When You Were Young
(Mainly) From the Imagination of Amonl'isa
I NEEDED to write this. I was just SITTING THERE, and bam. I got the idea...After listening to this song fifty-million times, so yes. Yes, a songfic. I don't like them that much, but you know...I was just looking at Kingdom By The Sea a while back, like ten minutes ago, and omfg, two C2 communities? Blasphemy! I HATED Kingdom By The Sea, and WHAMMY, it was like...liked.
Also, a stab at a third-person...Thingy. I hate third person, I find it hard to write, but here we go!
I don't own Danny Phantom, nor do I own 'When You Were Young' by The Killers.
When You Were Young
Pitter patter.
Pitter patter.
That was all that was audible, in the upper story of Samantha Manson's house - well, mansion. It was raining cats and dogs outside, and anybody who was sensible would be inside. Like she was now. Though her violet eyes wandered out toward the rain-streaked streets of Amity Park, and a sigh escaped her painted lips, as she watched the same scene replay. Over and over. Rain would fall, hit the window, and drizzle down. It was like watching a black and white, speechless movie. One that kept skipping, and replaying the same scene, constantly. Some people would move away from the window, scream, curse, or call it insanity - but not Samantha Manson. The skies were weeping, like she was, deep down inside. She would always sit by the window whenever it rained like this, it settled her. Calmed her down. But yet this time it was different. It wasn't so peaceful. Nothing could be peaceful when deep down inside, you were waging wars against yourself.
'You sit there in your heartache,
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
Save you from your old ways.
You play forgiveness,
Watch it now, here he comes.'
Thoughts wandered, landing on her friend. Her friend who was stuck, at home, probably watching the rain just like she was. Things happened, you know. Friendships dwindled, died out. It wasn't uncommon for friends to drift apart, especially when there was something there to create a rift between them. In this case, it was Valerie. Danny was still after her, like some love-struck little puppy. It made her sick to watch them talking, Danny usually blushing, or stuttering. Actions that she held dear to herself, ones that he only did when she, Sam, was around. But no more. Things had changed.
Tucker had constantly told her not to worry, that Valerie was nothing. In fact, he seemed to like her more, anyway. Though Sam had tried to take Tucker seriously, it just...Something went wrong, and things didn't go as they were planned. Though that was always the case, wasn't it? 'The best laid plans of men and mice often go astray.' She thought bitterly, biting her bottom lip in malice. She wasn't exactly directing it to anybody in particular. Some of it was toward Danny, some to Valerie, but the majority of it was to herself. What did she do? She was always there for him. And Valerie? What of her? She was the one that wanted half of Danny dead.
Danny really was clueless.
And this time, in a very bad way.
Sam sighed again, bringing darkly painted nails up to tap against the glass. Her parents weren't home, they wouldn't be back until Monday. Until then, Sam was left with creative liberties over the house. Until Monday, she was alone. Alone. She loved the word, especially when it came to her parents. Though now, it was like the rain was seeping into her soul, and making it cold. Or, even colder than it already was. Nails beat against the window, contradicting the sounds made on the other side, and creating some sort of warped rhythm. It wasn't like her, now. She had 'forgiven' Danny, or so she had said. Inside, she was just as hurt, just as angry at him. She had known him since she was little, and Valerie...Valerie just burst in and stole him. Tucker warned against it, constantly scolding her for not making a move, or asking him out. But she believed that was his job, no matter how sexist she knew she sounded. She couldn't help how she felt.
Though she clenched her fist, pounding it gently against the glass. It wasn't enough force to break it, but just enough to make her feel a little better. Normally she was the one to stray away from the common ways of society, and never in a million years would she have thought herself grieving over this. No, now she felt like one of those useless cheerleaders, always fawning over such little problems. Oh, but if they knew how big it actually felt...
'He doesn't look a thing like Jesus,
But he talks like a gentleman, like you imagined,
When you were young.'
"Oh, look at them, Sam!" She giggled, pointing over to a small group of boys. Within the group was Danny. A very young Danny, around the age of seven, or eight. "Look at them, they're so cute..."
Sam wrinkled her nose, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean? They're just boys..."
"But they are cute." Her friend prodded, giving Sam a look. Sam shrugged, resting her chin in her hand. They were both leaning against the picnic table where they were seated, happily in the shade of a large oak. Where on the other side of the playground, near the slide, Danny and a group of other boys were looking at a few bugs with awe.
"I guess..." Sam muttered, reluctantly. "I guess they're cute..."
"Aww! See, I knew you'd agree. When I grow up, I want to get married to a guy who's cute...What about you?"
