Links in the Chain
By Lacey52
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
A note: Don't own Oreos…etc., etc., etc. I think I already got all that covered in my blanket disclaimer in one of the beginning chapters, but I just wanted to reassert that little bit of knowledge. Sorry this chapter was late. Life actually managed to find me…stupid witness protection program doesn't work against Life apparently…
Okay, here's a chance to earn kudos pointsnear the end of this honkin' big chapter (Did I mention it was 15 pages long in 12 point? O.o!).
Tell me the name of the movie I refer to. It might be hard if you don't know any old movies. Hint: It has Rex Harrison in it! He was also in the movie rendition of 'My Fair Lady'…so go chew on that.
PS-Didn't really read it over...sorry for any mistakes, loves!
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Chapter Forty Three: Outcasts
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Maddie was up at her normal time, heading into the kitchen to get herself a cup of hot chocolate before her long day of working in the lab began. Not that she minded, for she quite loved her job, but she truly despised having to wake so early to make sure that her beloved son was up in time for school.
It was either her, or Jazz, who normally could convince him to roll out of bed and begin the day. Jazz was, at the moment, in the shower, and would be for some time. It was up to 'Mother Maddie' to get her son out of bed for his first day of school, second semester, Junior year…but only after a nice, warm cup of cocoa.
The Fentons had a thing for cocoa…though it never tasted quite as good as it did when Danny made it. Walking into the kitchen with that thought on her mind, she stopped dead in her tracks and blinked her eyes tiredly and stare in slight shock, "Danny? You're up? Honey, are you feeling alright? You usually sleep another twenty minutes…"
"No thanks Mom," he smiled cheerfully at her, handing her the cup of cocoa he had just mixed for himself, "I'm up and ready to go. Even ate my breakfast," and he turned to point at a plate that had the remnants of toast and eggs on it.
"You made breakfast?" Maddie swore that if her eyebrows raised any higher on her brow she would loose them up there permanently, 'This is definitely not normal 'Danny' behavior…something is going on…'
"It's no big deal," the boy flushed slightly, "I just had to be up early and ready to go. I have to get Sam early this morning."
"Oh?" Maddie queried as she blew across her mug to cool the liquid and listened to her husband come down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Oh what?" Jack paused momentarily to kiss her cheek, "Mornin' sweetie, mornin' Danny. Let's eat some bacon this morning, what do ya' say?"
"Uh, no thanks Dad," Danny spoke hurriedly wondering how his parents would manage to bring the bacon to life, like he knew they were bound to, "I already ate and I gotta' get going…"
Grabbing his plate, he shot to the sink to dump the dirty dish and utensils, and then turned to head to the door, but was stopped as his mother let his father in on where he was going.
"He's got to pick up Sam this morning," Maddie sipped her drink and knowingly smiled, "Isn't that sweet, Jack? Reminds me of you."
Jack just nodded and grabbed Danny's shoulder, bodily turning the young man to face him, "Well, tell her hello. We haven't seen her for the past couple of days. And give her a kiss on the cheek when you first see her. That's just a bit of fatherly advice about girlfriends. They like that. A lot."
Danny's blush was quietly enjoyed as he stuttered and tried to find an appropriate response, but their smiles fell as he finally managed to form a reply, "Dad! See Mom? I told you everyone just assumes that me and Sam are together! Even my own family!"
"You aren't?" Maddie was honestly shocked, 'But on New Years on the roof? And then Sam was smiling on the stairs, and the kitchen…then they were so cute, brushing hands and blushing and looking at each other…"
"But the roof!" Jack exclaimed, much on the same page as his wife, "And I saw Samantha smile. A lot!"
"Jack dear," Maddie sat her mug down after noticing Danny's darkening expression, "Run down to the lab for me, and grab a mini-ecto-recharge-unit, would you?"
"Of course," and he immediately turned to fetch the item, 'Now where in the world are those…and what are they? Maybe Maddie created something new?'
"Danny, I'm sorry sweetie," she tried to console her son, "Your father and I just assumed after New Year's Eve…we thought you two had finally talked…well, hurry up and get going before your father realized we don't' have mini-ecto-recharge-units."
