Ebony brows were bent in anger, while lavender eyes glared furiously underneath. The rest of her face was twisted into such a menacing scowl that Danny and Tucker nearly cringed as they watched the scene of daughter against mother unfold before them.
"How could you do this to me!" she asked, or rather yelled, anger, mingled with disbelief, dripping from her every word.
Curiosity overruled the fear of Sam's wrath, not to mention the expression on her face, and the two onlookers shifted their gaze over to Mrs. Manson, who, in turn, ignored them. She glared right back at her daughter, though it was rather weak compared to Sam's. All the same, she glared back, but just as she was about to speak, Sam carried on. Rage, frustration, and fear coursed through her, mixing into one perfect blend for a Goth to be feared.
"I clearly stated that I DID NOT want a big, blow-out party! I just wanted to hang out with my friends, eat some cake, open a few presents, and end the day! That's ALL!" The girl was seething. This was not what she had had in mind.
"Well," her mother said, trying to answer the original outburst of a question. "That's not exactly how you put it, Sammikins. You told me that you did not want a huge blow-out party for your sixteenth birthday. Well, dear, your turning fifteen, not sixteen!" She informed her excitedly, eyes gleaming with happiness for her brilliant loophole. Poor Sam was in a state of shock. She stood still, mouth slightly open as her eyes clouded over and she recalled that oh so fateful day she made that terrible, terrible mistake.
Sam was lazing around her room, flipping through a book of Gothic poetry when her phone rang. She sighed, for she was reading one of her favorites when she went to reach for it. "Just a second!" she told it, its shrill, impatient ringing getting on her nerves. She picked it up and pressed the talk button.
"Hello?" she asked, trying hard not to let her annoyance slip into her voice. "What do want Tucker, I was in the middle of a good book!" Or not. "Tuck, what's all that noise in the background? I can hardly hear you!" All Sam could hear were very loud blasts, some random shouts, even some tiny explosions could be heard sounding off in the distance over the phone; and then of course, Tucker's voice, barely audible through it all.
"Sam! We need the Fenton Thermos! Danny thinks he might have left it in your room! Bring it down to the Nasty Burger, ASAP!" After that followed the dial tone and Sam could only hope Tucker was the one to hang up.
She dug around her room, poking through all of her drawers, corners, and other likely possibilities for the ghost catching device to be hiding until finally her fingers grasped the cold, metal cylindrical container.
By now, she was extremely worried about how Danny was doing in his fight with whatever ghost had showed up in Amity Park. She ran to the door of her room and was just about to turn the handle when it began moving of its own accord. She leaped back in surprise when the door sprung open, and her mother stepped through, wearing a huge grin, which usually meant no good for her daughter. Sighing inwardly, she prepared herself for whatever fresh torture her mother was going to force on her now. Why, why, why, why NOW? she asked herself, cursing her timing.
"Samantha! I've found THE PERFECT car for your Sweet Sixteen!" Mrs. Manson told the dumbfounded girl. Things just weren't clicking in her head; she was fairly certain she was still fourteen. Why was her mom talking about her sixteenth birthday? She shook her head and looked disdainfully at the picture her mother pulled out for her.
It was a bright yellow Volkswagen, complete with tiny bright pink, blue, green, and purple flowers painted all over. 'HOTTIE' was in matching bright pink letters on the license plate. Did her mom really expect her to actually drive in it, let alone want it for her birthday?
She grimaced, then glanced around the room nervously for a quick escape. She found none. The boys were most likely wondering where the heck she was by now. Her mother saw the nervous look on her face and tried to console her- well, from what she could tell was worrying her.
"Oh, sweetie, if your worried about the other children being jealous, we could ask them to remove some of the flowers, and we don't have to personalize the license plate. Or we could just give it to you after all of your guests leave your party." Sam shook her head. In her own way, she knew her mom was trying, but this was just too much.
"Mom, I do NOT want that hideous thing for my sixteenth birthday! I'm not even fifteen yet! And, by no means, do I want some huge, blow-out party to celebrate my sixteenth birthday!" And with that, she managed to push past her mom, Fenton Thermos in hand and finally make her way to the Nasty Burger. Unfortunately, she didn't realize she had been too specific in stating which birthday she did not want a huge party for.
