Chapter 2: Welcome to Amity Park

At Fentonworks, Danny and Jazz Fenton were called by their parents to the living room. "Great news, kids!" Jack Fenton exclaimed. "Look who's here!"

The kids were shocked to say the least. "Is that… Rock Zilla?" Jazz asked.

"Right." The Rock Star said. "As I told your folks, my kids attend Silent Springs High School and wanted to come here for the match against your school so we came here to consult the local ghost experts to see how safe the place is against them."

"And I'm trying to enter in contact with the spirit world to see what disturbs them so much." Crystal Zilla added.

"I hope Mom and Dad never tell her about the Ghost Portal, Jazz." Danny whispered to his sister, who nodded.

Maddie wanted to distract Crystal from her desire to meet ghosts. "Zillas, meet my daughter Jazz and my son Danny."

"Kids, these are Rock Zilla and his family." Jack said. "That's his wife Crystal and those are her children Serenity and Willy."

"Danny and I already know each other, Mr. Fenton." Serenity replied, shocking Danny's family.

"Danny never mentioned it." Jack commented.

"She saved his life at the beach." Rock said, shocking the Fentons.

"Danny, what's he talking about?" Maddie asked her son, angry he'd hide such a thing for her.

"At the beach, my leg got stuck in a buoy's rope, Mom." Danny said. "She rescued me and gave me a mouth-to-mouth."

"She kissed you?" Jack was proud of his son. "Congratulations, Danny!"

"Jack, our son's life was in danger." Maddie scolded her husband. "She did a mouth-to-mouth to save him."

"Just doing my duty as a junior lifeguard, Mrs. Fenton." Serenity commented. "After all, what kind of girl would kiss a boy she never met before?"

"The kind that can't resist the Fenton charm!" Jack proudly answered.

"Are you for real, Mr. Fenton?" Serenity asked with a frown.

'If I had any hopes a girl like Serenity Zilla would want anything with me, I'd have lost them by now.' Danny sadly thought.

"Okay, where are the cameras?" Jazz asked, not believing what she'd just heard.

"If I stick around long enough, the paparazzi will come." Rock said and then frowned. "Especially Scoop."

"I didn't mean those cameras, Mr. Zilla." Jazz explained. "This is just a show to prank my family. Isn't it?"

"No, but it does sound like a plan." Rock commented. "I came here because I want to be sure I won't have to worry about ghosts attacking the game while my kids watch it. And Serenity wanted to see Danny again."

"Dad!" Serenity protested but relented. "Well, he's nice and cute."

"Okay, now I'm sure there are cameras somewhere." Jazz commented. "You barely know my brother."

"And that's why I'm here." Serenity said. "To know him well enough to tell if I'd like to be his girlfriend or not."

'She'll dump him in one week.' Willy thought.

"And don't worry about their safety, Mr. Zilla." Jack said. "The ghosts have already ruined local games often enough for Casper High to hire our services."

"We can watch the game together, Danny." Serenity suggested.

"Sorry but I'm the team's mascot, unfortunately." Danny muttered. "But he can go to the Nasty Burger for a pre-game snack." He added.

"Nasty?" Serenity asked in disgust.

"Don't let the name mislead you, Serenity." Danny said. "They taste really good."

"What time?" Serenity asked, shocking Danny with the fact she'd actually agree to eat hamburgers with him.

After they set a time, Danny asked Tucker to meet at Sam's. Jazz went there as well. "Danny, do you expect me to believe you've got a date with Serenity Zilla and that she agreed to eat hamburgers?" Sam asked and frowned, still skeptical. "The only restaurants a girl like her goes to are those my parents want me to."

"That's what I thought." Danny replied.

"What?" Sam, Tucker and Jazz asked.

"Serenity Zilla is such an amazing girl I doubt she'll remain interested in a guy like me." Danny explained. "If she'll eventually break up with me, I want her to decide it sooner rather than later."

"Don't say it, Danny!" Tucker replied.

"Yeah." Jazz added. "What if she does like you?"

"She'd better like the real me." Danny replied. "The one I am when I'm not 'Phantom', of course."

"She might, little brother." Jazz said. "She already met our parents and that didn't make her too weirded out to want a date with you."

"But, if there's something she doesn't like about you, change it." Tucker suggested. "Think of the benefits of dating Rock Zilla's daughter! All the V.I.P. tickets. All the friends Serenity Zilla can introduce me to."

"After how you fared flirting with her, it's more likely she'll introduce you to her enemies, Tucker." Danny commented.

"For as long as they're gorgeous, I don't mind." Tucker replied.

"Boys." Sam muttered.

"But you shouldn't be so pessimistic, Danny." Jazz advised her brother. "She may like you for real."

"Jazz, when was the last time you ever saw a girl interested in me?" Danny asked, oblivious to Sam's reaction.

"Clueless." Jazz muttered.

"There's Valerie." Tucker commented.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Danny replied.

"So, what're you gonna wear for the date?" Tucker asked.

"Well, this." Danny answered. "If I wanted to get fancier for Serenity's sake, I'd suggest a fancier place than Nasty Burger."

"Really?" Tucker asked in disbelief.

"The sooner she gets to know me, the sooner she either dumps me or shows she really likes me." Danny stated.

Later on, Danny went to the Nasty Burger. Seeing no sign of Serenity, he approached Valerie. "Hi, Valerie." Danny said. "Has anyone asked for me?"

"Hi, Danny." Someone said as she entered the place.

"Serenity!" Danny was half surprised she actually came. Meanwhile, practically everyone else focused their attention on the Zilla bus.

"Danny, how did your friend come here in a bus with Rock Zilla's name on it?" Valerie asked.

