Author Note: Hey everyone! This is my first Danny Phantom fanfic! W00tw00t. How exciting, I know. Review please! I don't know why I decided to write one, I just wanted to very badly. So gimme some feedback and let me know what you think! No flamers please, but constructive criticism is appreciated.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything from Danny Phantom. If I did, I wouldn't be stuck in Pennsylvania, rather, I'd be lying on my own private island while Chad Michael Murray rubs oils on me...shakes out of daze RIGHT! Anyways, on with the fic. This chapter isn't much of a chapter, maybe a prologue, but whatever! Enjoy.

. . . . . .


Samantha Manson looked down at her hands as she walked to the one place she dreaded most; school. The cold November air made her shiver relentlessly as she pulled her scarf closer around her neck, and stuck her hands into her pea-coat pocket. Casper High was probably her least favorite place to be, full of one-dimensional morons who didn't give a damn if she dropped dead right then and there. It wasn't as if she wanted them to care about her, just sometimes it hurt to know that the world wouldn't be one less different if she vanished off the face of the earth. Feeling like nothing...worthless...probably one of the worst feelings someone could have.

Shrugging off her morning angst, she turned a corner, and slung her messenger bag off her left shoulder. She could see her high school in the distance, and frowned. She was half tempted to just turn around, right then and there, and drag her sixteen year old self back home to the confines of her bedroom, where sleep could overcome her and wash her insecurities away. Unfortunately, Sam was a junior now and had more things to worry about then skipping school—she had a major test in Chemistry today and if she didn't pass...well let's just say she wouldn't see daylight for several months. It wasn't like freshmen year anymore, where Sam skipped class whenever she was feeling low...she wanted to go to a good college, be something in this world, and if that meant swallowing her self-doubt every now and then, so be it.

Just as Sam was seriously starting to regret wearing a skirt and thin stockings to school that morning because of the cold biting her legs, she made it into the warmth of her high school, the only comforting part of this daily routine. Walking with her head slightly down, she weaved in and out of the freshmen and sophomore hallways, and towards the junior hallway on the third floor. Quickly making her way to her locker, she began undoing her combination. No sooner had she began to put her messenger bag into the small locker, had she been interrupted from herself.

"You look like your puppy just died," came a voice next to her. Sam looked up and rolled her eyes when she saw her best friend, Danny Fenton, leaning against the locker next to hers, books in hand.

"It's cold out, okay? Not exactly a nice walk to school," Sam said, taking out her human studies and chemistry book.

"You know as soon as my car gets out of the shop I'll give you rides again," Danny said. "Even though you are so out of the way..."

"Shut up," Sam said, shutting her locker. She turned towards her friend. Danny had changed a lot since freshmen year, physically wise. Sure, he was still the shy, slightly awkward half ghost guy who was always there for her and Tucker, but he'd definitely grown into his sixteen year old self. Several months older than Sam, he stood six foot, with broader shoulders, thanks to ghost fighting, though he was still lanky. His hair was still always unkempt and black as midnight, and his eyes blue as ever...but he'd matured into his looks, growing into them. He seemed slightly more comfortable in his skin, but he was still shy around girls and an average student. But most of all, he was still her best friend, which meant everything to Sam. Tucker and Danny were the only people who understood her, and she didn't know where she'd be without them.

"I still don't understand it," Danny continued, as the two of them began walking to homeroom. "You have all this money, yet you don't have a car, and I'm the one giving you rides."

Sam grinned. "I told you my parents won't pay for a car...I have to get a job and learn 'responsibility.' Bullshit, they just don't feel like paying for me."

Danny smirked. "Then why don't you just get a job?"

Sam looked at him horrified. "A job? Me? How could you propose such a horrible idea? You expect me to succumb to the depths of someone else ordering me around to get a measly paycheck, which by the way half is deducted for stupid taxes, just for a car? When I have you to drive me everyway? I don't think so."

Danny rolled his eyes just as the bell began to ring and they sat down in their seats in homeroom. Looking around, Danny noticed someone, the third in their trio, was missing. "Hey, where's Tuck? Is he sick or something?"

Sam shrugged, noticing Tucker was missing also. "I don't know. He didn't call me."

And right then, as if on cue, Tucker came rushing through the door, looking flustered and rushed. Their homeroom teacher gave him a deathly glare, but Tucker ignored it and made his way over to his friends. He sat down and Sam watched him amused. She should have known—Tucker was always late, no matter what.

"Dude," Danny started, abandoning his unfinished homework and looking up at his friend. "That's like the frigging eighth time you've been late in four weeks...what's up?"

Tucker glared at Danny. "I take the bus, man. Unlike you, I don't have a car. Unlike Sam, I don't live around the corner from you. Unlike the both of you, I take the damn bus. Therefore resulting in my sometimes missing the bus, causing me to walk to school, or the bus getting stuck in extra traffic with picking up kids."

Sam laughed at Tucker and he glared at her.

"What is so funny?"

