If We Kiss

by Forgotten Sacrifice

AU, Sam Manson meets the boy of her dreams. He's smart, funny...but entirely offlimits. Her mother is engaged to his father while her best friend is in love with him! As their relationship grows stronger, she can't help but ask herself 'what if we kiss..'

3. The Feeling

((Author's Note:

:DDDDDD XDD You guys! Before I give out the cookies, I must say this:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I swear I was having a crappyfull day the day after I posted the second chapter, and I got reviews that made me feel so happy! I could feel my insides start squirming from overjoyousness...ess...(cough) well anywaysh...Gah! I just found out that 'If We Kiss' was put into a C2! (hugglesh Phantom Of A Rose) This chapter will change yer mind about that though...o-0

This chappeh is full of...(giggles) stuffs. I had this one planned out fer a while. I'm not too sure how I like it...It's kind of weird. Not gonna be your favorite chappy, that's fer sure...But I had weird dreams involving this chappy. Very...very weird dreams. But they worked out very well! Hehe. It's just an informative chapter that makes the plot more...plotty.

I hate beginning chapters. IGNROE THE BOO I SAY! IGNORE IT! Wait...no. DON'T! (bangs head against wall because she can't make up her mind) It's very important! Grrr... .

Okay. YOUR FOUR COOKIES YOU AWESOME REVIEWERS YOU! (huggles all reviewers because they are cool .)

BlueMyst19: . I'm keeping my mouf closed. (looks paranoid) ()()()() YAY! THANKIEAPOOSH! I luff him too! (huggles Danny and squeezes him)

Passing4insane: ()()()() I advise you to keep yer mouf shut! Teehee just joking. (looks around paranoid) I shan't say a word. -.-

Phantom Of A Rose: Awwwwwww! (blushes) Teehee. That comment always makes me smile! ()()()() a .

Tha Darkness 4rm beyond tha grave: whoa! That stinks! . I feel sorry for yeh! I give you cookies that I have magicified to make sure you don't get sick: ()()()()

Giggleaid: (huggles) ()()()()...(coughyesitiscough)

dPhantoMfreak: Awww! Thank you! ()()()()

OHMYGOSHNESS! I forgetted to add this: BUTCH HARTMAN OWNS DANNY PHANTOM!

Why are my author notes so long? Nobody reads them anyhoo...o-o Unless, you know, they want their cookie! Teehee. Enjoy! This isn't my best piece of work at the moment...O.o BUT IT WILL GET SO MUCH BETTER I PROMISE!

Sorry for the long wait. wasn't letting me upload this! >. But this should be okay...

Ignore the lame chapter title.))

Chapter Three

The Feeling

Valerie hugged her books against her chest, grinning at me wickedly. I gave her a small smile back as I slammed my locker door shut. Her long black hair was tied up into a ponytail, bits of strand hairs billowing against her forehead. She leaned up against the wall of metal, slightly narrowing her eyes at the students passing by in the hallway. I sighed, chuckled, and rolled my eyes at her obscured insanity.

"Looking for someone?" I teased her, raising an eyebrow. Valerie giggled and shrugged. I smirked behind her back, folding my arms across my chest, causing my backpack strap fall down to my forearm.

"What's his last period, again?" She asked, turning around to face me. I grinned at her hidden curiosity.

"Who?" I was taunting her purposefully, just a bit.

"Sam!" Valerie groaned. Her turquoise eyes were filled with frustration and annoyance. A light chuckle gasped inside of my chest at my creation.

"English," I informed her idly. Valerie turned her head in the opposite direction. I lifted the strap on my backpack to sling over my right shoulder.

"Hello, ladies!"

Valerie spun around, almost in a blur, her eyes sparkling with delight at the student walking toward us.

"Hey, Tuck," I greeted the bespectacled technology geek. My eyes drifted from Valerie to Tucker.

"Hi, Tucker..." Valerie said softly, adverting her eyes to the floor. I furrowed my brow. Valerie had found out two weeks ago that Tucker had a crush on her, and I was hoping that her abnormal behavior was returning the feelings for him. A small twinge of regret for informing Valerie about Tucker's secret burned inside of me.

