Hi, I have been taking a break for my own health. I decided to write a story about accepting yourself based on society. The experiences are loosely based on my own and others my family has had the pleasure of knowing. The wisdom that I got from it is wholly mine. This story is close to my heart because due to a few people in my life I felt like I had to prove myself worthy because of my Austim so I tried to get good grades all the time, I grew up and realized that was bullcrap and I was awesome and I didn't need to prove myself as worthy. Please leave a review and help me become a better writer. I don't own Danny Phantom nor the characters.

-DaniMason

Scenes (Bold)

"Hi. I guess I should start with my name. I am Jazz Fenton and this is a story that ends in self-acceptance in college."

"When I was five, well I think… maybe I was six, anyway I didn't have friends. In fact when I tried to make a friend, one became my friend. When I was older I understood the horror of charity friendship."

In Amity Park on one sunny day Jazz was alone playing in the park. Her brother Danny was stuck at home because, well because she was the only one that could come because of a lack of a cold, that her parents thought was a ghost cold and could be dangerous to her and others so she was supposed to stay away. Anyway, she saw a girl playing with her mother close by with her dolls. Jazz went up to the girl and held out her hand and said

"Nice to meet you, I am Jazz Fenton."

The girl had wide eyes, and the mother hissed through clenched teeth "Be nice Kira, it is nice to be kind to the dumb." Jazz being the six-year-old she was didn't realize the slight against her and her parents.

"Then I grew to twelve years old. That is where my fantasy ended. I learned about the cruel world of the social world. Normal is afraid of the unknown. The nonnormal face it all the time so it is not as scary, it is life. That also goes for the normal that have the pleasure of their normal life is changed with the introduction of the nonnormal."

Kira and Jazz were in 7th grade now. Amity Middle School was cruel, just like the cast system. The ones that had normal (that were cruel) parents and charmed everyone was important, then the middle, not outcasts, but not popular. And then there was Jazz and Kira. The outcasts, Jazz because of her parent's Jazz didn't like Kira's parents, they... just were condescending, and always were surprised when Jazz talked with smartness, or at least without rambling about ghosts. Kira grew to like Jazz a lot, and her parents always seemed cold towards her, or just fake.

Jazz started to resent her parents. Hard not to when they were the reason for her social status being so low. Danny wasn't bothered as he had Tucker with him and he cared a whole lot less than Jazz about the social game. Anyway, Jazz was tired of being called freaky. Once the middle school goths came up to her and wanted to make her over and talk since she could be the ultimate goth with her parents' backstory and outcast status to boot. I mean someone just this week threw an Oujia board at her and said;

"Summon ghosts like your parents, freak!"

Anyway, Jazz thought "What the hell, I might as well try." Turns out that was a double-edged sword. She was having fun dressing up and finding herself. But her friends had no hope for and in the world. And despite Jazz's experiences throughout her life never lost it.

Kira found new friends, the popular kids. Now they learned from their parents, be merciless to the outcasts. Kira being terrified followed their example, she was never losing this, no bullying and respect. Unfortunately, that meant betraying her best friend Jazz, because of her status. She couldn't help to be bitter at Jazz for causing her decline in social status, though she knew it was Jazz's parents' fault.

"Then I got to thirteen. In 8th grade, I realized I am not a goth. I instead decided to prove myself to everyone. If they thought I was my parents I would denounce ghosts and get good grades to prove my worth in the world. I didn't know the darkness that I was walking into."

Jazz came back dressed like a preppy school girl. Not surprising, just like in real life, the ones that have to say the most that they are good and non-judgemental end up being what they say they are not. They had a huge fight that included the words "poser, hypocrites, and we are over!"

Anyway, it was a lonely year of not talking to people and studying non-stop. The teachers loved her now, perfect grades, extra credit, and followed the class rules to a tee. Then she discovered her first love; Psychology. It explained to her parents and others. Most of all she could help others be accepted in society, so they didn't have to feel like her. She studied hard and yelled at her parents telling them to shape up.

