Links
in the Chain
By Lacey52
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
A note: Um…here's a little hint at a future chapter or two. I think that you'll enjoy the weird and goofy feel of this chapter. It's rather cannon in a very non-cannon way, or so I think. Here's lookin' at you kid…er, kids! ;D
Oh, and please forgive me if I have any details wrong in this. I didn't do much research and made up a great deal of the answers to the questions Danny and Sam answer. Hope that I did alright, and if I screwed up anywhere let me know and I'll take care of it!
EDIT! Omahgah! Thank you Nons for catching that embarrassing little slip...I fixed it as soon as I got your review, lol!
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Chapter Fifty Six: Entertainment
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"There you two are!" a rather frazzled looking Paulina rushed up to Danny and Sam before they could escape the terrors of the school building. It was a little less than three weeks until the prom and everyone was in the pre-prom tizzy. Or was that panic?
Paulina was, of course, on nearly every committee and prom fundraising wasn't an exception. Walking up with packets in her hand, she thrust them at a rightfully confused Danny, who looked between the packets and the two girls on either side of him several times before managing to get out, "Uh, what are these?"
"You two are going to participate in the game that the school is hosting," Paulina brushed her long hair back over her shoulder, "You know, that one that we've had sign ups for in the entry hall? Yeah, that one. You have to fill those out and have them back by this Thursday. The game is going to be in the auditorium on Friday night at seven, so invite your parents and all that. You have to be there by six thirty and you have to be on time."
"What?" Sam crossed her arms stubbornly, "Where do you get off telling me and Danny what to do? What makes you think that we even want to participate in this silly little game…Danny, you're supposed to be backing me up…"
The young man however, was currently sending Sam a pleading look. She had turned to him when he started feeling as though this was something he truly wanted to do, and now the feeling was increasing, "You've got to be kidding me…"
"Please Sam?" he wheedled, his blue eyes shining brightly as he begged, "It'll be fun. Besides, you're all about being a non-conformist. This is something that people wouldn't expect you to do, see? Non-conformist-ism-ish-ness…"
"Stop before you hurt yourself," Sam rubber her eyes, trying to ignore how he was pleading with her with both his tone and his emotions, but completely failed, "Fine, I'll do it, but you owe me something."
"Great!" Paulina chirped happily, running off as she sent them some last words, "Don't forget! Friday at six thirty! And don't be late!"
"Yes!" Danny pumped his arms in the air excitedly, "I get to participate in a school activity that doesn't involve me getting beat up! And I got Sam to participate…awesome day, great day, wonderful day…"
"Enough with the victory dance," Sam rolled her eyes and walked towards the doors, "Let's just go and get this stuff done…crap, it says we have to do it after school with the teachers so we don't cheat…how could we cheat?"
"You got me," Danny shrugged, "It doesn't even say what kind of game it is. Do you know what it's going to be?"
"Nope," Sam shook her head as they walked off, "and I really don't care what kind of game it is."
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"I take it back," Sam tapped her foot and glared at the boy beside her, who was also nervously tapping his foot, messing with his clothes and hair, and concentrating on not phasing out, "I care what kind of game it is…"
Out in the auditorium, the building was buzzing, filled to capacity and then some as several people opted to stand since there were no seats left. The entirety of Casper High had apparently shelled out the two dollars it cost to get in, as well as nearly half the town.
As the host of the evening, a charismatic Junior by the name of Derek Connors, took the stage the audience erupted into applause. It was apparently time for the games to begin.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen of Amity Park!" Derek called out as he walked to center stage.
"We'd like to thank our sponsors for helping us hold this fundraiser and thank everyone for coming tonight to the first annual Casper High 'Perfect Matches' game! Your generous donations," the boy did air quotes and gave a wide, exaggerated wink at the word, "of a two dollar entry fee are going to help make this year's prom awesome for our Casper High Seniors!"
As more applause came and several seniors in the audience began to chant their graduating class year, Derek motioned for silence and chuckled when he finally got it, "Well, let's get this game going. On to the first couple that you have nominated from our own numbers at school!"
As the first couple took the stage and began to play the little dating type game, Sam and Danny were having it out in a humorous mini-spat that had several of the stage hands and coordinators trying not to laugh too loudly.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Sam glared up at the much taller boy, "We're playing right into their hands, they'll be thinking that we're 'lovebirds' for the rest of our more than likely unnaturally long lives just because we have bad luck that way!"
