Hey guys! Got my writing vibes back. Two updates in one day! ACHIEVEMENT, YES.

This is the story I've been telling you guys about. This is just the prologue, though. ;)

Alternate universe, baby. I don't know how to insert Phantom into this, but I'll come up with something... hopefully.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

Thirty Days Is Not An Option

"Prologue"

Friday, March 22, 2013

"I-I think I love you," was all he managed to get out.

Taking her hands in his, face bearing a confused expression, several things were going through his mind in that moment:

Would she say she loved me, too?

What would happen if she did?

Would we disobey our parents' orders and run away together?

The girl stood there in silence, looking at the ground―her eyes flicking from left to right. They bore a great sense of guilt; and that girl never felt guilty.

By that time, he felt something pierce into his chest. He already knew it coming: the hurt that would wrap itself around him and would result in his heart being ripped from his insides, torn to pieces and eventually stepped on by the same person he had offered it entirely to.

He couldn't bring himself to wonder about the negatives. After all, hope was all he had left. The support of Jazz and his parents had already dissipated, before they even went steady. Even Tucker tried convincing him that it was too much. This obsession with her had gone beyond his control. His mind told him to stop, but his heart wasn't giving up so easily.

Who could blame him though?

Danny Fenton? Just mentioning his name would cause all the ladies in earshot to swoon and drool over him. He was the crowd-pleasing, most popular guy in school, and not to mention, town superhero―who no one but his best friend and big sister knew about.

Her? She was the perfect match for him―the socialite, the most attractive and most favoured girl in Casper High.

His baby blues found her turquoise. The same glimmer he always saw in them were there―and they were even brighter than he last remembered.

Though, she pulled away from him, arms folding over her chest. Turning away from him, her free flowing hair fell over her back. He couldn't help but stare at her beautiful figure, but after her voice started to shake, he snapped out of it.

His heart beat fast. He started to sweat.

"Danny, I…"

She was taken obviously taken aback, but that didn't stop her from replying like how her bratty persona always did.

She drew in a deep breath and sighed out of vexation. "I didn't mean for it to get this far," she pouted mockingly and whipped around again, this time, her means of facing Danny. "You do know this is only for show, right Danny? I mean, us populars are aware of our standing. To keep that up, we get involved with each other, but only for that reason."

The pain stabbed him in the back, shredding through his skin, and finally reaching the root from where it all began. His fists tightened as he held his head down. With his eyes clamped shut, he tried to prevent the tears from welling. A guy as strong as him, battling ghosts, fighting for his life practically each and every day, was brought down by love.

Of all things, it just had to be love.

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me, Danny," she said with a soft grin as she cupped his chin and lifted his face to look at her. "Everyone knows my heart only belongs to Danny Phantom. I hope we can still continue dating, though."

With that, Paulina stalked away. To be honest, it seemed like she wanted to get going as quickly as possible; as if, in exasperation, she did a hasty retreat.

If she only knew how she left him loathing in self-pity. Plus, the fact that she was in love with his alter-ego, which was technically him, but was still a different psyche of him, made it ache like hell.

Thank you guys! Next chapter will probably be out tomorrow, since I'm just stuck at home, while it's summer break, and my friends are out with their other friends, swimming or shopping, out of town, or out of the country even...

Well, see you!