Disclaimer: I wish I owned Danny Phantom! Desiree: -turns me into Butch Hartman- AHHHHHHHHH! CHANGE ME BACK CHANGE ME BACK! -is changed back-


Dani awkwardly shifted from foot to foot as she waited out on the black top next to the football field. Tam and Lily were both standing on either side, listening to the gym coach's instructions. Tam had assured her that the gym teacher was actually pretty nice and sympathetic. She seemed nice enough as she was telling them the day's activities.

Coach Ropek was describing the soccer drill they would be practicing that day. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Penny and her blonde friend, whom she learned was name Luna, was paying attention to the boys doing push-ups. Their coach was watching over them, counting aloud for them. She also saw that the girls had pulled up the dull green gym shorts so that they were almost hidden under the long white Dutchman High Gym shirt.

"Does anybody have any questions?" Coach asked. Dani snapped her attention back to the teacher. A girl raised her hand. "Yes Janet?"

"Are we going to do a relay race?" she asked.

"If everybody can catch on the drill, we'll do a few relays. Now take three laps around the field, then come back here."

The entire group of girls took up a jog around the field. There were immediately three groups: the slow-pokes, the average, and the over-achievers. Tam and Lily were dragged behind, half-jogging and talking to one another along with two other girls. The rest were mainly in one big huddle while Dani and three others were above the rest.

"Ugh, I hate it when they run laps or play with us," she heard a girl in front of her mutter to a friend. Dani glanced over and noticed the boys start their laps around the field as well.

"I like it," her friend replied, giving her a smile. "The girls don't play competitively like the boys do."

A small group of boys quickly passed them, running as fast as they could. More of them slowly crept up to run near or past them. Dani ignored most of them, choosing to continue her own laps.

"Hey slow-poke," Dani heard Alex tease her as he began to pass her.

"You're slower," she teased back, moving faster in order to pass him slightly.

"You wish!" he grinned, increasing his speed to keep the same pace.

"Do I hear a challenge?" Dani wondered, smiling back.

"Finish our laps, and loser buys winner a milkshake from the Tasty Burger?" he offered.

"Challenge accepted. I like chocolate and bacon milkshakes," she replied. She ran even faster to get ahead, as did Alex. She was beginning to sweat and her muscles began to really feel the burn, but she pushed herself faster to stay ahead of Alex. The two quickly began to pass the other boys that were previously running ahead of them.

"Go Danielle!" she heard Tam shout. A few boys started to whoop for Alex while other girls began to yell their encouragement to Dani.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Alex neck in neck with her before straight ahead. Her feet hit the starting point. Two more laps around. Dani wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, noticing Alex pull his shirt up a bit to wipe some off his nose. She tried to pick up her pace just a bit more, just get a little faster. He matched her speed instantly.

One more lap. It was becoming torture to run this far at this pace. Her muscles were screaming to slow down, legs beginning to ache heavily. Soon it was only a few yard away. Dani used the last burst of energy to dash about a food ahead of her competition. Moments before crossing the line, Alex had caught up and they finished in a tie.

Dani almost immediately stopped to try and catch her breath. Alex did the same, pulling the end of his shirt up to wipe his face off.

"Well, we're both losers and winners," Alex said, huffing slightly as he smiled. "Guess we're buying each other shakes."

"Sounds good," Dani agreed, smiling back. Alex's cheeks were flushed red from the run, as were Dani's.

"That was excellent hustle out there," the boys' coach praised, walking over to them. "Alex, why aren't you on the football team? We could use a guy who can run like that."

Alex shrugged his shoulders. The coach patted his shoulder and glanced at the other students. Most were halfway through their second.

"And you are...?" the coach wondered, moving at Dani.

"Danielle Jento," she replied, putting her hands on her hips as her breathing began to return to normal. "I'm new."

She accepted the coach's handshake.

"Well that explains why I've never seen you before, Miss Jento. Have you thought about trying out for track?" he asked. Dani shook her head. "You should, we need more girls on the team."

"You need more people in general on the team," Alex commented with a small smile. The coach chuckled.

"That too. Both of you need to consider joining track this spring," he told them. "With some training, you both could easily take us to state."

