First fic! Please review because I feel I need to improve a lot...yet I don't know how. Advice will be needed in order for better stories to come!
Jazz: You know ghost hunting isn't the only thing my parents do, Connie. It's really a side interest. What they're really into is...
Jack: Ghost. Ghost! GHOST!
Chapter One
If one were to walk into the room you could see all the faculty and staff of Casper High gathered here. Not enough seats were available so many of the teachers had to stand around the small table that was placed in the center of the room. Mr. Lancer stood at the head of the table addressing the rest of the room. He was the vice principal of the school. The image he gave off was that of a lonely, bald man in his thirties with a belly that told of the endless dinners he ate alone.
"Test scores are dropping. This isn't good for our reputation. We need to fix this problem and soon."
The others nodded their heads in agreement. They had all seen their students' scores slowly drop. There were those few overachievers that kept the average high but for the most part many students were doing worse and worse in school.
"Not only that," Mr. Lancer continued. "But according to Tetslaff the P.E. grades are dropping as well." He placed one hand on the table and the other on his head in frustration. This was one problem Mr. Lancer hoped would correct itself, but knew it wouldn't happen.
"I blame hormones!" one teacher exclaimed. "Have you seen the scores of schools that have separated sexes? They are far higher that those schools who are co-ed."
There was a short pause as if to create dramatic tension. The others in the room could feel the air in the room change.
"I propose a change," continued the teacher. "I propose we tear down Casper High." A few gasps escaped some staff member's mouths. "And in its place we build two schools…one for the girls and another for the boys. It would be great!"
Once again Danny was late for his curfew. This wasn't unusual; it had happened many times before. Ever since the Fenton Ghost Portal accident, ghost fighting took over most of his time. His best friends, Tucker Foley and Sam Manson, had left after he caught his final ghost of the night in the Fenton Thermos. Now it was firmly clipped to his belt on his white and black hasmat suit.
White rings circled his body changing his white hair to black and neon green eyes to their human sky blue. The hasmat suit was replaced by a t-shirt, jeans, and red converses. Danny Phantom was now Danny Fenton. He walked into Fenton Works and prayed for a quiet night. He was needing a good night's rest.
Instead of the normal schedule, it was announced to the student body of Casper High that an all school assembly would take place in the auditorium. Students filled the seats and talked noisily among themselves. Many were wondering what the sudden assembly was about. Danny Fenton, Sam, and Tucker sat in the back. Their coolness levels weren't that high and preferred not to be teased.
Mr. Lancer stood at the podium. He coughed into the microphone hoping to capture the student's attention. The lights dimmed and the students got the point. They quieted down and faced the stage. A screen slid down behind Mr. Lancer.
"This is your school, Casper High," said Mr. Lancer. Behind him on the screen a picture of the school popped up. A bulldozer came on the screen. It slowly started moving towards the school. Other pieces of machinery were brought on the screen as well. "We will be tearing it down."
Cheers filled the auditorium. Several students jumped out of their seats and danced a little. Danny threw his fist in the air as celebration.
So as not to disappoint the students Mr. Lancer continued, "But we will be rebuilding." The cheers died down. "Instead two separate schools will be built in the old school's place."
A virtual simulation of bulldozers and cannonballs demolishing the school showed on the screen. Little computerized people that looked like the Lego people showed on screen. They quickly rebuilt two schools next to each other.
"These two schools will house our current student and faculty body. So as to divide the student body evenly we will have one school for girls only and the other for boys only."
The few left standing sat down and soaked in the information.
"Can they really do this?" whispered Sam to Danny. Although known as the Goth Girl at the school, she was one of Danny's best friends. To his left, the techno geek called Tucker, his other best friend, just sat there with his mouth open.
A silent murmer came from Tucker that was only heard by Danny, "No cheerleaders…" Danny laughed to himself over his friend's hope to one day date a cheerleader.
Mr. Lancer kept on with his speech. "We have hired four professional teams of construction workers to build the schools. Since today is Friday everyone is let out after school like normal. However," Lancer raised one finger, "school will not be in session for one week." The cheers erupted in the auditorium again. He continued over the joyous celebration of the teens, "You will report to your new schools the following Monday IN UNIFORM."
Groans could be heard, but were muffled by the hurried feet of students trying to get out of the auditorium as fast as possible. Jazz Fenton, Danny's older sister, found the three sitting in the back talking about their weekend plans. The bubbly, thin, redhead was well known at Casper for her exceptionally high grades. Danny knew her as the overprotective sister, secretly embarrassed by her parent's choice of career.
"If you want a ride home, you three will have to wait for about an hour. I have a study group to go to at the library," said Jazz.
