Another long update - sorry guys. Got my final exams coming up, so I haven't been left with enough time to write this as I would've liked. But I hope you enjoy it - one more chapter to go now.
I don't own 'Danny Phantom' - Butch Hartman does.
I don't own the lyrics to either 'Fat Old Sun' or 'Comfortably Numb' - Pink Floyd do.
The distant horizon was fringed with a pure red-orange colour, like the embers of a great celestial fire. The Sun still made its way idly across the sky, a blazing disc preparing to immerse itself in the ground. Sunlight cascaded down the street as Danny walked up towards Sam's house, flooding the slabs of concrete with a rich, warm glow. He hadn't bothered to change into anything special, and he didn't suppose Sam would've done, either. After all, this was nothing fancy like their last school dance had been – just friends getting together and celebrating the summer. And yet, Danny wondered, it could bear so much more significance than that, for both of them. He didn't really know what to think as, not totally without hesitation, he reached for the doorbell and depressed. Taking a deep breath, he peered down the street again. In the distance, he thought he could make out the lonely tree he and Sam had sat under. He smiled at the memory, but was pulled abruptly from it as he heard the door open. He was surprised to see Sam standing in front of him.
When that fat old sun in the sky is falling
Summer evening birds are calling
Summer sunday and a year
The sound of music in my ears
"Hey," he said, not expecting to see her so soon. He thought one of her parents or someone from the staff would answer the door instead, but here she was, ready to go. At least he was right about one thing – she hadn't considered a dress code, either. "You didn't camp out in the hallway, did you?" he asked, the corner of his mouth curving upwards into a smile.
Sam laughed and leaned against the door frame. "And what if I did?" she asked, smiling enigmatically at him. "Nothing illegal about it, surely?"
"Only in certain parts of the state," Danny answered, putting his hands in his pockets. "So…shall we go?"
"Probably a good idea," Sam said before shouting over her shoulder, "I'm off, Mom!"
"Have a good time!" her mother called back before Sam closed the door.
"Well – let's go," she said, walking down the stone steps with Danny in tow. As the two of them wandered towards the bus stop, Sam felt herself unwind. There was something strangely soothing, almost therapeutic, about this time of evening, at this time of year. The Sun hadn't quite gone down yet, and the air was so much fresher than in the heatwave of the early afternoon. This was what poets described in their odes and sonnets, what artists painted on their blank canvases. When she, Danny and Tucker were younger, this was the time they usually played baseball or hunted fireflies in the back yard until it was time to come in. And to spend it with Danny tonight…that made everything even better.
Tucker had been indisposed that whole day. He'd called her and Danny that morning to say he was being dragged off somewhere or other by his parents again, and that he'd meet them at Mike's later that even. Honestly, Sam thought, the boy had no backbone to speak of. Oh, well – at least they wouldn't have to endure his teasing for so long that evening.
As they rounded the corner and headed towards the bus stop, Danny could hear his thoughts screaming at him in the silence, urging to do something, anything.
"You still looking forward to the gig?" Sam asked him, breaking the deadlock for him.
"Yeah, you bet," he replied eagerly, "it's gonna be awesome. I was listening to De-loused this afternoon."
"Good choice," Sam said, "good choice. Best hour you ever spent in your life."
"Yeah. I heard the support band's pretty good as well."
"Really? Who're they?"
"I think they're called Caesar's Arrival, or something. Tim told me about them – they're a kinda psychedelic, hard rock outfit."
Sam raised an eyebrow in interest. "Sounds good to me," she said. "You written any more songs lately?"
Danny laughed and replied, "Not really," which in fact was a bare-faced lie. He'd written a few verses down while Sam was away, mainly looking for something to take his mind off his thoughts. Maybe, he'd thought back then, maybe he'd play them to her some day. "Been spending way too much time on the internet."
"Deus ex Machina?" Sam asked. It was the game he and Tucker were always on and raving about. They weren't really that good, although they were getting better.
Danny grinned sheepishly before saying, "Yes," as they reached the bus-stop.
Sam took another deep breath. The dwindling sunlight made everything seem so picturesque. "Hey, Danny," she asked, "how long is it to walk to Mike's house?"
Danny frowned as he tried to work it out. "I don't know…fifteen? Twenty minutes?"
"Well, it's such a nice evening…" Sam said, almost forgetting what she was going to say. "Why don't we walk there instead?"
"Sure, OK," Danny agreed, and they went on foot. While they kept their conversation going – music, TV, Lancer among other things – and despite the warm evening weather, Danny still couldn't help but feel a little cold. About ten minutes after they had left the bus stop, a cool breeze suddenly sent a chill racing up his spine, forcing him to shiver and fold his arms across his chest.
Sam noticed him and asked, "You cold?"
"Yeah, a little bit," Danny answered. "It's so warm out, though…don't know why…"
"Here," Sam offered, slipping her arm around his waist. "It's not much, but, you know…"
Smiling at her in gratitude, Danny did feel a lot warmer as Sam drew them a little closer together. As they walked along the sidewalk, almost subconsciously, he put his arm around her shoulders. Sam smiled back, and the two of them listened calmly to the assorted chorus of birdsong that accompanied them.