Slowly, Sam was pulled back into reality due to the sound of ridiculous laughter coming from her left. Danny and Tucker were in stitches. After all, who would expect Sam to make such a careless mistake? She sent them a look that was, if even possible, worse than the one she had given her mother earlier.
That shut them up.
They stood rigid, faces straight, all signs of laughter gone, except for the amused twinkling that shone in both of their eyes; none of Sam's threatening looks could drive the humor away from her plight. Still, Mrs. Manson ignored them.
"Look Samantha," she said with an authoritative voice, "the invitations have already been sent out. I've already made arrangements for the caterers, the musicians, everything. You can dress how you like, as long as its appropriate, and your little boyfriend and friend in the beret are invited also. Spend the day however you like, but be back home in time to get ready." And with one swish of her pink dress, Mrs. Manson left the three teens standing alone as they were before she stepped into the scene, with a slight smirk on her face.
Sam was in shock, once more, for being allowed to wear something of her own choice. And, from the unexpected mention of her would-be-secret crush, while he was standing right there. Recovering, she shouted after her mother's retreating figure, "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"
Danny, however, remained silent. He had no intention of being put on another restraining order, among other things. A light blush coated his cheeks and his gaze shifted to the wall, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
Tucker was in tears by then, clutching his sides with all of his might to keep from laughing any harder, but it was a tough job. Watching Mrs. Manson take Sam by surprise like that was priceless. Especially while Danny stayed silent and blushing beside her.
"Man, Sam!" Tucker exclaimed, once he had calmed down enough. "Even your mom knows-"
"Nothing." she said, cutting him off, and casting a nervous glance back at the still silent Danny.
"C'mon, let's just get up to my room before someone else shows up with even more bad news." she grumbled. Trudging up the stairs to her room, her footsteps sounding off with a heavy THUMP, THUMP.
Tucker followed, but stopped when he noticed Danny wasn't at his side. He turned around to find him still standing at the bottom of the stairwell, staring ahead blankly, lost in thought. If Sam's mom had mentioned it...
"Dude, you comin'?" he called down to him, over the sound Sam still thumping her way upwards.
Tucker's voice drifted over to Danny's ears. Startled, he looked up to the source of the voice. "What? Oh! Yeah, just a sec!" He replied, hurrying after his friends. He managed to catch up with Tucker, and flash him a bright smile before running ahead to catch up with Sam.
Tucker shook his head, smiling happily to himself. It seemed as if Danny was becoming a little less oblivious to the world around him, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Danny was just acting...differently, as of late. He had a tendency to be a little more flustered when around their female friend, and their 'blushy moments' were increasing at an incredible rate. Tucker tried numbering them as he made his way to Sam's room and sat himself in the chair in font of her desk.
Sam, naturally, was seated on her bed, back against the wall, raven locks falling across slumped shoulders. Her legs were pulled up to her chest, head resting on her knees, while her eyes resumed their glaring, this time at her combat boots.
"Sam, I don't think glaring at your boots is gonna help the situation." Tucker pointed out, trying to lighten the mood a little.
Danny, sitting in front of Sam on her red comforter, nodded his head eagerly in agreement.
"Yea, Sam! It's not that bad. She could've..." He trailed of, not knowing what to replace the current problem with.
She looked up at him, exchanging her glare for a more downcast look. "Exactly." She said softly. "Do you know how long I've kept the fact that I'm filthy rich a secret from you two?" She asked them, putting quite a bit of emphasis on long.
Tucker and Danny, who exchanged confused glances. "Uhhh...ever since you met us?" They answered, half questioning, in sync.
"Exactly." She repeated matter-of-factly, getting up from her position on the bed and walking over to her window to look outside. "If I couldn't trust you guys not to take advantage of me being rich up until now, why should I trust all of those other shallow jerks populating our school?" She asked once more, not really expecting an answer.
Danny followed her actions, placing his hands gently on her slender shoulders and giving her a heartwarming smile, while Tucker watched on gleefully. "Don't worry about it so much, Sam. So they find out. What of it? They'll kiss up to you, you'll ignore them, or tell them off, and everything will go back to normal, with the occasional random kid coming up to be your new best friend." Danny summed up for her, with another smile and reassuring squeeze.
Sam was amazed, not only at the action of him placing his hands on her shoulders without blushing, but at what he said. When did Danny get so...smart? Tucker seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her.
