CHAPTER 13
Dea said she got tired of this predictable movie and went upstairs to bed earlier than usual. Usually, she sat at her computer typing away until the wee hours of the morning. This time, she lay in bed in her midriff exposing army print pajamas thinking about what she just saw in her head. What does this all mean?! She thought drastically to herself. This makes no sense! Why was I standing in front of the portal? What happened to Mom? "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" She suddenly burst out screaming. She hadn't realized it. She got up off her bed and stalked off into the bathroom connected to her room, dragging her slipper-clad feet. She slammed the door closed and muffled crying could be heard from inside.
Danny was worried when he heard Dea yell, so he hurried up the stairs to her room. He knocked on the door and there was no answer. He knocked again.
Danny: Dea? You OK?
Dea didn't answer so Danny knocked again. No answer still. He pushed the door open slowly and Dea's bathroom door was closed. He heard her in the locked bathroom. She was crying. He knew it, he felt it somehow. He knocked on the bathroom door and asked if she was ok.
Dea: Go away!
Danny: Dea? What's the matter?
Dea: I said I don't want to talk about it.
Danny: You can talk to me! I'm always here for you...no matter what.
Danny heard Dea stop sobbing for a few brief seconds. She gave a little sniff and Danny heard the lock give a satisfying click. Dea walked out and sat on her bed. He noticed she had a book in her hands. She gently laid it down on her bedside table and kept her head down. She hasn't done this for months which disappointed Danny. She had opened up a lot and now, she went back to being her shy old self. He couldn't see her because her long hair was shielding her face. Danny made to move her hair but she twisted her head.
Danny: Dea, what's wrong? You haven't cried for two months! You're the strongest person I know.
Dea: Danny...I've been seeing things. Not like hallucinations...more like visions. They've really been scaring me, and...just...Danny, why is it always me?
Danny: Why is what always you?
Dea: (standing up) Danny! Look around you! Watch the world! I had to follow in your footsteps, I got turned into a phantom, I got shoved in lockers, ME! It's not normal for a girl to get shoved into lockers! I got teased for my eating habits at my old school, I got teased for being smart. I'm the one having psycho-path visions...It's always me....
Danny: Look Dea, a bit of that happened to me too. But that's not the point. What exactly did you see?
Dea: First, I saw my...my mom crushed...while working in Columbia. The second time I saw myself in Phantom Mode standing in front of the portal.
Danny: They mean something. I know they do. Don't worry Dea, we're gonna figure this out.
Dea: DANNY! It's not the fact that I don't know what they mean! It's the fact of WHAT they mean! Something's happening Danny and I can't stop it! Whatever's happening, is going to happen, and NO ONE can stop it!
Dea finally collapsed in a rage and kneeled right next to her bed. Her hair framed her face and she leaned her head in the sheets. She started to cry again. Danny knelt down beside her and held her close, just like when the accident in the lab happened. She sat down beside him and cried into his chest. Her sobs slowed and died as she fell asleep. Danny laid her down in her bed and covered her with a blanket. Only as he turned to leave did he knock over a book. It was the one Dea had with her. He picked it up and looked through it. On the very first page, there was a picture of the words Danny and she had carved into the tree, just one month ago. On the next page there were more pictures. One of Dea laughing as Tucker spilled milk out of his nose, one of Danny stepping out of a locker. He laughed to himself. Even in the picture he was smiling. He turned the page again. There was Dea beaming in Phantom Mode down in the lab. She had just discovered how great her new powers were and had Danny take a picture. Danny continued to look through it. There were several pictures of her and friends, some were of just Danny while others had him with Sam, Tucker, Dea, or even with Jazz. There were some from her old school nearer the back and on the very last page, there was a picture of Danny with his arm around Dea's waist, and Dea's arm around his shoulder. They were both smiling as if it were the best day of their lives. Just under the picture it said, "Bonds like this are special...no distance, nor any amount of sorrow or angst could tear us apart."
This brought a tear to Danny's eye. He slammed the book shut and walked out. He went to bed himself and thought about what he had just read in the back of her photo album:
"Bonds like this are special...no distance, nor could any amount of sorrow or angst tear us apart."
Danny thought to himself, as he lay there in bed, how special Dea was. He thought she was a strong person...stronger than she thought of herself. She was beautiful too. Danny finally fell asleep. Even in his sleep he looked concerned for Dea....