"Aw c'mon Sam," Danny consoled her as best he could, "It'll be fun. Think of it as some sort of…friendship test outta' a magazine."
"I don't do preppy magazine tests," Sam delicately arched her eyebrow.
"I know that," Danny rolled his eyes in exasperation. She was being stubborn on purpose and it was driving him nuts, though truth be told, it was helping him calm his nerves by distracting him, "Besides, if we do this we can tell everyone we're just friends…we'll even have microphones this time."
'Not a tempting offer,' Sam thought silently, feeling Danny's feelings go in opposition to his statement as well, "You do realize that it's never worked before, even with a way to amplify our voices over shouts of 'lovebirds'."
As the pair stuck out their tongues at one another in a very childish manner backstage, the stagehands began to giggle and caused the pair to blush. They settled down to wait, a little more maturely…at least for the short while they could stand to act mature.
Out on stage, Derek was in his element, "Will the next couple please come out? Once again, let's give a hand to Jack and Laura folks, and now welcome Cara and Casey! How cute is that, Cara and Casey?"
As the audience let out the appropriate 'Aw!' accompanied with giggles and girlish squeals at the way their names matched, Sam wrinkled her nose backstage and nudged Danny who was laughing along with her. They both made a face before conversation was struck back up.
"It could be something we do just for fun," Danny suggested as he looked down at Sam, who was still feeling rather unsure about the whole 'Perfect Matches' game they were about to play, "Ya' know, 'for the hell of it' like they say?"
"What have I gotten myself into," Sam frowned slightly as she listened to the couple on stage begin to bicker and argue, where as the first couple had made it through with many cute blushes and the like, "What's it all about? What's the purpose?"
"You should know already," Danny laughed, "We already filled out the forms and everything. It'll be just like that old show…uh, Newlyweds, that's what it was called. We answer questions about each other and see how many we get right. I think the audience's favorite couple is the one that wins, though, not the ones with the most answers…"
"Well," Sam could feel her resolve weakening, and then it was shattered all together by an attentive Danny who knew how to exploit his best friend and her weakness for giant, sad eyes.
"It is to raise money for prom," Danny mustered up the best puppy dog gaze he ever gave the girl, his big blue eyes turning slightly glassy from the lights reflecting on them, "You really shouldn't back out now…we've already said we'd do it."
"I will do this," Sam caved under the dreaded puppy dog eyes, but was determined to find one thing out, "if, and only if, you answer me one question before we have to go out there."
"Deal!" Danny spoke quickly, afraid she'd change her mind. It wouldn't be any fun if either one of them were nervous, and they were just starting to really relax, "Shoot."
"Why did you sign us up?"
Danny gazed back blankly at Sam for a moment, "I didn't…"
"You didn't?" Sam asked in confusion, watching him shake his head, "And I didn't, and I already asked Tucker. He didn't either…so who did?"
"You two were signed up by over half of the Junior class, and part of each of the other grades," Paulina answered their question as she adjusted her headset and checked over the schedule. She wasn't just on the committees, oh no, she was a part of it all as the backstage manager as well, "Even the Fish were into seeing you two tonight. I just want to see how well you do…"
Her resolve forming at Paulina's skeptical tone, Sam stood up and brushed off the black pants she was wearing, "Let's do this, then we'll blow this Popsicle stand and watch movies with Tucker like we planned."
"Score!" Danny bolted up, only to find himself shushed by several members of the backstage crew because he was being far too loud, "I mean…uh, that's cool…"
"Dork," Sam shook her head as she nudge him lovingly with her shoulder, receiving a shy smile in return and many happy feelings drifting to her. Paulina just rolled her eyes and stepped away with a grimace, getting ready to break up the incoming couple…
"Okay….thank you to the lovely couple," Derek stood nervously to the side as the girl onstage slapped her boyfriend hard. He apparently said something that was rather bad, "Uh…let's welcome our last couple, the most anticipated and asked for 'non' couple of the evening, who have graciously agreed to appear for the sake of the amount of money their mere presence would generate! Give it up for Casper High's own, 'We're not lovebirds' un-couple, Sam and Danny!"
