"Why are we doing this again?" asked Dash, propping his feet up on Paulina's coffee table.
Paulina had ordered an emergency meeting about Fenton. Fenton! Was Dash the only one who found that ridiculous? The only time they ever called for emergency meetings was when someone was posing a threat to their popularity, which he doubted Fenton did. He was as harmless as a rollie pollie.
"Because he laughed at my play idea!"
"So?" questioned Kwan "We agreed that the only time we'd call an emergency meeting was when someone was possibly jeopardizing our popularity! Destroying nerds for being a little rebellious is like hurting puppies for barking too much. It's just not right."
Really, Kwan was the nicer one of the group. The only time he picked on those lower on the Social Food Chain was when he absaloutely had to in order to maintain his social status. Unlike the others, he felt bad for them.
"You guys, just listen to me," she pleaded. She knew she wouldn't be able to bring down Fenton without her help, so she needed them to see this from her point of view.
"It starts with not listening to us, and talking back. Then they think they can just get rid of us by telling teachers. When that doesn't work, they try getting in with us! Trying out for football, trying out for cheerleading, trying and failing miserably to update their wordrobe... I mean, imagine having Foley and Fenton on your team, Dash!"
Dash cringed, but didn't say anything.
"And Star, Imagine us having to shop with Linda! Or that Gothgirl!"
Star fiddled with her fingers, just the thought of buying combat boots alone making her want to puke.
"But... they can try, it doesn't mean they'll succeed, right? I mean, Fenton wouldn't be able to get on the football team even if he tried."
Paulina sighed, shaking her head.
"You're right. Most are too weak and ugly and awkward to ever dream about it! But like, today, I found out that Fenton is really weirdly strong! You wouldn't think it by looking at him, but he carried me with one arm. I don't even think Dash can do that-"
Dash huffed, crossing his arms. He mumbled something that no one else could hear, but it sounded like 'I so totally can.'
"If he decided to try out for sports he'd have a fair chance of making it. He's not the best runner, but still. And if that's just Fenton, who knows what the others are hiding from us? We need to make an example of him. You don't not disrespect the A-List."
"Wait wait, so you want us to befriend the loser because he laughed at you? Where's the logic in that?" asked Star, cocking her head to the side.
"Yeah," agreed Dash "If it really pissed you off so much me and Dash will be more than happy to give him a better than usual beating. We don't have to completely destroy him."
Kwan rammed his fist into the palm of his other hand, emphasizing Dash's point. Paulina screamed in frustration and threw a pillow at Kwan.
"We're going to crush him like we did to that Valerie chick, you guys. Only difference is, she was actually kinda cool before she got all poor and stuff. Whatever, just hang out with him for a few weeks, that's all I'm asking! Make him popular, let him try out for football, whatever! When we're done with him, even his loser friends will be embarrassed to be seen with him."
She slapped her hands together and gave her friends her best puppy dog pout. They looked at her awkwardly, then at eachother, and then back at her before nodding slowly. She squeeled in delight and lunged at them in a fierce hug.
-.-.-
"We can't attack the whelp, not even a little?"
Skulker scowled and looked down at the floor in despair. The Ghosts who regularly haunted Amity sat on a huge rock, their "meet up" spot. In actuality, it was only the biggest rock they could find within the vicinity.
Ember flew above them with an unknown ghost. He was relatively silent while Ember did all the talking.
"Not even a little," she answered.
The ghosts groaned at the same time in that creepy, echo-y ghost way. They didn't mean for it to come out like that, it just did.
"Why should we listen to you, how do we know you're not just saving him for yourself?" asked Johnny 13, looking around at the other ghosts for approval. They nodded and shouted in agreement.
"By the time Thespian is done with him, the entirety of Amity will be ours!" she stated proudly, nudging the ghost beside her.
The crowd below her chatter in excitement, liking how that sounded.
"The dipstick will be no match for us, when he least expects it is when we'll strike! Let him enjoy his life for now!"
The crowd now taken over by Ember's persuasive tone of voice began fist pumping the air. For years, they had waited for someone to come and lead them out into the human world. It didn't seem like a rock star and her scrawny, mystery ghost friends would be the ones to do that. Looks could be deceiving sometimes though.
