Disclaimer: Butch Hartman does not give me his copyright for DP.
AN: I would like to say I can't take the whole credit for this chapter, it was mostly inspired by oliviiskov and her fanfic Blinding. Her depiction of DP felt very accurate and relatable that I couldn't think of it non-cannon once I read it and had to put it some reference from it here. Off course I got her permission to do so, but check it out because it's really good :)
Chapter 7: Attack of the Killer Garage Sell
Sam was writting report on ond of current events that's been in hot topic. She had picked the topic of the re-nomination of Bush for president. Then there was a sudden knock and her head shot up in question. Sam looked suspiciously at her door, knowing the knock didn't come from there but wasn't sure where else. Another knock and her head whirled to her window and promptly, she smiled.
She got up without second thought opened her window to find her favorite Ghost Boy in front of her. The full moon shone down at them, and the cold night wind did not deter her the slightest to leave her spot immidiately.
"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."
"Well a promise is a promise right?" Said the floating figure of Danny Phantom.
Sam smiled brightly at him and gestured her hand to say his welcome inside and Danny, though a bit hesitant, flew inside. He curiously looked around her clean unblemished purple walls, her single king sized bed, one corner has table with her computer on it and shelves on the wall above it, and at another was a mirror table with few cosmetic on it.
"Nice room you got."
"Thanks," she gushed, "so I know I ask you to come visit me, but I have to ask. What brings you here today?"
Phantom rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly, "Well...I heard what you got involve with another ghost problem...again." Sam couldn't help but smile fondly what her weekend had entail her catching Pokemon of all things.
"Hey, it's not my problem that ghost finds me an attractive company."
"Hmm, do I find you attractive?" He asked himself aloud, making Sam grin and punched him lightly to his shoulder. "Ow, I think the ghost just doesn't know how violent their damsel in distress" he playfully rubbed his shoulder.
"Please...they only wish I was in distressed. I'm a damsel who knows Karate and the 25 places to hit for a human could die." It wasn't something a lady should know, but her dad insist she knew a few self defense technique to make sure Sam would stayed safe, it took a lot of effort to convinced her mother until she reluctantly agree for the sake of her well being and it's one of the choices her parents made that Sam was too happy to take. Off course, she never made pass orange belt so she only has beginner skill but she does know how to sound intimidating.
"Ahahahah...hahaha...ha...wait you're serious?" Danny trailed off.
See? Intimidating.
"What do you think?" She enunciate with a too innocent smile and despite being a ghost, it didn't stop Danny's shudder at the thought of her being able to give him a one hit kill.
"You...you do know you were up against a ghost," Phantom retort in a sign not to be intimidated by her words but failing.
"And yet I could still scare off one instead the other way around," Sam asserted, her smile somehow glowing as she said it.
"Oh I'm terrified, pleased spare this ghost my after life," he openly mock, making Sam playfully slapped his arm. It felt like his fantasy had become reality, talking casually if the most flawless girl in school. As Danny Phantom, he has the confidence Danny Fenton wouldn't have. Turning himself into a different person and what he wish he could be if he weren't so much of a geek at school.
"But seriously Sam, are you okay? I mean...sure getting into a real life Pokemon Battle is every geek dream. But you're not so much of a geek so I was worried you were-"
"I'm not fragile Phantom," Sam cut him off, "Thanks for worrying about me, but it takes more than that to scare or traumatize me. Heck I even had fun when it happened since I wasn't alone."
"Glad to hear that, sorry if you think I'm being a busybody, but someone asked me to checked up on you so..."
This time Sam smirked at him, "Well whoever you heard from must have mentioned that I solve the ghost problem right?"
"Now, now, don't get too cocky Miss Manson, wouldn't want people to think you enjoy ghost hunting do you?" He pointed out jokingly.
"...and what if I do?"
Danny blinked as he made sure he hasn't misheard her, and looked back at Sam whose expression was anything but joking. "I want to show you something." She montioned him to follow her to her closet, which she then paused and look back at him, "First, can I trust you to keep a secret?" Sam asked hopefully.
Danny was a bit surprised at that but nodded confidently, "Yeah definietly."
"And not a word to Tucker or Danny!" Sam stressed out their names.
Phantom gulped at the sheer seriousness she used in her tone and raised his right hand as if he was swearing under oath in court, "I swear it won't leave this room."
"...allright." she breathed in and breathed out a huge chunk of air and looked up at him for a nother brief moment before opening her closet. What he thought would be where she kept clothes or junks was in fact a closet full of bookshelves that has books with leather cover, scented candles tucked aside, drawings of what he recognized as magic circle and ancient symbol on the wall and floor, and a few boxes with labels that read a few flower names, and other materials.
Phantom needed a few seconds to gawk before he could ask, "What is this, witchcraft?"
"No, I dabbled on it once but none of it actually works so I don't know if you need to born as a witch or not. This...well, you can call it a hobby of mine." She picked up a book and showed Phantom the title which read 'Specrotopia: Ghost Around the World' a small blushed made its way across her cheeks since it was the first time she showed anyone her hobby, "I... sort of have a small interest on the supernatural things you know? So you could imagine how thrilled I am talking to a real ghost."
Phantom wasn't sure how to take in all this, really can you imagine your ideal girl that you deem as flawless and practically worshiped and was revealed to be just as a weirdo as you? So once the shock had gone over him, there's really one thing he could do.
He laughed.
Phantom laughed so hard, he couldn't focused his flight and ended up hitting his head on the ceiling. It didn't stop him though, instead he ROTCL; Rolling On The Ceiling Laughing.
Sam blushed even redder so she picked up a voodoo doll and threw it at his face, "Stop laughing, it's not that funny!"
