So, I registered for my college courses earlier! To celebrate I'm posting this chapter(:

I don't own DP but enjoy the story anyway!

Letterman Jacket

She almost stayed home. Throwing on her normal black skinnys with a red and black diagonally stripped halter top, Sam dressed because she needed to go to school in order to protect Danny. Her half pony was tied up and her make-up a bit darker than usual. She clipped the chocker she received from her halfa in place and slipped on her combat boots before taking time to stare at herself in the mirror.

"You're doing this to protect him. You need to do this. You will not cry you're too strong for that. It's only two weeks and maybe they'll figure it out on their own," Sam told herself before adorning a look of stoic indifference to try and mask the depression she truly felt. Leaving her house early so she wouldn't have to walk with Danny or Tucker, she quickly made her way to school. Dash had gotten a hold of her number somehow and texted her that he wanted her to wait at her locker for the 'big announcement.' Already jocks lined the sides of the hallway with knowing smiles, their oblivious girlfriends and other groups not as high up on the scale tagging along.

Ten minutes were spent staring into her open locker before she actually grabbed what she'd need for the first half of her day, not wanting to have to visit her locker except during lunch. Since she'd picked the one right between Tucker and Danny's, it would probably be for the best if she avoided her locker. Stuffing her textbooks and folders in she zipped her new backpack shut, having noticed her old one had a broken zipper and had burned it since that's how she guessed Dash had snagged her journal. She resisted the urge to groan as she heard Tucker and Danny both call out as they approached her.

"Sam! Why didn't you wait for us?" Danny asked, concern drifting through his words at the obviously upset and uncomfortable teenage girl in front of him.

"Ya. Why didn't you call or anything?" Tucker questioned.

"Sorry. I had to get here early to print something but hadn't remembered until a few minutes after I woke up. I forgot to tell you 'cause I was in such a rush," Sam covered, making as little eye contact as possible with either boy. She knew if she kept her head down it would raise suspicion quicker and she wouldn't be able to handle that right now. The boys, though not fully convinced, shrugged it off and proceeded to grab their needed supplies for first period.

"So, I was wondering if we wanted to see the new zombie movie this weekend? It earned four stars," Tucker offered.

"Sounds like fun," Danny agreed. "What do you think Sam?"

But she never got a chance to answer, though she wouldn't have anyways, as Dash made his grand entrance through the front doors. Striding up to the trio he stopped a few feet in front of them, amused that Danny and Tucker immediately shifted to try and hide Sam behind them. He was going to enjoy this. "Samantha babe, come here."

Both boys scowled at the jock but froze when a chipper Sam obeyed with a, "Of course Dash." A tight smile had found its way across her lips and the whole hallway stood in silence as they watched the scene unfold.

Dash looked her over, an evil gleam in his eye, before he took off his letterman and asked her to turn around. "I want you to wear this today."

"Are you sure you won't get cold without it?" Sam asked, turning around anyways. Everyone knew that once a girl wore a boy's letterman it meant she was his, so she handed her backpack off to the nearest awaiting jock and slipped her hands inside the sleeves, ignoring her two best friends who now stood almost directly in front of her with slack jaws. Though she hated what it stood for she actually welcomed the warmth as the temperature plummeted in the hallway. Danny was not happy.

"I'll live for today. Besides, it's tradition for a jock's girlfriend to wear his jacket. Now let's go."

The still hallway waited with baited breath for Sam's reply and most nearly passed out from shock at her response. "Alright." A subtle sense of disgust could be heard in her voice and seen in her actions as Dash moved to swing his arm around her waist as he led her through the crowd and around a corner, joking casually with his buddies. The look on Fentina's face, as well as Foley's, had been priceless.

Tucker had nearly tripped on nothing at the sight he'd just witnessed, unsure of how to react. Danny near fully died from jealously and hurt. But now both boys were pissed. "What the hell just happened?" Neither got a response though as the first bell rang, provoking students to flock to their first class, eager to share the gossip of the scene that had just taken place. Danny and Tucker stared at each other a long time before sprinting, sharing the class with both Dash and Sam. They wanted an explanation and above all else: to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

But that wasn't about to happen. Stumbling into the room they found Sam sitting in Dash's lap with his arms around her slender waist, his thumb brushing her exposed side as he talked to the others in his group. Paulina didn't look too happy either, but after one of the popular boys leaned in her eyes sparkled with mischief and a cruel grin spread across her lips. Sam tried to look over her notes but was soon forced to pay attention by Mr. Lancer, who loudly cleared his throat.

"Mr. Fenton, Mr. Foley, if you would kindly take your seats," he ushered before nearly having a stroke at the sight of Sam sitting on Dash. "Great Gatsby!" The jocks laughed but before anything more could be said by the balding teacher Dash let go of Sam and ordered her to sit in front of him, kissing her neck before leaning back in his chair.

This is going to be a long day, Sam sighed as she pleaded with her eyes for Lancer to move on. After a few tense minutes he cleared his throat yet again before beginning handing back assignments. Whispers were easily heard and passed around as the room grew colder and colder with every passing second. Finally, when people were beginning to see their breaths, Lancer announced he was going to check the schools heating and would be back momentarily. It was growing too cold for anyone to concentrate, not like they would anyways.

For a little, no one moved. No one spoke. Hardly anyone breathed until Dash asked, "So Samantha, when do you want me to pick you up tonight?"

Though she hated it, Sam turned around and inquired, "For what?"

