Sam smiled as she walked down the sidewalk. Lately, things had been looking up. At college, everybody was smiling at her, and she wasn't surrounded by constant reminders of Danny.
Danny… He had left halfway through junior year. Nobody knew where, and most assumed he had died. But Sam, Jazz and Tucker all knew he was still alive. When he had left, Sam sunk into depression. She had believed he had abandoned her. It was only Tucker who helped her move on. They were now at the same college and loving their newfound freedom. Sam had new friends and had lightened up on the goth. Tucker had a serious girlfriend. Jazz was on her way to becoming a pschologist, her life-long dream. But all of their lives were constantly interrupted by ghost fighting. With Danny gone, they were the only people who could protect the town. The only upside was that the town knew "Team Phantom" was saving them and admired and thanked them greatly for it.
Sam waved to a girl she new from her History class, before waling up the concrete stairs to her hall. She had even lessened up on the whole Goth look after a while. Not that she would ever where pink, or anything.
Sam hummed slightly as she pushed open her door. It was open, so Tuck was probably inside. They had traded their extra copies of their keys so they could visit each other and hide out in each other's rooms.
What she saw sitting on her bed stopped her in her tracks. Sam dropped her bag in shock.
Danny blushed and waved. "Hi Sam."
Sam was speechless. She just shook her head and turned to Tucker, who was leaning against her desk. He immediately walked over to calm her down. "Now, Sam, don't do anything rash. He just came back. I was shocked too when I saw him."
Sam pushed past Tucker and walked until she was right in front of Danny. She took a deep breath as if to speak, but then looked at the floor and clenched her fists. Danny looked at her helplessly. He sighed and said, "Sam, I-"
He didn't get to finish what he was going to say, because Sam socked him in the jaw and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Tucker sighed and looked at Danny. "I told you she wasn't going to tae it very well."
Danny glared at him and ran after Sam. When Sam heard footsteps behind her, she immediately started sprinting. Danny changed into ghost form and caught her, flying her up on top of a building and setting her down.
Sam crossed her arms and looked at him coldly. "Put. Me. Down." She said.
Danny sighed and put out his hands. "Look Sam, I'm sorry, okay? Please, let me back in."
Sam could have screamed. "Let you back in? You locked the door behind you! You left without telling any of us, Danny! I thought you were dead! And you try to waltz back here and expect us to welcome you with open arms?"
Danny looked at his hands. "Sam, I thought things would get better if I left. I thought…all my problems would disappear."
Sam snorted and rolled her eyes. "Danny, you leaving made everything ten times worse. Your problems became our problems. Jazz is six months pregnant and you know what she's doing right now? She's fighting Skulker! Your parents were heartbroken. I was heartbroken."
Danny looked confused. "What?"
Sam sighed. "I loved you so much back then, Danny. The only thing that kept me going was seeing you around, having you nearby." Her eyes filled with fire once more. "And then you leave, just like that! You went on and on about how this town is your responsibility and yet you abandoned it without a second glance. I thought you were dead and the guilt ate away at me. I thought you died because of something I had done or said. I thought you had died a heroic death, battling Pariah Dark, but didn't tell us, so as not to worry us." Sam laughed bitterly. "But now I see. You took the coward's route. Well gues what, Danny? Covering your eyes doesn't make the monsters go away."
With that wounding comment, Sam walked away, to the door leading bac down to the dorms. Danny stayed where he was, for a long time, wallowing in his misery and shame.