With prodding and poking, and the gentle shoves of the stage hands, Danny finally got Sam out on stage, and the pair were met with a standing ovation, lots of whistling and catcalls, and tons of whooping and general yelling. Danny was laughing at the ridiculous of the situation, and Sam even cracked a smile at how weird it was. Apparently they were something of a legend around their school…
"Okay you two, you know how this works. I ask you a question about your, uh, friend and you answer. They hold up the card and the audience gets to see if you were right," Derek smiled as they nodded their agreement, "Okay, now. You two have two ground rules, unlike our other contestants. Rule number one, no using that rumored 'psychic connection'."
Sniggering broke out from a few people in the audience until Sam held up her mike and spoke, "What are you talking about…"
"…we don't have a 'psychic connection'," Danny finished her sentence flawlessly with a rather smug look and had Tucker laughing out loud, as several members of the audience nodded their approval of the neat 'trick' they had just witnessed.
"Right," Derek smiled charmingly, "Rule number two, no shouts of denial or any other such things. We all already know what you claim."
Sam began to smile happily at that statement, but Derek apparently hadn't finished yet, "We all just choose to ignore you."
"Whatever," Danny shifted slightly as Sam began to tense up next to him. The cooler he acted about this, the less it would effect her.
"Fine," Sam said as she made herself more comfortable. The last thing Danny needed right then was her freaking out, he was already nervous enough as it was. Phasing out onstage would be a rather hard thing to explain…
"Good, now," Derek turned to the audience and smiled widely, "On with the show! Danny, name Sam's favorite color or colors."
"Easy," Danny smirked and sat back in his seat, "Black, green, and purple…and blue."
"He's right," Sam shot him a playful glare as she held up the card for the audience.
"Blue, huh?" Derek said sarcastically, "Never would have guessed. Remember audience, if you're in doubt, read the cards and check it out…Heh, that rhymed…anyways. Sam, could you please tell us the weirdest food Danny has ever eaten?"
"Well, I would say that the turkey that danced on the table that one year was pretty weird, but none of us actually ate it," Sam took a breath before answering, "so I'd have to go with a grassochinno, a helping of topsoil spaghetti, and two bark bars from when I was in my ultra-recyclo-vegetarian stage of life."
"Really," the boy playing host paled as he turned to Danny, "She's kidding right?"
"Nope," Danny held up the sign, "she's right and sadistic."
"Why, man?" Derek looked sick to his stomach, "Why?"
"Funny thing really," Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously and blushed as Sam glared at him, "I broke her computer monitor at the very beginning of Sophomore year…and made a really dumb promise to do whatever I had to, to make it up to her, so she wouldn't kill me."
From out of the audience, Tucker's voice floated to his friends on stage, "I have the whole thing on video! It was priceless."
As the entire audience started to titter at his comment, Derek steered the game back on track, "Moving on…Danny, can you name all of Sam's nicknames?"
"Don't you dare," Sam growled, but Danny ignored her with a rakish grin that had more than a few girls dreaming of having it sent towards them.
"Yeah, I can. There are…five," he held up his fingers to count them off, "Sam, 'cause her real name's Samantha, Sammy, Sammy-poo, Sammy-kins, Goth girl, and I don't know if I should say the other one I know…I don't want to die of embarrassment or from being mauled to death by my best friend."
"Well, to make it easier," Derek tried to work a compromise as he, as well as most of the audience, was dying to know the last nickname, "Sam, you'll get to answer the same question if he says this last one."
Holding up her sign, Sam simply glared at the boys and nodded, "I hate you both, and you really owe me Danny."
"Whatever…'love-fluff'," a wolf whistle and a few comments cut him off, "Hey, it was her parents that nicknamed her not me!"
"I really hate you," Sam wanted to hide, but the prospect of what she was about to get to do kept her from walking off stage. Revenge would be sweet, "That was six, not five…"
"I couldn't resist," Danny laughed, feeling more than a little playful and mischievous at the moment.
"Fine, if that's the way you want to play," Sam smirked and Danny started to sweat bullets, "My turn. His real name is Daniel, so there's: Danny, Danny-kins, Dan-Dan, Pants because of Freshman year," she paused as the laughter died down, "Fenton, even thought it's his last name, and…"
As she ended with a smirk, Danny sent a pleading look her way, though he got the feeling that even his best puppy-eyes wouldn't save him this time, "Come on Sam, don't. Please?"