"Geez Danny, what have you been doing when your not kicking ghost butt? Reading out of Jazz's books?" he joked.
Remembering where his hands were, he removed them, stuffing one in his pocket, while the other went diving through his silky mass of black hair, as he usually did when he was nervous. A light pink blush tinged his cheeks, as did Sam's. So much for not blushing, Sam thought wryly.
"Well, it's true! You don't need to be a genius to figure it out." he protested, a little put out that his friends didn't think that he could see what the big event would bring. But, in truth, that was the least of his worries. There was still the matter of obtaining Sam's birthday present.
Danny knew what to get her, all right, but there was one little question he needed answering to. Did she feel the same way? Well, if he had been paying a little bit more attention to things he wouldn't, but alas, that wasn't the case. He also needed to locate the second part of his gift.
The atmosphere lightened considerably as Sam resolved to the fact there was no getting out of the party, and that it probably wouldn't be as bad as she originally feared. Tucker challenged her to a game of Doomed, claiming he was getting good enough to beat her,while Danny casually declined their offers to join in. He needed them to stay busy while he searched for a certain someone's gift.
Sounds of the game filled the room, consisting mostly of weapons firing, explosions,Tucker's whining as he was thrashed numerous times, and Sam's cheering as she defeated more and more players as Chaos.
Danny took advantage of all of this to cover his hunting threw items in the bedroom that looked as if it would contain a ring. A class ring, in fact, that Sam just so happened to be keeping for him, till he needed it. And boy, did he need it!
But, to his dismay, he couldn't locate it. Maybe...he thought to himself, maybe it's in...the bathroom! Why didn't I think of that before? He could have kicked himself, but rather than doing that, informed his hostess he was going to use the bathroom.
"Sure, whatever, but if you hear crying, don't be surprised!" Sam grinned evilly in Tucker's direction, while he stuck out his tongue at her.
Danny laughed. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind!" he replied before making his exit.
Tucker sighed in relief at Danny's absence. He was fairly certain he knew what Danny was up to. Half the time he was losing against Sam was because he had been watching the ghost boy rummage through anything that looked like a jewelry box of some sort.
"Hey Sam?" he spoke up casually, not really wanting to catch her off guard. But if it would help
Friar Tuck...
"Yea, Tucker?" she responded, eyes sticking to the screen as if they were being pulled in magnetically.
"I think, " he said, praying he was right, "that Danny's becoming a little less clueless, if you catch my drift." He watched as Sam peeled away from the screen to stare at him questioningly.
"Tucker, what are you talking about? Danny-"
Tucker cut her off, excitement taking hold of him. "Is starting to realize that there are more fish in the sea! And your on the menu!"
Sam stared at Tuckeras if he had something grotesque attached to his face, then burst out laughing. "What the heck kind of metaphor is that?" finally made its way out as she regained use of her voice. He merely shrugged and went back to the game.
But, what he said did manage to strike something within her. Is he finally starting to see me as more than just one of his best friends? She sighed wistfully. "Wouldn't that be a nice birthday present..." she muttered to herself, unaware of Danny returning from the bathroom, a satisfied smile on his face.
"What would make a nice birthday present?" he asked, a little nervously. His hand tightened around the piece of jewelry encased in his fist, palms sweating.
"Huh? Oh! Uhhh...just...spending the day with you guys, thats all!" she said hurriedly, hoping that would be a convincing enough excuse.
Danny's eyes widened a bit, but he didn't question further. He had the ring, and tomorrow he was going to give it to Sam for keeps, and that's what was important...But I'm still not sure she'll feel the same. Maybe Tucker will know something...He made a mental note to ask him after they left.
After giving their regards to Sam, both boys slowly made their way home together. It wasn't until they were a house away from Sam's that Tucker decided to attack Danny with a question that had been burning to be asked after the incident with Sam's mother.
"Dude! What was up with you today? Why were searching Sam's room?" he asked, taking Danny by surprise. He had been thinking hard about how to best bring about his own question
"What? You saw that! Did Sam see any-!" Danny stopped himself, before calming down enough to try a poor attempt at a cover up. "I mean, what are you talking about? I was watching you guys play the game!" he said, laughing nervously, hand disappearing through his hair.
Tucker looked skyward, trying to keep from rolling his eyes. "Danny..." he said in a warning tone.