"It's finally Friday!" Tucker exclaimed as we walked out the doors of Casper High School. I vaguely nodded, shifting to the other side of Tucker so he could be in the middle. I dawdled through the thick crowd of students, hoping to leave Tucker and Valerie alone as planned. I stepped onto someone's shoe, receiving an angry glare from the senior. I glared back menacingly, though my attempt would have done no harm considering I was a mere freshman. She rolled her eyes and walked away as I looked to my side to find that Tucker and Valerie were gone. A light smile played across my lips as I pushed my way out of the crowd.

When Valerie and Tucker came into view, I noticed that Valerie had her hair out of the ponytail, something she did to hide her sweaty neck due to nerves. Purposefully, I lingered back, giving them their space. It seemed too good to be true that my two best friends had fallen for each other. Not that the thought of what might happen if they decided that they weren't right for each other hadn't stuck thought before. It didn't seem likely, to me, that they weren't destined for each other.

"Where's Sam?" I heard Tucker ask Valerie. Immediately I bent down to act as if I were lacing my boots. Shadows appeared on the pavement before me. I glanced up to find Valerie and Tucker towering over me. I grinned.

"Sorry, had to tie my shoe," I lied. Tucker nodded while Valerie gave me a hidden smile which I returned. I stood up, readjusted the strap on my backpack so I was more comfortable, and continued on.

"Do erm...you guys wanna come over?" I offered. "Pam's working late tonight so we can order a pizza I guess..."

"Cool," Tucker said as we approached my neighborhood. Valerie nodded in agreement.

We turned to the left and were surrounded by small houses of the exact same detail. I had lived here for the majority of my life, so I was used to the similarities. Tucker and Valerie, however, seemed to feel a bit awkward. Tucker lived in the higher quality houses of Amity Park, something that I never would nor cared to be able to do, while Valerie resided in an apartment building, yet she and her father were searching for a house now that her father got a promotion.

The only thing that tore my house away from all the others was the exaggerated use of lawn gnomes that led up the walkway to the front door. Normally these were the only greetings I got when walking home, but another item on the Manson property was there as well.

"Oh no," I muttered.

"What?" Valerie asked.

In the driveway sat a bulky R.V with various weapons sitting upon the roof. I grasped my backpack strap in annoyance as the three of us walked up my driveway.

"Sam!" I heard Pam call from inside the garage. "You're home already?" My stomach dropped. Why wasn't she at work?

"Hey, Mrs. Manson!" Valerie greeted my mother. I walked into the open garage, stepping over a tricycle that was embraced with nothing but dust. We didn't own a car, so the garage was mainly a storage unit for us. There were three fold up lawn chairs placed in the center of the garage along with a three-legged table that we got a few years ago when Pam's best girl friend Maddie made daily visits (now, however, they turned out to be weekly). I furrowed my brow at the sight of Pam scooting her chair away from the table to stand up, a large orange blur following in suit. The far left chair, however, remained immobile.

"I could ask you the same question," I noted to Pam as she and Jack lifted the halfway closed garage door so Tucker, Valerie, and I wouldn't have to bend down. Blush crept upon her cheeks, giving me a feeling of satisfaction.

"Jack called while I was at work and took me out to lunch," She explained as we trotted into the garage. I nodded once and leaned up against the wall, dropping my backpack onto the ground. "I decided to take the rest of the day off..."

"Doesn't he have a job?" I muttered myself through clenched teeth, but forced a smile to give to Jack and Pam.

"Right, well, we're gonna go inside and..." My voice trailed off as Pam directed her attention to Jack. I rolled my eyes at her fawns and bent down to retrieve my backpack.

"Have fun," She said distantly. I felt Valerie brush up against my shoulder, causing me to jump.

