Hey again guys, Sparkling Patronus again! Then again, it is my fic right? Thanks again for the awesome feedback! It made me want to write the chapter early again, but I couldn't because of midterms. But they're over now! Yayness! tosses confetti
OK, anyway, before I begin this chapter, lemme give you a warning. In case you haven't already noticed, I love cliffhangers. This chapter ends in one, as do the next three, which I have already written (I stay three chapters ahead so I won't have to discontinue if I can't update each week) and many other will probably also end in them. I take pleasure in being evil. Just thought I'd warn you before you have to find out for yourself. Well, enjoy the chapter!
Danny awoke the next morning wondering where on earth he was. At first he'd thought he was in his apartment, judging by the lack of light and unpleasant atmosphere. However, he realized he wasn't when he sat up and found himself on the floor of a barren room.
Danny blinked in confusion and looked around. It took only a few moments for the events of the day before to come rushing back to him. He was in Amity. He'd arrived yesterday, seen his parents, his friends, and many other familiar faces. Then the most important event of all came back to him. Sam had seen him. He shot up into a sitting position.
He could suddenly remember every detail of the encounter very clearly; the look of shock on her face, the way she'd shot up in bed, the way her eyes had followed him as he'd turned to leave…
Did Sam remember what had happened as well? Had she told anybody what she'd seen? He had to know. He stood up and stretched, realizing that he was still in his ghost form. It felt strange to stay this way for so long. He realized that he'd never before stayed in ghost mode for more than a couple of hours at a time, nor had he ever actually slept in it.
He floated through the roof of the old building, shielding his eyes from the bright sunshine that greeted him. It already seemed to be a bit late in the morning. It looked late enough for school to have started at any rate. He took a deep breath of fresh air and proceeded to turn himself invisible. He was about to take off for Casper High, until he felt his ghost sense go off.
Sighing in frustration, he brought himself back to visibility and looking around for the source of the current disturbance. His ghost sense seemed to be going off a lot more often then he'd remembered from the last time he'd been here. Then again, he really hadn't been here in a long time.
While he was busily searching for the source of the newest disturbance, he didn't see it sneak up behind him.
"Hello there fellow ghost!" said a voice behind him in a well rehearsed tone. It was as if it had said the same thing many times before, "I am looking for allies, and I-"
However, the ghost's sentence was cut off as Danny nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around. Upon seeing Danny's face, the ghost's eyes widened.
"You!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Danny, "You have been gone for some time now! Where did you come from?"
A look of recognition crossed Danny's face as he turned to look at the ghost.
"Technus?" he asked, looking quite surprised .He hadn't really been expecting to see any of his old foes so soon.
"It is indeed I! Technus, master of…" his sentence trailed off at the look on Danny's face.
"Look, I don't have time to deal with you, I have more important things to think about right now!" said Danny, knowing full well that Technus was undoubtedly here with another scheme to take over the world.
Reaching behind him, Danny found the thermos he'd retrieved last night clipped onto his uniform. He grabbed it and,with one swift motion, sucked Technus inside before he could even comprehend what was happening. Marveling at how easy that capture had been, Danny quickly flew back to his parent's house to put Technus in the ghost zone before heading to the school.
It took him only a few minutes to reach the house. Careful not to make any noise, he slipped down to his parent's lab, making sure to remain invisible all the while. He cursed silently when he realized that his mother was down there with the vacuum, apparently tidying up the lab a bit. Danny remembered when that had been his job.
Deciding that he had no choice but to wait, he watched as his mother busied herself dusting off some beakers on a nearby table. She knocked something over, and Danny heard the sound of glass breaking, as well as a muffles curse from his mother.
Floating over to see what his mother had just destroyed, Danny found her hunched over a shattered picture frame. Inside was a picture of Jazz on what Danny assumed was the day of her graduation from Casper High. She wore a blue gown and square cap, a matching tassel dangling from the top. She clutched what Danny assumed was a diploma in her right hand, and in her left, a certificate on which Danny could make out the word 'Valedictorian'. What a surprise.