"Right," Danny eyed his mother and shook his head in confusion, "Uh, thanks," and he grabbed his things and made a run for it, pulling on his coat as he went and desperately wishing he could have gone invisible and sunk into the ground for the day.
"Maddie!" Jack yelled back up the stairs as he started up, "I can't find any, baby! Where'd you put them at? And what are they anyways?"
"That's alright dear, I don't think you'll find it," Maddie shook her head as he came back into view, a tiny mischievous smile on her face, 'Especially since I haven't made one yet…'
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"Sam!" Danny tapped on her window, watching the girl he was trying to wake up, turn away from the noise and burrow herself farther into her blankets, "Get up! Come on, it's the first day of school. Time to wake up!"
Sam finally rolled over and sat up slightly, the noise becoming too much to ignore. Her hair in totally disarray, Sam blinked her way out of the hold of the night, rubbing the sleep from the corner of her eyes, "Danny? Where are you?"
With a yawn and a stretch the young girl began to unravel herself from her covers and make her way to the edge of the bed to roll herself up to a standing position. Laughing from the window, Danny tapped it again, "I'm right outside the window. I'm invisible though."
"Oh," Sam replied, starting to gather her school books and rushing to get her clothes, "I guess you can come in. How late am I anyways, for you to be here to wake…me…"
But Sam had caught sight of her clock just as Danny had phased his way into the room, "I have another fifteen minutes before I even have to wake up!"
Throwing her stuff down, Sam threw herself back onto the bed, "But Sam, I'm awake and everything this morning! It wouldn't kill you to wake up early would it?"
"Yes!" and a pillow came his way, though missed because she hadn't looked when she threw it, "Now shut up and get out. I'm going back to sleep for fourteen minutes."
"Get up!" Danny tossed the pillow back at her and managed to bean her on the head, "Whoops, sorry about that…not really, but you get what I mean."
Sitting up angrily and sighing slightly, Sam shook her head and began to comb through her hair with her fingers, "Why are you up and awake anyways? Jazz let Matches jump all over you again, or did you just not get to bed last night at all due to ghostly disturbances?"
"Neither," Danny replied happily, "I just had a great idea last night and I had to share it with you."
"You what?" Sam glared at him, dislike of the situation clearly coming to him from the girl causing him to hold up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Whoa, calm down," Danny's eyes widened, the halfa getting ready to turn himself intangible incase the girl threw anything at him with more accuracy this time, "At least I didn't wake you up at three when I got the idea!"
"Fine," Sam stood once again, gathering her things, "but tell me after I get back from the bathroom," and with a huff she left the room, the boy left alone to entertain himself.
Danny sat in her computer chair, boredly awaiting her return thinking back over what his father had said, 'And give her a kiss on the cheek when you first see her…They like that. A lot. I can't just do that, we aren't going out…but she did kiss my cheek on the roof.'
With a goofy grin of remembrance plastered on his face, Danny started to spin in the chair, getting ridiculously dizzy, but enjoying every minute of it, 'Best not to think of it yet…just be yourself…'
Though 'truer words were never spoken' it was immediately noticeable how hard it was to swallow his own advice. As soon as Sam marched back into her room, dressed to the nines in all her Gothic glory, Danny had to force down the lump in his throat, reign back whatever image he might accidentally send, and keep his cheeks from being stained crimson.
"What's with the look?" Sam took a moment to feel out his emotions. Appreciation, slight desire, and tons of confusion. Like his mind was in anarchy, fighting against itself, 'What's wrong with him?'
As Sam took his line of sight into account and realized that he was still staring at her, she rolled her eyes, "What? I felt like being a little more 'Goth' and a little less 'punk' today…can't a girl dress up every now and again?"
"Yes," Danny nodded his head, then turned while clearing his throat, trying to hide his blush, "You look good Sam."
"Uh, thanks," Sam smiled shyly to the back of his head, "So….what was this great idea that you had to wake me up early for?"
Spinning back around on the chair once again, Sam was met by Danny's full out smile and a wicked look in his eyes, "I have a coupon that I want to use today…"
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"Dash," his father beat on his door, "Get up. Your mother's been telling you for the last twenty minutes to get your butt out of bed. What's wrong with you, sick or something."