His laughter lessened but he still was choking on his own air until he finally brushed away the tears he shed and took a lungful of air to calm him down, "Sorry, sorry, I swear I didn't mean to mock, I just never peg you for that kind of girl."
"Oh, so you assume every girl just loves kittens, rainbows, and sunshine don't you?" Sam huffed out with thick sarcasm.
"NO...but I assume you did?" Phantom answered sheepishly.
A brief silent made Phantom a bit guilty and panicked if he had hurt her feelings, but that was soon brushed off when she asked him, "Are you disappointed?" Sam asked softly, but clear enough for the two teens weren't expecting the question she let out and Sam slapped her mouth shut. It was a question that was burning inside her for a long time and she scolded herself for letting her guard down. "Sorry, forget what I said. It's not like it matters if you are since these stuff is for my own satisfaction so-"
"Why would you think that?" Phantom cut in to stop her rant. Sam looked back at the ghost who looked genuinely flustered by her respond, "I mean sure you weren't what I expect but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It's just mean you're..."
"You're?" She fished his thought as the ghost struggled to find a word for her.
"You're...aaa...unique."
"Unique. huh..." Sam pondered the word and smirk, "I like the sound of that."
Danny smiled at her respond and floated down so he would stand by her side, "So, what does an avid believer of the supernatural would like to request from a young ghost such as myself?" Sam smirk turned into a full blown excited grin as she opened her book and prepared her 101 questions in her head and looking like early Christmas has come.
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The next day, just when the pair of best friend was getting tired of the cafeteria menu, they went off to the Nasty Burger just a block away like the few of the other freshman students of Casper High.
"So what have your folks been up to? Any new invention they make?"
Danny thought back of this morning incident and grunted vexedly, "Well, my dad made the Ghost Weasel, in a sense it sucks up ghost and store them so you could shoot them up to the Ghost Zone, not that much different with the Fenton Thermos other than it could suck things that's not ghost. I even accidentally released a ghost from Ghost Zone with it."
"Wait...how did you released a ghost with a ghost catching tool?" When Danny shrug when couldn't come up with an answer properly, Tucker laughed at the irony. "Man, I don't know how you could live in a house surrounded with your parent's invention design to kill or capture you, if I were you, I'd be so stressed out run away from home."
"Don't tempt me Tucker," Danny sigh with a mix of groan in it.
"Hey, don't be so bumed Danny, we have our Saturday Night for ourselves to look forward. I was thinking of either mega movie marathon night at my place or beating our high score in the arcade, what do you think Danny...Danny, hello?"
Tucker tried calling out and poking his friend, but Danny kept his mopping with his cheek rested on his hand as he watched Dash spreading out flyers of his party, 'Da Dash Bash!' as invitation to his friends which include people like Star, Kwan, Paulina, and Sam. Lost in his own fantasy of being among them, side by side with Sam.
"Oh great...it's the biggest party of the year and Sam is going and I'm not, again," Danny stated dejectedly.
The girl on his mind was currently in a bad mood, not only does her friends didn't want to go to the new amusement park, but now she has to go to this stupid party. Business Party she could at least tolerate and get used to but Stuck Up Party like Dash's just smudge her the wrong way. Because not only do they usually just play pointless game and chat like they could do in other places, they would usually makes use the fact it's a private party for people to make out and for some boys to get touchy. She doesn't mind that people make out, but she does mind if they did it very sensually in front of her as if they owned the place. Seriously, can't they do that in their own home instead of a party where people don't want to watch you two make out.
If you're wondering that the girl she has in mind is her Hispanic friend than yes, yes it is.
So no, going in a cramp and loud party full obnoxious people is not how she wanted to spend her weekend.
Still...her mother had always taught her to never deny an invitation unless it came from your sworn enemy or you couldn't make it.
'I'll just get in and get out' Sam promised herself.
"So Sam, what are you ordering?" Paulina asked beside her.
"Salad obviously, what else would I pick?"
"Hmm, still counting on when you give up on that ridiculous diet of yours. Seriously when will you stop eating like a rabbit?"
"That's none of your business Paulina, go bury your busy nose somewhere else!" Her words don't seem to faze the Latina Girl as she ordered her ridiculous meal of Mighty Mini Meaty Cheesy Melt and rolled her eyes. They're called Mighty Meaty for a reason.
"HERE!" the aggravate sound of Dash snapped her attention and saw Dash was giving an invitation to...Danny? What's that all about? Since when Dash liked him enough to invite him?
"Your sister made me invite you." He saw Tucker looking at him expectantly but ignored it to tower over Danny and poked him hardly on the shoulder so he could emphasize each of his instruction with a bit menace in his tone, "Just you! Show up, shut it, go home and nobody gets hurt."
"Well, looks like Fenton is 'in' now," Paulina said with a smirk. Her eyes bore at Danny with more interest than she had two seconds ago. That look stirred rage in Sam, this girl used Danny for her own and actually dared to act she was interested in him. If Danny had been another guy she knew as regular classmates maybe she wouldn't care so much, but he's her friend now, a friend she actually likes, and she wouldn't let her friend to get screw up.
"Just a reminder Paulina, don't you dare screw him over!"
Paulina looked at her, confused, then her eyebrows shot up in surprised, "Ew, you're still into him? I thought you two were over."
"He's a friend Paulina," Sam growled, "My friend."
Paulina glared as hard as Sam but then rolled her eyes in the end, "Well good news for you because your little friend is going to be hanging out with us from now right? Though it probably won't last long." The glared did not soften and Paulina sigh, "Fine, I'll back off from him, happy?" She wasn't, but at least she gave her word. Though it wasn't much, coming from Paulina. As if she had only relent to help rile her up more, she went to her table, passing Danny's, and made a small wave at him, "See you Saturday Danny."
