Hello! Yay! I reached 100 reviews! So happy, and I updated sooner, ha ha. Thanks to my wonderful and cool reviewers!
Punker88, whirlgirl, WingsOfMorphius, RainRaven, Frodo01228, XxFadedxMemoriesxX, Inumaru12, Mental Mess, Fantastic Bouncy Girl x3, DannysGirlForever, linkmaste, Inviso-Bill, yoyo-illuser, ChicaDeDanny, the sleep warrior, dArkliTe-sPirit, Ginger Guardian Angel, Anomaly25, epobbp, xheartkreuzx, Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet, Slayer of Souls
Enjoy…. Just remember, you know how evil I am….
Chapter Four
In Due Time
Danny stepped out of his sister's car five hours later and threw his book bag over his shoulder, staring at the high school, agony penetrating his thoughts like a constant rain. How many people knew already? Would walking down the halls of Casper High be his end?
"I'm right behind you Danny," Jazz said, sensing his fear as she watched him. She stepped up beside him, her face as equally exhausted as his was; neither of them had slept much after he'd come home.
He nodded. "T—thanks for the ride Jazz," he stammered sincerely. He hadn't wanted to face the bus crowd this morning. School would be tough enough.
"No problem," she replied gently. "Come on…let's just get this over with."
"Yeah," he sighed.
She walked forwards and he followed her slowly, treading along. He didn't look at anything or anyone in particular, listening instead. He half expected to hear shrieks of terror from the students that also drove to school and we walked towards Casper High from the parking lot. But so far, he didn't hear any.
"We made it through the parking lot," Jazz said, seeming to notice this as well. She seemed almost disbelieving though and Danny's stomach did several turns. She glanced around. "Come on," she said again. She pulled open the door and stepped inside.
The chatter and gossip of the high school students was heightened to an extreme level, but this was normal. As they walked through the hallways, Danny vaguely heard how two girls' dates had been the previous night, a boy's fear of the upcoming winter exams, the quick question to see if someone could borrow another's homework to scrounge in a few answers before class… He tried to listen to it all and it was starting to get annoying; no one said a word about him.
It wasn't like he wasn't grateful. He just wondered what was really going on. There was no way an exposure like that…especially his own, wouldn't be top priority. Yet there wasn't a single "ghost boy is really Danny Fenton."
"Well…see, that wasn't so bad," Jazz said as they walked towards the freshman hallway where Danny's locker was.
"Yeah," he agreed, still glancing around warily.
She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come find me…seriously, whether I'm in a class or not, if anything happens, alright?" she asked. Inside her head, she was fighting against leaving him or being late to class.
He knew by the look on her face that she was trying to comfort him and he greatly appreciated it, but Jazz needed to live her own life without worrying about him so much. She'd already done enough.
"I will do," he said.
"I guess I'll see you later then," she said.
"Yeah," he replied. "See ya."
They both went their separate ways and Danny walked over to his locker, but not before someone ran into him coming from the other direction. He stared up into the indigo eyes of Dash Baxter.
"Watch it loser," Dash said, shoving him rougher than necessary. But this was usual torment coming from his bully.
"Sorry," he said.
Dash walked away, not giving a look back. Now he was seriously confused. What in the heck was really going on?
Then an idea hit him. Had Valerie, Dash, and Paulina really not told anyone his secret? It seemed impossible if you were to look at their different personalities. Keeping a secret should have been pretty dang hard for both Dash and Paulina…Valerie, he still wasn't sure about when it came to anyone else's secrets.
Before he had any chance to really contemplate this more, someone came at him from the side and he was shoved into an empty classroom. He stumbled and turned around, seeing Paulina close the door behind her.
"Hi," she greeted friendlily.
"Hi," he returned, more confused.
"I'm just going to give you a head's up now. I haven't told anyone your secret of course," she said, walking towards him. "But what I was going to do is act normally so that no one suspects anything."
"Right…" he agreed, wondering where she was going with this.
"That way no one figures out your little secret," she said sweetly.
"Okay," he said.
"Just a little warning. I didn't want you to think that I'd given up on you," she said, smiling. She winked at him temptingly. "See you later Phantom."
After she left, Danny stood there for a second longer, slightly dazed. Surely if Paulina hadn't said anything, maybe he'd underestimated Dash as well. Maybe they could keep a secret. Just maybe.
He walked out of the room and saw a familiar red headed figure with glasses at his locker. He quickly rushed over to him.
"Heya, Mikey," he said.
Mikey looked surprised. "Oh, hey Danny. How are you feeling?"
"Better," he replied, remembering his reason for leaving the group last night. Which was really what he was there for anyway. "Listen, about last night, I'm really sorry about leaving and all."
"Don't worry about it. You had a reason," he said, shrugging.
"So did you catch anything?" he asked, watching everyone filter in and out of the hallways, barely listening anymore.
"Yeah, we did," he replied. "It's pretty good too."
"Cool," Danny said. "But like I said, I'm really sorry." He turned back and paid full attention again, starting to feel a lot more comfortable.
"Don't worry about it," Mikey said again.
"Well, I'd better get to class," Danny realized, looking at his watch. He had about less than a minute to go and he still hadn't stopped at his locker.
"Okay," Mikey said. "See you in there then."
Danny rushed to his locker and spun the combination. He really couldn't believe this. There was no possible way that after three people, three people he didn't even know real well, couldn't have exposed him. It seemed way too simple….or if anything, not simple enough.
He shoved his book bag into the locker and grabbed his English and Algebra books, his first classes of the day just as the bell rang and then headed to Lancer's class along with the traffic jam of students making their way to their classes.