"You said mine, I get to say yours, Dansy-pie," she smiled sweetly as she watched Danny cringe and blush, "I really think it's only fair. I only wrote five, and you know I would have only written those five…"
"It's on now Sammy-kins," Danny glared as he absentmindedly held up his sign to prove she was correct to the audience.
"Fine by me, Dan-Dan," Sam returned the glare and even stuck out her tongue, much to the amusement of those watching the historic event.
"Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events?" Derek turned to the audience, "Pet names? We always knew you two were lovebirds…"
"We're not lovebirds!" they called out in unison, only to find themselves shushed by nearly every person present.
"Sure you're not," Tucker called out from his spot in the audience.
"Shut up, Tutu!" they once again spoke at the same time, and laughed as Tucker called out an indignant, "Hey!"
"Alright, everyone, just a couple more questions now. Danny, what's Sam's middle name?"
"Elizabeth," he smiled happily, "That one was easy."
"His is James," Sam smirked as she held up her sign to the audience, and tried not to laugh as Danny sent a funny picture of Tucker in one of Jazz's dresses from when they were younger to her through their link. He was playing with her now, trying to keep her smiling and happy.
"Alright, Sam," the host turned his focus back on her, "What's Danny's biggest fear?"
"Danny was afraid of ghosts for years," Sam trailed off as Tucker and Valerie both burst into laughter from the audience, and Danny sheepishly waved to them and held up his sign.
"Well, that's unexpected," Derek laughed, "So far you've done excellently, but we'd like to ask the two of you to do something special for us. Would you help us out?"
"Uh," Danny shifted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable, "What is it?"
"Oh nothing big," Derek waved them off, "The audience will ask Sam a question while you step out for a moment, and then you come back in and answer it too. Just something simple."
"Alright," Sam nodded, slightly reluctant as she glanced over at Danny and watched him nod as well.
"Wonderful," Derek said as Danny stood and made his way offstage, "We've got a couple of microphones out in the audience, and would like to allow a few questions."
"How'd you and Danny meet?" came the first question, and Sam smiled as she remembered it, sending the image to Danny. They both shared a silent, private moment of nostalgia even as Sam stood in front of a huge audience.
"Third day of Kinder I was playing in the sandbox when this kid falls on the sand hill I had made," Sam smiled as the memory flowed through her and Danny both simultaneously, "I got mad and hit him on the head, but he just sat up and pushed me. We both stood up and he pushed me again, and I fell right onto Danny."
"Fallin' for him so young?" Derek quipped as the audience cooed and Sam blushed slightly.
"Anyways," she continued forcefully, "he just said hi and I didn't know what to do, but he eventually got me to stand up and convinced me I didn't get cooties."
The audience laughed and Sam smiled at the simplicity of it all. Their friendship had started so easily, and really had stayed simple through all those years, "We've been best friends ever since."
"Alright, let's get Danny back in here and Sam out!" Derek called out and the pair switched, "So are you ready to answer the same question Danny?"
"Uh, yes?"
"The audience asked Sam how you two met."
Instant relief flooded the halfa as he suddenly realized why Sam had been sending that memory to him, not that he hadn't enjoyed it, "Oh, well it was the third day of Kinder and I was going to get one of the balls when this kid fell onto Sam's….sand hill thingy, and she hit him, the kid shoved her, they stood up and he shoved her again. I had made it to the sandbox by then and she fell over onto me…"
As the audience once again made their over exaggerated cooing sound, Danny raised his eyebrows, "Don't even start that…anyways…she looked like she was gonna' cry or something. Actually I remember thinking I broke her," he laughed as the audience joined him, "so I just said hi and eventually got her to stand up and believe that I didn't give her cooties. We've been best friends ever since."
"My, those answers were scarily similar," Derek stated as a few members of the audience nodded in agreement, "Any questions for Danny?"
Somewhere in the audience, Tucker had come into possession of one of the mikes, "Have you two ever kissed and if so how many times and when?"
Danny blushed brilliantly, much to the pleasure of the viewing audience, and glared out at where he thought the boy was sitting, "Don't think I don't know where you live, Tucker."
"Now Danny," Derek placed a placating hand on his shoulder, but stepped back slightly as the glare was directed at him, "We all would like to know."
"I know they've kissed," Valerie called out, causing the audience to gasp and break into laughter again, "I saw them."