She shrugged and began writing a few last minute touches to her chemistry homework. "Nothing...it's just...that sucks." Tucker continued to send Sam a death glare while Danny just smirked, full out forgetting about his homework and instead began talking to Tucker about something or another. Sam didn't care much about their conversation; fully trying to concentrate on acing her chemistry next period...she was really starting to worry. It wasn't like her to fuss over grades; she'd always been naturally bright and never had to put much into studying. But this year was harder, and Sam wasn't as focused...at home, it was like World War III. Her parents wouldn't stop fighting, and over such stupid things. Sam knew lots of parents fought and divorce was as common as anything, but it was so distracting, and it scared her. The fights were getting worse each day, and she suspected her dad was sneaking around with another woman. He hadn't been home, and Sam feared something bad was going to happen, worse then verbal fights...these fights could turn physical, and Sam didn't want to get in the way. Her parents had tempers hotter than hell. But she was good at hiding her emotions. Neither Danny nor Tucker knew about her home situation—she didn't want to burden them with her problems. Danny had enough on his plate, having to battle ghosts and worry about normal teenage boy things...while Tucker had his own things to worry about and was either always working at his job at the deli, or doing homework, or with Sam and Danny. She just didn't want to feel like a burden.

"Sam—hellllooooo?"

Sam shook out of her daze and looked up to find Danny looking at her curiously. "What?" she asked. Looking around, she noticed most of the class had dispersed. "Where'd everyone go?"

"The bell rang like two minutes ago," Danny said. "Come on, we're gonna be late for first period, and I know you have a major chem. Test cause you wouldn't stop stressing over it all week. Now come on."

Sam gathered up her books and bid goodbye to Danny and Tucker as she headed for her test...she needed to stop drifting off into her own world—what if Danny or Tucker suspected something? Putting her barriers back up, she crossed her fingers as she took her seat, praying she would pass the test. She wasn't sure how she'd handle it if she bombed it.

. . . . . .

The rest of school flew by that day, much to Sam's dismay. She dreaded going home...she was expecting the fighting, that didn't really faze her. She just missed peace and quiet. Part of the reason her grades were beginning to slip was because she couldn't concentrate with the racket her parents made. You'd think a house as big as Sam's that her parents would find a place to fight that Sam couldn't hear...but no, she heard everything. Every last insult, every last swear, every last regret.

Sam shook the thoughts out of her head as she closed her locker and headed out of school. She needed to stop dwelling on her parent's fighting. It wasn't supposed to be affecting her like this, making her think about it all the time. What was wrong with her? Parents' fighting like her parents did was normal, wasn't it? What was the big deal? She needed to stop being so dramatic.

"Hey—Sam, wait up!"

Sam stopped and turned around to find Danny jogging over to her, a hoodie on to keep away the cold weather and his bag slung across his shoulder.

"Hey," she said, smiling at him. Both of them began to walk down the sidewalk. "Jazz didn't feel like giving you a ride home today?"

Danny sighed. "Nahh, she had to work on some project or something. So I'm stuck walking home...she didn't even feel like giving me a ride this morning, but I eventually persuaded her. I think it's this project she's doing...she's paired up with some guy she likes."

Sam grinned. "Aww, poor Danny is being neglected by his big sister. How cute!"

"Shut up," Danny rolled his eyes, but grinned all the same. Sam glanced up at the gray sky above them...it was almost like an omen to wait awaited her at home. Danny noticed the estranged look on Sam's face, and frowned.

"Something bothering you, Sam?" he asked. Sam jerked her head to look at Danny.

"What? Oh—no! No, I'm fine...kind of tired from that test this morning," Sam rambled. Danny shrugged, figuring if whatever was wrong was serious, Sam would tell him. He figured it was one of those 'girly things' that he just didn't understand, and frankly, cared not to. They got to Sam's house and she turned to Danny and put on her best smile.

"See you later, Danny." Sam turned around and hurried into her house, before Danny could suspect anything else.

. . . . . .

"Mom, I'm home!" Sam called, throwing her coat onto the rack beside the door and making her way into the kitchen. She found her mom sitting there at the table, reading a book as something on the stove cooked.

Mrs. Manson looked up when Sam entered the room and strained a grin at her daughter. "How was school, honey?"

Sam shrugged, going over to the fridge and pulling out a water bottle. "It was okay...I think I did pretty good on my chem. Test though...I was so nervous...what smells so good?"

Mrs. Manson sighed, standing up and going over to check on the pot on the stove. "I'm making some spaghetti and meatballs, I didn't have time to pick up anything else on my way home from work. You're father won't be joining us tonight, I'm afraid. So it's just me and you sweetie."

Sam tried to grin at her mother but found she couldn't. "Where is he?"

Sam hadn't meant to hurt her mother by making her uncomfortable, but she thought she had a right to know where her father was. Mrs. Manson looked sadly at her daughter. Sam hadn't realized how much her mother was hurting...not matter how common it was, fighting still sucked.

"Another late shift," Mrs. Manson said softly, turning back to the food. Sam knew her father didn't have 'another late shift.' Probably out with his girlfriend. She wished her mother would just wake up and divorce the man...life would be so much easier. Why hold on to something that was barely there?

"Dinner should be ready soon, why don't you go start your homework?" Mrs. Manson continued to stir the pot and Sam nodded.

"Okay."

Grabbing her bag from the chair, she made her way up the grand staircase and into her bedroom, the one place she could really feel safe. Sitting on her bed, she dropped her bag and took a shaky breath. What was wrong with her? Her hands were shaking, and she felt a burning sensation behind her eyes. She wouldn't let her father do this to her...it wasn't so bad, Sam thought. People went through worse things every day. Stop it, she commanded herself. Her life was far from bad, stop feeling so sorry for yourself. But then, Sam wondered, why was there a lump in her throat. Sam felt water trickle down her face, and touched her cheek confused.

It took a few moments for Sam to realize she was crying.

. . . . . .

Hey everyone, hope this was okay for my first chapter of my first Danny Phantom fic...anyways, review and let me know what you think about this! Love and Strawberries, The Good Girl.