Chapter 10

Regrets

What was I thinking? With a bit clearer of a head, I was finally realizing how bad of idea it was to try to take on the Ghost Zone alone. I couldn't even handle the Fentons. I couldn't even handle a camera. Damn. I'd never been the face everyone was watching. I was one of the background characters, like Star or Quan. It was easy having the strong pissed off face when it was just a run of the mill bully. I'd seen Dash on TV, he wasn't ever really dangerous. But Mrs. Fenton nearly killed me! I should have controlled my focus more. I lost control because I didn't keep my head straight. If I was going to get any real help, it had to be through Danny, and there was no way he'd let me get it from an enemy. My chest clenched again. The crushing weight of having my life in my own hands was a bit too much. I'd always had a backup plan, someone to fall on when things went wrong.

I sucked in a breath, shaking out my arms and loosening up my shoulders. Checking over myself in the mirror, I plastered on a smile. Maybe I could get in to see that doctor after school. If I didn't tell someone what I was going through, I was going to explode.

"First day back, you can do this."

It was the shortest winter break I'd ever had. A week? Seriously? After all that rhyming crap in Danny's little Christmas story incident, I was more than ready to get back to school. At least at school the only ghost you had to worry about on a regular basis was the Lunch Lady. At least the Lunch Lady was palatable, unlike this new blossoming relationship with Danny and Val. I didn't see the appeal for a ghost boy to date a ghost hunter. Maybe it was a hand in the cookie jar, adrenaline junky thing. Maybe I was just being overprotective of the kid. He was my training wheels after all.

"Morning Mrs. F, Jack, Danny, Jazz," I said, jumping over the banister at the bottom of the stairs.

"What makes you so happy?" Danny grumbled.

"Dunno. Starts and ends are good for me. The filler is questionable." I took a seat next to him, glancing at the clock. They had pancakes and bacon, but with how late it was, I didn't have enough time to dress and eat enough in pancakes. Grabbing a handful of bacon, I started nibbling. I wasn't a very hungry morning person.

"Geez Tucker junior," Danny remarked. "Why no pancakes?"

Giving him a raised eyebrow, I lifted my free hand and put up three fingers. "Three, two, …"

"Oh no, Danny, we're going to be late!" Jazz shrieked, running into the room. I was getting a bit of a handle on the cartoon logic. Throwing my bag over my shoulder and taking a bite out of my bacon, I calmly followed Jazz out to her car as Danny quickly shoveled in a few bites and sprinted out after us. I took shotgun, Danny got stuck in back seat. That was planned on my part too though. The back of the convertible had a bit of air leak, so back seat was always freezing. It didn't bother Danny, so I didn't feel too bad.

The engine started, and we were off, going exactly the speed limit. That was fairly well speeding for Jazz, who always went five under. A few blocks down and all my bacon later, Jazz asked a question. "Danny, did you remember the thermos?"

He made a noise, definitely not an affirmative, but a sign he wasn't willing to admit he hadn't. "I'm sure Sam will have one. Don't worry Jazz. After this Christmas, the ghosts are probably taking a break."

"You know you shouldn't leave home without one," Jazz admonished. "What if we ran into a ghost on the way to school?"

"Even ghosts have to sleep Jazz."

"Do they?" I asked, sending a confused look his way.

"But Danny-"

"Jazz," I interrupted, "if a ghost shows up anywhere in town, alarms go off and your parents are there with the Fenton Peeler in five minutes."

"Thinking of Mom and Dad," Danny trailed, "why do you call Dad Jack and Mom Mrs. F?"

Because your dad's constant interruptions are a consistent reminder of home. "I guess I'm just more formal with women."

"I guess," he said, giving me a shrug as Jazz pulled into the school's parking lot. Waving them both goodbye, I rushed off to class. Another day of basically ignoring homework and receding to the back of the class. I could clearly tell this drove Mr. Lancer nuts. He went out of his way to call on me because he knew I knew the answers, and I think he was trying to make a point. The point wasn't made, as far as I was concerned. What was the point? These grades wouldn't transfer when I was finally able to get home, and I wasn't planning on staying long anyway. Just a few more days. I'd find a way.

I clenched my fists and my jaw, waiting for the final bell. When it rang, I was the first out of my seat. "Miss Blake, may I have a moment-"

"Maybe next time Mr. Lancer. Wouldn't want Jazz to leave without me," I rushed, going out the door and down towards Danny's locker. He started following me, but after a few random turns and phasing through a wall when he lost sight of me. Looking both ways down the hall by Danny and his locker, I phased through and came back to visibility. "Hey D."

