This is why I've always stuck to spiders! They dont try to unknowingly hypnotize you into loving them! They dont have perfect horn topped orange hair, long beautifully pale faces with amber eyes! They dont have a long graceful red cape and they most certainly burst in my tent with no shirt on!

"WHY ARE YOU IN HERE HALF NAKED?!" I yell at Mr. Crepsley, whose ruffling his dark(only because he's inside the tent) orange hair. "I'm not half naked. I simply have no shirt." he states, grilling me with his amber eyes as he yawns. I cant help but look(stare is a better word) at him... my master(though he calls me Matser Shan sometimes, he'll always be my master). Just the title makes me lick my lips and repress a shiver. Or maybe thats the sight too. Creps as always been fit, even before I became his assistant when I saw him at the Cirque back home. It made wonder how Crepsley looked when he was younger. Everytime I ask, he brushes it off with a grunt or 'unimportant'. He does the same when I ask about his scars. The one from his sideburn to his jaw on his right side and the other one going across his left cheek are usually the only ones visible and their the ones I ask about because I didnt think he had anymore... Well, like everything else since I first seen Cirque De Freak, I was wrong. He has way! more scars on his stomach. But their wrapped around the built, in shape, muscly body of his. "Shan?" I quickly shake my head and lay back in my coffin. "Yes Creps?"

"Are you not going to make something or will I just have to cook it myself?" I snort. "I still dont understand why you cant just get somethin else from someone else"

"The master must eat his apprentices food! Even if the apprentice happens to be a stubborn 16 year old!"

"Hey! I'm practically 30 in vampire years!"

"Still 16! Every 5 years you age. You were 10 when I blooded you. You've spent 30 years with me. 30 divded by 5 is 6. 6 plus 10 is 16." I ignore him and his math and continue. "And its not like you'd cook old man. So if you get out and put on a shirt, I'll see if Evra can take over my chores for a while." he groans. "Your trying to make me starve!" he whines. "Me? Never!" I fein innocence but sit up to watch him with a smirk. "Hush now! I'll go slip into a shirt as you seem to be" his amber eyes turn darker and I gulp under his gaze. "squeamish. I'll be outside." he leaves and the picture of his low riding sweats, his lean yet fit body, his strong square jaw with that smirk dancing on his lips still fresh in my head makes me groan in wanting and frustration. 'You'd think after 30 years of traveling with him and the Freaks would make me immune... yeah immune my ass.'

"Two vampires fucking in a tent, one is thrusting while the other's bent~!"

the familiar hiss makes me narrow my eyes and look around the barely moonlit tent. "Very funny Evra! How long have you been up?!" I hisses, still looking around. "Since the clock hit twelve duh. Snakes are nocturnal! How many more years are we gunna be best friends that you still wont get that?" I look above me to spot Evra Von, aka Snake Boy, rocking back and forth on his long huge snake(Ha ha ha, it's literary a snake) like a hammock. "That has nothing to do with you!You usually sleep til 3 in the afternon, but on days when your awakness will get you kicked do you insist to get up so early!" he lets out a laugh and hangs upside down from his snake, hanging by his toes to meet me face to face. "Oh looks like a half vamp is a little grumpy because they want to get pounded by their master and they cant handle the 30 year sexual frustration." I narrow my eyes farther at the upside down red haired, semi green scaled skin, hazel eyed fellow 16 year old. "I hate you." his lizard like pitch fork tongue flicks out and licks my cheek. "I love ya too buddy." I wipe the trail of saliva off my cheek and stand from my coffin as Erva jumps down to the tent ground.

"Alright, I'll do our first three chores and you better be back for the next 23." Evra stretches to his full 6'2 height. I'm only 5'8 but I tell myself he's only taller then me because of the snake genes he has. Though I dont even think he's 16. It's probably because he actually grows.

Mean, I always asked Crepsley how does Evra age and he doesnt know. No one in the camp knows. But when I showed up, (I was ten when I showed up with Creps in the Cirque)Evra sorta looked my age, short and stuff. So though nobody knew exactly how he aged, they knew when he aged. Every five years, like me and Creps. But me and Creps are still in our blooded bodies; I still look 11 and he still looks... like him. Anyway, since me and Evra became best friends, his birthday is on my birthday, therefore we're both 16. Confusing huh? Hell I dont question it. Math was never my strong suit. "If your calculating how many more years it's gunna take til Mr. Crepsley realizes you love~ him, stop now. Your no good at math." Evra pokes my head and I smack his hand away. "Look you!" I grill him and jab my finger in his super scaley hard side. "You stay quiet or I'll make you into a sidebag!" he chuckles. "And keep me by your side forever? Aw how sweet! My bestie Darren, so thoughtful!" He puts me into a head lock. "Agh! Evra!" I smile and laugh. "I better let ya go or you'll die from being away from Mr. Crepsley too long." My face heats up as he lets me go. "So cute~! You can still blush!" I growl and stomp out the tent to me, ignoring Evra laugh.