And if you see, don't make a sound
Pick your feet up off the ground
And if you hear as the warm night falls
A silver sound from a tongue so strange
Sing to me, sing to me…
The two of them stood on Mike's porch, waiting for the response as Danny knocked on the door. Sam looked a little uneasy. "What's wrong?" he inquired.
"Nothing, really," Sam said. "Just a bit nervous, I think."
"Hey, don't worry," he said, tipping a supportive wink at her, "it'll be fine, all right?" Sam smiled at him, grateful to have someone to look after her a little bit.
The door swung open to reveal Tim standing inside the doorway. "Hey, guys!" he greeted them, "How's it going?"
"Pretty good," Danny replied before Tim engaged him in the Masonic handshake he was accustomed to giving people. Bemused, Sam looked on at the bizarre ritual as the hand gestures came and went in rapid succession.
"Normally I'm obliged to ask for the two-handed version," Tim said, grinning at them. "But I'll let you off this time – looks like you've only got one arm free at the moment." He nodded at Danny's other arm, which still lay around Sam's shoulders.
"Ha-ha," Sam replied sarcastically, "you're almost a laugh but you're really a cry."
Tim murmured with approval. "Another Floydian, huh?" he said, turning back to Danny. "Knew you'd get her onto Animals some day."
Sam couldn't help but laugh. She could see why Tim was so likeable – he was so laid back he was almost horizontal, and his sense of humour was direct but subtle. No wonder Mike had taken to him so quickly.
"Well, I totally understand if you're just dying to stand outside all evening," Tim said, beckoning them to come in, "but you're just as welcome inside."
"Yeah, I think we'll take you up on that," Danny smiled. He and Sam stepped inside as Tim shut the door behind them. The curtains were still open in the front room, and there was pretty modest group of people standing around, just talking. Not the Riviera-style crap that they were used to hearing Dash, Paulina and others brag about, but comparing music, discussing films, cracking jokes, just generally having a good time.
"Hey, guys!" Mike called as she came out of the kitchen, "You made it!"
"Didn't think we were going to miss it, did you?" Danny asked her.
"I don't know." Mike raised her eyebrow in droll suspicion. "Figured you two might have other things on your mind."
"Watch yourself," Sam warned wryly, unable to stop herself from grinning, "you're starting to turn into Tucker."
"Speaking of whom," Mike said, nodding towards the living room, "he's in there if you want him. In the meantime…well, make yourselves comfortable. I'll probably come through in a minute, but, you know, grab a drink, whatever. Just enjoy!"
"Sounds good to me," Sam replied, before she and Danny went into the living room. Scouring the moderate crowd of people in there, they eventually found Tucker standing with a boy and a girl, engaged in animated conversation. Gradually they wove their way through, and Danny tapped him on the shoulder. Naturally, Tucker looked the wrong way.
Danny laughed and said, "Gets you every time."
Tucker spun around and spied the two of them. "About time you guys got here!" he said. "What took you so long?"
Danny and Sam looked at each other for an answer before Sam replied, "We opted to take the scenic route, get a bit of fresh air."
"Oh, I see," Tucker drawled, and Danny rolled his eyes. He'd never win with this guy, ever. Sam raised a clenched fist, the only warning she really needed to give him. Tucker took the hint and changed the subject. "So…you guys fancy a drink or anything?"
Danny considered this for a moment, deciding to go with his instinct and not entrust anything to Tucker, not even a drink. Deep down, he knew that Tucker probably wouldn't be so stupid as to spike anything, but he was unwilling to take the risk. "It's all right, Tuck," he said, "I'm kinda heading that way anyway, I'll be right back."
He hesitated to take his arm away from Sam, however, looking at her as though asking her permission. "It's OK," she said, "I'll wait here." He acknowledged and slipped through the crowd into the kitchen. He felt much calmer than an hour ago, that was for sure. Maybe it was because he and Sam crossed the burning bridge, before it smouldered into ash? The self-confident streak that had briefly surfaced a couple of days ago began to re-emerge, and he took a minute to gather his thoughts before he grabbed a couple of Coke cans and wandered back to the group.
Time passed pretty swiftly. Danny was slightly taken aback to glance at his watch and see that an hour-and-a-half had elapsed since they'd arrived. Mike and Tim had moseyed over in the meantime and joined the conversation, which changed subject so many times it was hard to keep track of. At that moment the current topic was Star Wars, but by then Sam and Danny had lost most of their interest; Star Wars wasn't really their thing – you'd seen one, you'd seen 'em all. Rather than voice their opinions and be labelled as heretics for the rest of the evening, they chose to keep silent.
Peering absent-mindedly around the room, Sam could hear the faint sounds of The Doors seeping through the atmosphere – 'Riders on the Storm'. She had to hand it to Mike – her tastes in music weren't half bad. Some day, she wondered, she'd make a pilgrimage to Paris, like countless other Doors fans, and visit Jim Morrison's grave, maybe lay a flower or two for the old King Snake. Suddenly, she glimpsed an empty space over on the couch, and tugged gently on Danny's sleeve. As he turned his head to face her, she pointed at it and looked at him inquiringly.