Dea said she got tired of this predictable movie and went upstairs to bed earlier than usual. Usually, she sat at her computer typing away until the wee hours of the morning. This time, she lay in bed in her midriff exposing army print pajamas thinking about what she just saw in her head. What does this all mean?! She thought drastically to herself. This makes no sense! Why was I standing in front of the portal? What happened to Mom? "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" She suddenly burst out screaming. She hadn't realized it. She got up off her bed and stalked off into the bathroom connected to her room, dragging her slipper-clad feet. She slammed the door closed and muffled crying could be heard from inside.
Danny was worried when he heard Dea yell, so he hurried up the stairs to her room. He knocked on the door and there was no answer. He knocked again.
Danny: Dea? You OK?
Dea didn't answer so Danny knocked again. No answer still. He pushed the door open slowly and Dea's bathroom door was closed. He heard her in the locked bathroom. She was crying. He knew it, he felt it somehow. He knocked on the bathroom door and asked if she was ok.
Dea: Go away!
Danny: Dea? What's the matter?
Dea: I said I don't want to talk about it.
Danny: You can talk to me! I'm always here for you...no matter what.
Danny heard Dea stop sobbing for a few brief seconds. She gave a little sniff and Danny heard the lock give a satisfying click. Dea walked out and sat on her bed. He noticed she had a book in her hands. She gently laid it down on her bedside table and kept her head down. She hasn't done this for months which disappointed Danny. She had opened up a lot and now, she went back to being her shy old self. He couldn't see her because her long hair was shielding her face. Danny made to move her hair but she twisted her head.
Danny: Dea, what's wrong? You haven't cried for two months! You're the strongest person I know.
Dea: Danny...I've been seeing things. Not like hallucinations...more like visions. They've really been scaring me, and...just...Danny, why is it always me?
Danny: Why is what always you?
Dea: (standing up) Danny! Look around you! Watch the world! I had to follow in your footsteps, I got turned into a phantom, I got shoved in lockers, ME! It's not normal for a girl to get shoved into lockers! I got teased for my eating habits at my old school, I got teased for being smart. I'm the one having psycho-path visions...It's always me....
Danny: Look Dea, a bit of that happened to me too. But that's not the point. What exactly did you see?
Dea: First, I saw my...my mom crushed...while working in Columbia. The second time I saw myself in Phantom Mode standing in front of the portal.
Danny: They mean something. I know they do. Don't worry Dea, we're gonna figure this out.
Dea: DANNY! It's not the fact that I don't know what they mean! It's the fact of WHAT they mean! Something's happening Danny and I can't stop it! Whatever's happening, is going to happen, and NO ONE can stop it!
Dea finally collapsed in a rage and kneeled right next to her bed. Her hair framed her face and she leaned her head in the sheets. She started to cry again. Danny knelt down beside her and held her close, just like when the accident in the lab happened. She sat down beside him and cried into his chest. Her sobs slowed and died as she fell asleep. Danny laid her down in her bed and covered her with a blanket. Only as he turned to leave did he knock over a book. It was the one Dea had with her. He picked it up and looked through it. On the very first page, there was a picture of the words Danny and she had carved into the tree, just one month ago. On the next page there were more pictures. One of Dea laughing as Tucker spilled milk out of his nose, one of Danny stepping out of a locker. He laughed to himself. Even in the picture he was smiling. He turned the page again. There was Dea beaming in Phantom Mode down in the lab. She had just discovered how great her new powers were and had Danny take a picture. Danny continued to look through it. There were several pictures of her and friends, some were of just Danny while others had him with Sam, Tucker, Dea, or even with Jazz. There were some from her old school nearer the back and on the very last page, there was a picture of Danny with his arm around Dea's waist, and Dea's arm around his shoulder. They were both smiling as if it were the best day of their lives. Just under the picture it said, "Bonds like this are special...no distance, nor any amount of sorrow or angst could tear us apart."
This brought a tear to Danny's eye. He slammed the book shut and walked out. He went to bed himself and thought about what he had just read in the back of her photo album:
"Bonds like this are special...no distance, nor could any amount of sorrow or angst tear us apart."
Danny thought to himself, as he lay there in bed, how special Dea was. He thought she was a strong person...stronger than she thought of herself. She was beautiful too. Danny finally fell asleep. Even in his sleep he looked concerned for Dea....