Well, here we are, with the third original episode of the series! Yay! Okay, so before we get started, I have some more voices to introduce, but don't worry, there'll only two of them:
Adriono Pearce will be voiced by (actually I don't know the guys name, but I'll give you a reference and you guys can look it up on youtube) (Captain Steed from Pirate101) Seriously, I think it's a great likeness.
Amelia Pearce will be voiced by Debbora-Lee Furness (Barran from Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole)
Today's Caption: Guess who's coming to dinner?
foxchick1- Thanks! I hope to make a good impression on the rest of story.
GoldGuardian2418- Thank you!
Kuronique Misaki- Good question. But you've got to remember that Danny can be a bit dim sometimes and Jazz didn't hear it either.
AnonymousZGirl- The answer to that of the Ghost Goons is a big fat yes! They're going to make many appearances, much like Skulker or Vlad. I'm also glad you like Byron.
I don't own Danny Phantom or its characters. I only own my own characters. Enjoy!
"Dayna, don't you think it's a bit tacky to be wearing that to school?" Sam arched an eyebrow at Dayna as the two females walked out of the girl's locker room after an intense session of gym class.
Dayna shook her head, "I don't think so. I'm merely showing my pride at our team's first victory. Besides, I decided to make it a tradition to wear any medals we win for one week after the victory for good luck in future competitions."
"Okay…" Sam said slowly, turning away from her friend as they walked to their lockers. "Well, I gotta go. Catch you after school?"
"Sure. See ya," Dayna waved as Sam walked off. Dayna turned and opened up her locker setting her books down before tapping on the mirror in her locker, "Hey, Dex? You there?"
The mirror lit up, Poindexter showing up as his usual, black and white toned self. He smiled and waved, "Hey, Dayna! What's shakin'?"
"Not much," Dayna shrugged, pulling out her hairbrush and fixing the knots in her hair. "How's life on the other side?"
"Everything's ship-shape here, Day. Say, you're big brother's not being a bully now, is he?" Poindexter asked suspiciously.
Dayna chuckled, setting the brush down, "No, Dex. Danny's not doing that stuff any-Oh! Hold on just a second, please!"
She shut the locker slightly, smiling a bit as Byron and a fellow member of the track team was walking by his side. He too was wearing the gold medal won just days ago.
"Hi, Byron," Dayna waved shyly as she greeted the, as others would say, 'higher-up on the popularity food chain'.
"Hey, Dayna," he waved back, the other boy giving the Fenton girl a strange look.
When they were out of sight, Dayna opened the locker back up. Poindexter blinked as he saw the guy walk by, "Wow. Who's that hip guy in the leather jacket?"
The midnight-haired girl laughed a bit at his choice of words, but answered, "That's Byron Pearce. He's new and I guess the girls are really gaga for him."
"Are you?"
"Huh?" Dayna turned to the spectral nerd, her head tilted in confusion.
"Are you gaga for the guy? Or aren't you?"
"Oh! Uh…I uh…" Dayna stuttered, her cheeks glowing a bright scarlet as she tried to pull herself together. She rubbed her arm as she said, "I think, maybe…a little…but we're just friends! That's all!"
"Hey, Dayna!"
Out of pure instinct and not wanting to get caught talking to her locker again, Dayna slammed the locker shut, which earned an indignant "Hey!" from Poindexter. She went and tried to lean casually against it as Byron walked back to her. He frowned a bit as he saw how nervous she looked.
"You okay?"
"Wha? Oh, yeah! I'm fine! So fine!" Dayna laughed nervously. Her eyes shifted from side to side as she asked, "Uh, so what's up?"
Byron smiled a bit again as he said, "Well, I forgot I wanted to ask you if you had plans on Friday night. My dad's throwing a big banquet for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the start of his company. He said I could bring a friend along, so I was wondering if you'd like to go, you know, with me. Would you like to?"
Every girl in the nearby hearing radius gasped and turned to Byron in shock. Even some of the guys looked off in that direction. They were all staring at the two as if they were watching some sort of freak show.
Byron's dark blue eyes shifted through all the people, arching an eyebrow as he said, "Um…okay. So, what do you say, Dayna?"
"Uh…" Dayna gulped a bit, her hands shaking a bit as she answered with a forced smile, "Sure, Byron. I'd like to go with you."
This earned an even greater number of gasps from the surrounding students. Byron looked at them, slightly annoyed before he said,
"Okay, you guys really need to stop doing that. I'll pick you up around 6:30 this Friday. See ya later, Dayna," Byron said with a slight wave before walking away.
"Oh, my gosh. This is so huge!" Jenny came up from behind her, wrapping her arm around Dayna's shoulders. "I swear, I don't even need to put this in the Casper High Caller! This'll be big news before school lets out!"
When not hidden somewhere with a camera and a notepad, head reporter Jenny Velvedere was dressed in a sky blue tank top with bright orange capris and brown flats. Her hair that was a perfect mix between blonde and brunette, practically golden, was usually in a mess and almost always in a ponytail.
Jenny blinked and her smile disappeared a bit as Dayna was unresponsive. She waved a hand in front of her friend's frozen face, "Dayna? You okay? Helloooo?"
The dark blonde-haired girl brought out her notepad, bringing out a pencil that was tucked in the brown fedora always worn by her and began writing, "This is an interesting scoop: 'Popular new guy's charming advances stun local dance prodigy'. Hmm. Not exciting enough. Maybe I should say it caused her brain damage."
"JENNY!" Dayna shouted, finally snapping out of her stupor. Jenny smiled weakly and shrugged innocently.
"Wait, so Byron actually asked you out? On an actual date?!" Tucker asked, the group of four walking home from school that same day.
"It's not a date!" Dayna shouted, then saw Sam, Tucker, and Danny looking at her strangely. She cleared her throat and said in a calmer tone, "It's not a date, Tucker. We're just going to his father's banquet as friends. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Maybe, but you'll still be meeting Adriono Pearce!" he said, obviously excited. "He's only the biggest electronics C.E.O. in the country! You've got to get me an autograph!"
Sam frowned, "Okay, first of all, that's just weird. Second, don't make Dayna do all your dirty work. Ask Byron yourself for an autograph."
