Chapter 12: The Call

Danny picked up the receiver, failing a couple times due to his hand constantly shaking and his blood pumping so hard. Why was he acting this way? It could just be Tucker or Sam calling about a recent ghost seeing or something or that sort. But part of him, the logical part, didn't believe that.

"Hello?" Danny asked cautiously, trying to sound casual while leaning against a nearby chair for support.

"Hello." A vaguely familiar professional-sounding voice responded. "Is this the Fenton's?"

"Yes." Danny answered, now knowing who exactly this was. He was about voice this thought out loud, but he got beat to the point before he could even take a breath to ask.

"This is Greg Smith. May I speak to Danny?" The pumping blood in his body began to grow faster, making him even more nervous.

"Speaking." This conversation was getting stranger by the minute. For some reason it reminded Danny of moldy cheese.

"Yes. I have the results of your audition." There was a slight pause, and then Greg continued, as if contemplating whether or not he should tell Danny the news. Danny had a strange feeling that this would not turn out well. Actually any way this turned out would not be good. He could just feel the sparks of dramatic tension building up. Danny found himself wondering if Valerie's phone call from Greg had been this awkward.

Danny could hear pages flipping on the other line. "Yes. There it is..." Wow. Wasn't he just very prepared? He didn't even do a real audition and he had paper for it. Well, the judges did look at the tape. "...The judges loved you. So did I. You have gotten the part of Danny Phantom." He congratulated.

Danny let out a sigh of relief.

Greg continued talking, as if getting the part wasn't enough news. "You will be receiving a contract in the mail soon. Just that normal stuff." He said that like everyone got mail about being in a movie. Greg slowly realized when Danny didn't give him an answer he didn't know. "It's just acting stuff, legal things, stunt double. And you will be getting your rough draft of a script. We might revise some things later. And you will be having a couple sessions with professionals, just to make your acting better. But don't worry; we will explain everything to you later. "

"Okay. Thanks." Danny was speechless. This Greg guy could sure talk a lot. It was like he was talking a mile a minute.

"See you later. Tell me if you don't get anything in the mail. Bye." Danny could hear the phone hang up on the other line.

Danny used all the rest of energy he had to put the phone back down, his muscles aching. He groaned. All his usual things he did everyday had now become harder on a whole new level.

He looked up from the ground, which he suddenly realized wasn't all that boring. He was welcomed by Jazz's confused expression.

"Yes?" Danny asked. It looked like Jazz was deciding what questions to ask him first. Danny was deciding if he should ask his questions first or let his sister break the ice.

"Who was that?" Jazz asked after a moment's silence. "Wait. Hold that thought for a second." Jazz took Danny by the shoulder blades, unaware of the pain she was causing him, and led him to the kitchen table. His sister began to cook up a cup of hot chocolate and grilled cheese. Which wasn't that good of a combination, but Danny would have eaten anything right now.

She sat down next to Danny, handing him his plate of food. Jazz began eating while Danny stared at his food, attempting to eat it without his hands, like a dog.

"Um..Danny?" Jazz asked after taking a sip of her hot coco. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I just kinda got in an accident earlier." Danny gestured with his head to the crutches nearby. "I'm kinda sore all over. Can't move. The normal." He tried shrugging, only to end up flinching in pain. He wished his body would turn down the pain a notch.

"Oh. Gosh." Jazz hurried up from her seat and grabbed a straw from a nearby drawer and stabbed it in Danny's drink. Danny leaned over and began drinking while he watched his sister try to find something to help his eat his grilled cheese.

"You know Jazz," Danny commented after bending down to taking a sip of his drink. "You could just feed me yourself."

Jazz flung her arms down in defeat and set down the ham pitchfork she was about to use. "I guess I will have to."

Jazz walked over to him, picking up the grilled cheese carefully, as if it could be a bomb. She picked it up, and unlike Valerie, just fed him without any two-year-old sound effects.

Danny finally finished, now feeling slightly better with food in his stomach. "Thanks, Jazz."

"Welcome." Danny's sister responded over the rush of the sink where she was cleaning up all the plates.

Danny sat on the kitchen chair, reaching for his crutches. Once he has successfully gotten them, he limped toward the couch, carefully sitting down on the rock-like cushions.

"Hey, Jazz?" Jazzy looked up from the plate she was scrubbing. "Why were you gone for so long?" Danny didn't bother mentioning that because of them not coming home; he had been in a hotel room all alone with Valerie.

"Well, after school on Friday we knew you left for auditions. Mom decided we should go out to eat to some family bonding. Soon we were looking at houses for sale." Jazz explained. "Then our dad decided he wanted us to sleep in one of these houses. 'To test them out.' he had told us. Just this morning we got home, and now mom and dad are shopping for food for us."

"Oh." Danny sighed. At least they had a fairly good reason that they were gone for so long.

"And..." Jazz trailed off for a second. "Who called before?" Gosh, she was so direct.

"It was Greg." Danny responded after a moment's silence. He had a feeling that his sister was about to ask what Greg had said, so he just continued before she had to waste anymore lip muscle. "He called to tell me that I had made the part," Danny could see her face light up at this. "He told me that papers were coming and the script I could look at."

"Wow. That's amazing!! Do you realize how many people don't even get the chance to be in movie?" Jazz embraced Danny in a great bear hug, not even bothering her recent question to be answered.

Danny flinched slightly. "Ouch." He would have rubbed his sore shoulders, but his hands were sore too.

Soon Jazz was celebrating silently since Danny could hardly move a muscle.

"By the way, what did happen to you?" Jazz asked after her one-man celebration was over.

Danny began into his story, a little hesitant at first, but soon explaining everything with different expressions every sentence. He described the audition, the evil squirrel, and miserable walk home. He told about the night with Valerie, and how he had been bleeding ectoplasm. Jazz only interrupted once in a while with a laugh or cough or with a question.

"Wow." Jazz said once his story was over. "That's more excitement I will get in my life."

"Not helping." Danny tried to glower at her, but it had become harder for some reason. His frown gradually turned into a smile.

Jazz looked at the clock. "It's late and you have school tomorrow. I will try to figure something out after some rest. You should too."

"Okay." Danny responded.

Jazz helped him get into bed, reminding Danny of those disabled old men. Danny lied in bed long after Jazz had left, still trying to get to sleep. But that wave of slumber wouldn't come. He had heard mom and dad come home, kissing Danny on the cheek. He felt Jazz go to sleep on the other bed later that night. Why couldn't he go to sleep?

Then a wave a realization came over him.

Tomorrow was school.

Let the torture begin.