The nerve of that girl was sometime surreal to Sam, her jaw dropped unbelievably before she glared at her back. However, then Sam thought back to her words about Danny hanging out with the A-List and...she wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Happy? She sould be happy, it's logical to be happy. Her friend is going to hang out with her more and this time without that Nerd, Tucker, along side with him. And if all goes well and her friends see how cool he actually is, maybe then he'd make her group a bit more tolerable alongside Star and Valerie.
Despite that Sam herself didn't care she was an A-List or not, she thought it make more sense for one to be much better off and happier at the top of the social ladder. Besides, Tucker would surely understand Danny would be happier being recognized as one of the popular crowd, and she doesn't like having Tucker around anyway so he'd be better off without him.
So she should be happy for him.
Yet why does the image of Danny not with Tucker felt so...wrong?
She looked back at Danny, two was having a mini-celebration as he hugged the invitation tight to himself, "I'm...I'm invited!" Danny shouted, "I've arrived!"
"Great, think you could buy me a souvenir in Popularity-ville?" Tucker asked in bland tone.
"I will!" He answered before dashing out in excitement to join the Popular Table.
Tucker looked back at his best friend, feeling happy that his best friend was getting into the 'in' crowd. Heck, he would too if he was in his position, and Tucker knows how Danny feels more than anyone could, being the bottom of the social ladder along side of him, so he let go his small feeling jealousy for the sake of his best friend getting the attention he always wanted his entire school life.
After all, it's not like he'll forget about him right?
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'Or he might do just that.'
Tucker grumbled silently in annoyance seeing Danny ignoring him these few days for a bunch of the popular crowd he barely knew. He knew his near 10 years of friendship with him wouldn't be so glossed over so easily. He knew that, but he has a hard time beliving it when he greets random kid he passed by in the hallway that he barely knew, took in whatever 'trend' that's been going on and ignored most talk he had with him and being so clueless about it. It doesn't make it easier seeing his best friend getting recognized as more than a son of science freaks for the first time in his entire high school careers so he tried to let it slide in understanding. Especially when he was looking at his glee look on his face every time so he couldn't be too hard on him.
Doesn't mean he'll take it silently.
"Seriously, Danny. Ever since you got that invitation, you're all about the "In" crowd."
"Come on, Tuck. That's ridiculous." He chuckled, then he turned to find Kwan and pumped his fist in the air to greet him, "Kwan! Looking good!"
Kwan heard him and turned to point at Danny, "Fentomeister, woo hoo!"
'Fentonmeister? Fentonmeister really? Don't tell me he seriously think that nick name's cool! I could come up with a way better one!' Tucker mentally grumbled.
Danny turned back to Tucker with a grin only to let it fell seeing his friend's frown before rolling his eyes, "Right, I guess 'Fentonmeister' doesn't have time for his-"
"Hey Fenton, come here!"
Danny shot away faster to Dash, before he could hear Tucker finished his sentence.
"-best friend." Tucker ended.
It wasn't long before Danny came rushing back, magazine on hand and looking distraught. "Oh man, Dash said I have to go to the party with these..." he pointed at the magazine he has on hand with a 'high-in, hip and dash' sweat outfit on the cover or so he was told, "...and it must cost a fortune! Where am I going to buy by Saturday?!"
"Don't look at me, I barely got the money to get into an Amusement Park."
Danny's distraught turn to curious, "Amusement Park?"
"Yeah, they said to have a new built roller coaster has a free fall that could shave three years of your life," he eagerly explained.
"Since when did you have that much interest in roller coaster, or any death ride for that matter?"
Truthfully, Tucker was partial to those stuff but at the back of his mind he thought he coukd fish Danny out of the party to spend time with him even though it'll be a bit pricy. Whatever excuse he had in mind was cut off by Paulina calling out to him.
"Yoo hoo, Danny! You want to hear my new CD? It's really crunk!"
Danny, to Tucker's surprised, looked hesitant to accept Paulina's invitation, he was even frowning at her, what's that all about? Paulina is the no. 1 hottest girl in school and every man's dream. How is he not ectastic being called out by her?
"Do you think I should...?" Danny, to Tucker's confusion, clearly did not want to to her but was still in two mind about it.
"It's Paulina." He said as if the name was the answer itself, which in a way it is.
"Uhm, coming...!" Danny ran and sat beside her on the picnic blanket, his smile forced but decide to indulge her company as she played her new bought CD of the newest hot band.
Tucker looked back confusingly before sighing and yelped when he was about crashed against Sam, who was standing few feet behind him. She was standing still with a pointed look at her two friends and Sam had to surpressed a growl that her idea of being friendly was this misleading cutesy act of hers. Knowing Sam can't blame her for Danny falling for her by being 'friendly' with her friend and that's what irritates her the most.
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It was time for Physic with Mr. Peckerman and for once in her life, she was glad she had this class where she won't be in the same room as Paulina and getting her mind to fantasize way to suffer a few popular medieval torture.
"So...I heard from certain someone that you still got the hots for Fenton?" Valerie asked her with a sly smile and a raise eyebrow as she slide next to her seat .
"Let me guess, Paulina? Because you should know most of what come out of her mouth is lies, he's just a friend is it hard for people to believe that?" She didn't sigh or grumbled but said it as if it was a matter of fact. "Besides, why is it so hard for you guys to try talk and give him a chance, the only one who did other than Paulina, who we both know is only being polite, is Kwan and that's because he's generally friendly, too friendly actually but that's just his character. He only joins the bullying because he's loyal to Dash."
