Denial may not work forever...but sometimes we wish it did.
Chapter Fourteen - Troubles
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"Mhm. Definitely looks like guy troubles."
Danny Fenton tiredly blinked from where he was sitting on the bleachers, Sam a seat above him, and Tucker by his side. The one who had spoken, however, was a person he hadn't expected to see. "Oh, Val! Hey- Wait...what?"
"Guy troubles. You." At the startled look she was given, Valerie rolled her eyes, leaning against the track bars that separated the field and the bleachers. Today was Casper High's field day, although most students were using the day outside as a way to soak up the early spring sun, or just relax. "Don't argue with me on this, Fenton. I know what guy troubles look like!"
"Gee, I wonder how that is," Sam hummed, grinning at the glare shot her way. "Danny's just a little pissy, although we don't know why. We haven't been able to pry it out of him."
"Maybe," Danny drew the word out, sounding shocked, and on the verge of a breakthrough. "Oh my gosh, Sam...maybe...maybe it's because...there's nothing to pry about!" He earned a hit to his head with a spider backpack for his troubles. "Guys, seriously? I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about-"
"Dude. We know you. I mean, I've known you since before we could properly talk. I know when you're troubled about something, you get that weird zoned out look on your face. Also, your reflexes are slow." Danny raised an eyebrow at that, yelping as Sam quickly kicked him off his seat. "See? Slower."
"You guys are jerks," Danny whined, looking to Valerie with the most pathetic look he could manage. "Vaaal. Make them stop being mean!"
"Not my area." Pulling herself up on the bars, Valerie settled herself down, Danny crawling back into his seat, Sam pulling him backwards until he fell into the slotted area. "They really have it out for you, don't they?"
"He needs to learn to share his feelings," Sam huffed, kicking Danny's hat off, and showing golden colored hair that looked just a few shades too jarring. "How many times are you going to attempt to fix your hair before you let me do it?"
"This is the last time," Danny huffed, shoving his hat back on. "I don't look good as a blonde." Smiling innocently up at Sam, the teen's eyes grew sharp. "Not like y-" The rest of his sentence was cut off as he was kicked off the bleachers again, this time hitting the dirt face first. Further injury was added when a heavy and steel-toed boot landed on his back, taking the breath out of him.
"Whoops! My combat boot must have slipped." Tucker only shook his head and retrieved his friend's boot, helping Danny up at the same time. "Now, out with it. It's that tutor of yours, isn't it?"
"Oo, is the tutor you never shut up about?" Valerie asked, grinning at the startled look shot her way. Honestly. Like a puppy. "Not that hard to learn about him when you never shut up about him, Fenton. So, is he cute?"
"N-"
"Adorable," Sam laughed, slipping her boot back on. "Real nerdy bookworm type, bit older, though-"
"How old?"
"Think college age."
"Oh, please, with those cute looks? Fenton could have him in a day tops."
"See, that's what I keep telling him!"
"Easy there, buddy," Tucker soothed, keeping his friend from either turning invisible or fleeing. Either one would be counterproductive, at this point. "You knew this was going to happen eventually. I mean, it wouldn't happen if you would just admit you obviously have feelings for the guy-"
"Well of course I have feelings for him!" Danny snapped, hands clenched in his shirt. "He's smart, funny, he really cares about me, he's one of my best friends, and no matter what I know I can trust him with my secrets! How was I not supposed to fall in love with him?!" Realizing what he had just said, Danny immediately jumped up, heading back to the school.
"Hey- Danny! Wait!" The three quickly ran after their friend, Valerie confused when as soon as they entered the school they saw he was...nowhere. Sam and Tucker, on the other hand, shared a grim look. They had a feeling Danny wouldn't be talking to them for a while.
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"Oh! Danny- Aren't you supposed to be in school right now? I mean, I know time is not something I'm rather good at keeping, but- Danny...are you alright?" Andrew Riter blinked in confusion as he saw the half ghost, with dark blue hair, head to one of the couches, grabbing the blanket off the back and falling down. Soon, Andrew could only see a small tuft of hair. "Dare I ask?"
"Humans are stupid and mean," Danny huffed, snuggling down in his blankets further. "I am running away to here. Forever." Two white rings changed him back into his human half, the teen only peeking his head out when he felt Andrew gently tug on his hair. "You can't change my mind."
"Mm, fair enough, mon cher. Do you have your phone, however?" Danny nodded reluctantly. "Did you tell your sister where you were going?" At that, the ghost had the teen's phone in his hand, as well as a pair of sad eyes trained on him. "Alright, alright. I'll tell her for you, but eventually you will have to tell me why you're choosing to run away forever."
"...eventually." The word was soft and quiet, barely more than a whisper, as Andrew went to work at dialing up Jazz. Danny watched him try to explain, the ghost wincing in the face of a worried sister. Any other time it would have made him laugh, but thoughts as they were…
Things would be so much easier if he was a ghost.
