Chap 4
After that, life did not get any easier for Danny. Fighting ghosts became a daily struggle, barely getting home before midnight he had to leave again to fight more ghosts. Jazz was worried about him as he entered the house with tired circles under his eyes and a worn in expression. He was getting thinner, and easily agitated. He hadn't been in sight for ages, and Maddie and Jack were starting to get on his case.
Danny was seated on the couch, as his parents hovered over angrily, "I just don't understand what your problem is young man." He just looked to the floor.
"Answer your mother"
"What do you need?" he shrugged, "what is it you want me to say?"
She bent down to his level and squeezed his knees desperately, "I want reassurance."
"From what…?"
They looked to each other, Danny sensed their nervousness. What were they so afraid of? What could he possibly do to make things better? It wasn't his fault he was a ghost boy. It was out of his hands.
"Danny, Danny pay attention!" Maddie snapped her fingers angrily, and he raised his eyes with a start. "What? Oh sorry."
She creased her face in sadness, "Oh god, what's wrong with you? Is it drugs Danny? please just tell me."
"WHAT!" he spluttered, wide eyed "You think I'm on drugs?"
"Well what do you suppose we think? Your grades are worse than ever! You're barely ever awake! And just look how awful you look!" bellowed Jack. "Pull yourself together son!"
Danny blinked helplessly, he had never seen his father this angry before, or his mother this upset.
"I-I'm sorry." He said helplessly, "I-I just… I don't know what to say."
"Tell us you're not doing drugs."
He averted his eyes because his mother was crying and he couldn't take it. "I'm not, look I have to go upstairs, can I please?"
With a defeated sigh, his father motioned him away. Danny shuffled past Jazz, feeling her eyes follow him up the stairs sadly. Since when was he such a burden.
Tucker Foley lay on his bed, snapping his fingers to the music blaring on his headphones. It was 10 at the night and he was still in hisday clothes, the shoes hanging from his feet lazily. He had been doing this since he came home from school. He just loved music and how it managed to effectively replace all the reality that surrounded him. It was like meditation.
It wasn't until he felt the cold air fill his room that he finally opened his eyes, to see the miserable ghost boy's face staring straight back into his.
"Danny! You scared me!"
"Sorry." He mumbled, rubbing his face over. Tucker cocked a sympathetic brow and threw his headphones off. Danny looked like he could barely stand.
"You look so bad."
"I know… that's what my parents keep telling me. I just couldn't stay in that house tonight, my family think I'm doing drugs."
It was almost laughable. "Wow man.. out of all the things."
"but can you blame them? I mean look at me! I'm so out of it, I've barely slept or ate, and my strength is down."
"Yea, and you need all the strength you can get." He got up and shuffled through his CD collection, "I mean… you can't fight all those phantoms and lose"
"I know." He groaned, shoving his face in his hands, "but I can't keep this up… I need something."
"Like what?"
He gnawed his lips, as the rhythm of hip hop filled the room. "I dunno… like.. a boost... aren't there some kind of…. substances… that can give you energy?"
"You mean like drugs." He replied flatly
"I guess…."
"Don't be stupid."
Danny frowned, "Oh come on Tuck! Every day I have to fight ghosts AND keep up in school AND deal with idiots like Bruce… "
Tucker nodded in understanding. A day ago, when they had seen Sam last, she was stumbling towards her house with messy hair and smudged make up. Tucker could feel Danny blazing furiously. They called to her from across the street but she only looked at them with glazed eyes and then walked inside the darkness that was her house.
Tucker had to wrestle Danny to the ground to prevent him from entering.
Oh man, I haveway more to the storybut I gotta go out now. Its summer you know, get off the computer and go to the BEACH