Chapter 5: Nail Polish

Disclaimer: Whoops, forgot to tell you. I got Danny Phantom last night for my birthday. HAH, January 15th Fools! My birthday wasn't last night anyway..

-------

Opening my locker, I look at the little notebook that is stashed between all the other books. My poem book.

I smiled.

Sam would never find out it's me, I thought. I glanced at all the poems I created, giving myself a pat on the back. Then suddenly, my blood runs cold.

Did Danny read that poem I made for Sam? The one I made a couple days ago? The one about the hands and the gold and the fortune? And don't you think Sam would show Danny the poems she got? And don't you think his mind would click on and then yell:

"TUCKER!"

I turned my head in panic. Sam was running toward me in frenzy. No, I prayed as I stand there, frozen. No, don't let her find out it's me. Don't, God. Don't.

"Tucker..." she huffed, "Please tell me who made these poems."

Okay, so she doesn't know. But she could still show him, couldn't she? "N-no," I stammered. "I can't."

"Why the hell not? Tucker, I need to know. If Danny finds the poems, then he'll think I'm ka-hoots with some poetry-making person and worse..." her voice stops. Then she goes slowly and in this stage whispered tone of voice, like she's trying to comprehend something, "he'll think it's you."

I freeze, but manage to say, "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Then her eyes did that thing that they always do when she's serious. They became icy and cold and then she stared at me. No expression on her face. Her voice sounded different, too. "Is it Tucker? Answer me. Answer me."

I stumbled over my words, like some bad actor. "No, well, I mean, uh..."

"Tucker, you're not the one --"

Oh God.

"Hey, best friend. Hey, girlfriend," Saved by the lunatic, I thought as Danny put his arm around Sam. I bite my lip to keep from screaming bloody murder. If that's what it takes for Sam to get off my back...so be it.

But, then I realize, Sam's not giving up. Her eyes are still icy and cold. "Danny, shut up for a second."

I have never heard her say that in such a dull tone of voice. She really was serious.

"Um, okay." Danny said, confused, retreating.

Then she goes back to me. I feel her eyes bore into me. I want to look away but I can't. She's figured it out. Why I've been acting weird. Why I won't tell her. Why I hate the way she and Danny are together.

"Tucker, you're not the one in love with me...are you?"

She knows I love her.

Everything is slow and fast at the same time. I feel like I was just punched in the stomach. Danny is shocked and can't seem to speak. Sam is just standing there, looking at me.

And I want to run.

I suddenly want to run away, run away from the poems, from the jocks, from Sam, from school, from my family, from Danny...

From love.

My stomach lurches and all I can say, barely over a whisper, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sam's voice is strong, even though it looks like she wants to cry. "Tucker, do you?"

"Tuck?" Danny's voice asks, nervous.

"No...I..." I try to say.

Everything goes dizzy and I can't breath. I've lost. They know. They know. I can't lie to worm my way out, anymore.

"I...don't. I...I..." Sam stares at me. All that work, lost. All those poems, worthless. I just wanted to let her know that someone loves her out there even though they know they can't be with her. I look at Sam, then look down and see silver nail polish.

"Y-you're..."

"What?" Sam questions, and I lose it.

"You're...YOU'RE WEARING NAIL POLISH!"

For some reason, I've felt comfort in the fact that Sam wasn't part of the crowd. But...now? Now nail polish?

"W-what?"

"YOU'RE WEARING NAIL POLISH!"

"Uh…" Danny says. "Nail polish?"

"NAIL POLISH!" I started to draw a crowd.

"I...I just wore it to see what it was like..."

"NO, YOU WORE IT BECAUSE OF DANNY! Because now everything is hunky-dory for you! Now, suddenly, you can wear make-up, now that someone that you love loves you. But, you don't realize I LOVE YOU FOR NOT WEARING NAIL POLISH!"

Some girl gasped. "Geek love triangle!"

I ignored her. "You...you're wearing n-nail polish!" I could barely breathe. It was like, hell, except more silvery. "Nail polish! SILVER nail polish!"

"That is so off topic it's not funny! Tucker, you love me! And I'm with Danny! I'm your best friend!" Sam yelled at me.

"Wait...that poem..." Danny suddenly got it. "It was for Sam?!"

And then I really wanted to run, but instead of just staying there glued to the floor, my feet started moving. Moving, running, sprinting past some jocks that were laughing...

I wanted out.

The nail polish was giving me a headache.

------

I hope you like it. I needed something to make this chapter quirky, and I suddenly realized -- make up! Nail polish! If she wore nail polish, he would go nuts!

So, enjoy.

Allie