Thursday

"Tucker Foley!"

Tucker cringed and looked frantically around for a place to hide in the empty hallway. Too late. Just as he turned around to run away from the angry voice of one of his best friends, he looked straight into the icy blue ones of his other best friend. They had him effectively surrounded, and he backed away until his back collided with his locker.

"What's this?"

Voice in a disturbing friendly tone, Sam handed him a piece of paper. Tucker glanced at it, but didn't read it. He knew what it said. Danny grabbed it from her hands and started reading it to him instead.

"New! Pick a date, when will they get married? When will they have children? When will they get caught in the janitor's closet? Tucker Foley takes all bets. Now's the time to place them!"

His voice started soft but became increasingly louder, and his eyes flashed green for a moment, a sure sign Danny was angry.

"Um," Tucker said, frantically searching for an explanation that wouldn't result in having to run for his life from an angry half ghost and his gothic non-girlfriend. He didn't know what scared him more. He had come to school early, hoping to avoid them, because the time had been nearing they would find out. It had surprised him it had taken them so long. Handing out leaflets had probably not been one of his brightest ideas.

"So, how much did you score?" Sam asked in that same friendly tone.

Yup. The goth definitely was the more scary one.

"With what?" Tucker squeaked, trying to buy time.

Danny shoved him against the locker and Tucker winced. It occurred to him that he had never seen Danny this angry at him before.

"You know what we mean. You've organized a gambling racket on us. You've been collecting money all week. No wonder Dash has been on my case since Monday, saying I cost him money. Do you know how many times he stuffed me in my locker for that?"

"He'll get over it," Tucker said, "And it's not like you can't get out easily."

"Oh, he'll get over it alright," Danny said, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

The hallway was starting to fill up with people going to their lockers, chatting, totally ignorant of the argument that was taking place between the three of them. Tucker started to sweat, guessing what his friend was about to do.

"No, don't," he said.

Danny and Sam gave him a strange look, and then Danny straightened and stepped back until he was in the middle of the hallway.

"Hey, listen up," he yelled, using some of his ghostly ability to wail to enhance his voice.

It was so loud that people instantly stopped talking and turned to him in surprise. Danny grinned.

"I know that Sam and I may have given you the impression that we're together. Well, we're not. We're friends, best friends, that's all. So if you have somehow lost money in a bet with my good friend Tucker Foley here, I suggest you take it up with him. Thank you."

Tucker stared at Danny, who smirked at him. The silence in the hallway continued, and to Tucker's dismay, he noticed the attention was now on him. He started to wish feverishly, but without saying it out loud, that he had the ability to go intangible so he could sink through the floor. The crowd advanced on him, sliding around Danny, who was still standing there, like a rock in a river. Sam stepped away from Tucker and joined her friend.

"Now, look, people, why don't we talk about this," Tucker said, sliding sidewards, away from the angry students.

"I want my money back," Dash growled.

"Me too, me too!" several others shouted.

Tucker started frantically digging into his pockets.

"Look, look, I've got it, just... just let's go about this in an orderly fashion, alright?"

Danny watched his friend as he started handing back money, using his PDA as a reference. Then he half turned, caught himself when he almost wrapped his arm around Sam's shoulders and offered his arm instead. Sam smiled at the movement and slid her arm through his. For once, they were the first in class.


"So...," Sam said as they were sitting in their usual spot at the Nasty Burger, each sipping at their own milk shake, "Back to normal then."

Danny nodded and looked away. The rain was pouring against the window, and he watched as the droplets trailed down their erratic path on the glass. The weather had suddenly deteriorated during the day, and Danny had flown them there, intangible so they wouldn't get wet. Tucker was still at the school, trying to sort out his money.

"Yeah," he said.

He tore his eyes away from the fascinating droplets and glanced at his once again best friend. She was looking down at her milk shake.

"I'm glad," she said.

"Me too."

Silence.

"I mean, you know, it was getting a bit awkward," Danny said, "With all the hugging and such. It's like dating your sister..."

His voice trailed away when he saw the sad look on Sam's face.

"I'm sorry," he said hastily, "I didn't mean to... I mean... What do I mean?"

He grabbed her hand and looked at her worriedly. He thought he was holding up fine, but he couldn't stand seeing her sad like this. His mouth twitched. Sam waved her hand and smiled weakly.

"It's the weather," she said, "It's bringing me down." She got up. "I have to get going. You know, homework and all."

Before he could offer to bring her home, she was gone. He slumped in his seat and stared at the remains of her milkshake. He really shouldn't feel so depressed about it. After all, it had been just pretend.

Twenty minutes later, Tucker found him still sitting there. The techno geek placed his tray on the table across from Danny, shoving Sam's unfinished milkshake aside. Then he muttered a 'be right back' to run into the restroom and use the blow dryer on his dripping hair. Minutes later he returned, noticing that his friend hadn't moved or even shifted his gaze.

"Hey," Tucker said.

"Hey."

Tucker took a bite out of his double Nasty Burger with extra Nasty sauce.

"Want some fries?" he asked, shoving the small bag with drooping fries in the direction of his friend.

Danny shook his head.

"Are you gonna talk to me?"

Danny looked up this time, a carefully constructed blank expression on his face. Tucker's gaze shifted to Danny's left ear, where the silvery stud still sat.

"What's there to talk about?" Danny asked.

Tucker took a fry and pointed it at Danny.

"About how you and your girlfriend tried to fool me into believing you were together, dumping me the whole week, making me think the worst..."

Danny shrugged. "That was the point, Tucker. We wanted to show you that you really wouldn't want us together. That you'd be the third wheel. That you should stop nagging us about it. It drives us crazy."

Tucker leaned back and laughed bitterly.

"God, you really are clueless, both of you," he said. He leaned forward. "Have you ever considered why you were so convincing in the past week? You two fit together, that's why. You managed to fool me and everybody else for five days! You two totally looked natural! Everybody could tell you wanted to be together. And no, you're not a great actor."

Danny's eyes flashed green. "Aren't you ever gonna stop," he growled, "What is it with you! We're friends. Friends! Why can't I be friends with Sam! You're friends with Sam, aren't you?"

"Yup," Tucker said, "But I'm not the one who's in love with her."

"Oh, give it a rest. I'm not in love with her."

"Really?" Tucker smirked at his friend. "Then why are you sitting here like you just broke up with your girlfriend? Oh wait, you did. Quit fooling yourself, Danny. You're not fooling anybody else."

"I fooled Sam," Danny muttered.

"What?"

"You heard me." He got up. "I'm sorry, Tuck," he said, "I'm not in the mood. See you tomorrow."

Tucker watched him step through the door into the rain, stand on the sidewalk for a moment and then take off in the direction of his house. Tucker shook his head.

"Idiot," he muttered.