Standing up and striding to his door, he threw it open looking his father dead in the eye, "I'm fine. I just don't feel like going to school."
"That's not an option," his father frowned at him, "I expect you to be there, on time, and start actually pulling your grades up this semester, as well as retaining your position as Captain of the basketball team. You can't do that unless you're actually there, so get your butt into gear."
"Whatever," and the door was closed and Dash made his way to his closet, grabbing an undershirt and belt on the way, 'I can't believe I always let him tell me what to do? What the hell is my problem lately…Christ, I can't believe I don't want to go to school just because I'm not on the 'A-list' anymore.'
Glumly dressing himself in his usual attire, grabbing a pop tart to eat on the way, and shrugging on his letterman, Dash Baxter pulled on his back pack and headed to the door, 'Then again, I've haven't ever been to school without at least a few people to back me. Maybe it won't be so bad. I have to have friends somewhere in the old group, right? Star and Kwan will make it easier for me…'
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Tucker had awoken that morning with a feeling of impending doom. Well, not so much doom as just plain old dread, and he didn't have a clue as to why. It was the first day of school, so nothing was due. There were no ghosts around, Danny had started to make nice with Valerie, so that wasn't the problem.
'Man, I usually enjoy getting back and seeing everyone, even if I don't like the education part of school,' Tucker secured his hat on his head and pushed his glasses back up his brow, 'I wonder what Danny and Sam have been up to since I saw them on New Years.'
"Tucker!" his mother shouted from the kitchen, "Hurry up sweetie or your eggs and the pork chop from last night will get cold! I don't want to have to re-heat this pork chop twice, it'll get tough!"
Rushing to the table, he sat along with his father, who was already enjoying a strong cup of coffee, "Here son, I even remembered to put the ketchup on the table for your breakfast, I know you like 'em both with it, though it's a little weird I think…"
"Hey, I don't say anything when you eat your spinach or avocadoes or that nasty canned beets stuff that you like."
His father chuckled to himself and Tucker watched as his mother moved to serve herself a cup of coffee. Not paying attention Tucker began to squirt some ketchup onto his eggs, only to have the cap fall off and the condiment flood his entire plate, "Aw man! I knew today was gonna' be bad…"
"What's wrong…oh, here Tucker, let me help you clean it up, we'll just scoop off what you don't want," his mother hurriedly took his plate and began to scrape the excess ketchup off. His father had picked up the bottle to examine it, "I swore that the lid was on fine…"
'Oh God,' Tucker's head hit the table, 'Please, please, please don't let Johnny 13 be out again with his shadow…I do not want to start off the year as 'Bad Luck Tuck'…'
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
'School doors open, teachers ready, students lining the halls,' Mr. Lancer moved smoothly through the hallways, Freshmen falling over themselves to get out of the way, Sophomores hanging back by the lockers trying to be lost in the crowd, power hungry Juniors who were all competing for attention, and the laid back Seniors idly watching the rest and nodding to him every now and again, 'Everything is as it should be…with three minor exceptions.'
Glancing around the hall he was currently in, the infamous trio was conspicuously absent, earning a frown from the vice-principal of the school. He was certain that whatever the reason for them not being there, it would either be explained later in person, or by way of note in his box, telling him they were going to skip and could be punished for it later. The first time Sam Manson had tried that, he had to hold in his laughter the entire time, 'She's an odd girl for one who proclaims to be a 'Goth'.'
But as soon as the thought formed in his mind, the rambunctious teens appeared around the corner, 'Hm…sometimes I swear that pair truly are psychic even though they claim not to be. I wonder what has Mr. Foley in such a foul mood. And why in the world is Manson in such a dark outfit? I thought she was more for a 'punkish' style these days…'
"Man, Tucker," Danny was laughing so hard he could hardly walk straight, "You should have seen your face!"
"Yeah, I know," Tucker nearly growled out at his friend, "I heard you the first ten times you said it."
"You have to admit, Tuck," Sam tried to keep a straight face, avoiding eye contact with both boys for fear of loosing it, "It was pretty priceless…can't say that you didn't deserve it for some of the stuff you've done before, but you know, stuff happens, Bad Luck Tuck…"
At this simple phrase, several people stopped short of what they were doing and quickly scooted away from the trio. Frowns and concerned faces looked over the three, mainly focusing on Tucker Foley, Techno-geek extraordinaire.