"Let's go," I said as Tucker casually strolled over to us. My eyes drifted from Pam to Danny, who was staring absently out of the garage. His hair was slightly ruffled from the wind today. Why wasn't he in school? I cleared my throat. "Erm...Danny?" I said softly. "You wanna come?" I raised my eyebrows as he turned to us and grinned.

"Sure," He replied, scooting out of his chair, almost gratefully, and joined the three of us.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Danny as we stepped into the kitchen, placing my school things on the counter. Tucker and Valerie mimicked my actions. "They don't release you that early in Chicago, do they?" Danny's blank expression turned slightly guilty for a brief second, but when I blinked it returned to blank.

"Erm...actually Dad...he..." Danny shoved his hands into his jean pockets. The 'Awkward Habit' theory ran through my mind. "He picked me up early to um...have lunch with your mom and him..." Behind me, Valerie giggled at his struggle. I searched his face, trying to reveal a hidden lie. His hands were dug deeper into his pockets, though he stood at attention, clearly catching my motif. I hastily looked away from his sky blue eyes and stared ahead.

"Okay," I said, and began to open the kitchen door and directly guide them toward my room when a cold rush overwhelmed me. I hadn't been planning on allowing Tucker or Valerie into my room when I thought that Pam wasn't home. I wasn't going to break my no-human-allowed-in-my-room pact. I froze in my tracks, causing Danny to bump into me.

"Oof," He muttered in my ear. His honeysuckle breath wafted into my nose.

"Sorry," I said hastily.

"It's okay." He gave me his crooked smile, the one that brought out the real meaning behind the smile, and I felt my blood rush to my toes. I shook my head and smiled back, opening the door wide open for the four of us to pile through.

"D'you guys want to erm...watch...T.V or something?" I offered as the torn up sofa came into view.

"Sure..." Tucker said slowly, eying the back of Danny's head. I glanced at Valerie, who was doing the same.

"Oh erm...guys...this is Danny," I introduced, placing my hand on Danny's shoulder. "Danny...that's Val and Tuck...I mean Tuck and Val." Danny chuckled.

"Is he your--" Valerie began.

"Our parents are dating," I said somewhat angrily. I wasn't too sure what she was thinking that Danny was, but I had a strong feeling that she thought we were dating. Was she that blind?

"Pam's dating?" Valerie squealed. I rolled my eyes and plopped onto the couch. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. Best friend or not, Valerie wasn't too interested in the men that Pam dated, if she dated at all. I kicked my feet onto the cushion beside me and rested my head on the arm of the couch, taking up the majority of the sofa. Lazily, I picked up a pillow from the ground and placed it behind my head. Danny sat down in the armchair beside the fireplace, Valerie beside my foot, leaving Tucker to the coffee table.

"Since when do you care?" I asked, closing my eyes. I heard Danny chuckle again. He seemed to do that a lot. I mentally shot him a glare at my annoyance.

"Uhm..."

"So, Danny," Tucker asked, saving Valerie from her struggle. "Where d'you live?"

"Chicago," Danny answered. I heard him shift uncomfortably in his chair just inches beside my head.

"Whoa..." Tucker said. I opened my eyes to find him readjusting his glasses.

"That's pretty far," Valerie mused. ''No duh, Val,'' I thought to myself. "How long is the drive over here?"

Danny shrugged. "When Dad drives it's about..." He thought for a moment. "Half an hour." Valerie scoffed.

"Right," She said. "And Sam just ate a slab of meat." I threw the pillow behind my head at her, which she dodged. Danny laughed.

"No, I don't think he's joking, Val," I pointed out, propping onto my elbows. "His dad drives like a maniac."

"How do you know?" Tucker asked. I put my feet onto the ground, my boots making a loud thump when they made contact with the floor.

"We went out to eat the other night," Danny answered. I nodded.

"Really?" Valerie asked. I scooted until my hip brushed against the arm of the couch before I patted the empty space between Valerie and me for Tucker to sit down. He accepted this offer graciously. "Where to?"

"Why do you care?" I hissed.

"Someone's cranky."

I glared at Valerie for her comment.