"Every ghost in the Ghost Zone will join forces. We will overrun the human world while Phantom is bussy being famous," she spat the last part and the ghosts took to the air, howling in excitement. "No longer will be confined to our prison in the Ghost Zone, where not even a single plant flourishes. Where the only source of light is our glowing bodies and where not a single laugh of joy has been heard in centuries. The human realm on the other hand flourishes with life and joy! Let me ask you, is that fair?"
The crowd began chanting her name, their ghostly energies sky rocketing as they anticipated the future. Ember's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she took in the praise, he fiery up-do twisting with each chant.
With on last chorus of howls, the ghosts departed in all different directions. Some heading to their lairs, others letting out pent up energy from all that excitement. Ember was left alone with the mystery ghost, floating on the huge slab of rock. In the midst of the silence, she smiled smuggly to herself. She had just started the next revolution.
-.-.-
Danny smiled to himself as he walked to school with the two best friends anyone could ever ask for. No rush, no sleep deprivation, no ghosts. He knew he should be worried, but he was trying to soak it all up before they started again. The ghouls were probably just taking a small break.
Sometimes he'd hang out in the hallways after the bell rang finishing up homework he neglected the night before. That was one of the perks of being constantly late. He'd get a detention whether he was on time or late, so he'd might as well soak up the freedom in some sense.
They reared the corner that led to the school in a comfortable sort of silence. The kind that you and only your best friends can share, you know? Where no one is worrying about what to say because just the presence of each other is enough to satisfy you? Yeah, that kind of silence.
As they opened the pair of double doors that led to the inside of the school, Danny spotted Dash walking the opposite way. He cringed and closed his eyes, preparing for his morning beat-down. Tucker even put a hand on his shoulder in the 'Sorry, bro' kind of way. Instead, it never came. When he cracked one of his eyes open, Dash turned to him and smiled. Then waved. Danny shuddered.
"Did I just imagine that?"
"Unless we're both going schizo, I don't think so," answered Tucker, his head trailing the spot Dash had just been as they continued down the hall.
Danny glanced at his two friends with a raised eyebrow before he broke out into a crazy smile.
"This day just keeps getting better and better!"
"You know what would be really funny in an ironic sort of way?" piped up Sam suddenly.
"Hmm?" asked Danny, too happy to really care.
"If you were picked to play Phantom," she wry smile formed on her face as she took in Danny's reaction. His shoulders slumped and he glared at Sam.
"You always have to ruin things for me, don't you?"
"Awh, you know it's my job."
Danny laughed and nudged Sam in a friendly way. Tucker rolled his eyes and departed ways with his buddies to go to his first period as they arrived at Lancer's door. When Danny and Sam stepped inside, earlier than most people, what they saw instantly made them wish Skulker would come crashing through the walls demanding their attention.
The wall of the classroom were taped with green wallpaper, and costumes hung on coat racks in one corner of the room. Cardboard blobs of standard green ghosts hung on wires all over one side of the room. Lancer sat at his desk, shuffling through papers.
"What is this?" asked Sam. She was still gaping around at the room with her mouth slightly ajar. She was having trouble taking it all in.
"Like it?" asked Lancer, standing up from his desk.
"Like it? What is it?" Danny gasped out Sam's earlier question. They were still the only two in the room since the starting bell wasn't going to ring for another three minutes.
"Well," began Lancer, trying to decide how to word his sentence "As you are probably aware, your period will have nothing to do for a good few weeks until the plot and script has been finished. I haven't bothered with any lesson plans, since most of my time will be occupied with t he play. So, i've decided to give you guys a little practice since i'm positive you have no proffesional experience with the art of theater."
"So... what does that mean?" asked Danny. He was sort of lost with where Lancer was going with this.
"I'll explain in better detail when the entire class is present, since I don't want to repeat myself. In the mean time, leave me to my work."
Danny turned and shrugged to Sam, and walked over to the rack of clothes. Sam followed promptly after. There were a pair of yellow rain boots and a matching pair of cleaning gloves. An aluminum chest plate, a plastic tricycle that was spray painted black (badly, at that). Among other things there was a blue wig that had multiple bald spots and was tied up in a messy pony tail and vampire fangs.
"What is all this stuff supposed to be?" asked Sam, not bothering to turn around and look at Lancer as he typed vigorously into his computer.
