This is something I wrote ages ago, but I decided not to post it. But I changed my mind, so here you go. :P

Lies

Summary: Lies. So easy to get caught up in, to weave into a tangled mess of deception and dishonesty. Some are harmless—that little white lie to explain why you didn't clean your room. That little fib to tell why you didn't do your homework. And then there are the ones that can ruin your life in an instant when they get carried too far.

Prologue—Lie

Danny rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, biting his lower lip. 'Danny, we need to talk. Now.' It had sounded bad already—and then, of course, his parents had told him to wait in his room while they went to the lab in the basement.

"Shit," Danny whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed. It had been ten minutes already, and there was still no sign of either Jack or Maddie. Danny lay back on the bed, folding his arms across his stomach as he stared at the ceiling. There were spots of bright green splattered across it—paint, he remembered then. Paint, from a project in the seventh grade. Looks like I didn't clean up as well as I told mom I had.

Another lie. Another pointless lie. He hadn't realized how frequently he told them, even then. At seventeen, an almost-senior in high school, seventh grade seemed like an eternity ago. He had changed so much since then.

He raised one hand, watching as sparks of neon energy flickered across his palm. His powers had changed, too. Mutated, grown stronger with each passing month. But his friends had remained the same through the years. Ever faithful Sam, always loyal Tucker. He loved them both.

"Danny?"

Danny dropped his hand as the knock came at the door and sat up. "Yeah, mom." The door banged open, and Maddie burst into the room, a gun aimed at Danny's head. Danny blanched. "Mom...?"

"Don't 'mom' me, ghost boy," she screeched. "What have you done with my son?!"

Danny stared at her for a long moment, his face white. "Mom—listen to me—"

"I saw you," she snarled at him, her finger on the trigger of the gun. "I saw you take your real form. Just this morning. Show me." Danny bit his lip. "Do it, ghost boy, or I swear to God I'll tear you to pieces."

Danny ducked his head, closing his eyes. He had never seen his mother this way—normal, good-natured Maddie had never been this angry before. "You don't understand," he whispered. "I—I'm not—I'm still Danny, mom. How could you not notice before?" He looked up at her again, surprised as the words came spilling out of his mouth. How easily they flowed, no longer a lie. "Danny Fenton—Danny Phantom? The fact that I'm never around when he is? My dropping grades—my unexplained absences? How did you not see it before?"

Maddie's hands began to shake. It was only then did Danny finally notice the absence of his father—he hadn't come. "Oh my God," Maddie whispered. "My son—my son is a monster—"

Danny looked away again. "It was you that made me like this," he murmured. "You and your damned Ghost Portal. You're the reason my life has been turned into a living hell. I never asked for these powers, mom. And I would do anything to get rid of them—to be normal again." His voice was growing steadily louder, closer to a shout. "But I can't. I'm stuck like this because of your damned portal and because of dad's stupidity. If it wasn't for him and his slip-up, I'd be okay. But no, he put the on button on the inside of the portal."

It felt amazingly good to yell, to get the secret off his chest. Maddie's grip faltered for a moment, but then she aimed it steadily at his head again, scowling. "Get out of my house, ghost boy," she whispered through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing. "Get out of my house and get out of Amity Park before I change my mind and kill you here."

Danny took one step back, biting his lip suddenly. "That's what you want?" he choked out. "That's what you want...? You want to force me out of Amity Park because of something I can't change?"

"Get out," she snarled at him. Danny sighed softly, darting towards the dresser. He picked up his backpack and dumped its contents onto the carpet. "What are you doing?"

"I need clothes," Danny said hoarsely. "I won't take long." He began stuffing handfuls of clothes into the bag at random, pausing only to make sure that he had enough socks and underclothes. He zipped the bag, keeping his head lowered to hide the tears in his eyes, and then kicked off. Maddie watched him disappear with pursed lips.

***

Whee I don't like this. At all. But oh well, It popped into my head so I figured, what the hell. Have fun.