"Avoiding Lancer again?"

"You know it. You? You're looking kind of angry," I remarked, leaning against the lockers.

"Dash," he growled.

"Dude, why do you let him trash on you so much? We both know you're capable of taking him out."

"I can't risk the suspicion."

"If you let bullies walk all over you, they always will D. I know it. If you want, I can pulverize him. Not like I'm too worried about lasting consequences."

"Nah, I'll deal with him. He just won't realize it," he said, his eyes flashing a dangerous green.

"Overshadowing or a bit of invisible pranking?"

"I think both."

"Fun."

"Oh crud." My eyes locked on to him as he huffed at his locker.

"What's up?"

"I missed my history book when I had to outrun Dash in the library. It's probably locked by now."

"I don't think you could consider it abuse of power if you just… walked in, plucked the book off the table. Not like I'm gonna rat on you." His face went blank, as if he didn't understand what I was saying, until I waved my arm between us, flashing it invisible for a moment.

He snatched my hand and pushed it down. "Hey! Someone could see you."

"Like who? Everyone left like it was the running of the bulls."

"Well… I don't know. Just somebody. What if a teacher came out and saw that?"

"You're being over-dramatic Danny. The adults in this town are oblivious to basically everything." Glaring, he pulled me by the hand to an alcove by a set of blackened classrooms. Rings of light broke from his midsection, and taking the hint, I did the same. With the both of us in ghost form, Danny sent me a silent nod and flew through the wall. Apparently, it took two to get a textbook, but I followed. It made sense to stick together if we were going home together, I guessed. However, Danny held out an arm to stop me when we were just a room away. I understood a second later when I felt the awful cold in my lungs. There was a ghost in the library.

Danny stuck his head through the wall, and then leaned back out, looking to me. "It's Technus."

"That's the one that's obsessed with machines and uploading himself to the internet, right?"

"Kind of pointless when the web's just a bunch of blogs and CySpace posts," he deadpanned.

"Oh yeah, early 2000s. Let's just say he's investing in the right plan, just a few years off. We need to get him out of the school if we're going to fight him. We don't want to blow the whole place up. Well, I do, but I guess there are still teachers inside and stuff."

"Good idea, we get his attention and get him away from here. Fly in from the roof after I go in through the side here. We lead him out through the roof."

"Solid."

He nodded, flying through the wall. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Superheroes don't back down, even reluctant ones. Danny needed me. I floated up to the roof, exhaled, emptied my thoughts, and dropped into the library. A laughing green face was plastered across all the computer monitors. He was taunting Danny, monologuing, before he finally flew out of the screen to stand face to face with him. "You will not defeat me this time ghost child!"

Come on, come on, you can do this. "Don't be too sure about that." My voice was a lot more confident than I felt, especially when he faced me, and a cold chill ran down my spine. I tried to focus real hard on the ridiculousness of it all. A ghost with Einstein hair and a trench coat? I could work with that.

"Heha! It seems you've made a new partner since the last time we met. I hope you're not emotionally attached!" His hand flung out, and the computer screens around him turned to face me, shooting out green beams like their brightness was turned to eight thousand. I crossed my arms, focusing on the fear, to form a shield that stopped the blasts in their track.

"Better try harder than that," I taunted, flying out from where I came, Danny and Technus not far behind.

Danny and I fought back and forth with Technus, though away from the electronics in the library, he was a lot easier to manage. It was by complete accident that we ended up crashing into the mall, patrons screaming and running for shelter. In my time, they'd be cowering behind smartphone cameras, but I guess that wasn't really a thing yet. I shot a blast at Technus, but it was pretty weak, and he deflected it easily. My courage was quickly slipping away. Technus launched me into a clothing shop, forcing me to crash through windows, mannequins, and racks. Groaning, I stayed down and recovered my strength, listening to Technus rant on to Danny something about the weakness of emotions. I phased out of the pile and went to the doorway, leaning out into the mall just in time to see Technus shock Danny and send him crashing into a pile of boxes. I wasn't going to have the strength to stay in my ghost form for too much longer. A flash of lights from the boxes told me the same had happened to Danny. I ducked back inside the store, finding a hiding place before coming out in my human form. After a run down the escalators, I met up with D, who Valerie Gray was helping out of the boxy mess. "Uh, hey Danny," I said. "What happened here?"