"Fine," Danny shoved his hands in his pockets grumpily, feeling Sam worry as he grew more tense and upset, "We've kissed happy?"
"How many times and when?" Tucker prodded, "I know of at least one…"
"Three times," Danny turned his head to the side and began to pray that Sam didn't kill him, "but I ain't telling you when or where or anything like that. They were all 'fake-out' make-outs…"
"Ah, young love!" Derek cut in, trying to be comedic relief, but failed miserably in Danny's eyes.
"Is Sam gonna' come back in anytime soon?" Danny couldn't help himself. He needed her closer if he was going to deal with everything he was feeling right then. He was upset, so she was worried and nervous, and he hated it when she felt that way and wasn't in his line of sight.
"Yes, actually, we'll bring her in right now," Derek motioned offstage and soon enough Sam was back up onstage with them, "Alright Sam, Danny answered some rather…"
Derek found himself cut off rather quickly however, as Sam rounded on the boy beside her, "What're you so guilty about? What did you say…"
Sam's eyes widened slightly as he leaned over and whispered in her ear, a lovely pink settling across her features, "You told them what?"
"Uh," Danny began to nervously rub at the back of his neck, giving Sam a cute and nervous smile, "don't hate me? Or maim me! It was a conspiracy between Valerie and Tucker anyways!"
"I know where you live Tucker Foley!" Sam threatened, as Danny shook his head and closed his eyes for a second. This little game certainly wasn't what he had expected it to be, and he didn't know whether to be pleased that he and Sam knew one another so well or to be upset that they were both getting stressed out because of all the weird questions.
"Well, before this starts to get violent," Derek began, but had to cut himself off as Cara chased Casey across the stage with a chair, threatening bodily harm for what he had said, "Er…anymore violent, let's award tonight's best couple their honorary sash, and the small present we've unofficially prepared without our class sponsors' knowledge for specific reasons!"
Mr. Lancer and a few teachers that had been standing off to the side of the stage sent rather unhappy and disapproving glares to the teens that were in charge of everything. They just shrugged and smiled innocently, much to the sponsors' vexation.
"So, audience, who's it gonna be? Couple number one?"
With the slight smattering of applause that came with the first couple, Sam turned to Danny with a nervous, yet happy air about her, "Why do I get the feeling we're going to win this?"
"How about couple number two?" Derek called out, only to be met with silence and a few coughs as Casey and Cara glared at one another across the stage.
Danny smiled back at her nervously, enjoying the fact that she was happy they would win, "Because we know too much about each other?"
"And couple number three!"
Wild applause and lots of laughter met Danny and Sam as they turned to face one another, "So much for 'we're not lovebirds'…"
They stopped and burst out laughing, joining the rest of the audience, and thinking over the ridiculousness of it all as Derek wrapped things up, "Well, there you've got it folks! Danny and Sam, get your stuff, get out, and have a wild, fun time you two!"
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Outside, Danny held Sam's arm and kept them both invisible. As soon as they had been handed their prizes, they had made a mad rush for the backdoor, as the audience was making a mad rush for them. Fearing a mob, they had rounded the corner of the auditorium and Danny had grabbed on her, keeping them safe and out of sight.
The disappointed audience members who had wanted to congratulate the pair spent several minutes searching for them, but finally gave it up as lost and went on with their evenings with much talk of the event and cheerfulness.
Tucker and Valerie, however, sat in their seats patiently, waiting for the crowd to clear out. Danny and Sam wouldn't have gotten too far.
"Are they all gone?" Sam asked quietly as Danny phased them back into sight.
"Yep," he nodded and moved them both a bit away from the building, hoping to escape before Tucker and Valerie could catch up with them.
"Think we can get away with trashing these?" Sam asked genially as she held up two gaudy sashes that proclaimed them the 'perfect' match for one another.
"Hey!" Danny moved the box they had been given under his other arm and took his sash from the young woman, "I'm keeping mine! That's the first thing I've won in a really long time."
"Whatever," Sam rolled her eyes, "It's a good thing Dash wasn't here tonight or we'd really never be able to hear the end of it."
"Yeah," Danny nodded, "I'm never going to hear the end of it anyways if my parents ever hear about it. Thank God they couldn't make it tonight."
"Same with mine," Sam looked up to the sky with a sigh of relief, "Too bad certain other people made it. Where is Tucker, so I can kill him for that little stunt about kissing?"
