Okay, guys. Since I have people asking for a rewrite of "A Different Kind of Bruise", but I also have people asking for me to not re-write it, I'm going to post the first chapter of the rewrite and see what people have to say about it. ~ Zone
Chapter One: Cabin-Mates
"Mr. Fenton, you're late!" Mrs. Tetslaff said as Danny stumbled into her office. "Well, why am I surprised? It's nothing new, after all." She picked up a clipboard, scanning it with her eyes.
Danny pursed his lips and kept his mouth shut about how much it hurt when his teachers said that about him, not wanting to upset his gym teacher by mouthing off. The last thing he wanted was detention again. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Tetslaff. Ghost attack…was at the nurse." He held out a note, which he'd made sure to get since she always demanded proof.
"Hm." Tetslaff took the note and nodded. "Alright, then. Well, since you're late, almost everyone has been paired up already. Only one cabin is left, so you're stuck with that one." She shoved a list in his face. "Here's a list of what you'll need to bring. Don't bother bringing any cell phones or video games, there's no power where you're going!" She let out a hearty laugh.
Danny groaned, looking at the list. "…Great. A summer of camping with no way to contact home. Who am I stuck with?" He looked up at her.
She looked at him and shoved the clipboard in her face. "Look for yourself, Fenton!"
He blinked and looked down the list. Most of the names had check-marks and numbers, all but Danny and…
"Oh no. Can I please just opt out of this?" He pleaded, looking up at her.
"Not unless you want to fail this class!" Tetslaff declared. "Now get home and PACK!"
"I am so dead…" Danny groaned, walking out with his packing list. "Of all the people to be stuck with all summer, why him?"
.
"We'll be back at the end of summer to pick you up!" Maddie said as Danny climbed out of the Fenton RV behind her, his pack slung over his shoulder. "Did you remember to pack a toothbrush? Extra socks? Underwear?"
"I did, mom, please just go already?" Danny asked, his cheeks tinted pink. She kissed his head and climbed back into the RV, his father giving a cheerful wave before he sped off, definitely knocking over a small tree as they left him behind in the woods.
Alone. Not too far away was the cabin he would be stuck in for the rest of the summer, and he looked over at it with the same dread he'd been feeling since he first saw who he was partnered with a week ago.
"…Well, no point in staying out here." He mumbled, walking over to the door and gripping the doorknob.
"About TIME you showed up, Fenturd!" His partner jeered as Danny opened the door wider.
"…Hi, Dash." Danny said, moving as quickly as he could to the bed that didn't have a pack on it and set his pack down, sighing.
So, this was how he was going to spend his summer – alone in a cabin in the middle of the woods and no way to call for help…with Dash Baxter, his long-time relentless bully. If there is a God, he must HATE him.
"Man, and here I thought that summer was gonna be a real bummer!" Dash said, watching Danny start to unpack and put his clothes in one of the two dressers provided. "But I get to spend it wailing on you! Awesome!"
"Yeah, awesome." Danny muttered to himself, sighing. "This is a cooperation exercise, isn't it?" He looked around the cabin. Aside from the two dressers and two beds, there was a small woodstove, a shelf with something that looked like plates and bowls, and a table with two chairs. A cozy little place, but it felt way too cozy for his liking. "We should be…trying to get along."
"Whatever, Fentina." Dash smirked as he sat on the edge of his bed.
"Starting with not using mean nicknames on each other." Danny looked at him. "I mean, I can't do anything about it at school, but can we at least pretend your life's goal is not to beat up on me while we're stuck together?"
Dash narrowed his eyes. "You're lucky I haven't pounded you already, Fenturd. You're really pushing my generosity."
"Okay, alright." Danny held up his hands. "The mean names stay. Fine." He sat on the edge of his bed, looking at the desk that was sitting between the two dressers. Two notebooks were sitting on it, one with "Fenton" on the front and the other with "Baxter" on the front. "What're these?"
