Chapter Three
Downtown
Sam couldn't help herself. She was always tempted to go and wander around after school, not having much of a goal or a destination. Without Danny, she felt lost and detached, as if an important part of her was missing constantly.
As she wandered, she forced all the horrible thoughts of Danny's current state from her mind. She thought of all the wonderful times she had shared with him. She remembered a cool, starry night, just a couple months ago, when she, in her attempts to confess her feelings to him, he had leaned in and kissed her, confirming what she had hoped for months. She thought of the first stumbling steps of their relationship, and how it developed in a deeper, lasting connection between the two of them.
They weren't very public with their relationship – they just weren't the type to put something so personal on display. If it hadn't been the wildfire gossip of the week, no one would have even noticed a change in their behaviors. They never really acted any differently towards each other – at least, when they were around other people. Especially Tucker. When they were with Tucker, they were three best friends, three ghost hunters, Three Musketeers.
But when they were alone… those were the times when Sam would lay her head on his shoulder and hold both his hands, and they would talk or enjoy each other's company and their embrace, simply, curled up in a chair or lying on their backs on Sam's bed. Always Sam's, because her parents were never around. If they were in Danny's house, his entire family was all over them, either out of general parental concern, or just the fact that the Fenton's adored Sam and were already planning the wedding.
Sam wandered around downtown Amity Park, the sun shining down on her. All of the outdoor vendors were in full swing, and she smiled at them as she passed by. Cars were lined in the parking garages and on the sides of streets. This area was well known for cheap prices and a good atmosphere in the summertime. It was the beginning of June and already people from all over were shopping.
She stopped to stand beside a little sports car, and she admired it's obviously expensive exterior and it's gorgeous indigo color.
"I'd love a car like this," she murmured to herself. She chuckled. "Of course, I'd love a license, too." She glanced at the license plate and frowned in confusion. "Wisconsin? What on earth is someone from Wisconsin doing way out here?" She touched the hood and then moved away, realizing that this was a very expensive car, which meant the owner was very wealthy and in that case probably very powerful.
"Bye, pretty car," Sam said, and she walked away from it, back onto the sidewalk. She looked down the long street of vendors, selling everything from books to flowers to food. She smiled at a little boy outside of the flower shop, helping his mother by picking out the flowers that people were buying. She watched as he happily pulled out a red rose from the bunch, and held it up to someone much taller than himself. Sam tilted her head and watched the man that was interacting with the boy. He had long sleeves on, and pants, which was odd; car keys were dangling from a lanyard wrapped around his hand. He paid the little boy and put the rose in his pocket, turning and allowing the wind to pick up his long black hair as he walked along.
Sam nearly choked.
It was Danny.
She stood there, frozen, hanging on to the tree she was next to for dear life. Clearly, that was Danny. Surely. Who else could it be? His dark hair, those blue eyes, that face…
She began to run.
"Danny?" she called, but there were so many people that she couldn't get through. The person she thought was Danny was making his way through the crowd slowly, pausing to look at things. Sam ducked into the doorway of a bookshop and waited until the crowd was thinned around her so she could run to him. He was on the other side of the street, making his way over to where the cars were parked. He was swinging the lanyard absently, whistling.
"Danny?" she called again, but still no answer. She began shoving herself through people, desperate to get to him.
Damnit, he's going so slow! She thought. Why can't I catch him? Just as she was thinking, she saw him stop at the indigo sports car, and open the door. Sam's jaw dropped momentarily as she watched him.
No… Danny's fifteen. He can't drive. He can't even get a license, she thought. Her heart dropped as she watched him turn on the car and back out the area, zooming away into the daylight. Sam stood there, crestfallen.
"That wasn't Danny," she muttered to herself. There was no way it could have been.
But I was so sure… It had really looked like him. Or had it? It wouldn't be the first time she'd mistaken some other black-haired blue-eyed boy as Danny. Her mind was constantly playing tricks on her, heightening her hopes and then dashing them as she thought she saw Danny everywhere.
But it really looked like him this time, she thought to herself, standing in the middle of the bazaar-like downtown shopping area. She twisted her hands into a knot and walked on, glancing back to see if maybe, just maybe, she would see him again.
"Danny," she muttered, turning back forwards and walking with her head down, her heart let down once again.
I got so wrapped up in my TW contest on dA and my "Continuus" fics and college and school that I forgot about this fic. But it's just so much fun to write, I can't stop it now!