September 20, 2004: Okay. I'm telling you all right now that I am not feeling so well at the moment. I had a close thing to one of those breakdowns that you see on TV all the time. Really want to know more? I detail it in my blog: http:www. livejournal .com /users/ flashingspirit/. Luckily, I finished this chapter on Saturday, so my writing skills weren't thrown down the toilet.
What I'm trying to say is this: don't be surprised if I miss next week's update. I'm really not in the mood to write (or do anything, for that matter). I'll address the reviewers and all that other good stuff next chapter. So, hasta luego.
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Danny in Star CityChapter Seven: Secret's Out
12:13 PM
"This is so much fun," Eliza laughed. "Who'da thunk that breaking into a lounge for security guards and messing with the control panel would be so much fun?"
"We'll probably be arrested for breaking and entering," Danny said.
"Hey, it took me less than seven seconds to pick the lock," she protested. "Therefore, it doesn't count as breaking and entering. Anyway, it's not like- crap."
"It's not like crap?" Danny asked, turning around to see what she was looking at. Jack, Eric, and Jazz were standing in the doorway, looking at the duo in a very ticked-off manner.
"Um.... hi there," Eliza said, giving a weak grin.
"Hello," Eric responded. "Maybe you'd like to tell us why y'all're in here?"
"We were just, um.... Danny, help me out, here," Eliza hissed out the side of her mouth.
"All Eliza's idea," he said, pointing a finger.
"Tattler," she muttered.
"So it was you two on the P/A," Jazz said.
"Also Eliza's idea," Danny said.
"It doesn't matter whose idea it was," Eric said. "What matters is that-"
"Hey! Who ate all the pizza?" Hal yelled from the back of the lounge.
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1:28 PM
"What you two did was very irresponsible," Eric said.
"We know."
"You shouldn't have run off from Jazz like that."
"We know."
"You've got to promise not to do something like that again."
"We know."
Since Danny and Eliza really didn't do anything in the lounge besides use the intercom system, their dads couldn't really get mad. However, that didn't stop Eric from lecturing them on their way home. Maddie was a bit surprised when they came back so early, but she was glad to have their help with rounding up a hyper Todd. It turned out that the nine-year-old hadn't really been sick but had only faked it so he could stay home and watch the Crash Nebula marathon on TV. He had somehow gotten into Eliza's room and found her secret stash of candy and was now, quite literally, bouncing off the walls. Needless to say, Katrina wasn't too pleased with her second-born at this point. After sending Todd up to his room, ("I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it!") she collapsed onto one of the chairs.
"Tough day?" Eric asked.
Katrina snorted. "Tough? That boy didn't give me as much trouble at birth as he has today."
Eliza stifled a giggle and headed upstairs.
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4:56 PM
"So, how is it in the backcountry of Virginia?" Sam asked.
"It's been weird, let me tell you," Danny said, shifting his the phone as he hunted through his suitcase for a clean pair of jeans. "First Dad loses our hotel reservations, then we couldn't get a room.... we ended up running into an old friend of Mom's, and she's letting us stay for a few days."
"What a coincidence," the goth girl said dryly.
"Anyway," Danny lowered his voice, "Has anything happened since I was gone?"
"Well, we haven't had an all-out ghost attack, if that's what you're asking, but-" Sam was cut off by a voice yelling something that sounded an awful lot like, "I am the Box Ghost!" in the background.
"Go away, you moron! I'm trying to talk to Danny!" Sam snapped. "Sorry about that. He's been hanging around me and Tucker for the past few days. It's driving me crazy!"
"How'd he get there?" Danny wondered. "He was here last night, I swear."
"Really? Hey, Box Ghost! Were you stalking Danny?" The ghost's reply was muffled, but Sam translated it as an affirmative.
"He said something about another ghost who's come after me," the black-haired boy explained. "Apparently, this one is here, in Star City."
"Well, what's his name?"
"I dunno, I wasn't told."
"So, you don't have a clue where he is right now?" asked Sam.
"Nope. There hasn't been any sign of any ghost down here, but I wouldn't doubt that this paranormalist convention would attract someone."
"You've just got to keep your eyes open, Danny. I wish that we were there to help."
"Help how?" Danny asked. "You and Tucker would only become targets, and I won't let that happen."
"Please. The worst we've had to deal with is being annoyed by the Box Ghost on a regular basis."