"Girl, no offense to you or him, but I don't plan to to get to know anyone who leaches. Fenton might not be bad, but he's a Loser before for a reason." Valerie pointed out with apathetic tone, "We A-List don't just get our position, we work for it. Albeit differently for each of us, and Losers are just Lazy Bums who don't work hard enough to gain respect. If he really deserve to be popular then he will be, but right now he's only leaching off from Dash and his sister so don't expect me to give him the time of the day for him."
The two girls noticed their teacher was glaring pointedly at them so they in turn continued taking notes as if their conversation never happened.
The way Valerie said it may make sense, and Sam would usually have agreed with her. But then she thought back the few encounter she had with her two boys and couldn't help but feel there's something wrong with that reason.
Wait...
Her boys? Where did that thought come from?
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Stuck in a predicament of how he was going to buy that sweat suit for the party and sealing his popularity, his first thought would off course be asking his parents. He went to the kitchen where the rest of his family were circling what's most probably a new invention their parents made only to be mildly surprised to saw glimpse of hot dogs inside.
'Huh, so they can make normal tools'
Said hot dogs promptly came to life and barked wildly and her mother hastily closed it.
'aaaaaand I stand corrected.' Danny mentally chided himself.
The talk about money...didn't go so well as he expected. Heck, his jaw had dropped from being horrified of the fact he had to get a job to earn money, but even more horrifying that he had to sell his comic book.
'Over my half dead body!'
"Uh, speaking of which." Maddie pointed to the boxes of goo-covered machine parts and scrunched her nose, "That junk from the Ghost Weasel explosion needs to go in the shed...if there's room. That old barn hasn't been cleaned out in years."
" This is not junk! Every single item in this box is of vital importance to me." He hugged his boxes defensively. Yet, despite not knowing some of the useful or useless parts, Maddie could not shake Jack's possessive attitude over his property. Maddie couldn't help but think that part of him was both endearing and annoying. Jack put a box on Danny's hand and the two left for the shed where they kept the broken and unsused part of their past invention.
Jack opened the door and turned on the light. Danny placeed his on another box, and Jack droped his to the ground. "You know, maybe I should get rid of this junk." Jack dusted off his hands and shrugged, "Ah well, that's a job for another day.
Jack left the shed. Danny followed him out, but paused at the light 'Dad said he should get rid of the stuff, I wonder...' he turned back to the boxes of junk and smirk.
"Saturday is another day."
Danny shut the door with a smirk still a play on his face, a plan formulate in his mind. He turned back to his house but yelped almost like a girl when he find Jazz standing behind him with a scolding look on her face, not that different to their mother, that made him fee sheepish.
"I know that look Danny."
Danny frowned, "What look?"
"That look you always have when you're planning something stupid."
"Oh yeah?!" Danny crossed his arm and turned his side to face her, "Named one!"
"I can name five at the top of my head right now, remember the time you wanted a puppy but couldn't so you forced Tucker to play as a dog to show them you could be responsible," she reminded.
"I was five!"
"Or the time you got stuck inside a restaurant freezer just so you could get free sample on that new limited ice cream sundae when we go out to a restaurant for dinner," Jazz recited another.
"I took a wrong turn!"
"Or that time when..."
"All right, all right you made your point, you're the wise girl and I'm the reckless kid that kept messed up! But this is different from that other times Jazz, because this is important for me and I can't mess it up. For once I'm actually going to be accepted and not get worried of getting my butt shoved inside a locker ever day of the week, for once I want to have a shot with the girl I like and actually have a chance, and for once I want to be amount to something since I'm not an overachiever like you." The words had slipped out of his mouth without meaning to, Danny began clamming his mouth shut, not trusting himself to rant more and Jazz's expression soften.
"Look, I'm not going to stop you if that's what you're worried about, nor will I tell Mom and Dad."
Danny blinked, "You're not?"
"Nope." She shook her head with a knowing smile, "I wouldn't be a good sister if I don't at least warned you that you will get in trouble and that it's not worth it."
"But you're not stopping me?"
She shrugged, "Some lesson just needed to be experienced. Besides, this is your mess and you problem, which mean it'll be your responsibility if it messes up...I did got you to that party after all, so I can't actually stopped something that will get you accepted to it."
Danny beamed at his sister and gave her a quick hug, quick enough that she wouldn't have time to hug back and left her stunned for just a moment before sighing at his stubborn brother's antics. She already said what needed to be said, now it's up to his brother what he would do and all she needs to do for now is watch over him.
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Time flew by and already Saturday morning came and few of Sam's friends were excited for tonights party. Their online chats was filled about that particular topic and most couldn't wait for tonight. Then, one of them pointed out about a yard sale the Fenton kid was hekd and told then about most of the weird stuff being sold and that pique their interest enough to visit, including Sam along with her two besties.
On Danny's case, he was currently beaming how swell his idea went. It only took a page of a new haunted house outside of town on displayed to his parents for them to go out as fast as how they'd escape from a house that's on fire. Tucker laughed at the story.
Just as Sam heard, the front of his house had tables placed along the streets and a banner advertising Danny's Yard Sale. Danny was selling from one table while Tucker was selling from the other, they both raise a thumbs up as they stacked their green papers together. She and her two best friends went up to it, watching his business was booming and Sam find few of the items on sale were different, unique maybe and not quite what most common household item would sale. Though considering his parents are inventors she should have expect that their everyday items might not be so common to most. That thought was enough to pique their interest and the girls began to look through the items and asking Danny what they were for. As soon as Danny locked eyes with her, he abandon his post in favor of talking to her.