"I don't think I'm comfortable with all this," Danny said, finally saying something about the whole situation.
"Danny, relax. It's just a dinner banquet," Sam reassured him.
"Besides, we'll probably just eat, meet his parents, stick around for some music, and then I'll be home by nine," Dayna thought aloud. At least, that's what she thought would happen.
Tucker shrugged, "Well, don't forget that Byron's one of the most popular guys in school. If you pull this date off, you'd be taking the express to Popularityville. When that happens, be sure to send us postcards."
Sam rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. Dayna wouldn't leave us for the populars. She's better than that."
"Besides, I don't think that's how it works, Tucker," Dayna said. "Everyone's treated me and Danny like outcasts and that's just how I'll be treated whether or not Byron and I are together. It's only one night, though. It won't mean a thing."
"Well, good luck with telling Mom and Dad. And Jazz," Dayna gulped at the very thought.
"I don't even want to think about that. It's just too embarrassing."
"Well, Friday's only two days away. You gotta face them sooner or later," Sam said as they came to stop at the stoop that lead into the FentonWorks.
Taking in a deep breath, Dayna stepped up to the door, her hand grasping the door handle, "Wish me luck guys. I'm going in."
Opening the door, she should've seen it coming, but it was too late. She was grabbed by the shoulders, making her yell out as she landed on the couch. Jazz sat down next to her and held her arms, asking frantically,
"Dayna, put me out of my misery now and tell me what I heard was true: Did Byron actually ask you out on a date this Friday night?"
Dayna blinked at her older sister, "If by 'date', you mean 'me hanging out with a guy that isn't Danny or Tucker', then yes. But it's not a big deal-"
"Not a big deal?!" Jazz cut her off, sounding indignant. "It is a big deal. Not only are you going out on your first date, but it's with a normal guy who happens to have a high tolerance for the freakish and weird!"
"Okay, I want to believe you didn't just call me a freak and a weirdo, so I will and not hit you," Dayna said, her face turning deadpanned.
"Did I just hear that right?" Maddie asked, rushing out of the kitchen, Jack behind her. "Are you really going on your very first date?"
"And this is why I'm so glad I'm not a girl," Tucker whispered to Danny and Sam.
Dayna took in a deep sigh, not bothering to correct anyone anymore, "Yes. You heard right. I'm going with Byron to his dad's banquet this Friday night…"
"Honey, that's fantastic!" Dayna grunted as her mother took her in a bear hug. "We're so happy for you!"
Jack sniffled, wiping away a tear as he said, "I always knew this day would come, but I didn't expect it to come so soon!"
Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz all cringed when Jack gave his most powerful hug around Dayna and Maddie.
"Ouch," they all muttered.
Dayna sighed, slamming her locker door shut after gathering the last of her things once school was let out. It was Friday afternoon, the day of her date with Byron. In all honesty, the reason why she no longer corrected anyone who called it "date" was because she inwardly wanted it to be exactly that. She still liked him and wanted to try to get into a further relationship with him. And this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
"Well, just three hours until my big moment. I'll either blow it or own it," she muttered to herself. Her icy eyes shifted a bit, then her eyebrows lowered and she sighed, "And I'm talking to myself. Again."
"Hi, Dayna. I hope you're ready for your big date tonight."
The raven-haired girl stiffened at the sickly sweet tone of the familiar voice. Slowly, she turned around, seeing just as she feared. Paulina, leaning against the lockers next to her, was smiling a sort of good-natured smile that many found pleasant. Dayna, however, knew better and knew what the smile really meant.
Gulping inwardly, Dayna greeted, "H-hey, Paulina. I w-was just going to get ready right now. I'm really looking forward to it…"
"You should be," Paulina cut her off, making Dayna cringe a bit. "Don't think that Byron actually likes you. Because he doesn't. He's doing what his father does: Charity. He only picked you because he feels sorry that you're such a loser."
Her whole demeanor changed to a much kinder tone as she waved and greeted flirtatiously, "Hi, Byron."
Dayna looked, and sure enough, Byron was walking down the hall. He lifted a hand and waved back, "Oh, hey Paulina. Looking forward to tonight, Dayna!"
The Fenton girl smiled a little and blushed, only to stop when she saw the semi-harsh glare coming from the more popular girl. Whether it was out of annoyance and disapproval of a popular acting friendly towards one lower down on the status level or out of jealousy of Dayna getting more attention from him than she was, she would never know.
"Like I said, Byron would never like a girl who's as awkward and socially challenged as you are."
"Hey, don't you have your group of preps to order around, Paulina?" Dayna turned and saw Jenny standing there, arms crossed and a scowl implanted on her face. "I wouldn't expect you to have anything better to do, but Dayna has a date to get ready for."
The young reporter grabbed Dayna by the arm and dragged her away. When she felt they were a safe distance, the raven-haired female smiled at her friend, "Thanks, Jenny."
Jenny shrugged, "What else was I supposed to do? Besides, Paulina's just jealous, so don't pay any attention to anything she's told you."
Dayna's eyebrows lowered, a small frown forming as she said, "But…but what if she's right, Jenny? Why would Byron pick me of all the other girls in the school?"
"Well, why wouldn't he?!" Jenny practically screamed at her. "Come on, Dayna! Couldn't you accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, that a guy who's more popular is genuinely interested in you? I mean, you're just as charming, sophisticated, and pretty as all those popular girls, if not, even more!"
The two had stopped and, luckily, nobody else was around to see the whole thing. Dayna smiled and finally said, "You really think so?"
The golden-haired girl sighed, "Let's just say you don't need much to look good, Daydreamer."
Daydreamer was a nickname used by Jenny since they were little girls. Scoops, mainly for her dream of becoming a reporter, was what Dayna had given to her.
"Thank you, Jenny," she said, bringing her friend into a tight hug, who happily returned it.
"Meh. That's what friends are for. Besides, I really wanna see the look on Paulina's face when you and Byron hit it off."
Dayna, now dressed and ready to go out, laid out on the couch, completely bored out of her mind. She didn't do much, though. She wore a forest green blouse that had a black belt with a golden buckle, black dress pants, and black sandals. The most she did with her hair was brush it out thoroughly and curl the very bottom and also wore a green headband. Still, her hair was as spiky as before.