The sarcasm was just dripping from his friend's voice and Danny laughed despite himself. "That sounds pretty bad."
"Tell me about it." Sam's voice took on a worried tone, one that she seemed to be using more and more often. "You take care of yourself, okay, Danny? I want you to come home in one piece."
"Don't I always?" he joked.
"I'm serious, Danny."
"I know." There was a brief, contemplative silence, broken when the two sighed in unison.
"We hang around each other too much," he laughed.
"I know it. See you, Danny," she said.
"Bye, Sam."
Danny hung up the phone and sighed, massaging his temples. There was a short knock at the door and Eliza burst in.
"Your mom told me to tell you that we're going out to dinner soon and that you should take a shower if you haven't already," she told him in a rush. She gave him a look-over and said, "Nice boxers. They match your recently-shampooed hair."
"Get out, I'm not dressed all the way!" he hissed, blushing.
"Like I haven't been to a co-ed swimming pool before," she snorted.
"Turn around," Danny ordered. Eliza rolled her eyes and huffed, but complied.
Trusting her in this situation about as much as he would trust Tucker not to take embarrassing photos of him to email to complete strangers, Danny hastily found some clean pants and shoved them on.
"Took you long enough on the phone," Eliza remarked, still turned around. "You must like that Sam girl a lot."
"You were listening?" Danny asked, his foot stopped halfway through a leg.
"She seems nice," the redhead continued, ignoring his question. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"Don't change the subject!" he snapped.
"Probably not. From what I could tell, y'all have a more-than-friends, less-than-lovers thing going on. Is she gay?"
"....what?"
"Are you gay?"
"Eliza!"
"What, I'm not looking!" she protested.
"That's not the- you are so aggravating!" Danny groaned. "First off, no, neither of us are gay. Second off, were you listening in on another line?"
"Danny, that would have been impossible. You were using a cell phone. And I didn't really mean to eavesdrop- really!" she said when she saw his expression. "I came to talk and I heard you on the phone, and something just caught my ear...."
Taking a nervous swallow, Danny asked, "How much did you hear?"
"Not enough to know exactly what you two were talking about, but enough to be officially freaked out," she said, snorting. Danny felt his blood run cold as the girl continued. "I'm going to ask you again: what the heck is going on?"
Danny didn't reply. After a moment, he sank down onto the bed. "I.... I can't tell you," he said.
"You can't or you won't?" There was more than a tinge of exasperation in Eliza's voice. Sighing, she sat down next to him. They both studied the carpet and its lovely floral pattern for a while.
"Look, I just want to know.... is my family going to be in danger?" she asked.
"I don't know, Eliza. Probably not," Danny said, shifting his feet awkwardly.
"You don't know that." This was more of a statement on the girl's part than an accusation. Danny shook his head, and in a softer tone, she asked, "Are you going to be in danger?"
Hesitating, he took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. More than likely."
Eliza sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Absently, she started twirling a red strand with her finger and narrowed her gray eyes thoughtfully. "Well," she said slowly, "since I'm being deprived of any details, I don't think I'll be of much help to you. I do suppose that you know what you're doing?"
"I know enough, I guess," Danny said, shrugging.
Nodding, she said, "Okay, then. Is there any way at all that I can help out with the.... whatever you have to do?"
"I guess just be on the lookout for anything strange," he said.
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "By strange, I assume you mean something like this."
"Uh-huh."
She grinned suddenly. "Since you won't tell me what's up with this, can I guess?"
"Sure," Danny said, a bit surprised.
"Okay," Eliza said, rubbing her hands together. "It's got something to do with ghosts, right?"
"Right," he nodded.
"So, um..... it has something to do with your parents' work. I don't think that anyone else in your family knows, otherwise you wouldn't have gone to talk to Sam in private." When Danny nodded again, she said, "Oooh, a secret! This just keeps getting better and better." Eliza pondered a bit and stared at Danny absently. "I wonder...."
"What?" he said.
"Think fast," she told him and brought up her hand to slap him in the face. He dodged just in time, but couldn't avoid being whapped by her backswing.
"Ow! Geez, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"So, obviously you're not a ghost, or otherwise my hand would have gone right through you." Eliza thought it over a bit and sighed. "Search me if I know what's up. You're secret's safe for now. And.... I guess I won't tell anyone about this conversation, since you're so keen on keeping the.... whatever private." She poked him. "You gotta be more careful, though. I mean, I'm not exactly the most observant person in the world and I already know something's up."