"All right! I was looking for...something." He said, averting his sky blue eyes from Tucker's accusing green ones.
"Looking for something." Tucker repeated. "Something like a class ring, perhaps?" he asked slyly, glancing at his friend to see what expression his comment had caused.
It was so worth it.
Danny looked up at Tucker, his bright eyes wide with fright and disbelief, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. The hand that had been in his hair was still there, making his tresses stick up even more than usual. His face also took on a rather nice shade of pink as he began blushing furiously, and Tucker swore he could hear Danny's heartbeat, going two or three times as fast as normal.
"How did you know?" he asked Tucker in a hushed whisper, forgetting he could, however unsuccessful, deny it. Tucker smirked.
"So, are you finally seeing the light, Danny? Are you actually thinking of Sam as more than just a friend?" Tucker teased, dodging the question. He had to hear it with his own ears, just to make sure.
Immediately, Danny's hand was shoved through his hair again, while his face turned red. "Well, that is-I-I mean, I th-think that..." he sputtered, while Tucker tried to hold in laughter. Oh, yes! Danny had definitely seen the light that was Sam! His stuttering was as good as any confession in Tucker's opinion.
"Doyouthinkshelikesmeback!" Danny asked in such a rush Tucker barely managed to pick out separate words. He shook his head in amusement, and Danny nearly fell over.
It occurred to Tucker what message that particular movement of the head could send and tried to convince him otherwise. "NO! Dude, that's not what I meant!" He sighed exasperatedly as Danny looked at him, hope and uncertainty both etched in his face.
They were approaching Tucker's house. He couldn't be the one to tell Danny that Sam was crazy about him; that was her job, and hers alone. But, the poor halfa was clearly in need of a confidence boost.
Tucker took hold of Danny by the shoulders when they got to his stoop and look him directly in the eyes. "Danny," he started, taking a deep breath, "Why do you think we're always calling you 'clueless'?" He asked him, his intense gaze never leaving Danny's face, which seemed to be gaining more hope than uncertainty.
Why would they call me clueless? Because there's something there that I hadn't noticed before, he reasoned. And it never really occurred to me that Sam would, or even could, actually like me. So that must mean...
He looked back a Tucker, his fierce blue eyes filled with determination, and nodded his head. He would do it. Just the thought of not being able at least share her friendship was enough to make his stomach churn, but he had to try. If there was even the slightest shred of a possibility that Sam liked him, as more than a friend, he would take that risk.
"Okay, Tuck. I'll do it. Tomorrow." Danny informed him, with a weak smile.
Tucker sighed happily, a grinning. FINALLY! It had gotten through to him! Tucker congratulated his friend for catching up with the current times and bid him farewell.
A few footsteps later, and Danny turned around. "Tucker?" he called.
The boy in question, who was just about to step inside, set his head against the front door tiredly. "Yeah, Danny?" he responded, slightly muffled.
"Are you sure?" he asked, the nervous hesitation obvious in his voice. Tucker could have kicked him. Oh, how badly he wanted to spell it out for him. Instead, he just sighed.
"Go home, Danny." he said wearily, refusing to say more. Before Danny could ask anything else, Tucker opened the door and slipped inside.
Taking this as a yes, Danny continued walking home on his own. The concept of using his powers just vaguely entered his mind, but he decided he'd rather just walk. He had plenty he needed to think about, so why not use the time?
So...I like Sam. A lot. And Tucker sure made it seem like she really likes me, but...
Wait. What was it she had said when they went back to get Tucker after that cramtastic session? Tucker had said...he said he'd always known we'd end up together! Then Sam told him that they weren't together, it was just a spell. And when Tucker questioned her about it...what did she say?
"C'mon, c'mon!" Danny urged his brain out loud. What did she say! And then it hit him. Hit him like, not a ton, but ten tons of bricks.
"I don't know! Maybe, but not like this!" her voice rang out clearly through his head. Just the sound of it put him in a lovesick daze. He was in such a daze, in fact, that he didn't notice the stop sign in his path, having conveniently wandered of his course.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed painfully, rubbing the new throbbing spot on his head. "Maybe its time I just flew home." he suggested out loud. After all, he had thought it over, knew what he was going to do, and was fairly certain it would all work out. What did he need to walk for?
She really does like me! That thought alone made him feel like flying.