"So where did you go out?" Valerie asked Danny. Danny looked from me to Valerie, and back at me again. Our eyes met for a split second.

"This restaurant a few blocks away from that one Nasty Burger..."

It wouldn't have been considered a big deal if Tucker wanted to know (or cared, for that matter) where Jack took us for dinner. I would have told him the truth, that I, an ultra-Recyclo vegetarian, sat at a table in Al's Steakhouse for over an hour. But Valerie, however, continued to annoy me with constant jokes about my choice of food and my perspective upon right and wrong. If she knew that I stepped foot inside of a steakhouse, revealing a sign of weakness, I wouldn't get rid of her dim-witted cracks for years.

"Oh..." Valerie's voice became quiet, yet she never took her eyes off Danny. "So erm...what's Chicago like?"

"Erm..." Danny thought for a moment. "Big, I guess."

"Do you like Amity Park better?" Danny shrugged. A sudden feeling of deja vu flooded over me.

I felt Tucker squirm beside me as Valerie continued throwing questions out at Danny, laughing along at his witty jokes. I scoffed to myself. As if she actually understood. As if she actually cared. I began to pull on a loose string attached to the cushion, only making the large rip in the couch spread.

But, then again, why would she ask the questions in the first place? I shook my head. It made no sense. My head darted from Danny to Valerie as questions were asked and answered, occasionally drifting to Tucker, who was staring at the blank television screen. I soon found out that Danny, not a straight A student, was rather intelligent, though he chose not to accept it. His life's ambition was to become an astronaut, and he was great at bowling (Valerie laughed at that remark and challenged him to a face-off). I learned that our choice of a favorite band was the same, as well as television. I felt slightly relieved that we had so much in common.

"So..." Valerie began, tracing circles on the pillow that I threw to her. "How's your girlfriend?" I furrowed my brow, as did Danny.

"What?" He frowned. "I don't...I never said..."

"I know, I know," Valerie explained. I couldn't help but notice the slyness in her tone. "I just thought..."

Danny's eyebrows etched together, his frown deepening. His cheeks had a light tint of pink creeping down from his ears.

"I don't...have a..." Whether it was the light or not, Valerie's face seemed to brighten. I felt a lump in my throat and began coughing, longing for it to wilt away. I failed, only causing the lump to grow.

"Oh." Valerie giggled and flashed Danny her gorgeous smile that not even Tucker received. The string popped off. I bit my tongue as Tucker squirmed in his position. His shoulder brushed against mine as I stood up.

"Who wants erm..." I cleared my throat. "I think we've got some...brownies Pam made the other night. You guys want some?"

"That'd be great!" Valerie exclaimed enthusiastically. I restrained from rolling my eyes.

"Cool. You need any help?" Danny offered, standing up out of his chair. I took deep notice that Tucker remained silent.

"No, no," I said, glancing at Valerie. I had to get her away from Danny. "Val can help." Danny sat back down in his seat as Valerie reluctantly stood up and departed with me to the kitchen.

I slammed the door behind me, fuming with rage, a menacing glare sure to be set upon my face as I faced a slightly smiling Valerie. She raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

I scoffed and flung open the cabinets, revealing a package of paper plates. I grabbed them and thrust them onto the counter, making a large booming noise throughout the kitchen. I could have sworn I heard Tucker squeal.

"You know, Val," I said through clenched teeth as I opened the utensil drawer and pulled out for forks. "If you're gonna flirt with a guy you just met, you could at least have the nerve to do it when the guy that you supposedly like isn't around...or that your best friend that doesn't need to feel any more awkward around her mother's boyfriends son." Valerie frowned and contorted her expression into fake confusion. I crossed to the other side of the kitchen, my boots making the only sound in the kitchen for a moment.

"What are you talking--"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" I stopped lifting the aluminum foil off of the brownies, turned around, and put on a high pitched voice. "'Oh, Danny! Hehe, I just love that shirt! Wow! You're good at bowling? Hehe! How about you and I make a date and see who's better! Oh, Danny, I'm sorry. I thought that because you're so beautiful and perfect that you might have a girlfriend!"