"That's because you were listening behind the door," he grumbled.
"What do you expect?" she laughed. "My mom's friend's son goes into a room to make a private phone call and I'm not supposed to be curious?"
"You're nosy."
Eliza beamed. "I know."
He gave half-smile, still looking down at his feet. Eliza gave him a friendly thump on the arm and stood up. "Hurry up and get a shirt on so we can go eat. I'm starving, and you're the one holding us up."
Danny cracked a grin. "All right. And Eliza?" She hesitated at the door, looking back at him. "Thanks for not, you know.... prying about this."
She nodded. "You're welcome," she said, and went off.
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6:02 PM
Later that evening, the two families piled into their respective cars. Maddie agreed to drive on the condition that they tell her everything- and she meant everything- that happened at the convention.
"You didn't really miss much, Mom," Jazz assured her. "Dad didn't even blow anything up this time."
"You say that as though it comes as a surprise," Jack said.
"It does," his wife and children said.
They followed the Channingses' car to downtown Star City, coming in through the bridge on the east side. Jazz looked down out of the window at the Star River, reflecting bright sunlight. The sun, soon to be setting over the Blue Ridge Mountains, cast a warm golden glow over the apartments and handful of skyscrapers. Under a yellow awning that stretched for a couple of blocks, locals were packing up their crafts and produce from a day at the market.
They passed a five-story building with banners strung on the brick walls across from a large, warehouse-type building. Going down a smaller side street, the car slowed and parked beside a little Indian restaurant.
"Welcome to Nawab's!" greeted a deeply tanned man in a light British accent. "Table for eight?" Before awaiting their reply, he grabbed some menus and led them to the back of the room. The whole place was decorated in a vibrant Eastern theme; the walls were decked in scarlet and orange wallpaper, gold leaf adorned the rustic wooden chairs, and a large, ornate statue was set up in the corner.
"What's with the six-armed guy?" Danny, nudging Eliza as they sat down at the same end of the table.
"From what I remember from geography last year, that six-armed guy would be Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. Or something like that." She sighed as she looked through the menu. "Dad, you know I don't like this place."
"Oh, come on," Eric said. "You need to try new foods once in a while. Be cultured, and all that stuff your mom keeps yammering about. Ow!" he said as a swift kick came from his wife's direction.
Eliza made a face and said, "You never make Todd try new things."
"That's because pizza's the only thing he's eaten voluntarily for the past three years," Katrina replied. "Thank goodness they'll fix him up a hamburger."
"I thought that the cow was sacred or something?" Jazz said.
"Well," Eric said, leaning to whisper in her ear, "It's really buffalo meat. Don't tell Todd, or he won't eat it anymore."
"Neither would I," Jazz said, grimacing.
Closing her eyes, Eliza randomly pointed to a spot on the menu. "Tandoori chicken," she muttered. "Well, at least it's not buffalo."
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6:42 PM
After finishing his curry (which turned out to be a sort of soupy dish with vegetables, rice, and an unidentifiable meat by-product), Danny excused himself to the bathroom. A quick glance under the stalls discerned that he was alone. Rolling up his shirt, he looked at the reflection of the bandage on his arm.
"How can I even tell if this stupid thing is working?" he muttered. Quickly, he ripped the bandage off and tried not to wince at the sting. He waited a few minutes for something to happen. No ghost hunters bust down the door, no spirit popped out of nowhere. It was exceedingly anticlimactic.
Danny sighed, partly in disappointment and partly in relief. "Well, better safe than sorry," he muttered, replacing the bandage under his sleeve.
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6:45 PM
"Are you okay, Jazz?" Maddie asked. "You've barely touched your dinner."
Jazz slid her plate away and sighed. "I guess I'm just not very hungry," she said. Why am I still hung up about Conley? she thought, idly staring out the window. I mean, the chances of seeing him again are one in a million- speak of the devil....
She spotted her mind's fancy hanging outside the entrance, looking in with vague interest. Conley spotted her and lightly rapped on the glass, giving a wave.
"Who's that?" Maddie asked.
Eliza and Danny broke into identical grins and said, "Jazz's boyfriend."
"He is not!" she protested hotly. "I just met him today!"
The two started to snicker and, to keep Jazz from attacking them with silverware, Maddie said, "Jazz, we were planning on looking around the shops here after dinner. If you're done, it's all right with me if you want to go see your.... friend."