Making sure no one was watching, two bright rings formed around his middle, and, moving in opposite directions, transforming the supposedly average Danny Fenton into the hero of Amity Park, Danny Phantom. The ghost boy took off in the direction of his home, with nothing but the following day in mind.
Sam awoke the next day with plenty of butterflies in her stomach. And not just because it was her birthday. Though it certainly helped, what with her big party and all. It just felt like something huge, other than that, was going to take place.
She glanced at her clock, thankful it was Saturday. Eleven-fifteen. Wait a second...ELEVEN? Even on weekends her parents made sure she was waken up by at least ten.
Probably 'cause its my birthday, she thought to herself as she dragged her body out of bed to shower and get dressed.
Stepping in front of the mirror, Sam watched blearily as she pulled her brush through her soft ebony hair, making sure it was tangle free before she entered her shower. Not that she really needed to. Somehow, her hair was always able to remain in place, even after sleeping for twelve hours straight. When it was certain her hair was snarl free, she began her shower. Roughly thirty minutes later, Sam was fully clothed in her usual outfit, and on her way downstairs.
The doorbell sounded off just as she reached the landing, taking her slightly off guard. The thought of all the people her mother must have hired for her party came into mind as she went to answer the door. Putting on her best scowl, she opened the front door, but was surprised, once more, to see Danny and Tucker at her door.
"HAPPY FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY SAM!" They shouted in unison as the door opened to reveal the stunned birthday girl.
"What are you guys doing here?" she asked. "Its, like, eleven-fifty! Aren't you guys usually still unconscious till noon?"
"Gee, Sam, nice to see you too." Tucker said, putting his hand on his chest, feigning hurt feelings. "We wake up before noon, something no one thought was humanly possible, to wish you a happy birthday, and thats all you have to say?"
Sam crossed her arms as she leaned on the now closed door. "Pretty much." She informed him in monotone. Tucker let is pass, knowing she would forget any comment he had made in just a moment. And he was right.
Amethyst eyes widened and a faint gasp could be heard as Danny, somewhat tentatively at first, reached out to take Sam's hand in his own. He lead her lightly down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Both savored each other's touch and were incredibly reluctant to let go. "We're taking you out for a birthday lunch." Danny explained, a small blush coating his cheeks.
"O-Okay. Thanks!" Sam uttered, her voice slightly higher than usual, and she hoped very much neither boy would notice. Danny's hands felt so nice around hers...
Tucker couldn't resist putting in his two-cents as he watched them interact.
"Can we get a move on, or are you two just going to stand there staring and blushing at each other till the party starts?"
Which, of course, resulted only in more blushing.
The lunch with Danny and Tucker was very enjoyable. Both of them actually took her to her to the cafe located next to her favorite depressing bookstore. It was quite a sight to see them there. Especially when the menu was all vegan food. Sam couldn't stop laughing at Tucker, who was close to tears from such an absence of a steak or hamburger of any kind.
The remaining time was spent at the park, purely goofing off. They chased each other around, playing hide and seek, tag, breakout, and any other game they could think of. Sam still chuckled at the memory of it, as she pulled her arm through the sleeve of her dress.
Throughout the whole time, though, Sam had noticed that whenever there was some down time, Danny had gotten a far away, dreamy look on his face. When she asked him about it, he became extremely nervous and agitated, with, of course, a blush on his face. Now that she thought about it, ever since he had held her hand that morning, Danny was acting extra klutzy than usual, and even a little rattled.
Maybe...
Nah! He's probably nervous about Paulina or Valerie being at the party...
Then again...
Tucker's words had been echoed throughout her mind, as if he had been speaking through a bull horn.
"Danny is starting to realize there are more fish in the sea! And your on the menu!"
Sam rolled her eyes, but allowed a small laugh to escape her lips as the rest of her dress was pulled on.. "That really was a stupid way of putting it, Tucker." She told the air.
Sam stood back to admire the dress in her mirror. The front of her silky skirt started at about an inch above her knees before angling down to her feet and draping over the back of her legs. The top portion was a satin lavender corset, with black sleeves to match the skirt, numerous holes exposing the pale arms underneath. She decided to leave her hair down, and having already applied the necessary cosmetics, all she needed were some minor accessories.