"I never said that, Sam!" screeched Valerie. I rolled my eyes at her obliviousness. She reminded me of Jack.

"You didn't have to! Your face said it all."

"What are you getting at?" She handed me the plates. I grabbed them.

"What about Tuck?" I asked somewhat calmly, something I was unable to do since Valerie began flirting with Danny. "What about Tucker?"

"What about him?" She asked. I turned the brownie pan around to scrape off the remnants.

"I need a knife..." I muttered to myself. Valerie's eyes must have widened. Apparently she took my remark the wrong way.

"I thought you two were...you know..." I grasped the knife handle and took it back to the brownies.

"It wasn't...official or anything..." stated Valerie, backing into the refrigerator. I cut into the brownies, cringing once the knife made a scraping sound against the bottom of the pan. Valerie came closer to me. "Tuck...he's nice and all..." She leaned her back against the counter. "But Danny...he's...different." The knife slipped and my pointer finger made contact with the brownie bunch.

"And all this is based on, what, a half an hour relationship?" I stuck my brownie exposed finger into my mouth and wiped it on my black and green skirt.

"No...it's like...a feeling, really. We're into the same music...T.V...everything."

"You only discussed one band and a few shows. How would you know?" The thought ran through my mind, giving me a smug feeling.

"So are you and me, but I don't see you getting all googly-eyed over me." Valerie giggled and gave me a playful shove, sending the knife into the sink.

"Sorry. It's just...I wouldn't expect you to get what I'm talking about, Sam."

I fished the knife out of last night's macaroni and cheese's watery grave.

"Why not?" I rounded on her. Valerie shrugged as I turned on the faucet to rinse off the knife.

"Just...you know...you're not..." I shut the water off to silence her.

"Don't finish that. Don't say anything else that you don't know a thing about what you're talking about. Just...shut up, okay?"

Valerie clamped her mouth shut and watched in silence as I cut the rest of the brownies.

"Why are you so interested in this? I mean, when you and I were plotting ways to get me and Tuck...well...I mean you didn't seem so interested. Now, though..."

"That," I pronounced the word very clearly as I flopped a brownie onto a plate. "Is because it's bound to happen. Destiny. This is not only gross, but wrong. You flirting with a guy you just met right under Tuck's nose. You really hurt him, you know?"

Valerie rolled her eyes.

"How do you know?"

"Because when he hasn't opened his mouth in the last thirty minutes you know something's wrong."

"Don't blame it on me!" Valerie narrowed her cerulean eyes at me into slits. "He was flirting back."

The knife dropped onto the floor with a loud 'Bang.'

Danny's blushing face popped into my mind. If Valerie considered that flirting then I didn't want to think about what she was doing with Danny.

"No he wasn't," I argued softly.

Valerie smirked.

"Yes he was. And you know it. Apparently I'm not the only one who had that feeling."

I scowled.

"What feeling? Stupidity?"

"No," Valerie answered stiffly as she grabbed a plate and walked to the door. "The feeling you get when you know it's right, whatever it is. But you're just too..." She scanned me up and down for a moment. "You just wouldn't be able to feel something like this. At least not for a long time."

And with that she slammed the door, leaving me a lone in the kitchen. I rolled my eyes, bent down and threw the knife in the sink, and tried to manage to bring the three plates and forks, balancing two on one hand into the living room.. I was doing fine until the door obstacle obscured my talent. I set one plate down and turned the knob, only to see Valerie's head in my spot. I sighed with anger and picked up the last plate, wishing that I could fling it at her head.

"Sammy!"

The brownies splattered to the ground just as the kitchen door slammed shut. I spun around and found Jack and Pam, her orange hair pulled into braids that resembled Dorothy off of The Wizard of Oz. I bit the inside of my cheek, my face expressionless.

"Hmm?" I bent down to clean up the mess that Jack's annoying voice had scared me into doing.