She brought up her watch and groaned inwardly. 5:45 p.m. Why she had listened to Jazz and forced herself to get ready so early was beyond her. It really only took half an hour to do and she still had forty-five minutes to kill.
"Aw, honey, you look beautiful!" her mother sat down on the couch as Dayna sat up. She embraced her child and gushed, "Oh, I can't believe my baby's about to go out on her first date!"
"Mom!" Dayna winced with a blush, but smiled all the same. "It's really not that much of a date. I think Byron just wants some company. He's always going on about his parent's parties being so boring."
"You say that now, but just you wait, honey. I bet you two'll be so cute together!"
"Mom! Is this meant to be an embarrassing mother-daughter pre-date discussion or something?" Dayna asked with just a hint of exasperation.
"Nope. That's my job!" Jack appeared next to them and Dayna paled. This could not be good.
"Sweetie, there always comes a time when a father must let go of his daughter and let her explore the world and find a man of her own," her father began, making Dayna gulp inwardly. "As for choosing a man, there are two things a lady like you should know. Do you know what those things are, Dayna?"
"Uh…that he loves me and has interest in my own happiness?" she guessed, hoping that the conversation would end.
Jack laughed, then said, "Close. That he loves you and whether or not he's a ghost! Which is why I'm giving you the Fenton Two-Way so that you know for sure."
Jack pushed the mechanical hand mirror into his daughter's hands, patting her head before saying, "But you shouldn't have a problem with that, Dayna. I've done my research with Byron and his family. His father's very charitable, very well-known, and very rich, too. Maybe even more than our good friend, Vladdie."
Dayna blinked with wide eyes as her parents walked off into the kitchen before muttering to herself,
"Wow. That was much less awkward than I thought that would be…"
She looked down, gasping at her reflection. Well, the reflection of her other half. Her orange eyes were wide and her white bangs bounced a bit as Dayna moved her head side to side to get a better look at herself. One thing was certain: even if Byron liked Dayna in that way, she would have to share her and Danny's secret with him if she could ever hope to pursue a future relationship, but she wasn't sure he'd be so accepting. In fact, what if he went so far as to reveal their secret…
Dayna shuddered at the thought, hugging the mirror to her chest. It would be bad enough to be rejected, but to be exposed like that?
She felt the couch shift next to her and she turned to see Luna, wagging her tail slightly as she tilted her head. Dayna smiled a little and petted her head.
"I'm worrying too much, aren't I, girl?"
Luna whined softly, laying down and setting her head on Dayna's leg.
"Nervous?"
Danny sat down on the other side of Dayna. It was astounding to Dayna that he wasn't making such a big deal out of Dayna going on a date. However, with Jazz, Mom, and Dad, she thought that Danny's smothering would push her over the edge.
"Very," Dayna nodded. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two. It wasn't that unusual considering Danny had practically attacked every other guy that came near Dayna, yet now he was barely making any threatening actions towards Byron.
"You look nice," Danny commented.
"Thanks," Dayna nodded with a smile. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, "Why are you being so relaxed about this?! I thought you of all people would be against this!"
"Well, I'm not, okay?!" Danny snapped, he seeming to be a bit on edge as well. He sucked in a deep breath, drumming his fingers on the couch, "You seem sure about this, so I'm staying out of it. You look like you know what you're doing and I'm happy for you."
Dayna arched an eyebrow, clearly thrown off guard yet also noticing that some of his words were forced. Was Danny actually making an effort to let her handle her own problems and business?
She sighed, letting herself fall back into the couch, "Thanks…that really means a lot, Danny."
Ding-dong!
"I got it," Danny picked himself up off the couch and crossed to the door. He took in a deep breath before reaching out and opening the door. Byron stood there, tuxedo and all, waiting patiently at the door.
"Hey, Danny. Is Dayna ready?"
At the sound of his voice, Dayna shoved the mirror into her bag and stood up. She sighed, mustering up all the confidence she could before stepping forward.
"Hi, Byron. Yeah, I'm all ready to go," she said with a nervous smile, her hands folding behind her back.
"Wow," the light-haired teen said slowly. "You look really nice, Dayna."
Shrugging modestly, Dayna replied, "Thanks…I've been getting that a lot tonight."
"Well, you should be getting it. You really look nice. I'd even go so far and say you look beautiful," Byron said matter of factly.
'It's only a banquet, it's only a banquet, it's only a banquet,' Dayna heard her brother chant in his mind endlessly. It was quite obvious that he was doing his best to hold his instinct to threaten Byron with the usual 'big brother' act back.
'Danny, stop it! I'll be fine!'
"Okay, well I guess it's time for us to get going," Dayna said. Byron held out his arm, with Dayna staring at it.
It only took her a second for her to connect the dots, but felt extreme embarrassment as she linked her arm in his. It was plainly known by her brother that she had hardly any experience dealing with boys and anything to deal with dates, so she was practically clueless about the whole thing.
"I'll have her back by nine-thirty, ten at the latest," Byron said, lightly tugging on Dayna's arm to lead her outside.
"Uh…okay. Have a nice time, Dayna," Danny waved half-heartedly before shutting the door softly. He slumped against the door, sliding down into a sitting position. "I really hope Dayna knows what she's doing…"
Luna whined a bit, setting a paw on his knee. Danny arched an eyebrow, "What?"
The wolf shifted her paw, whining out again, just as she did before. Danny sighed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd be saying that I shouldn't worry about Dayna and let her have fun on her date."
Luna set her head down on his leg, her eyes brightening up. He guessed that it was exactly what Luna was trying to tell him. "I guess there's nothing left to do then, huh? Wanna go for a walk?"
Her head perked up, her tail wagging excitedly as she let out a happy bark. He got up and took the black leash down from the hook next to the door, "Mom! Dad! I'm taking Luna out! I'll be back later!"
"Fine, just don't follow Dayna on her date!" he scowled deeply at his older sister's tone.
"I'm not! And even if I did, it's none of your business!" he yelled back, opening and slamming the front door shut.
"Wow," Dayna muttered, mainly in wonder at the very size and grandeur of the banquet. It wasn't at all what she would've expected from any ordinary banquet. Then again, the Pearce's weren't ordinary people.