"I'll think about it," Dani said, rubbing the back of her neck. Her do track?

"Uh, maybe," Alex said, eyes glancing at Dani before resting on the coach.

"You two let me know," the coach told them before walking over towards the field. "Come on, boys, hustle!"

"Tasty Burger's within walking distance," Alex spoke up, his breathing returned to normal. "Wanna just walk there straight after school?"

"Sure," Dani replied, smiling. Alex smiled back.

"I'll meet you at the entrance at 3?"

"I'll be there."

Alex flashed another smile before walking over to the coach as the rest of their classmates finished .


"You have a date with Alex!" Tam squealed for the 30th time. Dani rolled her eyes as she put her gym clothes in her locker and pulled a hairbrush out. She pulled her hair out of the high ponytail and brushed it through.

"It's not a date, it's a friendly bet we made that we're keeping our promise on," Dani insisted. She got the tangles out before pulling her hair back up into a ponytail.

Tam just gave a small giggle as she changed out of her gym shirt into her regular top.

"Ugh, I hate how I smell after gym," she complained.

"I have some deodorant and body spray you can borrow," Dani offered.

"I will definitely take up on that offer," Tam sighed. She pulled Dani's small make-up bag out of Dani's locker and opened it. She used a squirt of the body spray before handing it to Dani, who did a quick spray on herself. Tam put it back inside the make-up bag and wrinkled her nose. "Danielle? This is a make-up bag."

"And?" Dani asked, putting her hairbrush back into the bag.

"Don't you have make-up?" Tam wondered. Dani shook her head.

"I don't have make-up," she replied, accepting the bag from Tam and putting it into her backpack. "Never owned it. Couldn't afford it."

"So...you don't...," Tam trailed off, eyes wild in disbelief and amazement.

"I don't wear make-up," Dani finished for her. "Never have."

"But...you're so pretty!" Tam exclaimed. Dani flushed a light red from the compliment. "Oh, you have to let me do your make-up for Homecoming! I know just the make-up to make your eyes really pop!"

"I'm not much of a social event person," Dani insisted. "Or dance. Or date. Or make-up. Or dress."

"Come on, you're definitely going to get asked," Tam replied.

"What makes you think that?" Dani asked, raising an eyebrow as she zipped her backpack and closed her locker door.

"Come on!" Tam said, rolling her eyes as it was extremely obvious as she gathered her things and followed Dani. "You're the new girl, you're pretty, you did that whole run-fast thing in gym? You're gonna get asked."

"Well if I'm going to get asked, then you're definitely going to get asked too," Dani told her. They walked side by side into the main building to their other lockers. "You've known the guys here longer, you're a girly girl and ever since I met you, you've always looked really good. Really…put together."

"Yeah, but I haven't been asked to anything yet," Tam grumbled. Dani smiled and began to spin the dial to her locker. Tam dramatically leaned against the lockers next to Dani's.

"How about if we don't get asked, we'll just be each other's date?" Dani suggested. Tam smiled.

"I'd like that," Tam grinned. "We could even make it a three-way date with Lily if she doesn't get asked."

"You ask her, I should get going. I'm supposed to meet Alex at the school entrance, but I need to tell Jeff that I don't need a ride home," Dani told her.

"Have fun on your date!" Tam teased. Dani rolled her eyes as they went their separate ways.

She walked towards the entrance, but stopped at the Chemistry room. Inside, Jeff was leaning against a lab table and talking, almost flirting, with a brunette girl. She was giggling lightly, sitting on the table across from him.

"Hey Jeff?" Dani spoke up. Jeff immediately stood up straight. "I'm going with Alex to the Tasty Burger, and then I'm just going to walk home."

"Okay. I'm leaving in a bit, I'll let Mom know," he responded before casually leaning against the table again.

Dani turned and began to walk towards the entrance again. Alex was sitting against the steps, but began to stand when he noticed Dani walking towards him.

"Hey," Alex greeted. "Ready?"

"Yup," Dani replied, smiling. "Let's go."


Would you want to see Dani go to Homecoming with her friends, Alex, or her "Paulina"?