With a smile, she placed the Fenton Phones Danny had lent her in her ears. Now, something to go with...something to go with...Sam thought to herself. Instantly, the image of the ring Danny had given her to watch flashed through her mind.
Well, it couldn't hurt...and its not like he has anyone to give it to anyways, she thought ruefully. Her hand nervously reached handle on the small drawer in her jewelry box. But when she pulled it out, there wasn't anything inside.Sam's hand leaped back as if it had been shocked.
Oh no! I lost Danny's ring! I lost it! What if he needs it? OH MY GOSH! WHAT IF THAT'S WHY HE WAS ACTING SO NERVOUS! He's gonna give it to some new crush!
Sam was practically hyperventilating when the sound of tapping on glass reached her ears.
That's gotta be Danny now! I'm just going to have to wing it if he asks for it...
Immediately she rushed out of the bathroom directly to the window in the bedroom. And there he was, snow white hair moving in time with the wind as he floated behind the glass. His piercing green eyes watched her with a small smile planted on his face. Sam smiled back and waved him in.
The ghost boy phased through and changed back into Danny Fenton. "Hey, Sam! Wow, you look beautiful!" he exclaimed, taking note of how she was dressed. It wasn't until he finished his sentence that he began blushing for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Sam joined him, thanking her lucky star that Tucker wasn't there. "Thanks...you clean up pretty good too." She informed him, indicating to his new suit.
"Heh...Thanks." He accepted shyly, hand lost in his hair. Okay, this is it Fenton! Time to give her the ring! Danny urged himself as he gazed at Sam, who was fidgeting with her fingers.
"Uh, Sam? Do you- I mean, w-would you mind...if I gave you your present? Like, now?" Danny asked. He would have been quite proud of himself for not stuttering as much as he feared, but he was too overtaken by nerves to notice.
Sam blinked. "Are you sure? I can wait till the party..." Her sentence hung in the air, waiting for Danny to respond. He gulped, and tried to gather his wits. "I-I think it would be best if I gave it to you now." Sam held her breath as he continued. "Sam-"
"SAMANTHA! You first guests are here! Come down to greet them!" Mrs. Manson's voice echoed throughout the house, filling every room with her cry. It also filled to very two very anxious love-stricken teenagers with deep disappointment.
Sam looked like she was ready to bash a hole in her wall. Danny could feel the frustration emanating from her, and quickly pulled her into a comforting embrace. The need and want to console the girl standing before him had completely overtaken him. Not that he really minded, if this was the only way to go about it. "Suck it up Manson. You're gonna have to endure this for four hours." He told her, smirking at his own double meaning. Sam had apparently caught on.
"Do you mean the party, or the hug?" She said, laughingDanny laughed lightly in her ear and she could only hope he didn't feel the heat that was rising up in her face.
Slowly, regretfully Danny detached himself from the girl, a full blush covering both of their cheeks. "You, uh, should probably go see those guests now." Danny stated. Sam nodded in consent, and made to leave the room before turning around again to look at her friend. "Well, are you coming?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips. "You can be my escort."
Danny grinned, bowing with flourish. "After you, madame." To which Sam returned in the form of a delicate curtsy, and left the room arm in arm with a pleased looking Danny.
I think Tucker was right. I really believe that Danny and I might be able to be something other than just best friends. I'll have to ask him during the party. He's gonna get, like, five PDA's for Christmas.
The first of the guests were quite shocked to see the party was for Sam. Especially since that party happened to be held in a mansion, complete with an in-home theater and bowling alley. No one had ever expected Sam Manson, the ultra-recyclo vegetarian Goth, to be loaded with millions.
"Okay, I understand that its kinda hard to believe at first, but do they have to keep staring?" Sam muttered darkly to her companion. Danny, chuckling, handed her a glass of punch.
"I suppose after an hour and a half, they'd get used to it." He said with sympathy. He knew how much Sam couldn't stand the popular crowd, but to have them in her house for her birthday, staring at her the whole time...it was a wonder she hadn't jumped out of the attic window yet. Not that Danny was going to let her.
"Where did Tucker run off to?" Sam asked, pulling Danny from his thoughts of winning her through some brave and daring rescue.
"Huh? Oh! I think he went to find a potential dance partner, then life mate. Or he took off somewhere to play on his PDA." Danny informed her with a shrug. She rolled her eyes. "Thats our Tucker."
