she wants to go. Deciding that, as its only 7am and the park will be deserted, I don't need to bother fixing my appearance, I grab her little hand and leave before she damaged her lungs.

It's a short walk to the park and Phoebe bounces all the way. Once we get there I let go of her hand and she races to start playing. I sit down on a bench and take out my phone, texting Lucas. Perks of having a boyfriend who never sleeps; he's always awake for a chat, no matter how late or early.

I glance up every so often to watch Phoebe playing before returning to my conversation. It's not until I hear a shriek that I give her my full attention and see her wobbling, about to topple over the edge of the climbing frame. Even though she's indestructible, my heart stops and I'm there in an instant. Before I can catch her, someone else does. The boy who passes the screaming girl over to me is, to my surprise, human.

Phoebe wraps her little legs around me and I cling to her tightly, "Never do that again, Phee." I look at the boy, "Thank you so much."

"Of course. It's lucky I decided to cut through the park today." He said, giving me an odd look, "But it looked like you'd have been here in time anyway. You run track?"

"Hu?" I asked.

"You should do, I've never seen anyone run so fast." He said.

Oh. Shit.

I hid my face behind Phoebe, "Yeah...runs in my family, I guess."

Speaking of family, Alice would probably be here any minute. She wasn't great at seeing my future, but for some reason she saw Phoebe's perfectly and I'll bet she's on her way to kill me for what just happened.

"I should probably get her home." I said, turning away from the boy.

"Maybe I'll see you around some time." He said, "My names Ian."

Before I can respond with my own name, it's shrieked from behind me.

"Daisy-May how could you let this happen?!"

I smile at the boy and jog away from him quickly, meeting my mother at the edge of the park, "She's fine. Let's go home before you make a scene."

"How dare you?!" Alice said, snatching Phoebe from my arms.

I walk away from the park, not wanting to be in earshot of the boy for the fight that was bound to follow.

And follow she did...

"How could you let this happen?" Alice asked, "Why weren't you watching her? She's in only little. Don't you even care about her?"

Now I'm the one who's angry, "Of course I care about her. You seem to forget that I'm the one who gave her life."

Alice slaps me then and I stare at her. She shows no remorse, "She is MY child."

She starts to walk away and I find my voice, "So am I! Will she grow up to have the same fate? Will you hate her too?"

Alice ignores me and takes Phoebe home.

I go to a bar and drink.

A/N: Sorry it's been a while, I kinda got stuck on this story with this chapter...but anyway, I hope you liked it and I will try and get another up fairly soon, but I'm on holiday at the moment and Wi-Fi is patchy so bare with me.