The anniversary banquet was held in a sort of old mansion just on Amity Park's boundaries, which Byron had told her was an investment of his father's to restore it and turn it into a bed and breakfast.
The inside was even more impressive. Almost as if stepping into a first-class time machine. By the looks of it, all of the items were either restored or replaced, but still gave it an old timey feel. The main banquet hall was by far the largest and oldest room in the building. There were hardly any electrical lights and mainly only candles lighting up the place.
"This place is beautiful," she said as Byron led the both of them through the crowd of people.
"If only my Dad were here to hear that," Byron chuckled. "But, you'll have the chance to tell him yourself because our table is right over there."
Dayna cast her eyes over the largest round table at the very front of the room. All sorts of people were sat down and conversing, having a good time.
Byron guided them both to the front of the table where, Dayna could only assume, his parents were sitting. To be honest, Dayna couldn't help but feel even more intimidated by them.
His mother was, in short, the kind of woman a girl like Paulina would look like twenty-five years later. The only difference was that she didn't look nearly as arrogant or condescending. She had blonde, wavy hair that reached right past her shoulders and bright gray eyes that held intelligence, class, and to Dayna's relief, kindness.
As for his father, Adriono Pearce, it was easy for Dayna to see that he took much after his father, though not necessarily all through looks. He had wavy black hair, tanned skin (probably genetic), and the warmest honey brown eyes that Dayna had ever seen in her life. He had a laidback yet powerful presence, much like Byron, but he didn't appear to allow the power and riches get to his head.
"Mom, Dad, I'm here. And this is my date, Dayna Fenton," Byron introduced casually, causing his parents to look to the both of them and Dayna to blush lightly at the word 'date.'
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Dayna," his mother smiled brightly at her, her voice being British and pleasing to the ear. "I'm Amelia."
Wait…finally?
"And I, of course, am Byron's father, Adriono," his father greeted, he speaking with a warm, deep voice with a slight Italian accent. "He has told us so much about you and we've both been eager to meet the famous 'Dayna Fenton' in person."
Dayna gulped before letting a slight smile cross her face, "Really? Well, it's really nice to meet you too, Mr. and Mrs. Pearce."
Adriono chuckled, "You may refer to my mother and father that way, but here, you may just call us by our names. Now, why don't you both have a seat?"
Byron pulled out a chair, offering it to Dayna, who accepted it with a quiet 'thank you'. He took his seat next to his mother, who then asked, "So, Dayna, I understand that you're parents are involved in ghost hunting."
"Erm, yes. They're professional ghost hunters," Dayna nervously, yet carefully, answered. She usually was proud of her parents and felt hardly any embarrassment around them, but now was one of the few times she couldn't help but be apprehensive about their reputation.
"A curious and unusual career for many other places, but from the stories we've heard of Amity Park, I must say your parents couldn't have picked a more appropriate job," Adriono complimented with a nod.
"Yeah, I-huh?" Dayna blinked, genuinely confused. "Really?"
Amelia nodded, "Oh, yes. We've heard of all the stories of ghosts spawning all over the place. But, our Byron was too adventurous and hard-headed to say no. Those stories were one of the reasons Byron chose Amity Park to live in."
"Really?" Dayna asked surprised, a small smile on her face and the tension fading from her as she turned to look at Byron.
Instead of snapping at his mother like any other teenager would, Byron merely rolled his eyes, "Actually, it was the only reason, but what can I say? I have a great interest in the strange and eccentric."
Dayna could not and would not suppress the rosy pink blush that hit her face when Byron looked at her as he said the last part. She couldn't help but think that he meant a lot more than the nature of Amity Park when he said that, but his tone was much too casual for her to pass it off as a flirtatious or even romantic remark.
"Uh…so, is everyone at the table family or something?" Dayna asked, hoping to divert the attention from her and onto…anything else but her.
Adriono shook his head, "No, my dear. These are the businessmen and women from all over the country who have been close partners of mind since the beginning of my successful career. All but one, apparently."
Dayna's icy blue eyes roamed over the table and read over all the name cards of the various men and women. It wasn't until her eyes rested on the name card of the missing businessperson did all the tension that melted away come rushing right back.
V. Masters was what it read.
Veronica, Vincent, Vivian, Victor, Dayna listed anxiously to herself, but please, please don't let it be-
A hand coming down on her shoulder made her cringe in a mix of surprise and unease. She looked over her shoulder, only to inwardly scream as her fears were now confirmed.
"Ah, Dayna Fenton," Vlad greeted her with the familiar smile that was casual yet malicious. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here."
"Vlad Masters?!" she said, now scowling lightly as she moved her shoulder away from his touch. "What are you doing here?"
"Vlad, my friend! So nice of you to join us at last!" Adriono greeted, seemingly oblivious to the ferocity of Vlad and Dayna's irritation for each other as he shook Vlad's hand whole-heartily.
The Fenton girl's jaw dropped, You've got to be kidding me…
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. And Amelia, you're looking as ravishing as ever," Vlad said, kissing her hand with genuine kindness, but Dayna knew better. Perhaps, though, her paranoia was getting the better of her since their last encounter.
"And I don't believe you've met our son, Byron," Adriono said, gesturing to the light-haired teen next to his mother. Byron's face was neutral, even when Vlad turned his gaze on him.
"Ah, yes! The strapping young gentleman. A pleasure to be meeting you at last, my boy," Vlad greeted him, yet Byron's face remained the same.
"Nice to meet you too."
"And, of course, you must meet his date-" but Dayna cut off the father of her crush.
"No need to, Mr. Pearce. We know each other well," she sent the Wisconsin billionaire a glare as he took his seat next to Adriono.
Byron, unlike his parents, acknowledged the obvious tension between the two (either that, or he was the only one who decided to take action), cleared his throat and stood up, "Uh, I think I hear a good song on. Let's go dance, Dayna."
Dayna, still in her heated glare, hardly registered him pulling her by the arm. That is, until, the adults were no longer in sight.
"Okay, is it only me, or did that guy give you the creeps, too?" he asked her, making Dayna blink, then smile.
If only he knew my secret, then I know I'd like dating him for real, she thought excitedly, but then brought her attention back as she said,
"Always has and always will."