"Don't worry about it, honey," Pam said, shooing me away from the duty. "I'll take care of it later." I raised an eyebrow. Pam was the queen of procrastinating. Her view of 'later' meant either 'never' or to have me to it.

"Did Danny tell you the news yet?" Jack asked me. My eyes immediately darted to Pam's usually ringless hand. I let out a soft sigh in relief. No ring.

"What news?" My eyes widened as something worse hit me. "Does it involve a new member of the family?" Pam and Jack chuckled.

"It involves a new member of Casper High..." Jack said, peering over my head and into the living room. "Danny, you didn't tell Sammy?" I cringed.

Danny's face popped up from the armchair, guilt spread across it. I couldn't resist but to give him my smug smile that I was so used to giving out. He bit his lip and walked into the kitchen, hands dug deep into his pockets, a feeble smile playing across his lips.

"Must of...slipped my mind, I guess."

So that's why he wasn't at school when we came home...

"Going to a new school just slipped your mind, eh?" I teased. Danny smiled grimly.

Jack approached behind Danny and gripped his shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Yep...Dan and I found a condo we're moving into for the time being..."

"What?" Valerie appeared in the doorway, Tucker behind her.

"Jeeze, Danny!" Pam said, clutching Jack's forearm. Jack released his grasp upon Danny and dropped his arm to his side. "Why didn't you tell them?"

And then, as if I had just felt the pain of the water after doing a belly flop, it hit me.

Danny and Jack were moving to Amity Park. Jack would be around more often. Pam would take more time off of work to spend with her beau. Danny would attend Casper High. Valerie would...

I broke through my thoughts and crossed my arms.

"Why are you two moving down here, anyway? There's nothing here that Chicago doesn't offer--"

"Except Axion Labs," Jack finished for me. I furrowed my brow. Valerie's father worked there in the R&D division. I had only seen it from a distant when we were walking to her home from school and she had to make a pit stop. I didn't know too much about it, though, to understand why Jack needed to move to Amity Park.

"Why is that--?" I began, but Valerie intervened.

"So when are you gonna show up at Casper, then?" She batted her eyelids. I clenched my jaw to keep it from falling down.

"Right underneath adults' noses..." I thought to myself as Danny shrugged.

"A few days, most likely."

"Well, if you want, I can show you around when you get there. You know, before school. That way you won't get lost."

Danny's eyes slightly widened at the offer.

"Erm...sure. That'd be great!" He beamed. I rolled my eyes. Behind Valerie's mass of curly black hair, I watched as Tucker slumped away.

((Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter pretty much stunk like a bag of rotten poo...Okay that's not a fair comparison. Poo smelled better than this chapter. But erm...it IS important...
And is Sammy getting a little jealous? . Hmm...we'll just have to wait and see!
Ooh...but what about Tuck? (erm...on the reviews it says Thruster I think. I hope I didn't say a Thruster...or something like that. I have a feeling it's just to make sure that people didn't say...well, you know...o0.)
What's gonna happen? o-0 Hmm...
The next chappy shall smell similar to perfume, yet not so much similar. Does that make sense?
IF YOU REVIEW THEN YOU GET A COSMEEC BROWNIE PLUS FOUR COOKIES!
Isn't that cooehl? Teehee.
Maddie WAS mentioned here. You don't have to go back. I don't expect anyone to really realize it. It was like, one of those detail things, you know? Maddie is Pam's best friend...wow. This IS a HUGE AU! (gawks) Heh. Sorry, but that's just the way the boat floats. Wait...what? I never understood that.
Thanks for reading! AND reviewing, if you want to, that is. But you see that box right down there? (points to box) That's my motivation. Every review pumps me up. (gets pumped up even more) And every time I pass out a cookie I get ecstatic. Teehee. Just, you know REVIEW PLEASE! I KNOW that this chapter was long. And over exaggerated. I'm very sorry about that. But, that's the way the boat floats. I love to say that. Teehee. Garsh...that last part really makes me mad to look at it. I can't believe that a chapter could suck this bad...

FS))