"I don't know..."
"Yes you do, Sam! Come on, tell me..." She persisted, leaning closer to her friend. "You can tell me, it's not like it's a secret..."
"I don't know..."
They sat there for a few minutes, unsure of what to do, before Sam's friend started to poke her, rather roughly, in the arm. "Tell me!"
"Fine. I want someone who's sweet...Maybe, I don't want to get married, but at least I'd like a friend who's kind like that."
"You can't just have a friend, Sam. Let's make it your boyfriend."
"Fine..."
Sam jerked herself away from the memory, trying so hard not to remember. That was back when they were young, when they were innocent and careless. Of course, she didn't really know Danny very well then. It had been a trip to the park, with her friend who actually lived in Amity Park. She hadn't, at the time, but her family soon moved there, and she was drafted into the situation. Fingernails returned to tapping against the glass, in a more angered fashion now, than anything else.
'Can we climb this mountain?
I don't know.
Higher now than ever before.
I know we can make it if we take it slow,
Let's take it easy.
Easy now, watch it go.'
This was a problem. A real, big, problem. She knew that Danny thought things were fine. But Tucker knew better, and so did she. They both understood how she felt, surprisingly. Tucker had pitied her, which she didn't like. Not one bit, though she welcomed it. He had consoled her, sort of. Though the whole event had sent her reeling, which she hated. A growl escaped her dark lips as she hit the window once again, getting up from her position next to it, and instead walking toward her computer. She picked up a little pair of scissors. They weren't actually sharp, but it was just enough to actually cut things, like paper, or thread. Her parents were paranoid, they were.
She walked around the other side of her desk and picked up a piece of paper. Returning to her bed, she folded it up, and started snipping it apart. Creating minor creases, and little nicks everywhere, along with the larger cuts. Eventually, when it seemed she could cut no more, she unfolded it, and revealed a small snowflake. It wasn't much, but it was something to pass time, and as strange as it was, cutting something up made her feel much better, even if it was just paper. She sat the small decoration down and got down on her knees by her bed, scooping up the extra snips of paper. Collecting them, she threw them away.
By now the rain was beating down harder, and outside, you could hardly see past your hand. Though she hadn't tried it, she knew, because she couldn't see the buildings nearby, or even the street below her. She opened the window and sat on the sill, back to the weather, though her chin placed lightly on her shoulder, so she could see the rain out of the corner of her eye. The smell was wonderful, she found, as a blast of cold air hit her. She shivered, though tried to make herself void of all emotion. If she could just do that...
...Then she wouldn't feel so bad.
'We're burning down the highway skyline,
On the back of a hurricane that started turning,
When you were young.
When you were young.'
They were probably having a ball, now. Earlier on she had been invited, by Tucker, to attend a small party they were going to. It wasn't anything fancy, because they weren't that high up on the social meter, but it was a quaint little get-together. She had debated coming, when she heard Valerie on the line...
"I don't know, Tuck."
"Aww, come on Sam, it'll be fun-"
There was a shuffling on the phone, and then Valerie took the line.
"Yeah Sam, come on! You'll have fun."
Sam coughed a few times, doing her best to sound ill.
"Uh, no thanks," She coughed again, "I don't think I feel too well..."
It wasn't the best acting she had done, but they seemed to believe it. She didn't want to go anywhere with Valerie, not now. Not ever, by the chance of it. She couldn't forgive them, either of them. Not exactly now, maybe not even later. After all, it wasn't uncommon for relationships to hit the rocks, crash, then sink...
It wasn't uncommon at all.
Though she knew they'd be having a good time now. The party wasn't to end until 9, and it was a few minutes after eight. It was just light enough outsided to see the faint outline of the building, between the heavy rain - which had cleared, only slightly. She reached an arm out, catching a few drops of rain on her hand. She stared at it, glared, then dumped it out. The party had been at Danny's house, much to her dismay, and she just knew something was going to happen. Bad for her, good...For anybody who didn't care.
'And sometimes you close your eyes,
And see the place where you used to live,
When you were young.'
She closed her eyes, trying to remember times when things weren't so messed up. When Danny wasn't a half ghost, heck, when she hardly knew Danny. Those times, when she was seven, and things were so peaceful. Where she didn't have such a dark outlook on the world, instead, she was oblivious to all the bad things. Oblivious to the pain of reality. She kept her eyes closed, humming a nice little tune, from when she was younger.
A younger, happier Sam skipped through the yard of a large house, arriving at the front door and heaving it open. Walking inside, she headed toward the kitchen, where she found her parents, chatting. She was humming, a very familiar tune, and was about to dive into the 'fridge when...