"God, don't get them started on that again , Sam!" Tucker looked at the girl, "That prank of yours and Danny's wasn't very nice this morning. And it isn't exactly your style to let Danny get away with using his skills for something as cheap as making my ketchup spill everywhere…"
"Oh it wasn't just about making you spill your ketchup," Danny smiled to the boy as they started to open their lockers, talking across the hall as they gathered some basic supplies for the beginning of the year, "It was about getting you to do something funny so we could tease you about it."
Sam, who was leaning against her locker and earning several looks from passersby, simply shook her head and closed her eyes, reveling in the humor that she and her friend were both experiencing. It was going to be a day of feeling like she was giddy and high, her feelings feeding off of Danny's and vice-versa.
"What do you mean by 'tease' me?" Tucker's eyes narrowed, "Oh you didn't. Don't think I forgot about that stupid coupon about getting to tease me for the day."
"Well what do you know, the boy remembered without the need of his beloved electronically devices," Sam smiled, and then frowned when one of the boys who had been looking at her smiled back, "Uh-huh. Let's go wait in the class you guys, these people are starting to freak me out."
"Those guys are checking you out is what you mean," Tucker gave her a knowing look, "and they aren't the ones you want to be looking at you if I'm right."
"Shut it Bad Luck Tuck," Sam narrowed her eyes and stormed into the classroom, Danny following her with a grin and shaking his head for Tucker.
"Man Tuck, you did it this time…maybe you really do have a case of bad luck today."
"Shut up, Danny, just shut up."
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"So look who showed up for school," Jason, the newly appointed leader of the 'A-list' by popular opinion, stepped up beside Dash who was at his locker, "You're awfully brave you know."
"What's it to you Dillinger?" Dash grimaced as he shut his locker, noting how many people were standing around them, "Decide that you couldn't live without me in your little group?"
"Hardly," the other boy snorted with disgust, "Like I'd wanna' hang out with someone like you? You need a reality check, Baxter."
"While that is most informative, Mr. Dillinger," Mr. Lancer stopped in his patrol of the hall, "I'd like to inform you that the only 'check' that needs to be preformed is in a verb form, as in 'check into class immediately,' and perhaps you won't be tardy."
"Of course, Mr. Lancer," Jason smiled charmingly for the man, "Let's head out guys. Talk to you later, Dash."
Dash nodded his head, giving the man beside him no hints that anything was out of place or wrong. The last thing he needed was some stupid old man calling his home and telling his mother and father that he was failing in the social part of his life. It was bad enough that his grades were slipping, now he had to worry about his position on the team as well as his social life. Grabbing his pack, he moved immediately to his first period…Athletics.
'Today's gonna' be shit,' Dash sighed to himself as he entered the locker room, 'There's no way around it.'
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"Baxter!" the coach yelled at him for what felt like the thousandth time, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your head in the damn practice!"
'I would if I freakin' could get someone to cooperate with me!' his mind screamed, the stress of the situation taking it's toll as he felt the urge to punch several team members in the face as hard as he could, 'They all decide on a play without me or won't pass me the damn ball, what the hell am I supposed to do?'
Again the ball that should have been passed to him was instead passed behind him, but was blocked by a member of the other practice team. It looked like it was Dash's fault, a though he were being lazy in the protection of the other player or had forgotten the drills they were supposed to have memorized. It looked bad when a teammate acted this way, but it was especially so when it was the team Captain.
"That's it," his coach got in his face, "I have had it up to hear with the way you've been acting today. Stop glaring at your team, you look paranoid. You had better shape up real fast, kid, or you're gonna' loose your spot, you hear me? Not just as Captain of the team, but on the starting line-up as well. Now start running laps, all of you!"
With groans and muffled protests the boys took to running the court, lap after lap after lap, all silently cursing Dash Baxter for getting them in trouble, but all realizing that it was their fault on some part.