"Man, you really pay attention, don't you?" Dash jeered, pushing off from his bed and walking over to pick up his notebooks. "We have to keep a daily log. Mrs. Tetslaff will grade us based on what we report in here, so don't use it as your personal crybaby diary. If you wanted one of those, you should've just brought one." He smirked.
"I don't have a 'personal crybaby diary', and even if I DID, I wouldn't bring it anywhere near YOU!" Danny snapped. His breath hitched when he realized he'd made the mistake of talking back and he got off his bed, moving closer to the door.
Dash was faster, already reaching out and grabbing Danny's shirt collar roughly when Danny tried to pull away. He tugged him closer to him and smirked. "You just loooove to give me excuses to wail on you, don't you?"
"D-Dash, I…" A blue mist escaped his lips and Dash flinched back from the sudden cold air hitting his face, releasing Danny in his surprise.
"What in the—" Dash heard the door open and shut and realized that Danny had run outside. "Geez, that was cold…" He rubbed his cheek, where the mist had hit him, and found his cheek a bit wet.
.
"That was too close." Danny shivered, slipping behind a tree and changing into Phantom. "Great timing, whoever you are. I'll just finish this fight, then head back." He gripped the thermos he'd grabbed while Dash was surprised and flew off to locate the ghost.
A green vulture with a red fez was flying over the woods, approaching two others. "Did you find it?" He asked.
"No, and I guess you didn't, either?" One of the other ones groaned. "Bossman is gonna be so mad…"
"Not as mad as he will be when he finds out you got your butt kicked by me again!" Danny said, flying at the vultures and blasting at each of them one after the other. "What's Plasmius up to this time?"
"Dat's none of your business, Phantom!" One of them said. "This is Bossman's personal thing, so just stay out of it!"
"Gee, I'd like to, but his 'personal thing' could be trying to marry my mom and kill my dad again, so it's personal for me too." He held out the thermos, pushing the button to suck them in. "Nothing personal, but I can't have you going back to Vlad!" He grinned.
The vultures tried to fly away, but they were caught. He sighed once they were inside and put the lid back on, clipping it to his belt. "What is Vlad doing out here?" He mumbled, flying back to the cabin. He stopped when it was in view and dropped down, changing back to Fenton form.
Dash was out looking for him, it looked like. He was torn between changing back into Phantom and flying away or staying human form and facing his cabin-mate, but the thought of failing Tetslaff's class made him give in and he walked out to where Dash was.
"Fenton!" Dash noticed him walking over and crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you, crazy? You can't go into the woods alone! I bet you don't even know how to fight!"
"I got a few lessons from my mom." Danny said, glancing away.
"Not enough to beat a wild animal!" Dash punched Danny's shoulder. "Since we're out here, let's go hunting for dinner!" He headed back into the cabin, Danny right behind him.
"Wait, hunting?" Danny asked as he watched Dash reach into his bag. He paled when he saw him pull out a huge hunting knife and backed away three paces.
"Yeah, hunting. You think we're going to live on berries this whole time or something?" Dash chuckled. "We were told not to bring any food, y'know." He held up the knife, taking it up and starting to sharpen it.
"I could…find berries, yeah." Danny said, glancing away and flinching at the sound of the blade sliding on the whetstone. "My mom…and Sam…taught me a lot of botany stuff."
"Good, then you can make some use of yourself and take the basket sitting under the table out. Go fill it with berries and plants. See if you can find some good for fixing wounds, too. We only have basic first-aid kits."
"Alright." Danny went to the table and pulled out the basket, heading for the door.
"Hey, Fenton." The sound of the blade and whetstone paused.
"Hm?" Danny looked over at him. "What?"
"Don't get killed." Dash looked at him. "That will really kill my grade."
"Thanks for the concern." Danny said dryly, walking out and shutting the door behind him.
Eek, big knife! Uhm, wait, those guys are gonna be in there for the whole summer? Hopefully Danny lets them out sooner.
Dash and Danny aren't gonna be buddy-buddy, even if they're stuck together for the whole summer. Yikes. Maybe things will change?
As I said, whether this is continued or not is up to you guys. Review wisely. ~ Zone