"Our date. I'm taking you to see the new scary movie, Zombie Invasion Four, with a few of the other couples. I'm thinking seven."

"Seven sounds great," Sam quietly answered, though easily heard by everyone in the quiet space. She forced a semi-genuine smile on her face, imaging it was Danny asking her, before turning back around to finish her math assignment. She'd been too much of an emotional mess to finish last night but relieved for the distraction this morning.

Tucker put a hand on Danny's shoulder, sensing that he was about to do something—like lunge at Dash. Fiercely looking over his shoulder Danny silently demanded an answer. "Not right now," Tucker mouthed. Reluctantly, Danny remained in his seat and was grateful when Lancer returned with Jazz in tow. As a freshman in college majoring in psychology, and an alumni of Casper High, Mr. Lancer allowed Jazz to fill in as school counselor until a professional could be found or she graduated; whichever came first.

"Sam Manson, may I please see you in my office?" Jazz ground out after hearing about the newest relationship affirmed by a confused Mr. Lancer. Sam nodded and silently followed, but not without answering Dash.

"Seven tonight, alright? Don't forget."

"I won't." Following Jazz, Sam took deep breaths and refused eye contact as she sat across from the counselor desk. But Jazz didn't sit behind her desk. Instead she pulled up a chair next to Sam.

"I don't understand," Jazz began. She felt worried about Sam's sudden choices and posture, concerned for how freezing the classroom had been from Danny's emotions, and confused as Tucker desperately looked between her and Sam when she came to pick up the girl in question.

Sam really didn't want to do this, but she found no way out. She needed Jazz off her back lest Dash grew suspicious. "And you don't need to! This is my choice and I don't need to explain myself to anyone." The hostility was really aimed towards Dash but it seemed that her target was Jazz, whose eyes opened wide in shock.

"Sam…"

"Jazz, I'm not going to talk to you so either excuse me from my classes or let me go back. I can date whoever I want and last time I knew it wasn't against any school policies." The standoff was short as Sam was allowed to return to class. Jazz sent a school-wide email out to all teachers to be wary of the situation, believing there to be more to the story than presented to the general public. Was it possible that Dash threatened Sam into doing this? Other types of blackmail? Or did Sam finally snap at lack of significant company? The possibilities were close to endless and she needed to explore every one.

Lunch couldn't come any slower as Sam forced her level head through Dash's 'compliments' and gestures. She didn't like being squished against his side nor did she like sitting in his lap. The letterman was not comfortable and the rumors were almost unbearable. Not to mention Tucker and her shared nearly every class and wherever she went the room temperature dropped to just above freezing, meaning Danny was probably following her. She understood that both wanted to talk to her but had planned on avoiding them anyways. That is, until Dash whispered in her ear, "Excuse yourself to the bathroom and talk to him. I want to see him pissed off."

Sam did as she was told, throwing her lunch away as she left and dreading the fight about to pursue. She always hated fighting with Danny, but this would be awful. She knew exactly what she'd have to say and almost cried when the cold feeling followed her into the empty hallway and around a corner. Dash had no doubt felt Danny too, which had to have been how she found herself in this situation.

No sooner had she rounded the corner did Danny's gloved hand stop her in her tracks, blocking her path. "Spill." He seemed too calm for Sam's liking, a tell tale sign that he had passed angry and probably even pissed. He was livid.

"I have nothing to say," Sam said as she stared at the blocking arm. Within a blink of an eye it moved to turn her towards him but she kept her head down until she gathered the locked away fear and anger she would need to stare at him with all the malice she would need to fulfill Dash's request and keep Danny safe.

"Bullshit! You're DATING DASH and didn't think to warn me or Tuck!? What the hell is going on?"

Taking a deep breath she prayed to every higher entity she could think of that she kept her faith that Danny would never hurt her and that he would see through her carefully webbed lies. That he would use his genius IQ instead of the C student smarts he claimed to hold. That he wouldn't kill Dash or expose his secret and they wouldn't be caught. "Don't talk to me like that Daniel Fenton! I'll do whatever I damn well please and I don't need you patrolling my life or telling me who I can and cannot date. Dash isn't that bad and I knew you'd overreact! Now let me go or else I'll scream about Danny Phantom attacking me," she threatened with a glare, though empty in meaning. She took all the low blows she could think of and knew she'd done well as an animalistic growl ripped through his throat.

"Did I do something wrong? Is this payback?"

"Why do you assume this is about you? A guy can't like me for me?!"

"Of course a guy could but why did it have to be DASH? You hated him yesterday! He's not just my enemy but Tucker's too."

"Maybe it's because he actually did something!" Silence. This was too real for Sam, so taking a deep breath she broke his last nerve, and without knowledge his heart. "He cares for me and just didn't know how to show it. I really like him, Danny."

The gloved hands that had held her in place dropped to her sides, but quickly moved to punch the wall behind him, across the hall. The dent was easily noticeable and Sam swore his eyes flashed yellow before returning to green, and then blue as he changed back. "Fine," was all he could muster through his tortured heart before he walked away, slamming the doors open to walk back through the cafeteria to pick up Tuck. He needed to let off some steam.

Needless to say, as Sam hid out and hyperventilated in the girl's bathroom, Dash was satisfied at the results of the fight he'd ordered. And he was just getting started.

This is not my best writing quality, but it's a story I really want to write because I like the story line. BUT, after I finish my other story I will, hopefully, come back to edit these chapters (including the ones to come). So bare with me if you chose to continue reading!