beforehand

Writers. Block. Fuxxing. Sucks.

Thanks to one anonymous person, I can attempt a new chapter, but don't expect anything great.

Oh, and don't ask about the chapter title. My thoughts weren't cooperating so I just wrote the first thing that came to mind.

shoutouts

yuuki - well, i'm glad i could make you happy :)

Chaos inducer - silly parents. i hate when they do that. i don't know where that whole jazz-watching thing came in but you know when you're half asleep and have a migraine what can you do? i had a deviantart account but i never go on so it's probably like suspended by now XD and no, danny's not going through puberty, the squeak is something that my fiancee does when he gets like annoyed or upset over something i say or do, he tries to be all serious but his voice cracks and it's just so cute.

gabriella phantom - like I said, it's only half a chapter... and yeah, i guess he is X3

Anon - thanks for the suggestions, i wish I could contact you to thank you personally. you're the only one who went out of the way to do that for me x.x i'm glad my story was the one you chose, and i'm glad you understand my writer's block issue T.T i'll try to update, though :-)

Meowth168 - enjoy that? XD good luck with your meowth

Bunny Bubble - is it really that good? O.o well I enjoy your work so I'm glad to have your approval! -hugs- I don't like writing short chpaters but I like to get my work out there right away to get feedback on it. -more hugs-

disclaimer

danny phantom is not mine. good thing too because eight episodes would come out and then the series would probably be taken off the air for LACK OF UPDATES T.T

Silent Departure

Chapter nine - Tidal Wave ((Sam's POV))

Tucker and I sit on the couch as we wait for Danny and Jazz to get ready. The phantom is nowhere in sight, so he's either hiding from Mr. and Mrs. Fenton or he and Danny fused back together. I wonder... if they did fuse and that poison is somehow still in the phantom's system, could it be in Danny now, too? I shake my head rapidly. Why am I thinking like that? No. Danny is fine... they both are... they're both going to be fine.

"You okay, Sam?" Tucker asks.

"Huh?"

"You seem a little spaced out. Thinkin' too much again?"

He's lucky I don't have the energy to be mad. "Yeah... thinking."

He wants to tease. He knows I'm thinking about Danny, and he wants to tease... but only because he doesn't know what I'm thinking about Danny. He's convinced that I'm hopelessly in love with our friend and I'll never get over myself. He...

"Okay, guys, let's go," Jazz interrupts my thoughts. Danny seems to be a little distracted too. Okay, so he doesn't and I'm just telling myself he is... but...

Ugh, my imagination is running wild. Nothing is wrong, Samantha. NOTHING.

"Sam? Sam!" Danny's trying to get my attention.

"What? Sorry, I..."

"Spaced out again," Tucker finishes for me. "Danny said hi like three times."

"I said I was sorry, what more do you want?" I grit my teeth. I hate Tucker sometimes, I really do. No, I don't... he just gets on my nerves... I emit a heavy sigh.

"Something wrong, Sam?" Danny asks as we climb into Jazz's car. He sits in the passenger seat while Tucker and I take the back. Before I can deny it, Tucker speaks.

"Yes. She's been acting strange all morning... and I don't mean in that creepy, gothic, over recycled veggie burger way..."

"ULTRA. RECYCLO. VEGETARIAN." I snap.

"Whatever!" Tucker crosses his arms and leans away from me. "See what I mean?"

"Sam, you don't have to get mad at Tucker like that," Danny says with a gentle smile. "He's practically a carnivore, things like that don't matter to him."

"They should if he considers me a friend," I mumble. Danny sighs.

"I think somebody just woke up on the sunny side of the coffin," Tucker comments.

"Tucker," Danny growls. "That's enough, both of you. Now I don't wanna sound like a teacher or your parents or my sister..."

"HEY!" Jazz puts in.

"Sorry," Danny says sheepishly, then goes back to being demanding, "But you two need to grow up and get along. The three of us have basically been best friends since we met, and we all have our differences. You're also both human, and have emotions which may cause you to sometimes have a bad day, and mouths that work faster than your minds which cause witty but harmful comments."

It's taking all I can not to lash out at Danny. I don't want to, and I know that no matter how just anything I say may sound, it's not. He has his problems too, more so than either Tucker or myself... I guess. He's not meaning to lecture us... just look out for us... so we don't have to go through the emotional strain he's used to. Danny must be having a really bad internal conflict to be able to give a speech like the one I'm no longer listening to. Either that or the phantom is telling him what to say...