"Well I'm right here," Tucker walked up with Valerie, but stood behind her slightly, "but you can't kill me because I've got a bodyguard!"
Valerie rolled her eyes as she finished closing the distance between herself and the 'couple' of the evening, "You two did really well. Can't say I'm surprised though."
"Ya' know," Danny shifted the box under his arm again to pop Tucker on the back of his head, "That was really evil of you two, I thought you'd be helping us out…"
"…not dooming us to a fate worse than death," Sam finished his sentence earning a curious glance from Valerie.
"We did!" Tucker put an around Sam, "We helped you guys to win!"
"Oh yes," Sam peeled his arm from around her and started walking with Danny, "and you perpetuated a misconception amongst the disillusioned population of not only our entire high school, but now most of the town as well."
"Right," Tucker stated with slight confusion as to why she was still trying to deny it, "So…what's in the box?"
"Huh?" Danny looked down at the small box in question, starting to open the lid and take a peek, "I dunno', let's find out."
As Sam tried to peek over his shoulder, the halfa gently edged her out of the way, "Me first!"
"No fair," Sam pouted unhappily, much like a spoiled child, even though she wasn't one, "Why do you always do that you cheater!"
"Because I'm a guy and guys do things…like…that," as Danny proceeded to talk to Sam, he also had opened the box and as soon as his eyes alit on the contents he turned the brightest red any of them had ever seen.
"Danny?" Sam asked curiously, a fierce rush of embarrassment causing her to blush slightly on behalf of the young man with whom she was connected.
"Whoa man," Tucker edged up beside his friend, "You match the fire hydrants…"
"What's in that box?" Valerie's curiosity got the better of her as she too stepped closer to the still blushing teen.
Danny's response to them all moving closer was to slam the lid shut.
"Absolutely nothing that any of you need to see, except…" Danny paused a minute phase his hand into the box and dig around slightly, withdrawing a pair of movie tickets, "Except these!"
"Movie tickets?" Sam eyed him carefully, trying to figure out what exactly had him blushing to much, "What…are they to a porno, you're awfully embarrassed…"
Tucker took the opportunity to snatch the tickets from Danny's hands as he turned to try and find an answer for Sam, "It's that new flick, really weird with lots of sex scenes, so you're right Sam, it might as well be a porno."
"They're trying to set you two up," Valerie smirked knowingly, "What else is in that box?"
"Trash," Danny answered immediately, the blush still as bright as ever. Sam was starting to worry that all the blood rushing to his cheeks was going to cause permanent damage, "Trash that I'm going to get rid of as soon as I find a dumpster."
"Geeze Danny," Sam snatched the box from Danny's grasp, "you'd think you'd have better reflexes by now…"
"No! Sam. You do not want to look in that box," Sam just raised her eyebrow, her inquisitiveness coming to the surface, "Please? I'll owe you another favor. I'll, uh, embarrass Paulina in front of the entire school…uh…"
"As tempting as that is and all," Sam began to edge open the lid, Danny's eyes turned green slightly as he glared intensely at the box, looking like it would spontaneously burst into flames if he stared hard enough.
"Wow, Danny is desperate. Wonder what's in that," Valerie paused as Tucker's hand found her shoulder and began to lead her away from the couple, "Can I help you?"
"We should stay over here for a minute."
"Why?"
Tucker just pointed to a now fully transformed Danny, "Because he's about to get it back."
"Gimme' that!" Danny jumped at Sam, grabbing the box and making it intangible, "Ha!"
"Danny," Sam growled up at the now floating boy, "Hand it. Over. Now."
Danny just chose to stick out his tongue as he floated lower. That turned out to be a rather bad mistake on his part as Sam grabbed a handful of his jumpsuit and pulled him down even closer to her, "Now."
"No way," Danny landed and turned human once again, Sam now having a fistful of his shirt instead of his suit, "You'll turn brighter red than I was…am. Think Sam. Dating kinda' game and couples, 'unofficial' unapproved present, them trying to goad us into admitting we like each other. Almost porno movie tickets…and me blushing my head off…"
"Almost porno tickets…" Valerie thought from her place to the side of the pair, then let out a silent 'oh' as her eyes widened.
"Oh no way," Sam suddenly understood and went nearly as red as Danny, "They wouldn't dare. Do they know how much trouble they'd be in if we turned them in?"