'Oh well,' were several similar thoughts, 'it's worth it to see his face. Mr. High and Mighty is being crushed like a bug…'
Not all were of that opinion though, as Kwan took to running near Dash, not with him per say, but near enough to show his friend a tiny amount of support. The boy wasn't stupid, too close to the ousted member of their little click and the others would be ripping into him just like they were Dash.
'Yeah, thanks buddy,' Dash thought dryly, spying Kwan out of the side of his eye, 'You're really helping me out ri…'
Dash Baxter was caught off guard by a broom handle laying on the side of the court in his path, 'accidentally' knocked over right before he had reached it. He fell flat on his face amidst the ruckus laughter and taunts of being a klutz. Picking himself up and completely ignoring the coaches, Dash made his way to the locker room, "I'm getting the hell out of here."
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"Gah, you guys, shut up!" Tucker cursed both his friends in his mind three times over, "I get it, no more pickin' you two about anything, ever again!"
"Nu-uh," Sam smiled viciously, "It's not about anything like that for me, so I have no pity for you. I made a coupon with a promise on it and I always try to keep my promise. One day of picking on Tucker is gonna' happen whether you like it or not. If it makes you feel better, then you can think of it as revenge…"
Danny just continued his laughing. The two of them had been in an extraordinarily, inexplicably good mood all day today. Poor, poor Tucker, though, was the cause of all the merriment, 'This is so unfair,' he whined to himself, 'I'm not this bad to them am I?'
Sam had decided to give him a break apparently, as he noticed Danny had as well, the two of them talking about something else that he wasn't really too interested in. Thinking back over all the opportunities he had taken to torture the pair he came to the sad decision that maybe she was right…
"Hey look, it's the Geek patrol," Paulina giggled to herself, "Oh, Danny? There's a party going on tonight and.."
"No thanks, Paulina," Danny smiled her way, then turned back to Sam, leaving more than half the people in the hallway stunned. No boy said 'no' to Paulina. Ever. She, herself, didn't know what to do and glared at the boy, "You didn't even let me finish what I was saying."
"You called us the 'Geek patrol', Paulina," Danny turned to her with a frown, "I don't want to hear about your party, and 'the ghost-boy' won't show up."
"Well, how do you know that before you even ask him?"
'Ah crap,' Tucker thought to himself, ready to jump in with a feasible excuse should Danny falter, though he calmed as he noticed Sam suddenly begin chuckling to herself, 'I guess it's under control…'
"Because he's asked me to tell you to stop inviting him to things," Danny let a little grin slip, "He said that you're sweet and all, but he doesn't want to lead you on. You're not his type of girl."
"He…he…what?" Paulina looked close to hyperventilating, "You're lying, you little loser, he wouldn't say that."
"I'm just the messenger, so you can't kill me," Danny tried to keep from laughing at the absurd phrase, but failed miserably as both he and Sam caught one another's eyes, Tucker soon joining them in the jollity.
As Paulina and her entourage moved away from the, Paulina storming and blowing with hot air the whole way, Tucker perked up, "So does this mean I'm off the hook since you've stopped picking on me?"
"Not a chance," Sam smiled as she moved off to her next class, "See you two boys later!"
"Aw man," Tucker glared at Danny, "This is all your fault."
"Yeah, yeah it is," Danny nodded his head, "Let's just say it's payback for all the times you've messed with my head about Sam."
"Gee thanks," Tucker slumped off moodily to his next class, "That makes me feel so much better about it."
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"Hey Tuck," Sam said happily at lunch, making those around them confused by her contrasting attire and attitude. Weren't Goths supposed to be a little more…dark? Apparently not… "How has you're day been so far?"
"Aside from you and Danny getting in every single jab you can, it's been just great," the boy cleaned off his glasses and frowned at her, "Can I at least have a break from this for lunch? Please?"
Sam seemed to be loosing her resolve so Tucker decided to play cute, "Pretty please with black sprinkles and bat gummies and Oreos crushed all over on top?"
Sam's reply was to look upwards for a moment and frown, before looking back at Tucker with a smirk, causing the boy to prepare for the worst. He, however, was pleasantly surprised, "Sure…but just for lunch."
Smiling at her he stuck out his hand and the two shook, just as Danny approached, "You two aren't planning something behind my back are you?" he asked with apprehension, Sam's feelings of being sneaky setting him on edge.