"Really?" Jazz perked up.
"Of course. Go on," Maddie said, shooing her daughter off, "we'll find you later."
"Thanks, Mom! Love you, bye!" Jazz said, giving her mom a kiss and racing off.
"Running off from dinner to be with a boy she's only known for a day.... our little girl's growing up," Jack said, dabbing at his eyes with the tablecloth.
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6:48 PM
"Hello, Jazz," Conley said.
"Hey," Jazz said shyly. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was just walking by when I spotted a charming girl in one of the restaurants. Lo and behold, if it wasn't the same one I had met earlier today."
"You- you think I'm charming?" Jazz asked, blushing.
"I said it, didn't I?" he replied, grinning. "I was wondering if you might like to accompany me tonight."
I can't believe that he's openly flirting with me, Jazz thought, nodding her consent. And I can't believe that I'm falling for it.
"Where are we going?" she asked aloud as they started to walk.
"There's a soiree being held at the park," he explained. "I thought that you and I could go down there and check it out."
"You mean we're going to crash a party?" Jazz frowned.
"Exactly," Conley said, smirking. "Unless you want to pay the two hundred dollar entrance fee."
"Well, I don't know...."
"Come on, Jazz. We show up, we mingle, and then we leave. No biggie."
"We could get into trouble."
Conley shrugged. "Nothing I couldn't talk my way out of."
Jazz spent the next few minutes wondering what he meant by that statement. He started walking a little closer to her until their knuckles started to brush against one another. She felt a small thrill through her body as he slipped his hand around hers.
Oh, my God.... what do I do? Am I supposed to say something? I bet I'm blushing big time. Chancing a look at Conley, Jazz caught the smile he sent her way. Her stomach flipped and an unknown emotion swirled up inside. To keep from making a complete idiot of herself, she stared down at her feet as they walked, determined not to meet his eye.
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6:58 PM
"You know," Eliza said thoughtfully, "there are a bunch of creepy guys out there."
"Okay.... that was random," Danny said.
"No, wait, what if Conley is one?"
"Ah," he said, catching on. "Then I suppose that it would be my duty as her brother to go after her and make sure that she doesn't get into any trouble."
"And it would be my duty as your friend to go with you so we can observe Jazz's situation from a distance," Eliza said, smirking. "Hey, Mom?" she called. "Me and Danny are done. Can we go outside, too?"
Katrina raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to spy on Jazz?"
"Mom!" Eliza said, looking shocked. "It hurts that you would ever consider such an action. It hurts-" she lay a hand on her chest, "-right here. No, wait, more like...." She shifted her hand to the left a bit and said, "There we go. Hurts right there."
"Eliza," her mother warned.
"Okay, okay, fine. I'll leave the two lovebirds alone. Can we go, now?"
"As long as you take Todd with you and don't get lost," Katrina said.
Eliza grabbed her brother's hand. "Don't get Todd lost. Got it," she said, and led the two boys out of there.
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7:06 PM
Walking hand-in-hand, Conley and Jazz passed the old market building and the remains of an abandoned department store. They neared the public library, which overlooked Elmwood Park. A large tent had been set up at the near end of the park where many people, probably used to being described as rich and affluent, were gathered.
Conley let go of Jazz's hand and she wondered if she'd done something wrong when he gallantly offered his arm. "Shall we?" he asked.
"Well, since we're already here...." she said, taking his arm. He led her around the guards with clipboards checking everyone's invitation and/or $200.
"What's the party for?" Jazz asked.
"Probably some rich brat's presentation to society," Conley muttered. In one fluid movement, he grabbed a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing maître d' and took a sip.
"It's a tad flat for Chardonnay, but otherwise aged quite nicely," he remarked.
"Conley, you're too young to drink," Jazz said, surprised.
"Please. People give their kids watered-down wine all the time," he said, rolling his eyes. "Here, try some."
Taking the glass, she cautiously raised it to her lips. The champagne had a foreign taste to Jazz and tickled her nose. She gave a laugh and handed the half-empty glass back to Conley. "It's bubbly!" she exclaimed, holding a hand over her nose.
"Well, the French do call it 'sparkling water'," he said, amusement evident in his eyes. "But since you're uncomfortable with drinking, I suppose we can find you something else." He caught the attention of a second maître d'.
"Yes, sir?" the man said.