"How do you even know him, anyway?" Byron asked, looking at her from over his shoulder.
Dayna shrugged, "He's a college buddy of my Mom and Dad's. We had met only recently, but kind of left on awkward terms."
A few of them being that he hates my Dad, tried to hit on my Mom, and is an evil halfa bent on owning the Green Bay Packers and mine, Danny's, and Mom's loyalty…
"Hmm. Well, I guess that explains some things," Byron said, stopping as they approached the edge of the dance floors. From the looks of it, one other reason he may have brought Dayna to this banquet became clear to her. There were absolutely no other people their age at the party!
"Could you excuse me for a minute, Byron? I need to put my bag back at the table," Dayna muttered, walking through the crowd with a strange calmness. She couldn't let Vlad's presence prevent her from at least trying to enjoy herself-
CRASH!
"Umph!" Dayna grunted as she bumped into someone, knocking a few papers out of his bag, though he didn't seem to notice as he scowled at her lightly and walked away without a word. She knelt down and gathered the papers, calling out, "Wait! You dropped these-huh?"
Dayna narrowed her eyes as she read over the papers after spotting Pearce Electronics. Or at least, what she saw on the bottom of the page.
And so I, Adriono Felipe Pearce, being of sound mind and body, now relinquish full and complete control of the corporation known as Pearce Electronics to-!
"Vlad Masters?!" she gasped, standing up straight again, only to flinch back when the man from before snatched the papers from her hands and stormed off.
This made no sense! Why would Adriono Pearce, who seemed completely normal, kind, and warm, surrender what seemed like years of blood, sweat, and tears, over to someone like Vlad-
Her eyes widened in realization. The answer was so obvious, she felt stupid for not realizing it in the first place…
"And the money and power attained from using those for personal gain…"
"His father's very charitable, very well-known, and very rich, too. Maybe even more than our good friend, Vladdie."
"Oh no," she whispered, dropping her bag as she pushed through the crowd in order to get back to the table, muttering to herself. "Of course Vlad doesn't like competition when it comes to having money and power, so he plans on taking everything from Byron's father. I have to stop him!"
However, when she got back to the table, all but the two men were present. She quickly went to Amelia and asked, "Where's Vlad and Mr. Pearce?"
"The two went off in that direction, dear," she said, pointing to where double doors led outside. "Why are you-"
Dayna was already dashing to where she had pointed. She stopped where the doors were ajar a bit and peeked outside.
"I assure, Vlad, I have no idea how these papers were drawn up by my lawyer. Nonetheless, I have no intention to sell my company. I truly apologize for the misunderstanding," Adriono said to him, holding the contract in his hands.
"So, Adriono didn't even know about those forms," Dayna muttered to herself, rubbing her chin in sudden thought. "But if he didn't know, why would Vlad expect him to just hand it over so willingly?"
She leaned in a bit further as Dayna heard Vlad say, "I apologize as well, Adriono. These things do happen. By the way, I do love what you're doing to rebuild this garden."
Adriono looked over the garden in the back, smiling a bit as he said, "Yes, I have big plans for this place. A perfect garden for children, romantic couples, practically everyone of all types and ages!"
Dayna gasped as, while Adriono had his back turned, Vlad turned intangible and phased right into his body. The billionaire convulsed, gasping and shivering violently as he tried to fight off the ghostly intruder, but was in vain. His once warm eyes snapped open, revealing them to be Vlad's red ones.
"Dayna?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand came onto her shoulder. She snapped around and saw Byron there, looking mildly concerned.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, what happened? Are you okay?"
"Uh…well, uh…" Dayna stuttered, but was saved (or doomed) by 'Adriono' opening the doors and standing before them with a smile completely unlike the man Dayna had first met.
"Ah, hello children. Out for a dance?" he asked them in Adriono's normal voice.
"Actually, yeah. Dayna and I were about to go out on the dance floor now," Byron said with a small smile at his 'father'.
"Well, don't let someone like me get in the way. Go and have fun," the man said, gently shoving them on the back.
While Byron went willingly, Dayna couldn't help but throw a glare over her shoulder. From the smirk that came on his face, he had known Dayna knew, but was confident she wouldn't get in his way so long as Byron was there.
Byron and Dayna arrived at the center of the dance floor, where he proceeded to put his hands around her waist after putting her arms around his shoulders. Dayna gulped and, to her horror, a slow song came on.
"Byron, listen to me!" she whisper-shouted to him. "I don't think I can do this right now! Something bad's about to happen and-"
"You don't have to explain, Dayna. I know what's wrong," Byron stopped her, making her blink in shock. The shock grew ever more when he continued, "Don't worry about what all the popular kids at school are saying to you about us. I like you and I wanted you to be here with me for a reason."
But Dayna pleaded, "Byron, please! You don't understand-"
"No, Dayna, I don't think you understand," Byron said defiantly. He sighed, pressing his forehead against hers as he continued, "You're really special, Dayna. I'm just happy I'm smart enough to see that. Don't let what anyone else has to say about it get to you, okay?"
Dayna was beyond speechless…actually, it was the perfect word to describe how she felt. Was this really happening? It was like some perfect fairytale that was too good to be true, and odds were that it was, but Dayna didn't care. She would do what every other girl in her position would've done and just enjoy it while it lasted.
Her icy blue eyes roamed up to meet his own. For the first time since she met him, his sunglasses weren't there to block her from seeing them in full. A perfect pair of sapphire blue eyes.
So, with a sigh of bliss, Dayna closed her eyes and rested her head against Byron's chest. Hey, as far as she was concerned, it was Byron who was making a semi-romantic impression on her and she was merely responding to it in a positive way. She wasn't going to let anything or anyone ruin this perfect moment…
Her eyes snapped open and she jerked back as her senses came back to her. Vlad! He was still in Adriono's body! She had to stop him! She peered around, her blood freezing as she saw 'Adriono' sat at the head of their table with papers in front of him and a pen in his hand.
Dayna knew she had to make a choice, and not a very pleasant one. She could keep going with this romantic fantasy that surely wouldn't even last and allow Vlad to get his way. Or she could totally blow Byron off and stop Vlad from taking something that probably took years to build up from a kind and caring businessman. Either way, she would have to make the decision and fast.