"No, I just said I wouldn't tease him all of lunch," and as she spoke Tucker's face fell with realization, "I didn't tell him that you wouldn't tease him however."
"Aw, come on!"
A bang stopped Tucker's would be rant short. Someone's tray had hit the floor and the noise was echoing around the cafeteria, most people ignoring it, but those with a good view were staring in shock. Dash Baxter, the bully, had just been targeted by his own group of cronies.
"Whoa, sorry there," Mark, a small forward on the team with sandy blonde hair, said with exaggerated regret, "Didn't see you Dash. Really, so sorry."
As the group laughed, Dash shut his eyes for a half a second, setting his jaw and very visibly getting himself back under control. If he hadn't, 'If I hadn't, Mark would have a bloody face and my Dad and Mom would ride me for weeks for it…not to mention Coach…'
Drawing in a steady breath, he turned to look towards where he normally sat, the table where the pretty people clustered together talking about nothing, filling each other's head's with nothing, seeing and hearing nothing but themselves.
'Pathetic.'
The word rolled in his head as he turned from them to Star and Kwan's part of the table. They averted their eyes and his last prospect was gone. Cursing himself for even daring to hope that Kwan wouldn't let himself be pulled along with the rest of them, he turned away, the one word still bouncing around in his mind.
"That was low," came a half laughed, half sympathetic voice from his left, "I mean, normally they just bump into me."
"Yeah," another voice chimed in, "If I'm lucky they'll ignore me completely."
"I dunno'," came the third voice that he expected and then the table of three came into view as he turned, watching Sam put in her two cents last, "I usually don't have to deal with it too much. Like they think I'm some scary person or something."
Tucker, Danny, and Dash, quite to his own confusion, just stared at the girl in slight disbelief before answering at the same time, "You are scary."
"And people call me and Danny 'psychics' for doing that…" Sam turned back to her vegetable plate she had brought from home, "So what are you going to do Dash?"
"I don't know," he replied, quite aware that near everyone in the cafeteria was privy to their conversation, the three 'losers' talking loudly on purpose. Their eyes all felt like they were burning holes into him, waiting for him to do anything, just so they could see the drama unfold. It was new, and different, and exciting.
High school students love situations like that. Especially since they can gossip about it later.
"You know," Danny took a bite before he swallowed, "You have pretty nice form, for never being messed with before. You didn't try to pick a fight when you knew you'd get in trouble, you didn't run away like a little kid, and you didn't give them any satisfaction."
"Yeah," Dash crossed his arms, glaring down anyone who dared try to figure out why Dash Baxter was being civil to Danny Fenton, "and you're the perfect person to talk to about stuff like this."
"I know," Danny said cockily, almost as if he enjoyed the insult, earning several chuckles from the other 'losers' situated around them, "I was just sayin'. That's all."
"Need a place to sit?" Tucker looked at him, "We got room for one more at our humble little table."
"No thanks," Dash let the corner of his lip quirk up, "Lunch is almost over, and I don't need pity."
"Whatever you say," Sam turned to look at the 'A-list's' table, "At least you finally managed to tear yourself away from the clutches of the hopelessly shallow."
"I heard that!" one of the girls cried in slight outrage, "Why don't you say that to my face?"
"Because you're overly made-up face scares me," Sam smirked, "I don't like clowns, bad experience when I was a kid and all…"
Those close enough to hear her, which was almost all the cafeteria, burst out laughing, the lunch bell choosing a to ring a few seconds later. It more than likely saved Sam from getting in a fight.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"What is their problems?" Sam growled in righteous indignation on behalf of Dash, "It's like the all got together and said, 'Ooo, great idea! Let's pick on the one person we used to idolize, and who used to be our leader, until we drive him insane and he starts on a massive killing spree'…Argh, it makes me so mad!"
"Whoa there Sam," Tucker gently patted her shoulder as they strode into their last period class, "You're in deep enough with them as it is. Besides, Dash doesn't exactly seem the mass murdering kind. He looks like he's handling it pretty well on his own, you'll only make it worse."
"Okay," Sam nodded her head, not really paying attention to Tucker anymore, but getting the gist of his speech, "Look, you know that what me and Danny have been doing all day today was only because we're your friend right? That it's not meant to be taken literally or anything?"
