Ahh, I'm really sorry about the late update! It would've been sooner, but I just couldn't seem to finish this chapter. I rewrote and revised it at least twenty times, and I STILL don't like how it turned out. I figured it had to be done though, since I made you guys wait long enough. Here's a recap, in case you don't remember what happened last chapter.
Previously: There's something brewing in the Ghost Zone. Ember believes she and the other ghosts can take over Amity with this new mystery ghost, but asks them to be patient as it will take time. All the while, Paulina and her cronies have devised a way to bring Danny down the same way they did Valerie. In class, Lancer asked some students to act out practice improvisation skits, where hilarity ensued. Although, Lancer isn't all that amused with his student's lack of acting ability.
"I can't believe I agreed to this."
Star glanced around the corner that led to a long hallway. The hallway was full of lockers on both sides and led to a dead end with a storage closet in the very back. Everyone else was at lunch, and she was stuck waiting here for Fenton to show up. Great.
See, Paulina had confided in her to come up with a plan. The plan, although simple, was quite genius. In her opinion, anyway. No one expected her to come up with a decent way to get into Fenton's little circle of friends, or at least have him accept the A-List. That's why she had practically jumped at the chance to prove herself. When you're a girl who spends all her free time color coordinating outfits and ruining other A-listers like it's a game of chess, coming up with a simple scheme isn't so hard. She really didn't want to stand here until Fenton decided to show himself though.
The first part of the plan required her to catch him when he was alone. Which, unfortunately, was only when he would ask to use the restroom. Fortunately, he did that multiple times a day. She'd asked to be excused as well and followed behind him far away enough to not get caught. Instead of going to the restroom, though, he'd stop at a closet and then he'd never come out. She had completely ditched one of her classes for him for thirty minutes, and then she had to leave to go to her next class.
This was the third time he had gone in there today. She had failed to see him come out every single time. She was about to give up hope on the plan and go back to see Paulina when a sound came from the closet like a bang, then a crash and a skeet followed by a flash of light and Fenton came stumbling out all sweaty and gross looking. His hair was sticking up at weird angles and his clothes were sticking to him like they were metal and he was a magnet. There was a scrape across his cheek that was bleeding and a bruise around his wrist.
Deciding to ignore his gross physical stage, Star ruffled her own hair and pinched herself. Hard. When that didn't work, she started thinking about what Paulina was forcing her to do and the water works started.
Stumbling out from behind the corner, she almost bumped into him. He jumped and looked around with wide eyes at the girl that was now beside him.
"S-Star! Buh-How long have you bee-!"
"No time for explanation, Fenton! There's a ghost out in the football field and I barely got away with my life! Come quick!"
She grabbed his wrist-the one that wasn't bruising, and ushered him around maze of hallways.
"W-Why do you think I could help?"
"Because your parents are ghost hunters, aren't they?"
She made sure her voice sounded panicked and desperate. Rounding another corner, passing through a pair of double doors, down another hall and another corner, and she was officially out of breath.
"O-Out there," she placed her hands on her knees and pointed towards the door they were now in front of.
Fenton gulped and looked at her with an unsure expression, eyeing the door and Star like he wasn't sure which to choose.
"Just because my parents are ghost hunters-"
"Go!"
She pushed him out of the doors and into the blinding sunlight. He placed a hand over his forehead to shield his eyes as he scanned the field.
"There's nothing here, Star."
"Really?" she asked, feigning surprise. Pulling him back into the poorly lit hallway, she shrugged her shoulders and pouted.
"Oh well, maybe Phantom got him."
"Uh... yeah, probably," Danny wasn't sure if the girl was telling the truth, because the only ghost to bother him in that month was Vlad. If there was something out there anyway, he would've known because of his ghost sense. He didn't see why she would need a reason to lie about that though, so he shrugged it off.
"By the way, what do you do in those closets, wrestle with cleaning supplies or something? You look like you just came back from a fight, there's blood on your cheek."