"Hey Sam," Danny greeted her, his hand rested on the table as he leaned forward with a charming smile, or at east what he thinks was charming.
"Hey yourself, I see you're diligently making money."
Danny was about to say something in respond when Star called him out since Tucker was busy selling a vacuum motor to Mr. Lancer.
"Hey Danny, what does this actually do and how does it work?"
Danny waved a finger and mouthed 'one second' before explaining the use of the Fenton Toaster and what makes it different, which could not only toast six bread with two toasted horizontally, and she'd get a small mold as bonus to use it as a small oven if she wants. Off course, as long as she doesn't turn the knob to 'Catastrophic' level which is the highest heat setting the toaster had, she shouldn't worry for blowing up her house as Danny nicely put it. Star didn't thought long before she bought it and gave him ten bucks, making him 23 dollars short to buy that sweat outfit.
Meanwhile, Sam was glossing over a lot of few interesting items but seeing as it might not be of use other than it's unique and had her eyes locked on to a snazzy remote control, it was bigger and has more buttons that she wasn't sure what it was for that she bought for three dollars. Strangely she was sure Tucker was about to say five but Danny came up to her fast and offered her three bucks, much to her pleasure.
He was about to start up a conversaton when a shout of his nickname 'Fentina' made him groan and drag himself to face Dash. Tucker scowl at that but was silent, crossing his arm to expressed his displeasure. For once, he's truly asking himself if popularity was worth any of this.
Sam saw this and smirk, "Feeling jealous for Danny right now?"
"Jealous? No, Annoyed? Heck yes." Sam blinked curiously at his respond, not sure what he meant by his words, "But I'm not worried, he'll snapped to his senses soon enough."
"You say like popularity is a bad thing." Tucker didn't say anything in respond but the silence was teling enough, it made Sam sigh and changed the subject, "Why do you think he'll 'snapped out of it' like you said?"
"Because he's not just my best friend Sam, we're brothers with no blood relation and I doubt he'll ever abandon me for anything, that's not Danny and it goes both ways, not that you would understand."
For the longest time, Sam just...stared at him in silence with profound look, complimenting his words. There was a sort of awe that anyone could have a strong faith on someone. Sam began to realize then that she never find a closer and deeper friendship as those two. No false pretense, no facade, no secret to hide with one another. Sam find a foreign feeling inside her and she was to oblivious to know it was jealousy because perfect Sam Manson never got jealous.
Yet, she did.
And so she left with clouded thoughts in her mind.
When Sam got home to get ready for the party, her computer made a distinctive ringing sound of a new email and she got up to it and saw it came from Dash concerning his 'Dash Bash.' After a rolled from her eyes when she opened and read about the change of dress code seeing as he doesn't have money from said dress coded off all reasons why. He then told us to come wearing a 'Loser Chic' dress code. Meaning, wearing clothes not just geeks, but also nerds, goths, hipster, punks and those who are just plain invisible.
Sam was confused at this, why does Dash think that this dress code would be a good idea? But then she thought how she would dressed herself as a Loser and suddenly the theme became a lot interesting in her mind and immediately her thoughts went to one loser theme she could think of wearing. She opened her walking closet and searched through her colorful clothes until she found the few old clothes she hadn't wore for a long time then searched through her Secret Closet for a black spray paint.
I don't really need to ask you to guess the kind of clothes she had in mind, do I?
Once she was ready she had to make sure she bid her parents farewell without actually letting them see what she wear because dress code or not, they'd get a heart attack if she saw what she was wearing and a small rebellious part of her somehow found that she would find it amusing. Her grandma wouldn't mind though, in fact Sam could imagined her amused look if she saw what she look like now but she knew by heart her Grandma Ida would be at the bowling alley by now and breaking her personal strike record. She put all those thought away and shouted out to her parents who were one room away that she's going out to the party that's she's late for when she was already one foot of stepping out of the house. After confirming they heard her, she closed the door and hailed a cab already waiting for her outside.
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Night fell and we could see Danny rushing in his ghost form on the night sky toward the party of the year, he was grinning from ear to ear, eyes wide in excitement and was restless because of it, not even the flying razor or the fact his sister didn't come with him could stop and make his mood down, his head was in all time cloud nine. 'Popularity here I come!' he mentally cheered until he found his house.
"Okay, this is it. Don't screw it up. Look out world, here comes Danny Fenton!" He rang the doorbell and his smile fell in place for confusion when he saw Dash wearing his usual clothes and only then told him how the dress code change because he hadn't had enough money to buy said sweat to buy that computer software that help Danny bought said sweat for himself. He walked in, feeling further left out as the only one wearing the 'cool' outfit but seeing all the popular kids wearing clothes like nerds, geeks, goths, and hipster. It made him feel uncomfortable and stupid, sticking out like he is now. So ironically, he just made himself look stupid. Danny wanted to laugh at himself. Heck Paulina even came out right mocking him when she wore a short black dress, ripped leggings, and black fingerless gloves. It was so out of character yet she looked positively good.
He went and tried to talk with some of them, but they brushed him off coldly and Danny felt more alone despite the crowded room he's in. He went up the stairs for some breather and gazed down at the popular kids wearing 'his' clothing that made him comfortable and looking better than him while he wore the 'cool' outfit yet feeling stupid and uncomfortable made his blood slightly boil. It's like they were mocking him and the rest of the 'losers' and telling him that just changing his looks won't amount much to them.
That realization struck Danny hard like a ramming into a concrete wall and Danny knows what that felt like. He miss Tucker and suddenly realize the clueless action he made as he began to ignore his best friend since Pre-K for hollow title like 'popularity' and almost laughed out loud had someone didn't call him out.
"Not enjoying the party?"
