Chasing You
Chapter 1- Crushes
"And what's today's lunch Tuck?" Danny asked, looking to his friend.
"Today's lunch is supposed to be cheeseburger." Tucker responded. "Haven't I already told you that?"
"No." Danny said, opening his locker to fish out his lunch money.
"Hey guys." Sam walked up and leaned on the locker next to Danny's. "What's today's lunch?"
"It's cheeseburger." Tucker said tonelessly.
"Hey Danny." A female voice called from behind. Sam turned to look away.
"Hey Val." Danny spun around and waved.
"Are you busy after school? There's supposed to be a new restaurant opening downtown." Valerie said sweetly. From her point facing away from Valerie, Sam made a face like she was about to puke.
"Umm…" Danny looked like he didn't know what to say. Tucker looked like he was adding this to his PDA at the very moment.
"He'll only go if we can come too." Sam heard her own voice before she realized what she had said.
Valerie looked like she wanted to strangle Sam as Danny responded, "Sure. I'll see you three at my house at maybe five." Sam breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment there, she had been sure Danny would walk right into a date with her!
As usual, the line for lunch was long. By the time Tucker and Danny sat down, they had to wolf down their food to beat the bell.
"Are we supposed to get dressed up?" Danny asked between mouthfuls of food.
"Why don't you ask Valerie?" Tucker asked innocently. Didn't Tucker realize that every moment Danny spent alone with Val was pure torture for Sam?
"I heard my name." Val said from behind Sam.
"We were wondering if we should dress up." Danny asked.
"Actually, look nice, but not fancy. Just jeans and a tee would do. I'm going to wear a skirt." Valerie said thoughtfully.
"Okay." Tucker said, adding to his PDA. Valerie looked disgusted.
The bell rang, but Sam couldn't think about her classes for the rest of the day. So much could go wrong. What if Valerie found a way to get to be with just Danny? What if she was just trying to fool them?
By the look on Tucker's face, Sam figured he was excited about getting to be with Val.
"Why didn't she ask me out?" He moaned.
"Maybe because you dumped her for me at that school dance?" Sam offered. This comment didn't improve Tucker's mood.
The clock in the living room chimed four. Danny looked up, surprised. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten. Swiftly changing, he was sitting on the front stoop, wondering when everyone would arrive, when a familier car drove up.
Could that be Val, fashionably early? It was barely four thirty. She came up the walk cheerfully. "You're early." Danny said truthfully.
"Am I?" Valerie went slightly pink. "I thought you said four thirty!"
"No, but I guess it's alright. We'll have to wait for Tucker and Sam to arrive."
"Do we have to? Can't we meet them there?" Val whined.
"Well…" But Danny phoned both Sam and Tucker to meet them by Nasty Burger's at five so they could go from there. Strangely, neither of them were home.
Sam sat worriedly in her room. Valerie would do anything to get close to Danny, wouldn't she? What if she arrived early?
The clock chimed four forty-five. Nervously, Sam walked down the road until the Fenton's house came into view. Neither Danny nor Valerie stood outside. Was that good or bad?
Ringing the doorbell, Sam hoped Danny would answer, but Jazz answered, looking puzzled.
"Where's Danny?"
"He left with someone a while ago. He said he phoned you." Pulling out her phone, and finding no voice mail or message of any sort, Sam may not have known where Danny was, but she was sure he was with Val.
"Thanks. Bye." Sam said quickly turning to run. But before dashing off, Sam wondered if Tuck got this mysterious call.
"Hey Tuck. Did you get a call from Danny? He's not at his house, and I'd bet he's with Valerie."
"So? Sam, let the poor guy have some fun. He's always stuck saving the world, so isn't a date good for him?" Sam cringed.
"Sam? Hello? Still there?" Tucker asked loudly. Sam hung up. Maybe she was just being selfish.
Walking home, Sam collapsed onto her bed and lay there for hours, not even flinching when the phone rang and the Caller I.D. announced it as Danny.
Picking it up slowly, Sam asked, "Hello?"
"Hey Sam. What happened? Didn't you get my call?" Danny asked.
"Yeah. I couldn't come. Something popped up." Sam lied. How could she tell Danny what she thought? If Danny was happy, shouldn't that make her happy?
"Oh. Val and I had a great time. Look, Sam is there something wrong? Normally whenever I like someone, you have a complaint." Danny asked carefully. Is that what Danny thought of her?
"Oh no. If you trust her, then I oughta." Sam choked out. How much more of this could she handle?
"Well, okay." Danny didn't seem convinced. "I'll see you later. Bye." The dial tone buzzed in Sam's ear.
Sam dialed Tucker. "Tuck? Listen and don't ask any questions. Am I too bossy?"
"What?" Tucker seemed genuinely surprised by this. "Too bossy?"
"Yes. Am I too bossy? Do I complain too much?"
"Why are you asking me this?" Tucker asked suspiciously. Sam didn't want to admit to Tucker how she felt, but she needed to know.
"Look, Sam, stop worrying. If we didn't like you, would we be such good friends?"
"Thanks. Bye." Sam felt like all her energy had just been drained out of her. Did Danny like her back of not?
Whoever knew love could be so hard?
A/N: Please R&R. From this, is it obvious who my pairings are? Anyway, I hope you like this. Expect more chapters soon! KLS