"So you decied not to let me starve. Wonderful!" I spot Larten(His name sounds french right? *sighs dreamly*) sitting with one knee propped up and his arm hanging off his proped knee by our fire behind me and Evra's tent with (sadly)a shirt on. I plop next to him and stick my hand, palm up, to him. From the corner of my eye, I see him smirk as he hands me a large black bag. I open the black bag and at the same time put my pot on the fire. "Are you feeling better?" he asks. I continue making the stew, placing the small bits of olvies and carrots in the pot. "I wasnt feeling bad to start. Why?" I turn to him and I really regret it. His soft amber eyes turn lighter and a sexy, half smile forms on his lips as he ruffles his hair, the flickering of the dim firelight making his marble skin shine. My heart-well if it was still beating- would be hammering as fast as the drums to bring out wolf-man. "I simply asked. You seemed a bit... distracted." I shake my head. '"Yeah I thought you came in my tent, ready to fuck me and tell me that you love me"...Pfft! Yeah right!'

"Nah." he places his hand on my shoulder. "Remember, I cannot read your mind Darren. Even after so long. Understand that you can speak to me." I absentmindly lay my head to the side, laying my head atop his hand. "I...I know Crespley. Thank you." i whisper, nuzzling his hand a little longer before going back to cooking as his hand stayed on my shoulder.

"I drank human blood Monday! I'm fine!" I hisses at Mr. Crepsley, who has knocked out another random farmer(which we seem to have alot of. Cant wait till we hit the city). "It's Saturday! You must drink!" he orders forcefully. "No dammit!" I growl and slam myself against the tree(not with all my force but I still hear the tree groan against my back). "Master Shan, this isnt something you can choose when you feel like! Y-"

"Yeah I know! I'll die! I get it!" I yell, slumping against the tree and placing my head in my hands. Everything is quiet and in the distance you can hear Evra shouting with Rebecca(Another one of the Freaks, she's half monkey, half human. Real friendly too. Everyone thought she and I were together the first couple of months here. She's 16 too! Her aging stopped at 16 so she's the youngest/oldest of us teens. She has the mentality of an 8 year old).

"Darren please." his voice was quiet and even slightly begging. I hate when he does that! It's like Madam Octa's soft silk(which is really tasty!); velvet and soft...

'I...cant drink so much... I'll lose whats left of my humanity.'

I gasp as I feel his cloak and his arm drup around my shoulder. 'Somethings coming Darren. You need all your strength.' That was the vampire in me. Usually, he's always right. "...just for today..." I whimper, falling against his side. "I'll drink...just a little." his arm tightens around me.

"thank you.."

It was soft and fleeting but I could've bet three million years of being tied to this tree, it was there. I look up to see one of the most beautifulest pictures;

Larton's sharp chin turned slightly towards me, the moonlight dancing off his cheeks and scars, his amber eyes lit and uncomparable to the stars, his orange hair firey and the smallest yet most loving smile I've seen from Larton Crepsley in the entire 30 years I've been with him.

My breath hides in my lungs as I continue to stare. He blinks. "Darren?" I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I feel my face heat up so I quickly shut my mouth and look to the ground. "What is the matter? Did I upset you?" I shake my head. Larton's fingers curl around my chin and eases my face to look at his. "C...crepsley..." I mumble, watching as he lean closer. I hear him gulp softly as I crane my neck making our faces only inches away. "Darren" I shut my eyes and lean up a little more-!

"Darren Shan!"

"And Larton Crespley!"

"GET BACK TO CAMP! NOW!"

Me and Creps jump at the loud comanding voices of Rebecca and now English-learning Turka. "As your time says, bossy women." I nod shakingly at the glowing distance of thee awaking Cirque. "Darren-"

"Crespley-"

We both start and stare at each other. We both close our mouths and look away. I feel a hand clasp mine and I snap my head to Crepsley, whose still ahead. "Creps-" I let my voice die down, not wanting to ruin the moment. Me and Larton walk hand in hand to the Cirque. "What about the blood?" I stop and ask. He stops too, his hand still in mines. "I'll let you slip for tonight." I smile.

For the rest of the walk, we walk in silence, hand in hand.