"Yes?" the twelve year old asked as the reporter glanced at her notepad.
"Do you think you'll be attending school in the near future?" she asked, making Dani smile.
"Well, being Danny's clone, I know everything he knows. So I'm thinking I should start out in Kindergarten and work my way up," she joked, earning a laugh from the crowd and a furious blush from Danny. "Nah, I don't have a family or anything, so I don't thi-" she began, only to have Maddie walk on the stage with some pieces of paper.
"Well, everyone in town is here, and we've been working furiously ever since we knew you existed to adopt you, and we did," the older woman replied, bringing tears to Dani's eyes when she realized what that meant.
"Really?" she asked, making Maddie smile. Jack, Jazz, and Danny all nodded their heads, and her scream was so loud (the microphone didn't help) that everyone had to cover their ears. Danny even considered the fact she was beginning to learn the Ghostly Wail, except it was her girly screech and it wasn't causing destruction.
Suddenly, Tucker walked up to the podium, whispering something to Danny. The halfa stepped aside, and Tucker took the mic. "Umm, hello everyone. Tonight I would like to apologize for a few things. First, I want to apologize to Danny. It's my fault his secret is out, all because I didn't put a very good password on my computer. Second, I'd like to apologize to Tess and Theresa, for what I did…"
Flashback
"Can you believe them? What kind of losers are they?" Tucker asked his two friends, causing them to shrug. "Oh, when I get my hands on them, they will rue the day they broke my precious PDA!"
"Tucker, calm down. At this rate, you're going to ruin them. I mean, you'll get angry and spread some terrible rumor, and then they'll get mad and get back at you. It's a war you'll never win," Sam replied, making Tucker think for once.
"Sam's right," Danny pointed out, and Tucker laughed.
"Of course, I knew you'd agree with your girlfriend," he said calmly, watching the blush on both their faces come forward. He stopped their next retort, waving his hand. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's not like I want to destroy them. I'd need something big for that. Like, Tess and Theresa are going to break up with the two most popular guys in school, and go out with the two least popular," he said, unknowingly having a listener for the last sentence.
The boy scrambled off, ready to tell his fellow football team what he had just heard. "Seriously Tuck, that would be low for you," Danny replied, although it didn't reach the deaf ears of one of the A-list members. Even going on vacation in a different town meant succumbing to the force of the populars, and after one day the trio knew everyone's place in the high school.
Or at least, until the end of the day when Tess and Theresa sprinted home and started crying, causing much confusion for the trio. When Double Trouble explained what had happened, Tucker let out a barely audible 'Oops,' but the twins heard it.
"YOU!" they screeched, going to drastic measures and picking up the knife in the turkey. The twins' parents immediately took the knife from their grasp, setting it far away from the maniacal twins.
"It was an accident!" he protested, shivering violently. He knew the twins would never let him live this down. It was only a matter of time…
End Flashback
"I accidentally started a nasty rumor about them, not knowing people would actually believe it. I'd like to say I'm sorry again, but I know words mean nothing. But if those boys broke up with my cousins merely from a rumor, then my cousins are too good for them. I know you'll think I'm just saying this, but popularity isn't everything. Me, I'm so happy it's unhealthy, yet I'm not popular. Danny's almost always there for me, and if I ever do something wrong that humiliates him, he'll always stick by my side.
"Sam may not be the most chipper kid, but I know for a fact she doesn't want popularity. Sure, she's rich. So what? Danny and I treat her the same as we did before we knew she was loaded. She could abandon us for the popular lifestyle, wear expensive outfits, but she chooses not too. It's something called individuality, and I respect she chooses to be it rather than a clone," he concluded, and heard something he hadn't expected to hear.
Two pairs of hands clapping.
He looked at the front row to see his cousins standing there, the mischievous glint still in their eyes, but not focused at Tucker. He felt like jumping for joy, but he didn't. Soon his family joined in, and like a virus it spread. Soon the entire building was clapping, and they were clapping for him.
Suddenly he felt his old stage fright return, and shifted uncomfortably in front of everyone. Danny, able to read his friend like a book, silently floated to the podium, reliving Tucker of microphone.
"Is it just me, or was that a little too deep for Tucker?" Danny asked, causing everyone to laugh. The girl had long since fallen asleep, and was resting on Danny's back. However, the sudden laughter and applause had woken her up, and she started her mad giggling again. He thought that Dani's scream would've woken her up, but no. It was the laughter and applause.
"I think it's time we go home," Danny said, pointing to a nearby clock that read 8:00. Loud groans of protest came from the crowd, but Danny waved them aside. "Hello people, I have to go to school tomorrow." People filed out in single file, and Danny returned the girl to her friends.
"Thanks," she whispered, the sound carrying to the other orphans and the owners. They all gasped, and Danny shook his head in question.
"What?" he asked, looking at the gaping children and adults.
"We thought she was a mute. She hasn't spoken since her parents and brother died," one child said a bit timidly. Danny smiled down at the small girl; realizing miracles came in many forms.
And she was thinking the same thing about him.