"Sammy-kins," Her mother chimed. "Your father and I have been talking."
"Mmhm?"
"We've decided to move."
Sam stopped dead in her tracks, giving her parents a confused look from behind the refrigerator door. "...Where..?"
"To Amity Park, so you could be closer to your friends."
Sam jumped up in joy, slaming the door shut and running to hug her mother. She then turned and ran out of the kitchen, and up the stairs, to tell her best friend - which happened to be a stuffed rabbit, the great news.
"Things were much nicer then..." She cooed, trying to make herself nicer. "I didn't have to fight for anything..."
'They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet,
You don't have to drink right now.
But you can dip your feet,
Every once and a while.'
She swung her legs over the sill, sitting so she was facing the dreary weather. By now, her back was soaked, and her legs were reaching that state quickly. She leaned forward, hunching her back, so she could stare better into the oncoming night. Absent mindedly, she swung her legs back and forth, her hands supporting her from the sill, so she wouldn't fall. Despite her depression, she wasn't that bad off, and she wouldn't even think of purposely falling out the window. It was just...Stupid.
She closed her eyes again, looking upward, so the water was falling on her face. Confident, she opened her eyes, staring up at the skies for a moment, before recoiling - seeing as the water fell in her eyes. She sighed, rubbing them with one of her hands, before looking out again. She had so many problems, really. She had parents that looked like they came out of a show on TV, she had a friend - or a crush, who didn't feel that way for her. And although she hated acknowledging her problems, she really had to. For the sake of sanity. She'd drive herself crazy if she kept wallowing in such pity for herself. Though she recoiled from her thoughts, like she did from the rain. She didn't have that many problems...
"Darn..." She mumbled, looking out once more into the rain. It had cleared up just enough to see the blurry figures of buildings, but it was getting darker, so it really didn't help. "Oh well..."
'You sit there in your heartache,
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
Save you from your old ways.
You play forgiveness,
Watch it now, here he comes.
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus,
But he talks like a gentleman, like you imagined
When you were young.
Talks like a gentleman, like you imagined...
When you were young...'
"Yeah, Sam. We know you like hiiiim." Her friend cooed as she walked up to her new bedroom, a small box in her hands. Her friend held a box, too, and was helping her unpack. "It's obvious."
"No it's not! I don't like him!" She protested, her cheeks becoming red.
"Everybody can see it, Sam. He's just what you imaged, isn't he? ...Oh, do you remember?"
They sat on the floor of the empty room, staring outside. Rain was hitting the window in a pleasant way, but it disabled the kids from playing outside. So instead, they were unpacking some stuff.
"Yeah...I remember. At the park?"
"Yeah."
They sat quietly again, drumming their fingers against the floor, and trying to figure what they wanted for lunch.
"I guess he is sort of like what I imagined..."
"We were so young then..."
"Yeah, I know. Want a peanut butter sandwich?"
"Sure."
"I wish I was back there..."
"Back where?"
The voice startled her, and she fell backward, landing on the floor of her room with a soft 'oof.' She rubbed her head, about to scream at whoever did that, before she realized that she had a second story bedroom, and nobody could be standing there. Opening an eye, she peered upward. "Danny?"
"That's me."
"Well what about the party?"
"It wasn't that great...So I thought I'd see how you were doing, you seemed kind of down the past few days."
"Not really..." If only he knew...
He offered her a hand, after landing and turning back to his normal form. She took it, and stood up.
"Sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean to."
"It's fine..."
"So, where did you want to be?"
"Oh, nowhere."
"Tell me..."
"Nothing."
She smiled, shrugging. Though she knew that she'd be aching again, inside, any moment...
"Listen, Tuck told me about the thing with Valerie...I don't really like her like that..."
"Like what?"
"Like the way I like you."
She stared at him for a minute, blinking. "We're just friends, Danny. You don't consider her a friend?"
"I consider her a friend, it's just you I think of differently."
She smiled, looking up at him. "If you say so..."
They sat on the floor of the kitchen, talking happily.
"Sammy-kins, we're going out for a while, can you two handle yourselves?"
"Yes, mom!"
With that, the door closed.
"You do like him..."
"Fine. Yes. I do."
"Knew it."
"So what were you talking about?"
"I was just thinking of when I was young..."
"You know, I do like you, Sam."
"I know."
He smiled, stooped down, and gave her a light kiss.
"So how about some hot cocoa?"
"Lovely."
'I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus,
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus,
But more than you'll ever know...'