Danny looked to the side and his jaw almost fell at the sight. If Paulina looked good at her goth style, Sam was rocking it. She was wearing a short black tank top and black skirt, purple leggings and steel toed boots, black choker and her long hair was tied to a pony tail. There wasn't an ounce of her girly style anywhere and she looked she was meant to wear that outfit, and that surprises him most since he wasn't sure how someone who wore the opposite of goth could look so goth. However, he then remembered the night as Phantom with her and somehow...he wasn't too surprised by it anymore, maybe even thought it was fitting for her.
"Sam...you look...different," he managed to let out.
"Thank you Captain Obvious, you look different yourself." She stood beside him and rest against the railing, carefully watching the rigid smile and the tired hollow eyes as he looked over the crowd, "Care to tell me what's wrong?"
"Just realize how much of a jerk I've been to Tucker just so I could be in this stupid party."
"Yeah, it is pretty stupid," Sam admitted. "If Dash hadn't invited me I would have spent my Saturday to go to that Amusement Park and ride the new roller coaster by now."
The reminder of Tucker's plan for the two of them made Danny felt worse, "They're not even my friends and I question how idiot I've become if I need to ask myself why I'm even here and not with my best friend."
"You're not happy here?"
"Frankly, I feel more lonely here than before," He admitted but then he glanced sideway to Sam and smiled, "Well, until I talk to you that is, you're pretty much the only friend here Sam, thanks." Sam was not confident to say she hadn't blushed and turned her head away from his smile, "I missed Tucker, I wish he was here, you and him would make my night a whole lot bett-" Danny gasped out a cold mist and quickly his head turned to the nearest door that quickly made him suspicious.
Sam noticing his changed of behaviour felt wary, "Danny, what's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Why would something be wrong, even if there is, it's Dash's paety he should know what's wrong." Sam's wary turned to suspicion but she was pushed away by him, and suggested she should talk with her fellow friends. She would have protested against him if not for Star pulling her away from him.
Now free from any attention, he stealthy moved back up into Dash's bedroom and gasped looking at the possessed computer who was laughing maniacally as various electronics and appliances floated around him. They all merge together to form a robotic battle suit for Technus, "I am Technus, master of all things mechanical! And once I complete my construction, you will all succumb to my awesome pow-" His face screen glitches and his head momentarily comes loose from the neck, "Ow! Ooh! Pow-pow!" He grabed his head, confused by the glitches an making sure it doesn't fall off once more, "What is wrong with me?"
Noticing he had a problem, he swept the room with his eyes and foundthe upgrade disk on Dash's bed, putting the pieces together, "The upgrade! Dash still hasn't upgraded the software!" He turned to Technus, going ghost and ready to fight, "Oh, no! You're not getting that upgrade disk and making yourself more powerful!"
Oh Danny. How is it possible for someone to be smart and stupid at the same time? On second thought, you're Jack Fenton's son so you shouldn't answer that.
"What?" Technus was confused at first before his words dawned on him, "Another great idea! The heck with tutoring! You should be a teacher!
Danny flew toward the upgrade disk. Technus produced a toaster from his shoulder and shoots two ecto-blasts, hitting Danny as he picked up the disk and send him phasing through a door to land in Dash's closet, which is filled with letterman jackets and purple and pink teddy bears
"Ghost toast?" He looked around and found he was in Dash's closet, "Jeez, how many letter jackets does one guy need? And these- " he picked up a teddy bear and decided that some things are better keft unknown. "Sheesh, does every A-List has a secret behind their closet?" Danny flew out of the closet and slamed into Technus before he could picked up the disk, crushing Dash's bed in the process. Technus then karate-choped Danny into the wall.
"You are a formidable opponent, but a little wet behind the ears. Perhaps you could use a little drying off?" The pun would have been better off unsaid, but let it not be said it didn't fit the circumstances once a claw emerged from the dryer in Technus's chest, grabed onto Danny, and pulls him back in. The dryer then spined him a bit, making him dizzy and ejected him, sending him flying across the room into Dash's dresser. Technus finally gets ahold of the upgrade disk.
Danny slamed into him, sending him crashing into Dash's television and stereo. Technus held his head in pain, but then notices that the upgrade disk has slipped into his CD drive. His screen shows the upgrade loading and completing its installation. Technus grins and growls evilly. Danny turned intangible and flies at him, phasing them both through the wall.
Dash came up to his room, feeling crepting suspicion of what Fenton might be doing in his room. He had saw a glimpse of the newest sweat suit entering his room and would have come up quicker if he wasn't held back so much by his friends.
So it became no brainer when he opened the door and saw his room thrashed like there was a huricane inside that he had shouted out the No. 1 suspect.
Few of his posse heard him and curiously got up and were gasping in surprised at the scene. Sam on the other hand was left stunned and although she had suspect she saw Danny got to Dash's room, she was sure he wasn't capable to deal this amount of damage despite his reasonable grudge for him.
'But a ghost is capable, and that might reasoned to Danny's sudden strange behaviour'
"I'm going to sue that Loser's butt and make sure he regrets ever doing this!"
"No!" The teens in venacity turned to her and Sam was feeling awkwardly at lost for worda at her sudden outburst she hadn't meant to say out loud, the words had came out before she could think. "Uh, I mean...it's not Danny, I talked to him last before he went and gone to the bathroom."
"Well somebody did this and as soon as I found out who, they're dead!"
Sam sigh as she managed to swerved Danny from Dash's rage and mentally sigh to herself.
'You owe me one for this Fenton.'