Luckily, with the end of her goth phase and her former self, she wasn't bullied by her peers anymore.

"When my brother became a ghost at fourteen, I was heartbroken. My parents might not accept him. And he was forced to clean up my mother and father's mess that they caused with their dang portal because they couldn't help. I could only help from the sideline. I was only sixteen."

Jazz was walking with Danny on a beautiful summer night. The magic of the night didn't do much to lift her mood. Danny was worried about his sister. They were talking about life and Danny said:

"Jazz, please don't worry about me. We have been alone for most of our years. Now we have true friends. Life is good despite the pain."

Jazz whimpered out

"Danny I will always be scared. You fight because you have to. I don't want to see you hospitalized or dead. And a normal human can only help you so much. Especially since I am still a newbie in fighting and weapons."

Danny said softly

"I promise to do my best to come home every time."

"Besides Danny and his ghosts, I had my grades. I couldn't stop trying to prove myself being worthy despite my parents' status going up in Amity Park because of the ghost attacks. I guess I was addicted and it was killing me. Sleepless nights, being defined by my grades, only getting fake friends that wanted me to do their work. They thought I had my life together, far from it."

Flashback to CAT exams

This was the fourth night of all-nighters. In her all pink room that was fit for a princess Jazz was up at midnight. Of course, Jazz wasn't studying all night, she knew better. No, she was shaking with sobs with the worst-case scenarios if she failed these CAT exams, Mr. Lancer already told her the consequences of failure. After all her hard work she could not end up flipping burgers. It would prove all of Amity right about her.

Anyway, it took way too much sleeping medication to be able to get a good night's sleep. Borne out of desperation Jazz somehow got the best score of all the CAT exams in the history of them. That brings us to the second year since she passed them.

Danny looked stressed about his but didn't study for his exam. Jazz didn't get it until she realized it was all the ghosts. Now she felt pity.

"Now my college acceptance letters are coming in. I got into Stanford! With a half scholarship! Now here comes the breakdown before the healing. "

It was the first week of Stanford and Jazz discovered pretty quickly that she was not the best anymore. To be expected she guessed with the best being here. That didn't help. Ok, it didn't. Suddenly the one thing she vowed never to, she did, all-nighters.

Two weeks later, here was Jazz, putting loads of makeup on (mostly on the horrible eye bags). Her roommate Pauline was extremely worried about her. She never seemed to rest and she tried her best to get her roommate to sleep and lay off the scary amount of coffee she was consuming. Anyway, Jazz was now heading for the nearest coffee shop to get coffee so she could go to her next class.

She got her class. She was so tired, she only slept for an hour each day. But she still couldn't get to the top of the school. She was in 50th place. As the class was walking in, Jazz stood up to go to the bathroom due to all the coffee she had consumed in the past two weeks. As she stood up a wave of dizziness and tiredness came over her. She tried to keep her eyes open, she felt faintly, that she was falling.

The next thing she heard was beeping, she slowly opened her eyes with effort and she saw Danny there crying with her parents. Her voice cracking "W-What happened?" Danny looked up and said through sobs

"Jazz please never do this to me again. You almost died. I need you to promise me to take care of yourself, in most of my childhood you raised me. I can't lose you."

She smiled and said

"I will try my very best."

She got therapy and after a while Jazz was happier. She had to drop out to heal and do better. After about a year and a half break, she went back to college. Not to Stanford, but to another one that was calmer and less stressful. Her parents were a bit disappointed but Jazz was happy. And Danny was happy too because she was okay.

A few years later, she found the one she wanted to work with to make a life together. She was happy, she found herself and her worth and a lover to be a company and a partner forever. She had a Masters's degree in Psychology and opened a practice. Then she married him.

I am now happy. Remember, you don't have to be the best to be happy. And you don't have to prove you're the best. The world needs ordinary people.