"Dayna," she turned at the calling of her name and saw Byron smiling at her. He closed his eyes and leaned forward a bit.
…
Oh, come on! This is so not fair!
Dayna, with wide yet sorrowful eyes, backed away, leaving Byron confused, "Byron, I'm so sorry…"
Without another word, she took off into the crowd, but Byron took off after her, "Dayna, wait!"
He pushed through the people, trying his best to keep his date in sight, but couldn't for very long. He suddenly stopped when he kicked something, making him look down and see it was Dayna's bag.
"What's this doing here?" he muttered as he picked it up.
Dayna growled as she disappeared into the girl's restroom, where it was thankfully empty.
"I swear, if I make it through this alive," she muttered, the two rings appearing with a bright flash, turning her into Dayna Phantom, "I'm going to wring Vlad's neck!"
Turning intangible, she flew out of the room for a fight. Meanwhile, out in the ballroom…
"Hmm. I should really show this to Dad. I bet this would really be handy to have in this town with all the ghosts," Byron mused to himself, holding the Fenton Two-Way in his hands.
He caught sight of the table, yet Dayna was nowhere to be seen. Did she leave? Did he frighten her off? He didn't know.
"I guess I could swing by her place later and give her back her bag…" he said to himself, feeling a bit down-hearted at the thought of Dayna leaving. Suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed as he brought the Fenton Two-Way closer.
There was something in the mirror, something very peculiar and just…not right. He saw everyone at the table in the mirror and all looked familiar except for the figure that sat next to his mother. He looked to the table and only saw his father there, but no matter what he did with the mirror, he still saw Vlad Plasmius.
"Okay, this is either a trick, or this is really bad news," he said to himself, frowning a bit as he strode through the crowd to the table. He had to find out the truth of whether or not the mirror was actually working.
"Dad?" he asked just as the man clicked the pen open. "What are you doing?"
'Adriono' looked up at him, smiling lightly, "Nothing that you need to be concerned with, my son. Why don't you and Dayna go back out on the dance floor and have fun?"
"Or why don't you take your ectoplasmic butt and beat it, Plasmius!"
Everyone at the table gasped as Dayna Phantom shot across the room, swooping down while turning intangible. 'Adriono' didn't have time to react before she went right through him, bringing Vlad Plasmius out into the air and into the ceiling. Adriono groaned and slumped onto the table, clearly exhausted after being overshadowed.
"AAAH! GHOSTS!" Dayna turned and saw everyone panicking before fleeing the room. Probably a good thing, too. Things were about to get quite ugly.
She grunted and cried out when Vlad threw a kick down at her back, making her crash into the buffet. She scraped off some of the food and yelled out, "Hey! I worked hard to look this good!"
"Dating a bit out of your league, aren't you, dear girl?" Vlad sneered as he launched himself along with a pink ecto-ray. Dayna rolled out of the way, leaving the tables to be destroyed instead. "How much like your father."
"Don't you dare pull that 'my father's an idiot' card with me, Plasmius! At least I don't have to flaunt to get a guy to like me!" Dayna pulled herself back in the air, throwing punches and kicks that were easily blocked. "Besides, I'd rather give up a chance to be with Byron than let you take away everything Adriono actually worked for and earned!"
Meanwhile…
"Dayna! Dayna, where are you?!" Byron called out over the panic and mayhem, and especially being shoved by all the people trying to get out, but finally managed to get away from the people where a giant glass chandelier hung above him.
Dayna and Vlad looked down at the call of the voice, though Vlad was the one to take advantage of the situation.
"Well, dear Dayna, it's been quite fun and don't think this means I won't strike again, but I really must run. But don't think I'd be so rude as to leave you without a gift!"
Vlad threw out a wave of ecto-energy before disappearing with an evil laugh. Dayna watched the wave hit the wires holding the chandelier up. Byron gasped as he looked up and saw it explode in a series of sparks along with the giant glass structure coming down on top of him.
"BYRON!" Dayna gasped, practically breaking the sound barrier as she zoomed down, becoming intangible as she grabbed onto the light-haired teen, but the fall of the chandelier threw them out the double doors and down the stone stairs.
The two groaned as they were covered in scratches and bruises. Dayna's orange eyes squinted open, blinking a bit as Byron panted turning his head slightly to look at the halfa.
"Thank you…"
Suddenly, the two rings came back, turning Dayna Phantom into Dayna Fenton, her blouse and dress pants now torn up a bit. She should've been frightened, even completely horrified, but after the fight and using all the strength she had, she was beyond the point of exhaustion and let her eyes drift shut as she passed out.
Byron's face was unreadable. He looked completely out of it, yet he was still pretty aware of his surroundings. As he joined Dayna in unconscious slumber, it was clear that only time would tell if he finally knew the truth or not.
"Hmm. Nine o' clock and Dayna still isn't back yet," Maddie muttered as she looked up at the clock. She and Jack were doing some repairs in the kitchen with Jazz, Danny, Tucker, and Sam at the table.
"Well, Byron did say he'd have her back by ten at the latest. They're probably just taking their time," Danny said, drumming his fingers restlessly on the table.
"Wow. Dayna's out with a boy and you're here trying to be okay with it," Sam said with a smirk. "Maybe this one'll make it after all."
Danny scowled at her lightly, making Tucker laugh, "Don't worry, dude. Dayna and Byron are probably out on the dance floor right now having a good time."
Ring, ring, ring!
"I'll get it!" Maddie called out, she and Jack going into the living room to answer the phone.
Danny sighed, "Yeah. You guys are probably right."
"I hope they're right," Jazz said, putting down her book. "It would be nice to know that Dayna has a better and much more normal influence over her."
Everyone else scowled a bit at the comment, Sam being the one to ask with crossed arms, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"No offense to any of you," Jazz began, "but Dayna still has a chance to lead a rich, fulfilling life that doesn't involve ghost hunting or anything like that!"
"She's where?!" all of them turned at the sound of Maddie's panicked voice. They heard the phone being hung up before both Fenton parents ran to the entrance of the kitchen. "Everyone in the RV! There's been an accident and Dayna's in the hospital!"