They watched countless couples move along the dance floor, while leaning against the wall behind the endless table, filled with various snacks and drinks. The bright lights added a slightly surreal sensation, reflecting off anything they shined on.
"Sam?" Danny asked, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them.
She inclined her head in his direction, yanking her eyes of one particular close couple.
"In the off chance my pants stay up, would you like to, you know, dance?" he asked her, shoving his hand through his hair. Sam smiled sweetly, taking the hand that was currently swimming in his hair in hers. Her other hand slid smoothly into his vacant one as they walked onto the dance floor. Many parted to make room for the new dancer partners. Every so often a glance would be thrown in their direction, followed by some quiet muttering. Danny's hand was just itching and to go running through his hair, he was so nervous.
Sam, however, was quite elated. After all, she had just turned fifteen and was dancing with the guy of her dreams. If only we were dating, she thought, while resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes traveled up to the peaceful expression on his face. I guess this is good enough. For now...Her fingers crossed behind Danny's back as they circled around in time to the music.
As they did, a certain Latino watched on, her countenance a perfect blend of disbelief and fury.
What happened? That loser is supposed to be in love with me! She thought, quite beside herself. Not that she really wanted the geeky Danny Fenton. Her heart was reserved for the handsome Danny Phantom alone. But, she was not about to lose any members of her fan club. It just wasn't done. At least, not according to her. Now that Fenton seemed to actually falling for the Goth girl was going to make it a little difficult, but she welcomed the challenge. She just had to wait for the opportune moment.
And so it came after an hour had passed.
It was fair to say that Paulina was a little cross by the time Danny and Sam had finally parted company. She couldn't quite hear what he said to her, but was fairly certain he was headed to the bathroom. Paulina allowed herself a smirk before hightailing it in his direction.
Sam watched Danny make his way through the crowd with a smile of pure happiness on her face. Tonight was definitely one of the better nights of her life. It felt as if she were floating while she reminisced slow dancing with Danny. Daydreams of dancing forever with Danny filled her head while a pair of hands steadily reached out for her without her knowledge.
Danny's hands were so warm...
The hands were inching closer...
He didn't even step on my feet...
Two inches...One inch...
His shoulder was really soft too...
"Gah!" Sam shrieked, jumping back about a foot, causing those close by to stare. She spun around wildly, looking for the guilty party. "Tucker!" she exclaimed. It took all of her strength, physical and mental, to keep herself from clobbering him on the spot.
"Hey, Sam!" Tucker greeted his friend, beaming. "You and Danny having a good time?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Sam laughed, anger cast aside. Not even Tucker's antics could spoil her mood.
"As a matter of fact, we are." she informed him truthfully. Then she remembered her question.
"Hey Tucker? Did Danny ever mention what he was getting me for my birthday?" Sam asked, seemingly offhand, as Tucker brought a cup of punch to his lips for a second gulp. Well, it would have been.
Tucker spit the liquid back into its container, looking bug-eyed. "You mean he gave you your gift already?" he asked, filled with excitement, but it quickly dissipated when she shook her head, hair swaying back and forth.
"No, he didn't. He almost did, but we were interrupted." she admitted sourly. "What do you know about it, Foley?" Sam asked him, putting a deadly sweet edge in her voice, eyes narrowed.
"Well, uh, just that...Aw man, Sam!" he whined, shoving his hands in his pockets and avoiding eye contact. "Do you...do you promise to at least act surprised when he asks you?" That was all she needed to hear.
Tucker was taken aback by the sudden lung crushing hug he was now receiving from Sam, of all people, followed by an uncharacteristic squeal. He blew away the strands of her hair that tickled his face. It is really nice to see her this happy, he thought as he returned her hug. And she deserves it too, considering how long she's been waiting.
"So, where's lover boy now?" he asked, after she finally stopped thanking him.
"Noticed, huh? He said he was gonna take a break and use the bathroom or something." she filled him in. "Funny, I figured he'd be back by now."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to keep you company until he gets back." he spoke dramatically. Sam's eyes went rolling. "You make it sound like a chore."
He winked at her. "Well, for those of us who aren't as close to you as a certain ghost boy, it can be" he teased, stepping backward as she swatted him.