"Because she's Rock Zilla's daughter." Danny answered, shocking Valerie.

"Danny, you know this place better than me." Serenity stated. "What do you think we should eat?"

Since it was Danny who invited her, he felt like he should pay for her meal anyway so he ordered two burgers and two sodas. "You're right." Serenity commented upon taking a bite of her burger. "This tastes really good for something with 'nasty' on its name."

"It's rumored that it was initially called "Tasty Burger" but someone changed the sign and the owners decided to keep it that way." Danny replied.

"They probably decided to sound ironic rather than 'boastful'." Serenity theorized.

"Well, I used to think they were just too lazy to change it back but your theory makes more sense." Danny commented and Serenity didn't see the tells she used to see from boys who only went along with what she said because she's Rock Zilla's daughter.

At that point, Tucker and Sam entered the Nasty Burger and were shocked at what they saw. "I can't believe it!" Sam exclaimed.

"I know!" Tucker replied with a happy smile. "She's showing her belly! Danny's so lucky! Ouch."

"Tucker, don't you find it suspicious a girl as beautiful, rich and popular as Serenity Zilla is showing interest on Danny?" Sam asked.

"So, if she were just rich, you'd be okay with her?" Tucker jokingly asked.

"Really?" Danny asked Serenity. "You and your brother were homeschooled until your parents moved into Silent Springs and Silent Springs High School was the first school you ever attended?"

"Yes, Danny." Serenity answered.

"What's it like?" Danny asked out of curiosity.

"The teachers come to us instead of us going to them, they meet parents more often, we don't have classmates to befriend, and homework isn't called that way." Serenity casually explained.

'I thought the idea of not having to worry about bullies was good but I never thought it'd mean no friends either.' Danny thought. "Yeah, it'd probably be too redundant to call it homework if all aspects of your schooling took place at your home."

"I never even heard that word before my first day at Silent Springs High." Serenity commented and Danny, assuming it was just a joke, laughed.

'Blonde bimbo probably doesn't know even more basic words.' Sam thought.

Serenity continued talking. "So, what's like having ghost hunters as parents?" She asked Danny.

"Embarrassing." Danny sadly answered.

"Aren't they respected for protecting the town from ghosts?" Serenity asked in confusion. "From what my parents said, the people of Amity Park take ghosts so seriously they elected a Mayor whose campaign focused on keeping the town safer from them."

"Danny Phantom does most of the work, Serenity." Danny explained, not wanting to discuss Vlad with someone who didn't know their secret.

"Danny Phantom?" Serenity asked. "Isn't he a ghost himself?"

"He's a heroic one." Danny answered.

Valerie didn't believe what she heard. 'How can Danny defend that ghost?'

"Didn't he first become known to the public when he was caught assaulting this town's previous Mayor?" Serenity asked, wondering how someone could believe Danny Phantom to be a hero.

'Good question.' Valerie thought, starting to like Serenity.

"Mayor Montez was being overshadowed by another ghost and Danny was rescuing him." Danny explained.

"Overshadowed?"

"That's how people in Amity Park call it when a ghost is inside a human's body and controlling them." Danny said.

"I thought that was called a possession." Serenity commented.

"Yeah, I don't know why we don't use that name here as well." Danny said upon thinking it over.

"Because that's too commonplace." Sam answered as she decided to reveal herself.

"Sam? Tucker?" Danny asked in surprise.

"I wanted to see it for myself." Sam explained. "I still can't believe a pretty girl would like Danny. Are you pranking him? Where are the cameras?"

Serenity frowned. "No prank date is worth the price of spending so much time with a boy I wouldn't date for real. Are you jealous because he's dating someone who isn't you?"

"N-n-n-n-n-no!" Sam quickly denied. "Tucker and I are just Danny's friends. We're suspicious about a girl who could have boys more popular than Danny being interested on him."

"Speak for yourself." Tucker replied and Sam elbowed him for it.

"Sam, you shouldn't…" Danny started saying but was interrupted by his ghost sense. "Excuse me, I gotta go." He said and went to the bathroom.

"I guess his burger was really nasty after all." Serenity commented with a worried look.

A ghost phased himself in. "BEWARE! I am the Box Ghost! Master of all things cardboard and square!"

"Get lost, creep." Serenity said in dismissal.

"Aren't you scared?" The Box Ghost asked, not expecting that reaction from humans who never met him before.

"Are you kidding me?" Serenity asked. "I've lost count of how many creepier people than you have tried to get my Dad's autograph and I like the fact he's popular enough to attract that kind of attention."

"You're mean." The Box Ghost said and left.

"Amazing!" Danny exclaimed as he returned.

"What're you doing here, Phantom?" Valerie asked while glaring at him.

Danny was so impressed by Serenity's attitude as most people outside Team Phantom just ran away in fear he forgot he was in Phantom mode. "Uh, I heard there was a ghost here and came to investigate. Well, it's safe now so I'm leaving."

After Danny Phantom left, Danny Fenton returned. "What happened?"

"Two ghosts showed up." Valerie answered.

"It was amazing!" Tucker exclaimed. "Serenity dealt with the Box Ghost so quickly Danny Phantom had nothing to do when he arrived!"

"The Box Ghost isn't that impressive and Phantom isn't a hero." Valerie said. "No ghost is."

"Most people don't notice that about the Box Ghost upon first seeing him." Danny commented.

"But don't think it'll be that easy with other ghosts." Sam bluntly said.

"Anyway, I have a game to watch." Serenity said and turned her attention to Danny. "Meet me in front of the stadium afterwards?"

"Yes, Serenity." Danny answered, starting to genuinely like her.

End chapter.