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Tucker's Saturday Night was spent in front of the TV, watching one of the action movie series he had on hand. He made homemade popcorn, a basket size soda drink, burger, chicken wings, nachos, and even hotdog too. With his annual Saturday Night shot down with his best friend gone for the night, so now we see poor Tucker watching his movie in sulk with food and beverage as his only comfort.
That it, until he noticed green glowing electrical equipment lining up in the sky, causing him to drop his box of popcorn and cursed afterward from the fact his mom would give him an earful seeing as popcorn are hard to clean on a carpeted floor. He quickly diminished that worry into a smirk, "Looks bad, probably a job for Danny Phantom." He grabbed his brown shoulder that had his Fenton Thermos and quickly dashed out of his house, "Looks like there's a party for me to crash."
Once he noticed the trail of electronics leads to Dash's house, his grin widen even more since it looks like he doesn't need to crash to disturb Danny's fun night with the popular crowd and boy did Tucker belived he deserved it. Just as he stopped short at an alley near, any humor he had was gone the moment he laid eyes at the monstrous robot ghost that was merging with all technologies around making him more and more powerful. He saw glimpse of Phantom who tries to fight back and prevent the merging of more technologies.
However, by the time he was no match and was backhanded away, his back hitting the wall of a house next to Tucker and they net eyes for the first time since the fight.
"Hey Tucker, glad you could join the party," he said before he fell unconscious leaving a Danny-shaped indent on the wall. Technus on the other hand, realized the addeded audience and began to introduce himself in his diabolical way.
"I AM TECHNUS! MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESTROYER OF WORLDS!"
Tucker's mouth dropped in fear and awe at the display of real life giant robot he ever could only watch in Sci-fi movie and inwardly he was curious how no one in this neighborhood were curious enough to go out after thatbloud introduction the ghost made.
"BEHOLD MY AWESOME ELECTRONICAL FURY! WHO'S YOUR DADDY?!"
Danny regained consciousness by that loud outdated statement to find his friend in danger and forced himself to get up and charged at Technus. His attacked was rendered null be his reinforced electrical armor but Danny continually tried hitting him, until Technus brought a hand up and knocked him to the pavement like an annoying fly.
"Tucker!" He looked up at his friend pleadingly who was staring him down before flying up once more, "A little help here!" Only to get knocked back down effortlessly again.
Tucker was about to do just that, but thought about it more before he turned his back, arms crossed, and ignoring him as he sulk.
"Come on, Tucker!"
He flew up and got knock down.
"Tucker, come on, seriously!"
Flying back up again, Danny began dodging Technus's attacks.
"I'm sorry I chose hanging with the popular kids over you guys. It was stupid and shallow and I'll never do it again!" Danny said in haste as he dodge a couple of ecto blast, a metal claw, another ecto blasts untilTechnus punches him in the back into the ground, where Tucker smile in glee at finally being appreciated and looked down at his mate with his PDA held out in one hand.
"How may I be of assitance?" He asked smugly.
Danny stood up, not yet down for the count, "He's running an old version of Portal XL," he explained.
"That piece of vaporware you sold to Dash? I thought you and your family are the only one using it, that's like the worst software ever!"
Technus tried to squshed Danny between his hand but he saved himself by going intangible, "Actually, only my dad used it, he likes to take most ad literaly. How do you know that anyway?"
"I noticed it was part of junk you were selling this morning, I think I have a plan for you to beat him." Tucker tap his chin thoughtfully before smirking. "Keep him busy will you?"
"That I can do," he respond determinedly.
He flew to face Technus once more and prepared his one-liner, "Stay back, you...hunk of my dad's junk!"
Okay, not his best one-liner, but he wasn't at his best today.
"Could mere junks do this!" Technus exclaimed. A remote and a robotic finger emerged from the dryer in his chest. The finger pressed a button on the remote, and Danny changed into a cowboy. The button is pressed again, and he changed into a female model. The button is pressed once more, and he changes into Spock from Star Trek.
Annoyed, Danny grabbed the remote and changed himself back, but that gave the ghost the opening for a claw to pushed him back into a wall.
"Tucker, any time!"
"I'm trying Danny, but I can't seem to bypass the security, he must have upgraded!"
"Swell, can you do anything about it?"
"I need to have the latest version of Portal XL and lucky for you I have one in my bag that I was originally going to give it to you." Tucker searched through his bag and find other than his thermos, he has a cable cord, charger, notebook, and laptop and a light bulb appeared.
"Danny, go for plan 'The Bigger They Are...'" Danny blinked confusingly before he caught on what he meant, with a herculean amount of effort he was able to pushed back the claw but it wasn't enough so he has to add more distraction.
"Hey Technus! Is this all you got? Because you're dryer can barely beat a diaper!"
"Don't mock me Child! I am Technus, supreme master of all tech-"
"More like Tech-NERD! Do you really think you're cool calling yourself Master of Tech and what not, beause you're sound like you're suffering from Eight Grade Syndrome!"
"Eigh...Eight Grade what now?!"
He did it, he got him distracted and got the claw weaken enough for him to pull it along as he flew around Technus. Technus was surprised by the action, he didn't think to retract the claws as Danny kept pulling it when he dived down and tangled it between the Ghost Robot's leg. Technus tried to move out of the way, but the act of moving his leg only makes things worse and had him tumble down to the ground.
Danny smiled at his work, then turned to Tucker for the next part of his plan. Tucker smiled back and threw him the other end of a cable cord and no words needed saying to know what's on his mind. Danny caught it and scanned for any outlet and find one at the back of its neck and flew toward it before Technus could regain his bearing.