"Oh," he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, he hadn't thought she'd seen him barge out of the closet like that. "Yeah, those mops are vicious."
"Weirdo."
Paulina stared at the doors that led into the inside of the school. Anxiety was bubbling in her stomach, and she couldn't take it. Any time now, Star and Danny might come barging into the lunch area and ruin the entire plan. She could only hope that Star kept him occupied long enough.
Fixing her hair without even need to look in a mirror, she collected her wits and walked over to the table where Sam and Tucker were sitting. They noticed her immediately, and looked at each other with awkward glances.
"Hey Tucker. Hey Goth girl," she greeted with a wave.
"It's Sam."
"Same thing."
Sam was tapping her fingers on the table, a hand under her chin as she glared up at Paulina. Tucker just looked scared as he stared down at his Sloppy Joe that he suddenly didn't feel like eating anymore.
"I just wanted to let you guys know that Danny is waiting for you in the Gym, he didn't want to come get you himself so he told me to."
"That doesn't sound like him. Why is he in the Gym?" asked Sam.
"Oh, something about extra credit for P.E. You guys better get going, lunch is almost over."
With that, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked back to her table. She wasn't sure if they fell for it or not, but when she looked over and noticed both teens were walking in the direction of the Gym, she felt relieved and grateful. Now Dash just had to do his part.
"I didn't know Testlaff gave out extra credit," commented Tucker.
"She doesn't, but we don't know where Danny is so we have no choice but to trust her."
Tucker sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What if this is all a huge prank? And they have Danny tied up somewhere and are giving him makeovers and pedicures and god forbid, gossiping? What if we're next?"
Sam rolled her eyes and slapped him on the back of his head.
"Be real, Tuck. These are teenage girls we're talking about, not evil masterminds."
Tucker suppressed a shudder as he opened the doors to the Gym. Sneakers squeaked on the wooden floor as two bulky figures danced around each other, a ball between them.
"Dash and Kwan?" Sam raised an eyebrow. That's when the two figures noticed them and turned around, one even waved. The ball rolled to the side, momentarily forgotten.
"Are you guys looking for Danny?" Kwan asked from the other side of the Gym.
Sam and Tucker exchanged looks before cautiously walking closer to the other two so that they wouldn't have to scream across the room.
"Yeah, know where he is?"
"He said that by the time you guys got here school would be over, so he left. He told me to remind you guys not to go look for him, since he wants to hang with Paulina and the girlies. Kinda rude on Fenturd's part, if you ask me" answered Dash as he picked up the basketball from the floor, tossing it over to Sam who caught it with ease. "Wanna play?"
Sam wasn't buying it; she put the ball under one arm and glared at Dash.
"What are you guys trying to do?"
"Hey," Kwan put his hands up, palms facing outward in a defensive manner. "We're not trying to do anything but play ball."
"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes and threw the basketball back at Dash. Sam grabbed Tucker's wrist and rushed them both out of the Gym as quick as possible.
"There's no way Danny would hang out with Paulina! I mean, he probably would have a few months ago, but he's changed," she nodded to herself as she walked, her grasp hard on Tucker's wrist.
"Whoa, calm down Sam. Breaking my hand isn't going to fix anything."
Sam stopped and glared at Tucker, letting go of his wrist and instead fisting her hands by her side.
"Ventilate, in out, in out," he used hand motions that just aggravated Sam even more.
"You're so annoying sometimes, Tuck." she rolled her eyes and started walking again, when she stopped right in her tracks and caused Tucker to bump into her abruptly.
Up on the steps that lead into the school, Danny was walking down with Star by his side.
"No... way."
"Huh?" asked Tuck, still oblivious to what Sam was staring at.
"Come on," she said angrily, grabbing Tucker's wrist.
"Awh man, not this again," Tucker sighed as he was dragged once again in the opposite direction.
Busting open the doors to the Gym, she pointed a finger at Dash and Kwan.