"Okay, guys? Tucker? Sam?" Danny pleads. He sighs. "Can one of you be the better person?"

Tucker and I look at each other. He doesn't deserve forgiveness. He was way out of line and has no problems of his own that should be making him this bitchy. I think he's just an attention whore and had to make himself seem like the victim just because he was trying to help by telling what he believed to be my problem but then I went all psycho vamp on him. I can see the story forming in his technology-crammed mind. Danny gives up and sits back in his seat. Everyone is quiet for the rest of the ride, and Jazz doesn't turn the stereo on because she believes it to be a driving distraction. When we get out of the car, Danny comes around and opens my door before I can. He pretty much picks me up by the waist and takes me out of the car, then sets my feet on the ground and hugs me.

"Danny, what are you..."

"What's wrong, Sam?" he whispers, pulling back and looking into my eyes. "I know you and Tucker don't get along that well all the time, but something's really wrong with you today. I don't know how I know, I can just sense it."

"Danny, I..."

"You're my best friend," he whispers. "Just please, tell me what's wrong. Is it me? Did I do something to upset you? Did..."

"Danny," I rest my hands on his waist. "I think there's something wrong with you. Emotionally. I'm probably feeling from you that same negative energy you're feeling from me. You're right, it is hard to explain..." I take his hands from my body and simply hold his. "Jazz and Tucker already went inside. We can talk more about this, let's just get other things done in the process."

He nods, and we walk towards the school. Before he can turn the card on me, I say, "I need to know what's bothering you, because the only problem I'm having is sensing a disturbance in you, and you had that disturbance before you sensed mine."

He pauses, processing what I said, then nods, "Fair enough."

We let go of each other's hands when we reach the building. Don't want any more rumours spreading. "I had a nightmare," he said, and proceeded to tell me what happened in the nightmare as we went to our lockers. It didn't make much sense... as I could never imagine something like that happening, but... "And the worst part is, it felt so real," the mere thought was upsetting him.

"But it wasn't," I try soothingly, "You're still here, and you're still alive, and the phantom is here, and he's not evil, and he doesn't drink, and you never cheated on him or did anything disrespectful... right?"

"Right! Of course!" he says defensively. We go into our homeroom and sit at our desks and he continues quietly, telling me about the conversation he and Phantom had after the nightmare. Why would he... "And I think I made him mad..."

Well no shit. "What about after you went back to sleep?"

"At first I couldn't. I was too scared to have the nightmare again, and the Phantom was having disturbing thoughts about being obsessed with me... tell me, did I, or we, act weird around the time he and I started dating? I know you didn't know at the time but I told you last night when it was and..."

"How do you mean weird?" I ask.

"Like... edgy around you. Maybe even distant?"

I think about it a moment. "Indirectly, perhaps. Why?" I laugh softly and tease, "Was somebody jeawous?"

"Yes, somebody was very jealous," he doesn't even mock my wordplay. "But he's over it now, it was just the initial new relationship thing. He learned to trust you again rather quickly."

"Okay, so what about this mor..."

"Manson! Fenton!" Lancer demands, now standing in front of his desk. "If you two wouldn't mind, I'd like to start today's lesson!"

"What if we do mind?" Danny mumbles.

"What was that, Mr. Fenton?" Lancer eyes him suspiciously.

"I said of course we don't mind," Danny lies.

"Right, then," Lancer rolls his eyes and turns to write on the chalkboard. "On with the lesson!"

"We'll finish our conversation later," Danny whispers to me.

"FENTON!" Lancer spins around again. "One more word and it's off to the Prinicpal's Office with you!"

Danny glanced over at Paulina and Star who were happily gabbing away, then looked at me with an almost comedic look of hopelessness. I smiled apologetically and he laughed softly, then the two of us set to work on taking notes.

Tucker didn't seem to mind our (myself and Danny) avoiding him... in the car, at his locker, or in homeroom... and, in fact, he made no effort to speak to either of us as we walked to lunch. It was for the best for today, it made it easier for Danny and I to continue talking. I asked him what had happened this morning and he told me about his rude awakening by Jazz, and then not-so-rude-but-rather-unfair-and-inappropriate coax to prepare for the day by Phantom. I wasn't sure how to react to the mental imagery... it was interesting, yet disturbing, so wrong, and so... NO! I can't be thinking like that about my best friend... even if he is attractive and the thought of him and his other half... NO! STOP IT! Danny's quietly laughing at me. I must be noticably arguing with myself. Perfect T.T