"Dayna, are you sure that's all you saw? Did you even see where those two ghosts went off to?" Amelia asked, gently setting a hand on Dayna's as she was lying down on the hospital bed.
Dayna weakly shook her head, "I'm sure. I was trying to get out of that crowd and the next thing I knew, Byron and I were at the bottom of those stairs and that's it."
The older woman smiled, "Well the important thing is you and Byron are both safe. I'm terribly sorry this had to end this way. Will your family be here soon?"
CRASH!
The two turned to the sounds outside the window. Dayna sighed and looked up at the ceiling, "I think they're already here."
"Well then, I suppose I'll go and check on Byron, then. I hope to see you again soon, dear," Amelia patted her hand before leaving the room. It wasn't until about two minutes later before the door burst open and she was covered with a blur of blue and orange.
"Oh, honey! Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Maddie asked, she and Jack holding their daughter close.
"I'm fine, Mom. My outfit's done for, but I'm okay," Dayna lied a bit, smiling a bit when her siblings came to the other side of the bed.
"Hanging in there, sis?" Danny asked, who was given a nod in reply.
'But guess what? That 'accident' was caused by our old pal Plasmius.'
Her brother scowled deeply, a low growl escaping his throat as his eyes flashed a bright green.
'Don't worry. He's gone now, but we're was lucky I was there. He was trying to trick Adriono into giving him his whole company and all his money!'
Danny's eyebrows raised, 'So, it wasn't the date you were hoping for, was it?'
His only answer was when Dayna's eyes lowered and went off to the side. At the sound of a knock at the door and a clearing of the throat, everyone turned and saw a nurse there with a clipboard.
"I can only assume you're all family of Ms. Dayna Fenton?" with a nod from her parents, she continued, "Well, she came out with barely a scratch, so Dayna will be free to go now right after some paperwork is filled out."
"Wait, what about Byron Pearce?" Dayna asked, sitting up abruptly. "Is he okay?"
"Hmm," the nurse looked over her clipboard. "Ah, yes. Mr. Pearce is fine, but he did suffer some very minor head trauma and he'll be staying overnight."
Dayna put her hand to her head, "I think I need some air."
'Danny, could you come out with me?'
"Uh, I'll take you out," Danny helped her out of the bed and the two went out of the hospital, where the Fenton RV was parked outside, Sam and Tucker leaning up against the vehicle.
"Dayna!" Sam cried out, throwing her arms around her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Dayna nodded slightly, but her collectiveness instantly vanished and she automatically panicked, "No, I'm not fine! I messed up bad, guys! I messed up so bad!"
The three blinked at her before Danny grabbed his sister's shoulders, "Dayna, calm down! What happened?"
Taking in a deep breath, Dayna began to explain, "Vlad was at the banquet, we fought, and before he left, he broke the chandelier and nearly crushed Byron under it, so I had to let him get away and save Byron, but when we got out of there, the both of us were pretty out of it, but then I changed back while he was still awake! He knows, guys!"
With Dayna hyperventilating, Danny brought her close and tried to soothe her, "C'mon, Dayna. Relax. Besides, the nurse said that he did suffer from head trauma. I'm sure he won't remember a thing."
"Yeah, and even if he does, don't worry. We've got your back," Tucker said, Sam looking just as determined.
Dayna managed to calm her breathing, smiling a bit as she asked her brother telepathically,
'Danny, how did we manage to make such good friends?'
Smiling also, Danny shrugged, 'Dumb luck. That's about all I can think of.'
After a whole weekend of worrying, it was finally Monday. The entire day of school went by and Dayna nor Danny had seen hide nor hair of Byron. They quickly shrugged it off as him not feeling well. It all changed, however, when they arrived at home.
"Dayna, really, you need to chill out," Tucker commented as the four friends came to the stoop of FentonWorks. Dayna, no matter what her friends or brother told her, still was a nervous wreck.
"I can't help it! The date was bad enough as it is, but now who knows how Byron's going to react when he sees me again!"
"You mean when he said he liked you and almost kissed you," Tucker arched an eyebrow as he said it casually.
Dayna's shoulders slumped, "Nearly every girl at school would've killed for the position I was in and I ended up blowing it right out of the water."
"I wouldn't really say you blew it, Dayna," Sam interjected. "I'm actually pretty proud of you. Any other girl would've just stayed with Byron, but you pushed it off to the side and did the right thing. I think if Byron's parents knew the whole story, they'd have a lot to be grateful for."
"Then why do I feel so much like crud?" Dayna asked, her eyes drooping a bit as she frowned deeply.
"It'll go away eventually," Danny said as they climbed the stairs. "Besides, what's one bad date going to lead to, anyway?"
As they opened the door, Danny and Dayna were met with their answer. Dayna blinked with wide icy eyes as she met with dark blue ones not too far away.
"Hey, Dayna. Hey, Danny," Byron waved from the couch where he, his mother and father sat along with the Fenton parents.
"B-Byron! Mr. and Mrs. Pearce! Wh-what're you guys doing here?" Dayna asked anxiously.
"Hello, Dayna. I'm so sorry we had to end Friday evening on such drastic circumstances, but it was fortunate that neither of you were hurt," Adriono said with a gentle smile. "We're actually here because of this. You must've dropped it after the entire ghost attack."
Dayna's eyes rested on the Fenton Two-Way in his lap as he continued, "Actually it was thanks to you and this device that revealed that mysterious ghost within me and saved me."
"And now we're talking about making an entire line of Fenton Two-Ways for everyone to have," Maddie said with obvious glee.
"It was definitely a good thing you brought it with you on your date, eh Dayna?" her father asked her, making her blush and squirm a bit when Byron looked right at her.
"Uh…yeah, Dad…" Dayna gulped a bit. "I, uh, think I'm going to go into the lab and do some cleaning if you guys don't mind."
"Good idea, I'll come, too," Danny said, not taking his eyes off Byron as he followed his little sister.
Catching the twins quickly by surprise, Byron stood up, "Do you mind if I join you guys? I really would like to see the projects you're parents have got going on. That is, if you don't mind."
"Oh, of course not, hon," Maddie waved a hand in dismissal. "Go right ahead."