Danny stood up and carefully got out of their seats. The other two followed behind him. "I think we're just going to walk to the Nasty Burger, if that's ok with you, Jazz," Danny said. Sam and Tucker nodded in agreement. Most likely that's where most of the students would go to start off the weekend. The best burger joint in town was the popular hangout for highschoolers and the few middle schoolers trying to be cool and hang out with the high schoolers. They really weren't cool at all.
At the Nasty Burger Sam sat down with her salad and looked at the flyer that was passed out at the end of the assembly. The anger was building inside of her. Finally she let it out on her two best friends.
"This is outrageous!" exclaimed Sam.
A defeated looking Tucker sat across from her. "I know," he said. "How can they take all the girls away from us?" To make it more dramatic he placed his head on the table. It was sticky from unknown substances and he quickly sat upright again.
Danny sat down with his hamburger next to Sam. "That's not what I was talking about, Tucker," said Sam. "I was talking about the uniforms. They take away our individuality. How can we express ourselves now?"
"I'm not worried about that as much as I am the separation," said Danny.
"Finally, a man that agrees with me!" said Tucker. He was happy to know someone was as unhappy with this choice as he was.
"Not for that reason, Tuck," said Danny. His voice was now in a whisper as he continued, "I'm worried about Team Phantom. How is Sam going to help us out during school now? And what if a ghost attacks the girl's school? I can't just phase in there and save the day like normal. Boys aren't allowed unless they're teachers."
Not wanting to be thought of as weak Sam gave her two cents, "I can take care of myself you know. And Valerie will be over there with me too. I've seen her get the best of you during a battle or two," Sam teased. "And I would be more worried about your homework if I was you two," she went on. "Your grades are slipping as they are. And now that we have separate schools, I don't have the same assignments anymore. I can't help you."
Danny folded his arms across his chest. "That's not my biggest worry right now, Sam," he mumbled to himself. At this time a shiver ran down his spine. If you looked closely enough you could see a small blue gasp come from Danny's mouth. Tucker and Sam instantly noticed this and both jumped out of the booth. From behind the counter a blue man in overalls grabbed a cardboard box and screamed.
"I AM THE BOX GHOST!" he shouted. Others in the building started running around and created mass panic. While everyone was distracted Danny ducked under the table and changed into his alter ego- Danny Phantom. He floated above the tables and watched the Box Ghost. This is not what I need to start off my weekend with, he thought to himself.
"Ok, let's get this over with," Danny Phantom said. "Go on with your speech. I'll pretend to listen. I'll kick your butt and we'll both go home."
"Fine, if you must know," announced the Box Ghost. "I am taking all the cardboard material in this facility and using it to take over the WORLD!" He laughed evilly.
"How exactly do you plan on doing this?" asked Danny.
"Um…" the Box Ghost was dumbfounded. Apparently he hadn't thought this plan through. "I do not know yet! But as soon as I find out I WILL DESTROY YOU!" He began leaving by phasing through the wall. His head was then visible again. He shouted to Danny and anybody else that might listen, "BEWARE!" He was gone for now.
Seeing as no one was left in the restaurant except Sam and Tucker, Danny transformed back into his human self and landed in front of his friends. Tucker crossed his arms across his chest and said, "That guy really is a waste of time. Plus, he ruined my sandwich."
"Oh, get over the meat sandwich," Sam said. She was still a little ticked over the uniforms and it showed in her voice.
Not wanting a conflict breaking out between his friends Danny interjected, "Guys, calm down. Let's just go back to my house and hang out. My mom can make us something to make up for the lost room over the Nasty Burger."
Neither one said anything. They both shrugged and Danny accepted that as a common acknowledgement. He lead the way to Fenton Works (the Fenton household that also held the Fenton Ghost Portal, and Maddie and Jack Fenton, two of Amity Park's continuous ghost hunters). All this time he did not know he was being watch. A large metal ghost with a glowing green mullet talked into a walkie-talkie.
"The whelp is located. How much longer must I wait before I can rest with his pelt at my bed?" he said into the walkie-talkie. On the other hand he held a cage. In it was a beast that resembled a large groundhog with an even larger tail. The tail had spikes on the sides and looked like it was able to tear apart a deer.
An answer came back from the walkie-talkie, "Not now, Skulker. I've given you the orders, now you must follow them down to each precise detail. Wait until it is time…" The voice stopped and Skulker tucked the walkie-talkie back into his armored ecto-suit.
He poked a finger at the beast in the cage. It hissed and showed its teeth. The animal reared back and lunged at Skulker, but hit the bars of the cage instead. Feeling defeated it retreated to a corner. A smirk appeared on the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter's face as he spoke to the animal, "If you act well we'll all get what we want: for you, freedom. And myself, you ask? I would like a nice new pelt, specifically one of the Ghost Boy.
Well, whatcha think?! huh? Tell me, I'm really a people person, I swear!