"Oh, just props I managed to conjure up. They're modeled after ghosts I've actually seen around Amity, you know. I've given each and every single one I've recognized a name. I bet I could even be as good of a ghost hunter as your parents, if I wanted to, Daniel..." he trailed off when he realized the two weren't listening to him.
Danny had put on the aluminum shield and was holding the water gun as he stomped around the room.
"Hey hey, Sam, who am I?"
Sam giggled and deepened her voice.
"I will hang your pelt at the foot of my bed! Moo hoo hoo!"
"What kind of an evil laugh was that?"
"Shut up, Danny."
Lancer shook his head and mouthed the word 'love birds' before turning back to his work. The bell rang and the two friends walked over to their desks. Students startled shuffling in one by one until each and every seat was full.
"Alright, students. Today we're going to have a few practice skits. First we're going to try improvisation. That doesn't mean you're going to say whatever comes off the top of your head, so no funny business," he pointed a look toward's a few of the class clown before continueing.
"I have a list of the characters on the board. You'll be drawing from a hat. I have a couple of props set up here and there that you'll be able to use to your advantage. Tomorrow, we'll have a script you'll need to practice. It's short, so don't worry your tiny little brains. It's just to help you with your memory. Everyone got the gist of things?"
The class groaned and nodded as Lancer began walking down the isles with the hat. When it came Danny's turn, his thoughts drifted back to what Sam had said earlier that day. Of course, this wasn't the real thing. It was still kind of nerve wrecking. When he opened the piece of paper, it read
Count Ghoulestien aka Vampire ghost with pointy hair
Danny smirked, figuring out that Lancer was probably referring to Vlad. He heard someone behind him scream "Whoohoo, I got Danny Phantom!". It sounded like Dash. Danny groaned and slammed his head against the table as Lancer announced for everyone with a part to move up to the front of the classroom.
Danny, Dash, Kwan, and Sam shuffled up to the front of the classroom.
"Group 1," Lancer read. "Daniel as Count Ghoulenstein. Dash as Danny phantom. Kwan as damsel in distress, and Sam as innocent pedestrian. Let the imagination begin."
Dash wore the yellow rain boots and cleaning gloves. Danny had put on a cape and fangs. Kwan reluctantly put on a pink tiara and Sam simply refused the props.
Dash awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Count Ghoulestein, unhand that maiden at once!"
"N-Never Phantom!"
"Then face my wrath!"
Dash tackled Danny to the floor and started pinning his arms behind his back.
"Oh the horror!" feigned Kwan in an awkwardly high voice.
Sam stood in the corner with her arms crossed. She had an annoyed look on her face as she looked down on Danny and Dash wrestling on the floor.
"Cut! Cut!" Lancer yelled through the howling and laughter of the class.
"You can't just jump into action like that, build up suspense and a plot. Oh and Sam, please try and get involved. Okay, again."
"Count Ghoulestein, unhand that maiden at once after you tell me your plot!"
"Join me, Phantom!"
"Go on..." beckoned Dash, breaking out of character. "What else?"
"No that was it."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Cut! You can't break out of character in the middle of things like that! Again!"
Lancer sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
This time, Kwan took the initiative after Dash and Danny just looked around awkwardly.
"Save me, Phantom!" he put a hand to his forehead dramatically "Even though I could totally save myself because I'm totally manly and part of the football team, save me!"
Sam yawned and walked over to Kwan. She knocked the crown off his head and pushed him onto the floor.
"Twist in plot," she said monotonously "Damsel has been killed by innocent pedestrian."
"Cut!"
Lancer was about to go on a rant about what she did wrong, but before he could the bell rang and everyone shuffled out of class as soon as possible.
Lancer was going to have a lot of work ahead of him.
I'm sorry about all the fillers. I could just skip ahead and go right to the play, but it's all up to you guys. The Paulina thing is mostly just something to write about in the mean time (it's kind of like two stories in one). The ghosts do actually have a part in plot though, so bare with me. The next chapter will be the same day as this one but during lunch, but I'm not telling you what happens. After that is around where the play's plot gets chosen. I think you should know that's there's no pairing in this fic, I just do what I have to do to make it interesting and pairings don't really concern me.
Also, when the play comes, would you rather read about and have a chapter dedicated to it or rather read about how it went and if it was 'good' or 'bad' or whatever? Let me know what you think and ideas and criticism are always welcome.