"Thank you, Mrs. Fenton," Byron nodded, walking off after a nervous Dayna and a suspicious Danny.
"Uh, hey, why don't we go help? Come on, Tucker," Sam said, dragging Tucker by the collar to the kitchen. Though it wasn't too hard since he was still star-struck by meeting the one and only Adriono Pearce.
"Wow," Byron said with great interest as he looked around the lab. "Looks like your parents have a lot going on down here, huh?"
"Uh…yeah…" Dayna said shyly wiping down the tables while trying to avoid Byron's eyes. "So, how's your head?"
Byron shrugged, rubbing his head a bit, "Better. My Mom and Dad are gonna let me go back to school tomorrow if it keeps improving."
"That's good," Danny said with slight disinterest, sweeping the floor with a broom.
"Yeah, but I have to say that our date could've gone a little better, right Dayna?" Dayna blushed, gulping audibly as she turned to face him.
"Uh, yeah," she said, the uneasiness that she felt starting to slowly fade as she thought maybe Byron didn't remember what happened.
"Maybe you'd like to, you know, try again sometime?" He asked, filling the Fenton girl with new hope and elation and draining her of anymore fear and doubt.
"Really? Sure, I'd like that!" she smiled broadly. Danny, Tucker, and Sam couldn't help but smile as well.
"Good. I'm glad we got that out of the way. Now, would you mind explaining this to me?" Byron asked, bringing out a high-tech PDA for all to see.
Dayna's jaw dropped as it showed practically everything that happened that Friday evening, including Vlad overshadowing Adriono, Dayna and Vlad fighting, Dayna saving Byron from the chandelier, and especially when Dayna transformed from her ghostly self to her human self.
"My Dad had cameras installed everywhere in the mansion. This is the direct feed, so as far as anyone else is concerned, you or that Vlad guy never did what you guys did," he explained, Dayna backing up and trembling a bit in fear.
"What do you want?" Danny hissed, standing protectively in front of his sister as he assumed his ghostly form.
Byron's eyebrows arched, "I knew I recognized your voice from last week in the dance studio, but don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
Danny narrowed his neon green eyes and his hands took on an eerie glow, "You didn't answer my question."
"I already told you what I wanted. I want another chance at a date."
Dayna straightened up, the fear turning into confusion as she blinked, "Huh? You…you actually want to do that? Why? I'd think you'd hate me for all the trouble I've caused you."
Byron furrowed his eyebrows, "Dayna, you single-handedly stopped my dad from giving up his work and kept me from getting crushed by two-hundred pounds of metal and glass. If anything, I have a lot more to be grateful for than to be mad at."
Dayna frowned and blinked, seeming to give the idea some thought. She then asked Sam and Tucker, "Could we have a minute, please?"
"Come on, Tucker," Sam said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him up the stairs. "Let's go get acquainted with your hero."
When the two were gone, the female Fenton twin sighed, "You too, Danny."
Danny's threatening pose and green glow vanished as he threw an incredulous look over his shoulder, "You can't be serious-"
"I am," Dayna cut him off, her tone of seriousness easily matching his. 'I'll call you if I need you.'
'You better,' Danny closed his eyes, turning back into his human form before walking to the stairs. He looked over his shoulder, scowling at Byron before heading up and leaving them alone.
"You really have a protective brother. Normal brothers only have to worry about the guys their sisters date beating them," Byron stated.
Dayna closed her eyes, sighing as she asked, "I bet you wish you hadn't met me, don't' you?"
"Huh? No way," Byron said as he walked to her side while she sat on top of the table. "I meant what I said before Dayna, you're really nice and I do like you."
She slumped down, "I don't get it though, I thought you'd like people more like…well, not me. Like Paulina…"
Dayna inwardly cringed just saying her name. Word had gotten around about what happened and Paulina was, like Dayna expected, there to chew her out about it, thus probably forever destroying whatever confidence in dating she had left.
However, Byron merely shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, I like Paulina, and so does Paulina."
Dayna laughed a bit, covering her mouth with her hand to cover up the snickers as he chuckled, "Nah. Paulina doesn't really peak my interest. Not like you do, anyway."
Calming her laughing fit, Dayna asked, "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. And even if you weren't, don't you think I'm weird at all? Not even weird now, I'm beyond weird. I'm freakish…"
"Don't you remember, Dayna? I like weird. Weird is interesting," Byron explained matter of factly. "I mean, I'm probably weirder than you and Danny. Maybe even more than your parents."
Dayna blinked, her face deadpanned, "Okay, now I know you're lying to make me feel better. There's nobody weirder than my parents."
The light-haired teen shrugged, "I cannot eat the B's in alphabet soup because I think it's bad luck."
"I can top that. For my twelfth birthday, I got my room soundproofed so that I can blast the music while I dance to it," Dayna stated.
"When I cook pasta, I sing to the sauce because my grandma told me that's what makes it taste better," Byron countered.
"Wow. A guy that can sing and cook? That is weird," Dayna teased, then said, "But I still got you beat. I have an imaginary polar bear cub named Chilly that I talked to all the time."
Byron quirked an eyebrow, "What's so weird about that?"
"I've had him since I was six."
"Oooh. That's gonna be tough to beat," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then brightened up, "I got it. I am a complete fanatic for jazz and have an entire shrine dedicated to it in a spare bedroom right next to my room."
Dayna blinked with wide eyes, before laughing, "Okay, you beat me! That's pretty weird!"
Byron joined in her laughter, which lasted for a good ten minutes. When they finally calmed down, he sighed and said, "See? Takes a weirdo to know a weirdo."
Dayna smiled, her faith, hope, and confidence in dating restored, "You're not a weirdo, Byron. You're special. And I'm very lucky that I'm smart enough to see it past your good looks."
His eyebrows arched, "You think I'm good looking?"
With a harsh blush, Dayna stuttered, "Uh, maybe we should get back upstairs and make sure Tucker hasn't smothered your Dad yet."
She got up off the table and walked off to the stairs, following behind her, "Hey, if it's any consolation, you're pretty easy on the eyes yourself."
Dayna rolled her eyes and bumped into him playfully, which he responded with a playful push back. Yup, a bumpy start, Dayna thought to herself, but she wouldn't have changed a thing about it.