The Dance

A Change

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, Danny Phantom

One sunny Saturday in July, Danny Fenton found himself, yet again, embarrassingly immersed in another of his friend Sam Manson's many protests. This time, however, he decided Sam was pushing it too far.

"Ah... Sam?" He asked meekly, glancing sideways at her.

"Yeah?" Sam asked cheerfully, looking at him.

"Um... why are we dressed up like owls and chained to these trees, again?"

Sam sighed. "For the millionth time, it's the 'Save the Owls' protest, Danny. Our costumes represent the endangered species we're trying to protect, and we've chained ourselves to the trees that a couple of owls are roosting in. Maybe the building committee for the new arcade they're going to build here will stop and listen before they kill off at least five endangered animals if there are three outgoing teenagers strapped in their warpath."

Danny grumbled to herself. Tucker Foley, on Sam's other side, whimpered.

"What is it this time, Tucker?" Sam asked skeptically.

"That owl just did the unspeakable thing on my head again," Tucker whined. "Why'd you have to tie my hands together?"

"You're wearing a hat, Tucker. Suck it up."

"... Not anymore. The squirrel stole it. About ten minutes ago."

"Oh. Well, it's not like it's going to kill you. Like I said before, suck it up."

"Sam, I have a small rodent's skull sliding down my forehead, and you expect me to suck it up?!?"

Danny frowned at them. "Can you guys give it a rest? You've been arguing since six in the morning. Speaking of which, I'm hungry. When can we go eat lunch, Sam?"

Sam spluttered in surprise. "Leave?" She demanded. "You mean unchain ourselves and abandon the poor furry owls in this tree just so we can do something as mundane as eat?" Danny sighed.

"It's going to be a long day," he muttered. There was a soft splattering noise from the other side of Sam, followed by more whimpering.

Jazz Fenton was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book of compiled essays about the civil war when she heard Danny slam the front door at ten-thirty that night. Frowning, she went into the livingroom to see what was wrong. Danny, covered in what looked to be owl regurgitation, dirt, and tree bark stomped to the staircase. As he reached it, his stomach growled so forcibly that Jazz could hear it where she stood at the doorway to the kitchen. Wordlessly, she made her way back to make him a couple sandwiches while he took a shower. Placing the finished snack on the table, Jazz patiently waited for her younger brother, dripping wet and in his pajamas, to come down. Danny, sighing and wordlessly thanking Jazz, sat at the table and began to eat.

"Danny, are you okay?" Jazz asked worriedly. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Not really," he grumbled. "Sam roped Tucker and I into another one of her protests... this time it included putting on owl costumes and chaining ourselves to trees in front of irritable bulldozers. Or, at least, the bulldozers showed up eventually. The first part of the afternoon was spent being vandalized by irritable owls."

"Everyone's a critic," Jazz joked lightly. Danny glared at her. Jazz sat down beside him, her smile never faltering.

"Why don't you just tell her that you don't want to help?" She asked kindly. "Sam's a good friend; she won't make you do anything you don't want to."

"But she'll give me that evil look of hers," he reasoned. "Besides, I never said I didn't want to help; I just wish she'd find a less embarrassing part for me to play."

"Well, these protests are very important to her," Jazz murmured, looking at the table. "Maybe she wants her best friends, a.k.a. the other important things in her life, to be part of the big stuff?"

Danny glared at his older sister again as she stood up to get a glass of water. "I hate it when she's right," he grumbled when she couldn't hear. Then, to Jazz, he replied, "Whatever. I'm going up to my room; call me if anything extraordinary happens."

"In this house?" Jazz asked skeptically. Danny ignored her and went upstairs.

Sam stormed into the house, followed by her misunderstanding parents.

"Mom, I'm not going insane! I don't need to go see Dr. Phelps!" Sam screamed angrily.

"But honey, really, chaining yourself to a tree?" Her mother's soft voice asked. "It's barbaric behavior! And what about your friends? They looked terrified! Not to mention the fact that poor Mr. Foley was covered in owl feces."

Sam rolled her eyes. "It wasn't feces, Mom, it was regurgitation. Owls don't create feces." Her mother sighed.

"Please, Samantha," she pleaded, "don't go back tomorrow! I think that a small change in your daily life would be healthy for you."

Sam glared at her parents. "What type of small change? The last time you said that you tried to send me to a boarding school." Her mother winced, remembering the incident; they'd had to buy a new couch, and Fluffy the cat was never the same.

"Not that kind of change, sweetie!" Sam's father piped up cheerily. "We just thought that, you know, a little company for you would be beneficial."

Sam shrugged, beginning the long ascent up the beautiful staircase to the second floor of their mansion and, more importantly, her room. "I have plenty of company. Tucker and Danny. All the company I need."

"Well..." Suddenly Mr. Manson was looking quite nervous. Quite nervous indeed. Sam paused to shoot him a suspicious look before slowly continuing on her path.

"You can't tell me that you'd rather I committed mass homicide on my brain cells by hanging out with Dash and Paulina," she scowled.