Maddie gently picked up the frame and the extra glass and placed it back on the table. A look of sadness crossed her face as she studied the picture. Suddenly, she began speaking as though she knew someone else was in the room. Danny was startled for a moment, before he realized that she was only speaking to herself
She sighed. "Jazz looked so beautiful on her graduation day," Maddie whispered, picking up the small frame once again as she proceeded toward the stares, "too bad it's to only high school graduation I'll get to see" The end of her sentence was hard to make out, for her voice had begun to crack. Danny could see the tears beginning to form in her eyes as she disappeared from view.
He stared after her, a look of mild shock on his face. Had she been referring to him with that statement? Or was that just what he wanted to believe? He pondered this for a few more moments before realizing he had to get moving. His mother would probably be back soon, and he had to get Technus into portal and head back to the school.
Moving toward the portal, he checked to make sure no one was around and became visible once more. Placing his finger to the special genetic lock, he watched as the light turned green and the portal opened. He entered the contents of the thermos, which were Technus and a few other ghosts that had apparently been caught by Sam, and closed the portal back up before any ghosts could escape.
His work in the lab finished, he shot off in the direction of the school, wondering if Sam would still remember the previous night's events, and if she did, would it be a good or a bad thing?
He reached the doors and flew strait in, this time not hesitating on the outside. Now he was not met with empty halls, but the din of many conversations taking place at once. It seemed that school had just begun.
Taking a quick look around, he located Sam and Tuck in front of the same locker he'd seen them at yesterday before lunch. They were leaned against the wall and seemed to be deep in conversation. Danny flew up to get a closer look.
"Sam I still think you were dreaming," were the first intelligible words that met his ears as he flew closer to his two friends. He could imagine what type of conversation had transpired before he'd arrived. It looked like Sam remembered, and she'd explained the whole matter to Tuck.
However, the next part of the conversation proved this theory wrong, as Sam replied playfully, "No Tuck, I'm telling you. I heard you mumbling about Valerie while you dozed off in math yesterday"
"Whatever you say Sam," said Tuck sarcastically, rolling his eyes. However, Danny could see his cheeks darken a bit.
Before their conversation could continue any further, the bell rang, and Sam said, "Come on Tuck, we'll be late for class"
"Yeah and that would be a real shame," replied Tucker, rolling his eyes once more as he followed his companion into the nearest classroom, leaving Danny on his own once more.
Danny just stayed there, the playful conversation from just moments before still ringing in his ears. So Sam hadn't remembered then? It sure did seem that way by her carefree disposition. Or perhaps maybe she'd thought it had all been a strange dream. Danny didn't know whether to feel happy or disappointed by the thought.
With nothing better to do, he decided to peek in on whatever class the two had just entered into. Without a second thought, he phased through the door and into the classroom. He took to floating in the corner, so that he was nearly touching the ceiling, and sat back to watch.
It looked like Lancer was still teaching at Casper High, because there he was, standing at the front of the class looking as bald and overweight as he always had. It looked like Danny had wandered into Lancer's English class. First period too! Who wanted to start the day with Lancer?
It seemed that they'd been reading a novel called 'Great Expectations', because Lancer was holding a copy at the front of the room and each student had the book out on their desk. Lancer began talking, and soon Danny felt himself drifting off as he always had in one of Lancer's classes. The only difference was that this time, Lancer couldn't berate him about it, for he could not see him.
However, halfway on his trip into unconsciousness, his ghost sense went off. He was so startled by the sudden feeling of cold that he felt himself flicker into visibility for just a moment. Catching himself, he immediately became invisible again, clutching his pounding heart.
He looked around the room. No one seemed to have noticed. In fact, none of them had even looked up from their book, from which Lancer was currently reading an excerpt. Danny wondered if this was because they were actually interested in his lesson or if they were just asleep mentally and couldn't comprehend what he was saying.
He was about to calm his nerves and go search for the ghost, until his next glance around the room almost made his heart stop. He'd thought that every student had been too absorbed in their book to notice him, but he was wrong. There was Sam, eyes wide as dinner plates, staring in shock and confusion at the exact place where he was floating.
OK, there you have it. It might seem a bit stupid that Sam didn't acknowledge their first encounter, but that plays into the plot a bit more later. This chapter was Danny's first run in with an enemy, and believe me, it's just the start of his troubles.
Anyway, that's all I'm telling you about this time. Please review if you have the time! Cya next chapter!