"Gin and tonic for me, some punch for the girl," said Conley.
"Very good, sir."
"You know your way around the rich scene," Jazz commented as the man went to fill their orders.
Shrugging, Conley said, "I've had experience with high society, yes.... here we go."
The maître d' had come back with a little tray and handed them their drinks. "Your punch, madam."
"Thank you," Jazz said. With a clink of their glasses, Conley gave a silent toast.
Well, there's only so much trouble I can get into with punch, Jazz thought, taking a swallow.
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7:20 PM
"Where did that girl go?" Eliza asked, scanning the deserted streets.
"Where'd everyone else go?" Danny asked.
"I'm bored!" Todd announced.
"We know!" Danny and Eliza said.
"Anyway," she continued after exchanging a surprised look with Danny, "I think there's some fling going down at the park that we weren't invited to, being middle-class citizens and all. Wanna go crash it?" she asked hopefully.
"Let's not and say we did," Danny said, rolling his eyes. "Focus, Eliza. We've got to find Jazz so we can spy on her and Conley."
"And break out into 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight?' at inopportune moments?"
"Why not?" Danny grinned. They headed down the sidewalk, looking around nervously for a sign of anyone else.
"This is like that part in the zombie movie," Todd whispered.
"Which one?" Eliza whispered back.
"Um.... you know. The one with all the undead people stalking the living people at the place with the thing."
"Todd, that covers the plot of about seven movies."
"So? Anyway, these people are walking down the street, see-"
"Which people?" Eliza interrupted. "The undead or the not-dead?"
"The not-dead. Like I was saying, these people are walking down the street and there's no one there."
"Maybe it was a holiday or something. People don't go out into the streets on a holiday."
"Will you quit it?" Todd snapped. "Anyway, suddenly there comes this moan-"
"From who? You just said that the streets were empty!"
"I'm trying to explain it to you, if you'd shut your big fat mouth once in a while!"
"Oh, you are so dead!"
Danny laughed to himself as the siblings continued to bicker, trying to remember the last time he and Jazz had fought like that. It would have to have been a long time ago, before she had become all "mature".
Passing an alleyway, the still air grew unexplainably cold. The hair on Danny's neck prickled and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Danny? You okay?" Eliza asked, pausing in her squabble to turn around.
His reply was cut off by a puff of blue smoke streaming from his mouth. Eliza gasped and involuntarily took a step backwards.
"Danny-"
"Get out of here," he said, facing the alley. There was a burst of blue light, illuminating a hulking figure taking refuge in the alleyway. Phantom had arrived.
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7:28
"An' then, an' then- hic- it's all like.... you know, like the thing...." Jazz waved her arms around in a vague manner to get her point across. She stumbled over an uneven part of the sidewalk and Conley caught her before she hit the ground.
"Hi," she said, grinning as she looked up at him.
"Hello," he replied and guided her over to a bench in a more secluded part of the park. "I think, Jazz, that you've had a bit too much to drink."
"Me? Hic, no, naw, no.... nope, not me. I don't drink. Hic. It was only this much," she said, holding her thumb and forefinger apart to signify the amount of "this much". (Apparently, the punch had contained more than fruit).
"Besides," she continued, "I'm not supposed to.... you know...."
"Drink?" Conley supplied.
Jazz nodded emphatically. "Yeah. That. That's bad. Hic. I'm not supposed to hic. Hic. Hic. You know."
"Well, I won't tell anyone if you don't," he said.
"Good. Cause I'm s'posed to set an.... exam.... ple.... for duh. Duh. You know. Hic. The kid."
"Your brother?"
"Yeah!" Jazz said. "That's him! That's the- hic- one! I'm s'posed to set an example for- hic- Danny." Slumping against his shoulder, she added thoughtfully, "He really needs to get a haircut."
"That.... that he does," Conley agreed. They sat like in a silence broken only by Jazz's drunken hiccups.
"Do you spend a lot of time with your brother?" he asked after a while.
Jazz shook her head sadly. "No. He's all.... you know. Hic. Doesn't want to be with his sister anymore."
"Well, he is growing up. I suspect that he has friends of his own."
"But th-that's not the only.... thing... you know, the thing that makes you do something else...."
"Reason?"
"Yeah. That's not the only reason he's not- hic- hanging with me any- hic- more."
"Really, now," Conley said. "What would that other reason be?"
Jazz giggled. "Danny is- hic- half ghost."