"Yeah, I'm cool," Tucker smiled a little patronizingly, "You don't have to tell me that Sam. I know I tease you and Danny a lot, but you guys just set yourselves up for it. Same went for me today…guess I got a taste of my own medicine."
"Was it bitter to swallow?"
"Nah, it wasn't so bad," Tucker smirked at her disbelieving look, "Don't expect me to let up on you and Danny just because you did this today. I can take what I dish out…the only question is, can you?"
'Oh that wasn't even funny, that little smart-aleck!' Sam narrowed her eyes at the boy as he sat in his desk beside hers, 'One of these days I'm just gonna' blow up on him and let him have it!'
"Whoa Sam," Danny said as he ran to his desk, making it just before the bell rang, "No blowing up on me now, that wouldn't be much fun."
Sam rolled her eyes, "Whatever, you'd still have Tucker."
"Still not the same as having a Sam around," the halfa sighed dramatically and shook his head, smiling in Tucker's direction as he laughed at their antics, "You know, the little bit of dark in my life…the balance to my goofball-ness."
"Whatever, Mr. I Feel Zen," Sam smiled remembering the night spent on her roof watching the stars, "but it's good to know you care."
"Alright, if everyone will please find their assigned seat and quiet down," Mr. Lancer stepped into the classroom instead of their usual teacher, Mrs. Muir, which Sam always got a kick out of for reasons unknown to the two boys who had never watched movie mad after the 1980's.
"Mrs. Muir," Sam chuckled and Lancer had to quell a grin of his own at the irony created by her name and one of her students, "has unfortunately contracted a rather nasty virus and will be conspicuously absent the first part of your second semester of the year."
"Huh," Dash smirked to himself, only to be hounded for it by one of the girls beside him, who snottily copied his 'huh' in a pretentious tone.
Danny and Sam both sent a frown towards the girl, while Tucker sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, 'Why are they even messing with him, they'll take him back in a few weeks and everything will be back to the way it was.'
Mr. Lancer, who had caught quite what had happened, continued on with a slight frown, "Now if you would open your texts to page 197, I believe you've already been over the information last semester, but would like a refresher before we begin new material. Partner in groups of three or four and work through the problems on the page."
Sam and Tucker immediately moved their desks against Danny's, but all three were shocked to find a fourth desk being dragged to them. Dash glared at them for a half a second, grinding out, "I have to bring my grades up," before turning stonily silent and reading over the page.
No one said anything, but two heads did turn to Danny, who had a rather curious look on his face as though he couldn't decide what to feel exactly. Finally deciding on just not caring he shrugged his shoulders, his face blank, and set to work, the other three helping Dash along in their own way.
As the period drew on and notes were taken, Danny found that Dash had, instead of moving back two rows over, chosen to plant himself behind Tucker, directly beside himself. The halfa knew he shouldn't be shocked as the teasing had escalated, but he couldn't help but wonder where all of this was leading.
'Dash'll just go right back to his group of people once they get over whatever little spat their having,' Danny stabbed at his paper in annoyance for a few minutes before Sam turned around and slapped his hand, mumbling about how annoying his annoyance was and how weird that sounded.
When only five minutes was left, Mr. Lancer decided to let the class have some free time and watch how they were able to interact with one another. It was, after all, a political science class, or as the school board deemed them call it, 'Government'. Political science was apparently too advanced and might give the students the idea that it was difficult to understand. Mr. Lancer didn't see how lying to them was going to help.
The first thing he noticed, aside from who the most troublesome students to his own self might be, was the fact that Dash Baxter was no longer sitting with a group of people, rather he seemed to be hovering right on the edge of Danny's little trio.
Twice during the class period he had caught someone actually mocking the boy, and though he had put an end to it in the classroom, he knew that it would just continue when he wasn't present to prevent it. The girl he thought he heard at the beginning of class and the small confrontation he had broken up in the hallway only helped to back his belief.
Casper High was being altered. Dynamics were shifting and soon, he feared, something would have to happen. One cannot put pressure on a social hierarchy for long without it breaking…one way or another, things were going to change.