They talked a bit more, though it was more joking around than anything, and even engaged in a few of the faster dances. Still, Danny hadn't returned. Both of them were getting a little worried. "Maybe we should go after him?" Sam half suggested, half asked. Tucker shook his head. "Its your party! You can't leave or your parents might think you've skipped out on the last half." Sam scowled. She hated when he was right. "I'll go look for him, you stay here in case he comes back." Nodding, Sam concurred.
She watched as Tucker left in the same direction she had watched Danny leave some minutes earlier. Groaning inwardly, Sam watched as Dash made his way over to her right after Tucker left. Must not want to be seen sucking up to a geek in front of other people.
"Hey Manson. I mean Sam." Dash greeted, correcting himself. "Wanna dance?" he asked, holding out his hand with an arrogant expression. "No, Dash." she answered flatly, ignoring the outstretched hand. His arm fell limply to his side. He concentrated hard, wincing a little, as if it hurt. Gears turned in his head as a thought formed in his brain.
"What if I stop whaling on Fenton?" he offered, quite pleased with himself. By this time, she knew for sure it was more than a dance he was after. It was merely an attempt to get on her good side, so she might give away some of her money, just like Danny had predicted the day before. Rather than answering, Sam walked away, though it didn't stop his pestering.
She was just going to counter his last offer when a pair of arms spun her around roughly. "Hey Sam!" Tucker cried out. "Did you see the moon tonight? Talk about bright! Did you know that people used to think it was made of cheese?" Sam stared at him, afraid that he had finally lost it.
"Tucker, whats going on? Did you find Danny?" she asked, looking around quizzically. Then a huge crowd farther down came into view, with a mop of ebony in the middle. A second later, and all she saw was bright red. "Tucker, get your darn beret out of my face!" she ordered, her earlier gratitude forgotten.
"But Sam, you can't go down there!" Tucker burst out desperately. Sam raised her eyebrows. "And why not?" The worry she had felt before was starting to double. What is going on?
Her question was soon answered when the crowd shifted to reveal more than she bargained for. In the center was Danny, holding hands with Paulina, who just so happened to have a shining gold ring around one of her dainty fingers. Sam's vision started to blur, but not before she caught the look on Paulina's face. It was one of satisfaction and superiority. Like she had wonsome kind of prizeShe tried to read Danny's face, but couldn't see it. Her eyesight was to foggy from the tears that had welled up in her eyes.
"I-I've gotta go...somewhere..." Sam managed to croak out. She made a dash for the her room, people staring after her as she pushed through. Tucker watched her go with pity. He gazed back at Danny, who was trying to free himself from Paulina and follow Sam. When he saw Tucker, he cocked his head to the side a few times. A tired sigh escaped him.
Danny wanted him to go after her. Of course he was going to, but it wasn't going to be easy trying to convince her of what had really happened. These two are gonna owe me big time when this is over, he thought as he padded up the stairs.
Slowly, Tucker approached Sam's room where quiet sobbing could be heard. He gulped. Picking up on feelings was one thing, but mending them? Knocking quietly, he called her name. "Sam?"
"What do you want, Tucker?" she asked thickly. It had been such a long time since she cried so hard. Salty tears crawled out of each corner of her eye, and burned their way down her face, curving into her chin, before dripping down steadily on the pillow she was crushing in her arms. So much for the make up.
"I want you to stop crying and come out here!" he tried to sound demanding, but desperation slid into his voice. Dang! She's not gonna come out if she knows I'm desperate! Tucker thought frantically.
"It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to!" Sam retaliated. Great, now I sound like I'm from the sixties.
Well, that's my first ever fanfic! And yea, the idea came to me when I was listening to the oldies station, and It's My Party came on the radio, and I dunno...inspiration just struck I guess. That's really the only time I get around to writing, when an idea that I don't wanna lose hits me. And sorry about the length! When I start writing, I really throw myself into it, I guess. .'
Anyways, I'm like, spazzing out a little bit, so I figured I'd better post it soon. It has been written for a while, but I wanted to make sure I had most, if not all, of the second part, completed. Plus my big sis came home for vacation, and I didn't want to miss that!
My little sister is...well, she's not editing it, but she's kinda going over the second part for me, so hopefully she'll finish soon, or I'll just put it up anyways, granted I get some reviews. And I promised her I'd dedicate it to her, being she's the first person to read it and all. So, this one's for you, Laura! So, I'll stop rambling now and let you get to the reviewing! XD