Danny shrugged and said, "OK."
"All right…let's go," Sam said, taking hold of his hand and leading him across the room. Danny sat down nearest to the arm, putting his arm around her shoulders again as Sam took a seat next to him. A guy was lying next to them, eyes closed as if passed out. Sam gently shook him and asked, "Are you OK?"
The lad opened his eyes, and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine, no worries. Just catching a breather." He stretched before getting to his feet and adding, "Thanks for asking, though. I'm Marcus." He shook hands with the two of them. "You friends of Mike's?"
"Yeah," Danny answered.
"You local?"
"Amity Park."
"Awesome," Marcus said, tipping them a 'see you later' with his hand. "I'll probably see you guys 'round, then. Have a good evening."
"Yeah, you too," Sam said as he walked off. She laid her head softly on Danny's shoulder, listening to the music. 'Riders' was just finishing, and they sat in contented silence through most of the next song, keeping close to each other.
"As bad as you thought it was gonna be?" Danny asked casually.
"I never said that," she laughed, "just didn't think I'd adapt to it. But you being here with me…kinda made it easier for me."
Danny shrugged it off modestly. "It's no problem. I know you'd do the same thing if you were in my position."
Sam smiled as the track faded out and the next one began. As soon as the hypnotic synthesisers entered, Danny's eyes lit up – 'Comfortably Numb'. "Come on," he said, getting up from the sofa and taking Sam with him, "this song's awesome." He put his arms around her neck and gently pulled her in close to him, softly singing the lyrics to her.
Hello? Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now, I hear you're feeling down
I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.
Relax, I need some information first.
Just the basic facts,
Can youshow me where it hurts?
The music washed over them like the tide as they swayed gently in time with it. Over the other side of the room, they caught the eye of Tucker, Mike and Tim as they continued their conversation.
"Looks like they're getting pretty close," Tim observed.
"Close isn't the half of it," Tucker said. "You'd need a crowbar to wrench those guys apart."
"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt, huh?" Mike laughed. "But I thought this would get them going."
"The song?" Tucker asked.
Mike nodded. "Danny can't resist 'Comfortably Numb' – it's like his Achilles heel."
"Cunning," Tucker conceded in admiration, "very cunning."
"And I don't blame him, really," Mike added, "because, after all, it is the greatest song ever."
Tim rolled his eyes and responded, "No, it isn't. The greatest song ever is obviously 'Like a Rolling Stone'…"
Tucker allowed the debate between Floyd and Dylan to continue without him, and he looked back over to Sam and Danny, still wrapped in each other's warm embrace. Go on, guys, he urged them telepathically, get in there…
OK, it's just a little pinprick,
There'll be no more aaaaaaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good.
That'll keep you going through the show.
Come on, it's time to go.
Allowing fleeting thoughts to rush headlong through his mind, Danny closed his eyes; trying to concentrate on one was hard enough, but was near impossible when he was being bombarded with so many others. He snapped out of his trance when he heard Sam utter a deep sigh.
"Sam?" he asked. Her eyes opened and he looked at her supportively. "What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing," Sam lied, a little dazed after her own little moment of introspection.
"You sure?" He was suddenly gripped by a compulsion to know for sure. Oh, God, he thought, was she having second thoughts?... "You look as if there's something on your mind."
There is no pain, you are receding,
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves,
Your lips move, but I can't hear what you're saying.
Sam was completely lost for words – she couldn't phrase adequately enough what she really wanted to say. "You remember that afternoon we spent in the park?"
"Yeah."
"After we came back down the hill…just before I went home?" Her throat was tight, which only made it harder to get the words out. "I…I didn't want to leave you. I didn't even want to leave Amity Park because I'd be leaving you behind as well…"
Danny smiled and answered, "Yeah…I didn't want you to leave, either. I gotta be honest with you, Sam…while you were out in Anaheim…I really missed you." They were so close by now that their foreheads were touching.
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look, but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
"It's just…I think…I…" Sam stuttered, struggling to finish her sentence. "Oh, God…I don't know how to say it…"
I have become comfortably numb
Danny gently placed a finger over her lips. "It's OK," he said, "you don't have to." Delicately, he kissed her on the cheek as an invisible guitarist geared up for his big solo. Sam waited for a second before kissing him on the mouth with passionate relief. As she did, all Danny's angst and worry dissolved instantaneously. There was no uncertainty any more, no doubts – all they knew, all they cared about at that moment was the love they shared for each other.
Tucker silently punched the air in triumph. The barrier had been overcome, the gap bridged. He didn't fancy himself as much of a match-maker or date doctor; he just had the gut feeling that they went together like black and white, and seeing them express it to each other for the first time...it was an awesome feeling. He felt happy and somewhat proud of his two friends as he watched them, locked together in the embrace and in the Dance of Eternity…