"You two! If I win against you Neanderthals at basketball, will you tell me what you've done to Danny?"
"We haven't done anything to him," answered Dash "but maybe, if you beat us."
"Bring it."
Times like these, Tucker really hated his life.
Paulina was so sure she was dead. She had seen Tucker and Sam walk out of the Gym the same time Danny and Star walked of the school, and her heart had jumped into her throat. Then the Goth girl grabbed her friend's and started walking the opposite way. It felt like ten tons had been lifted off her shoulders. Could someone really be so stupid?
"Oh, hey, Paulina," Danny said awkwardly as he and Star stopped at her table.
"Danny had just been telling me this really funny story about how his parents almost caused this entire pet cemetery to come alive," she said, clutching her stomach and almost going into another fit of laughter.
"They had dead dogs and hamsters following them around for weeks," said Danny, shaking his head. "Anyway, have you seen Sam and Tucker?"
"Uh, yeah, that's gross," Paulina glared at Star, waiting for her to stop giggling before she could continue.
"They went to go play basketball with Dash and Kwan. Apparently, they didn't think you were good enough in the athletic department to play with," she smiled with fake sympathy and patted the spot next to her. "You're welcome to sit with me though."
Danny shook his head, and instead sat down across from her.
"They hate Dash, and basketball. Are you sure that's what they said?"
"Positive," she nodded. "People change who they are all the time though. Being popular and all, I know what it's like to be abandoned by those you used to call friends," she sighed dramatically, putting her hair to one side over her shoulder.
"Such a shame," agreed Star, nodding sadly.
"Then if I checked the Gym, they'd be there?"
"Mhm," nodded Paulina. "You can go like, right now, if you want. I don't care. I just wanted to let you know you're invited to my party this Saturday."
Paulina got up from the table to go to class. Star followed behind her, as expected. They hadn't taken more than three steps when Danny started talking again.
"Paulina?"
"What now?" asked Paulina, turning around to face him.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Like I said, people change. See you on Saturday."
Lancer tapped his pen impatiently against the stack of tests that sat in front of him. He was occupied with thinking of ways to improve period one's acting skills in a matter of weeks. Which, in his opinion, was impossible. That didn't mean he wouldn't try though.
"Maybe I should have them write papers on one of their favorite actors? No, that won't do... My favorite actor? Won't do either."
He rubbed his temples in aggravation. Not only would he have to find a way to turn first period into amazingly believable actors, but also choose a plot the day after. Which could practically make or break the play. Let's not forget the fact that he had the responsibility of editing the entire play script with little help from the other teachers. He sighed; sometimes the students didn't know how easy they had it.
Although Lancer loved everything having to do with the arts, he was an English teacher. He just wasn't equipped for teaching Drama. Picking up a piece of paper he had figured was a note and confiscated from a student earlier that day, he uncrumpled it and figured divulging himself in his student's problems instead of his own wouldn't be so bad.
Only, to his disappointment, it was someone's biology assignment. It highlighted how Feral Children usually acted like their adoptive animal parents because children learn to mimic their surroundings and the creatures they live with, and why, etc. He quickly got bored and crumpled it back up.
Now, bored again, he stared at the stack of papers in front of him.
"I really should get to grading..."
Suddenly struck with an idea, he picked the report back up and re-read a line.
"Often when influenced by a single group enough, humans tend to adopt the actions and characteristics of that group in order to fit in. Since we, as a species, crave acceptance..."
"That's it!" he exclaimed, throwing the paper over his shoulder. "I'll just make them observe Phantom fight ghosts. The dialogue, hand gestures, fighting tactics, and so on! Only obstacle is the safety factor... let's not forget how elusive Danny Phantom is. Ah, well, I'll figure that out later."
In case you're confused with what the plan exactly was, Danny now thinks Sam and Tucker abandoned him and Sam and Tucker think vice versa. Just clearing that up for anyone before hand.
P.S. I seriously respect people who can write at a normal pace and not jump right into the action! It's harder than it looks.