Finally, he reached the door and stepped inside. Lancer was sitting at his desk at the front. Valerie and Paulina were also there, as well as Kwan and Star. Valerie didn't even look at him when he came in, but he wasn't expecting much of a welcome. Star and Paulina were talking to each other and Kwan was cloud hopping.
But Tucker and Sam were also there, sitting in the back in their usual spots. Sam motioned him over frantically with her hand and he joined them, sitting in the very back seat.
"Hey," he said.
"How are you?" Tucker and Sam asked in unison. The bell rang and the students hurriedly took their seats. The three quietly continued their conversation.
Tucker fidgeted with his red beret nervously as Danny shrugged, more confused than anything. "I don't know."
"Sam told me what happened," he said. "Dude, that's really…"
"Horrible?" Danny finished. "Stupid? Could ruin my whole future? Give me an adjective here." He beat his head several times against the desk.
Sam yanked his hair. ("Ow!") "Beating yourself up over it, does not help."
"Nothing is helping," Tucker said for him.
Lancer stood in front of the class and rifled through a few papers. "Your projects are due today. I need a show of hands to see who completed their assignments."
Mikey, sitting up in front like always, raised his hands and Danny saw Star and Kwan do the same. He raised his own hand along with several others, including Tucker. Sam, Dash, Valerie, and Paulina were the only ones in the class who hadn't.
Lancer stared at them, disapprovingly towards Sam and Valerie, and more in surprise to Dash and Paulina, who he favored of course.
"Can I ask what happened?" he asked. "And get a truthful answer from all of you?"
Sam and Valerie didn't say anything, looking elsewhere. Paulina toyed with her hair, twirling the black locks in circles with her fingers.
"Anyone?" Lancer asked, staring between the four of them.
Dash sighed. "Our project didn't turn out. The tape was ripped."
"I see. Can we explain how?" he asked.
"I dropped it," Sam said suddenly. "And then I picked it up wrong."
Valerie shook her head, her expression set in incredulous disbelief. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she sunk down in her chair.
"I see," Lancer said again. "You four, if we have time, see me after class." He dragged out a tv, sitting on a stand, and pulled it to the middle of the class. He pressed a few buttons and got it ready while the class sat silently.
He then looked down at a tablet in his hands. "The first group to be presenting their assignments is Group Two; Mikey, Star, Kwan, and Danny."
Mikey handed the tape almost reluctantly to the teacher and then glanced back at Star and Kwan before switching his gaze back to Danny.
Danny smiled gratefully, glad that Mikey didn't seem to be too upset. He really was a good guy, he just took everything scientifically. He made a silent promise to be nicer from now on.
The tape started up and Sam dragged out a piece of blank paper before writing something down and secretly passing it to him.
He made sure Lancer wasn't looking right before he grabbed his pen and read what she'd written.
I haven't heard a word.
Me neither, he wrote back, passing it to Tucker next.
I'm not the smartest crayon in the box, but I think something's up, Tucker replied, handing it to Sam.
She rolled her eyes and wrote something and gave it back to Danny.
Tucker, it's brightest crayon in the box. But I agree with you. We're missing something here.
Like what? Danny wrote.
No idea. And whatever.
He tried to give it back to Sam, but her attention was to the front of the room, her eyes glued to the tv. Danny followed her gaze and sat up straight, his eyes widening.
(Tape Recording)
"Dragons aren't real, are they?" Star's voice asked.
"Those are ghost dragons, there's a difference," Mikey retorted.
"Let's just go, I don't want to get eated," Star said.
"It's eaten," Mikey said. "And you should actually say, I don't wish to get eaten or I don't want to be eaten."
"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let's just go."
"We need to get something," Kwan said. "I don't want a bad grade."
"Neither do I," Mikey said. "Let's follow them and see what happens. We don't even have to be seen."
"Sure," Kwan said.
"Now…what did he say the red button does…?"
The tape cut out for a minute and several people laughed. Danny's heart beat wildly within his chest, silent pleads playing in his head.
And when the tape continued….
There were no voices this time. Instead, playing on the screen were two vividly luminescent dragon ghosts, being trapped inside a vortex of blue—white light. A silver and black figure hovered above them and when they disappeared, a pink blur of light struck him from behind.
"It's the ghost kid!" someone in the class shouted.
"Danny Phantom!" another voice chimed in.
But the class fell silent once more as the screen changed to reveal not Danny Phantom anymore….but Danny Fenton.
Gasps of surprise and shock filled the room as twenty one heads turned slowly to Danny. Right before he disappeared from sight.
Well, if you didn't remember how evil I am, you do now, don't you? Ha ha, I can imagine the looks on some of your faces right now as you're reading this, and I'm laughing hysterically. How many of you saw that coming though? You might have figured it out when Danny was talking with Mikey at his locker. I tried to throw in a few hints.
Ha ha, I told you. Evil cliffhangers. Don't you all love me? Tell me you do (not literally) in a review! Here's your sneak peek!
Chapter Five: Nowhere To Run
"Come on, get your coat on, I'll drive you back to school," Maddie said, grabbing her coat.
"No, mom, please, you have to listen to me. Just listen," he said.
"Tell me in the car Danny, I don't know what you were thinking, leaving school," she said disapprovingly. "But at least it's not too late to take you back."
"I can't go back!" he shouted desperately.
"What do you mean you can't go back?" she asked, blinking several times. He didn't say anything and she noticed suddenly how pale he was. "Danny…what's wrong? What happened?"
Danny didn't know how to tell them. That was the thing…he hadn't told them. He was lost for words, stuck on what to say.
Jack laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "What is it son?"
Lateraina Wolf