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"So much for that running away forever thing, huh?" Jazz took a seat next to her brother, who was staring at the sky from the top of the OPs center. She had long given up hope of banning him from climbing such high places, and at least now he would be able to save himself if he ever slipped and fell. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Why does being torn between two worlds have to be so hard?" At the quiet and pained voice, Jazz felt her heart breaking. Scooting close, she wrapped an arm around the other, grateful when he didn't push away. Taking a breath, she tried to organize her thoughts.
"Danny...I don't think… I don't think any of us will ever really be able to understand what it is you go through, or just how hard it is...but I don't think you realize that you're not being torn, you're uniting these worlds." At the curious look she was given, Jazz gave a wide smile. "Danny, just a few months ago, ghosts were rampaging through the streets. Now they're having fun and interacting with humans like it's nothing!
"You turned two years of fighting and fear into something good. If it wasn't for you, the ghosts wouldn't be as peaceful as they are right now, and people would still be afraid-"
"If it wasn't for me, the ghosts never would have found Amity Park, and wouldn't have be chased by hunters daily. If it wasn't for me, the humans could have lived never knowing that their fears were real. If it wasn't for me, the portal never would have been activated-"
"You don't know that, Danny," Jazz cut in, running a hand through the other's hair, lips ticking upwards at the shade of gold his hair had been turned into. "Maybe...things happened the way they did for a reason. We know Clockwork gave you your powers, instead of letting you die… Maybe he saw something that we'll never be able to understand. He knew you would be able to handle this burden, of living two lives. I know things are confusing right now, but I know that, one day, they'll make sense."
"...you read too many motivational books." Danny laughed as he was pulled into a hug, content to be protected by his sister, as he had been since he was nothing but a child. "But...what if...because of how I am… You saw what almost happened to Elle. What if something like that happens to me and- And- ...And I don't come back…"
"Then you make the most of every day you have."
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"Is that a picture?"
"Pour l'amour de merde-!" A very exhausted Andrew Riter looked behind him to see an amused Danny Phantom. "It's three in the morning. Why in the name of the Ancients would you be visiting at this time of night?"
"I don't need to know French to know those were some very naughty words… Also, I was lonely," Danny hummed, settling himself down next to the ghost, who had been tucked away in one of the corners of the upper levels. "Same could be said of you being awake, you know. I mean, ghosts don't need much sleep, but they do need sleep. That and you look like a college student who has finals in two days and forgot to study the entire semester."
"Now, that's just ridiculous," Andrew scoffed, small smile on his face. "I was always studying…" Shaking his head, he looked back down at Danny, who was not so subtly trying to avoid looking at the framed picture in his hands. Sighing, Andrew handed it over, amused when Danny didn't waste any time in looking.
"Is that...you?"
"Surprised?"
"Very, I didn't know you could actually smile. Let me tell you, it's a shocking revelation." At the jab to his side, the teen let out a laugh. "Alright, alright. So I guess that means the kid next to you is Randy, right?" At the nod, he looked closer. "Is the woman your mother?"
"Yes, she is. She was...a very sweet woman, and very amazing." Giving the teen a considering glance, he finally smiled. "She would have liked you, I think. Would have complained about your messy hair, too."
"Oh, as if I don't get enough of that from you," Danny huffed, sour expression fading away in moments at the fingers that gently ruffled his hair. "Seriously though, she must have been amazing...you must miss her, huh?"
"More than even words could describe." Danny leaned into the ghosts side, happy when he wasn't pushed away. "What does bring you here, mon cher? You aren't the type to come all the way over here in the early morning hours simply because you were lonely."
"I…" Danny trailed off, fingers tracing the edges of the frame in his hand. "You must really miss her, huh?" Andrew nodded, rubbing at his eyes, and too tired to wonder about Danny's repeating question.
"Very much so, yes. That's one of the reasons why I push people away so much, and refuse to get close to them… I've already lost so many people, mon cher. I wasn't sure how many more I could lose…" Well...that just settled that then, didn't it? "Sorry, I'd rather not burden you with my emotional baggage, what were you here for?"
"Oh, you know...like I said, just felt lonely. Figured the night owl ghostly writer would be up and about, plus Vidya loves me much more than you." Chiming notes rang in agreement, Danny grinning widely at Andrew's scoff. "Hey, hate the lair, not the ghost!"
"You are a troublesome little brat," Andrew huffed out, Danny only happily leaning into the ghost's side.
"Yup, but I'm your troublesome brat, which means you're stuck with me." This he could handle, being friends, and keeping somewhat of a distance. This was something they could both handle. His own suffering he could handle easily, but the thought of hurting Andrew, of putting him through more loss...that was something he could never do.
"So it seems…" He was fine with the warm smiles he was given, and never any more. Perfectly and completely fine.
Now if only he could believe that lie…
It hurts to lose those you love.