"No, Sammy..." Mrs. Manson twittered. Sam stopped in her tracks and spun around to her parents with wide, frightened eyes.

"Uh-oh," she said. "The last time you called me Sammy was when you found out the boarding school was in Guatemala. What is it? I can take it, I swear."

"Well, you see," her mother said gently, absent-mindedly starightening her skirts, "We thought you might need more company. A different type of company."

"Spit it out, Mother," Sam said, narrowing her eyes. It only confirmed her fears that neither of her parents reprimanded her disrespect.

"We were thinking that what you need is... male companionship," her mother finished.

Sam was utterly confused. "Mom," she replied, trying to sort out what her mother had said, "Danny and Tucker are males."

Mr. Manson sighed. "What she means," he amended, glancing at his wife, "is that you need a boyfriend."

Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. The word resounded in Sam's head as she laid in bed that night. After she calmed down (well, after she stopped throwing things, at least) her parents explained that it was nothing personal. They didn't even think she was a late bloomer, they told her soothingly. They just thought that such a normal occurrence as obtaining and maintaining a close relationship with someone of the opposite gender would sort of... straighten her out.

It infuriated Sam beyond all sense. Why else, she reasoned with herself, would she actually be considering going along with it? Her mother had already forbidden her from returning to the owl protest. She had, however, promised to buy the land from the builders in order to make a small owl reservation. Sam sighed and rolled over onto her side. She just couldn't get to sleep, no matter how hard she tried. That stupid B word kept repeating itself. Eventually, Sam got out of bed and made her way over to the computer. Signing online into her instant messenger, she discovered that both Tucker and Danny were on. Pulling up a chat box, she sent them a message.

darkprincess: Hey, guys. What are you doing online so late?

cybernerd: Could've asked you the same thing. We're playing a new RPG Danny found.

dPhantom: Hey, Sam. This game rocks, you should play.

darkprincess: No, thanks. I'm not in the mood.

cybernerd: ... Uh-oh

darkprincess: What?

dPhantom: Whenever YOU aren't in the mood to play (and dominate) an internet RPG with us, we know something serious is up.

cybernerd: what's going on?

darkprincess: Well... my parents weren't too pleased that they had to unchain me from a tree.

dPhantom: NOT BOARDING SCHOOL AGAIN?

cybernerd: That is SO not cool. Though I agree with the tree thing; I think I hocked up a lung earlier.

dPhantom: Ew. Too much, Tuck.

darkprincess: No, not boarding school. It's something... weirder.

dPhantom: Oh, geez. What is it?

cybernerd: woops; you guys will have to fill me in tomorrow, Mom just realized why her phone's not working. She's threatening to dismantle all my electronics.

dPhantom: Ouch. See ya.

darkprincess: Not the loves of your life! Talk to you later, Tucker.

cybernerd has signed off

dPhantom: ... So, are you going to tell me or what? This mutated zombie is kicking my can.

darkprincess: Cry me a river. Well, it's kinda embarrassing, especially since I'm going to have to go through with it.

dPhantom: Can't be THAT bad.

darkprincess: Fine. They think that a boyfriend will make me normal, so they're setting me up on blind dates. Every Friday until I find one I like enough to keep.

dPhantom: ... You're kidding me.

darkprincess: I wish.

dPhantom: Am I allowed to laugh?

darkprincess: Not if you want to keep your vocal cords.

dPhantom: I'm quite attached to my vocal cords, but I think it just might be worth it.

darkprincess: If you're just going to tease me, I'm getting off.

dPhantom: Okay, I'll stop. Just tell me one thing.

darkprincess: Depends. What do you want to know?

dPhantom: Where can I sign up?

darkprincess: Ha ha. Not funny, Danny.

dPhantom: I thought it was.

darkprincess: You would. I'm going back to bed.

dPhantom: sigh Alright. Good night.

darkprincess: 'Night

darkprincess has signed off

dPhantom has signed off

Danny sleepily got offline after Sam had gone and climbed wearily into bed. Sam's news had been unexpected, but not as amusing as he'd thought it would be. It occupied Danny's mind long after the conversation was over. Sam was one of his best friends... No matter what crazy messes she got them into, she always got them out, and it was almost always worth it. Besides... she had helped him through so much. The thought of her actually going on dates was so... uncommon. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like. Will be like, he though discontentedly to himself. Because she said she was going to do it... Danny couldn't understand what was going on in his head. He identified the confusion, humor, and even the curiosity. But what was this sharp pang-like throbbing? He'd only felt that way when...

Oh, no, Danny thought in dread, burying his head under his pillow. Don't tell me I'm jealous! That's so random... I never thought I had feelings for Sam.

But... I've only felt this way before when other guys would hit on Paulina or Valerie...

Heh. So, yeah, the first chapter of my first Danny Phantom fanfic. Well, I'm already almost finished with the second, so it should be up soon, but I want some feedback first... Anyway, thanks for reading! It's been a while since I had to come up with a completely new type of fanfic... I spent so much time on "The Diary" it feels awkward not to be writing about Inuyasha anymore '. Please review!