"You little-"
"Sorry Technus, but it's light out for you!" He plug in the cord, and just as Technus was back up. His face began to glitch once more. Danny couldn't help but asked what was happening and Tucker explained in glee of the gigantic security hole in every new version of Portal XL. As Technus was having difficulty maintaining his robotical armor form, Danny made to grabbed his inner cords through the front disk drive and pulled it out, causing it to self-circuited. The suit sparked and finally shut down, hunching forward.
"And for my final trick..." Tucker pulled out the Fenton Thermos and threw it to Danny, who caught and used it to suck Technus out of the battle suit.
"NOOOOOOOOooooooo!" Danny caped off the thermos. The battle suit shakes and falls apart into a heap of electronics on the ground..
"Nice going, Tuck." Danny complimented, landing on the ground next to him..
"Don't thank me, thank lousy software."
Danny pointedly look at the floppy disk his friend held up, "and you were planning to give said 'lousy software' to me?"
"Hey, I was angry, I thought I had every right for petty revenge."
Danny kept his glare half heartedly before it soften and he sighed, "Yeah...you do. I'm really sorry about the way I treated you. Of all people, I should know how it feels to be invisible."
"Hey, I knew you come to your senses sooner or later, so...do you need help with all this junk?" Tucker pointed at the pile of what used to be Technus's components A.K.A Danny's dad's junk.
"Nah, I'm the one who sold it so it's only fair that I take it back. Besides, with my ghost power I think I could finish this 10 minute tops then we can have our Saturday Night as plan at that Amusement Park you've been meaning to go...that is, if you stil want to."
"Dude, I couldn't have it any other way."
They both smiled and gave each other a one armed hug. Danny then cleaned the streets of the many junks and send it back to the house shed without alarming anyone at the house, even going all the way to change out of that stupid sweat suit. He soon turned back into Fenton, but before the two friends could go on, Danny was reminded of one other friend he had in mind that would make this night perfect.
"Hey Tucker...you don't mind an extra company do you?"
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Sam was drinking her 4th cup of punch before realizing someone had decided to spike it and left it as is. It was the same old boring conversation she'd find in her school and she coudn't help but face her back into a corner. Her mind wandered to Danny that mysteriously dissapeared, what he's doing, and why he dissapeared. Was it a ghost? Did he find and fought one? Or did he just get bored and ditched the party? Either one was possible, yet Sam stubbornly stayed for the slight chance he'll be back and she was starting to feel stupid.
The party wasn't showing any sign of stopping, and more people were showing up by the minute. She saw some of her classmate setting barbeque at the backyard as they dance along the pounding music. She was about to give up on Danny and went home when the window next to her was tapped.
She blinked, surprised, to find Danny in his usual clothes (and she couldn't help but find it endearing to have him in his normal clothes instead of that sweat suit that looked so wrong on him) alongside Tucker. She looked back at her friends who were busy playing ping pong and opened the window.
"Danny what are you doing outside?" She met Tucker's eyes and the two seemed to sent sparkling challenge to one another, "I see you made up with Techno Geek there."
He chuckled, "Yeah, and since we both had a rough night, we decided it we deserve some fun, care to join us on a ride of 400 feet free fall roller coaster?"
'Well if you put it that way, how could I refuse?'
Sam grin wickedly and climbed out the window without so much of hesitation, "You boys certainly know how to take a woman out."
"Ugh, seriously Danny? Do you have to ask her out on our night?" Tucker grumbled out, "Besides, she's only going to be squeamish anyway, she's a girl!"
"Excuse me, not that I feel bad interrupting your lovely date ""Hey!"" but I should say the same thing to you Dweeb, I bet five bucks that you'll puke by the end of the ride."
"Get real, ten bucks says I hold up for five minutes before puking."
"So you're betting on puking either way?" Danny raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Dude, if you know the things I ate before coming here you would have bet the same."
Sam rested her hand on her hips and smirked, "Guess we'll just have to find out."
And so the Trio went on their way to the Amusement Park, bickering and laughing in between yet it felt the most natural thing in the world for them, especially when Sam now was wearing her goth clothing, making them looked even more like a band of missfit.
What's more, Danny couldn't help but feel had circumstances been different, the three of them would have been the best of friends.
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.
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When they said the roller coaster shaved three years of their life expectancy they were wrong.
So very wrong.
Danny was sure that the rest of his lifespan had been shaved by half and that's saying something from a half ghost. Tucker had gave Sam her five dollar and ran to a puke booth set up next to the attraction. Sam on the other hand looked like she's glowing as she had the biggest smile on her face.
Another regular day for Danny Fenton.
AN: Hi, how's this chapter?
You know, as I write this, I realize one of the reason why Danny thought Paulina was flawless despite her obvious shallow attitude. Was because he never realized just as Dash likes to bully Danny, Paulina likes to bully Sam (I'm pretty sure she did at least once before Sam got retribution on her) and Goth Sam has enough pride not to admit she was bullied. I'm sure had he known how she acts with other girls he would move on from her faster which I accidentally did in the fourth chapter, reason why I made Danny distant Paulina but since she was pretty can't refuse her outright.
I also felt Technus defeat was strange, like how did suddenly Sam found a cord and when did they plug in on his head which was supposed to be around 2-3 story high? So I twisted into my own version, hope it's acceptable.
Mystery Guest: I would like to say that there's no need for you to think I'll take offense. I work mostly on my phone so when I'm in a rush I kept having typos and impatient enough to published it. Also, responding to few of your previous review, I have already have plan for Cannon-Sam in the long run and that not many would expect and I love long reviews so don't apologize for it. You're my first longest reviewer at this point so it motivates me a lot in writing this.
EDIT: Thanks princessbinas for the heads up of my many typos!
I hope you guys were pleased.
Please R&R
I always like to know what you all think :)