"I bet they were figuring that you'd be to busy to turn them in," Valerie put in smartly, laughing as the pair moved a little farther away from one another."
"So what's in here?" Tucker snatched the box from Danny and tore off the lid, only to suddenly bumble the box in a fit of nerves, "Oh!"
"Pick it up!" Valerie hit Tucker in the shoulder as the not so innocent contents of the box spilt across the sidewalk.
"Clean it up!" Sam hissed, shoving Danny towards Tucker who was currently scrambling to pick up. Both boys cringed as the picked up the motley assortment of…'toys' and 'useful' items and stuffed them back into the box.
"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" Danny questioned as he slammed the lid back on and sprinted for a nearby dumpster. Depositing the 'trash', Danny showily dusted off his hands and with a last clap jogged back to the small group.
"How were we supposed to know?" Tucker clapped him congenially on the back, "You made such a big deal out of it, we just had to know too."
Rubbing her forehead, Sam grabbed Tucker's ear to move him forward and leave Danny alone, "Can we just go to my house and watch movies…non-almost porno movies, like we planned? You're welcome to come too, Val."
"Sounds good," Valerie walked to Sam's side and leaned to whisper in her ear, making sure to say it loud enough for the boys to hear as well, "but I think you should know Danny kept those movie tickets…"
"DANIEL FENTON!" Sam took off after the already running halfa, "I'm telling Mom!"
"I didn't do it!" Danny ran as quickly as he could, but still couldn't shake the girl, 'I forgot she jogs all the time!'
Tucker and Valerie just continued on their merry way, laughing as they went and enjoying one another's company.
"Nicely done," Tucker laughed as they both watched them still chasing one another and bickering, with Danny now utilizing his ghost powers to keep Sam from pummeling him.
"But of course," Valerie smiled kindly, before nodding towards the pair where Sam had finally gotten a hold of Danny by the foot, which was floating about even with her chin, "Now let's catch up before she does something she regrets…"
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Danny lay contently in his room that night, listening to his computer lull him with the hypnotic melodies that were proceeding forth from his speakers. When he had arrived home, he had been pleasantly surprised to find Jazz waiting for him and his parents still busy with whatever had detained them from attending in the fundraiser in the first place.
As the beat slowly pulled him farther and farther into a relaxed state, Danny thought more and more on the evening spent with Sam and the game that they had played for their fellow schoolmates' pleasures. She had been happy and excited and nervous in that deliciously anxious manner that one felt when with someone they liked. Not just liked, but 'like' liked.
She was beginning to act the way she had when the magic amulet that first brought the Princess Ghost to them came into his life. She wanted to go the upcoming dance, but would never in a million years mention it, no matter how badly she wanted it.
'Should I take her?' Danny played with the issue and handled it carefully in his mind, 'She always loves going to dances and I know she had a really great time with me the last time we went. That was ages ago though.'
The more Danny thought about Sam, the more he realized that he wanted to take her, that he couldn't stand the idea of her dancing with anyone else unless he knew that she was his date, and even then he still felt a rush of possessiveness at the very thought. Then too, the more he thought about wanting to take her the more nervous he became.
'If I ask her, and she says no, what would I do, act like it's no big deal? If she says yes, what am I going to do…where would that put us…would there be an 'us' then or would we just go as friends…would she just want to go as friends or,' but Danny had managed to make himself intangible in his apprehension and found himself falling through his bed, through the floor, and landed with a hard thump face down on the floor right in front of a very surprised Jazz.
"Danny?" she looked down at her brother who was currently sitting up and rubbing his nose, "Are you alright? What happened?"
"Heh," the teen leapt to his feet, "Oh, nothing….I just was thinking about something and wasn't really paying attention to anything and the next thing I knew, here I was…"
"Only you," Jazz watched as he ran back up the stairs without waiting for her response, "can make a completely meaningless sentence mean something, little brother…"
With a last shake of her head, Jazz herself headed up the stairs with a yawn, ready to turn in for the night, but first stopped to peek her head into her brother's room, "Hope whatever it was that had you distracted works out. I have the feeling that it will though, so no worries. Night Danny."
"Yeah, uh thanks," he smiled back at her from his bed, "Night Sis. I'm glad that you're almost always right, because I'm going to need all the help I can get with this..."