This chapter was so much fun to write
Danny was flying back to Sam's house, enjoying the cover of invisibility. A few moments ago, he'd stuffed Ember into the thermos and raced out of the mall, hearing the Fenton RV on its way. That took longer than normal, probably because screaming fans were constantly trying to get me to leave her alone, till they saw her get trapped in the thermos. I hope they realize that means she's a ghost. He flew into Sam's bedroom, where she was watching a recap in the day's events.
"It seems the ghost boy captured Ember in the Fenton Thermos. Does this mean she's a ghost? More info at eleven." He glanced at her, and she looked up at him.
"Jazz called a few minutes ago, it sounded urgent. She wouldn't tell me why though. She just said you had to call her back before your parents get home." Danny nodded.
"Then I guess I'd better call her back. I told her I don't bring my cell phone when I'm fighting ghosts, but I guess she forgot." He rolled his eyes again and dialed the Fenton home phone number on his phone. After about the first Half ring, Jazz picked up.
"Danny? Is it you?" Her voice was full of fear, though Danny wasn't sure why.
"Yeah, it's me. What's so urgent?"
"The portal's working again!"
"That's good, that means I can put all the ghosts back now. At this rate, they'll find a way out!"
"NO! I mean, Danny, that's not the reason I called. The Box Ghost attacked." Danny started laughing.
"And your point? Jazz, it's the Box Ghost! The only Fenton he poses a problem to is..."
"Danny, I...dropped the phone!" Danny then heard a bunch of bangs and other unpleasant sounds until Jazz brought the phone back to her ear. "Silly me." Her voice was shaking.
"Jazz, what's going on? If you don't tell me, I'm coming home right now. And this was supposed to be my night off!" His foot was impatiently tapping the floor, but Sam could tell the boy was worried about what was going on. Gosh, what's happening? Danny's usually so cool and calm about things unless he's fighting a ghost...
"Nothing's wrong, I just need to talk to you tomorrow morning, as soon as possible. I'll be fine tonight, but...I've got to go. Mom and Dad are home, and they'll wonder why I'm not at the party. Bye!"
"Why aren't you at the..." The phone started beeping, signaling his sister had hung up. Danny went ghost again, determined to find out what was wrong.
"Danny, wait. What happened?"
"Jazz said there was something important and that she needed to speak to me tomorrow morning, but not tonight. But she was acting really weird, like something bad happened." Sam walked up to the ghost and put her hand on his freezing shoulder.
"Listen, I know you want to know, but it sounds like Jazz thinks she'll be fine. She'll be there in the morning, I'm sure." Danny looked away before nodding grimly and becoming human again.
"It's just that even though I say Jazz is a major pain, she's my sister. I wouldn't want to see her harmed if I could stop it. I'd never be able to forgive myself."
Back at the Fentons' house, Jazz was panicking, which was not something Jazz did often. Her eyes lit up as she thought of an idea. She quickly ran up to her bedroom and used the grappling hook she kept under her bed to get outside. (A.N-Remember "Fanning the Flames"?) Once she was outside, she started walking away from the house.
"Where can I go where I'll be alone until 10:00?" She asked herself. An idea hit her like lightning. "The school! Of course!" She rushed off, not noticing she'd become completely invisible in the process. Once she reached the school, she tried to open the doors. "Great, they're locked. Now I'm gonna be stuck in the cold, all because of these stupid ghost pow..." She smacked her forehead. "Ghost powers mean I can go through the door." To her delight, the very first time she tried, she made it. Inside, she was nice and warm. She started wandering down the halls, heading for the library. About halfway there, however, she noticed a light in the teacher's lounge. She tiptoed over to see who was there at 7:30 on a Friday evening. She peeped through the window to see Mr. Lancer sitting at the table, sipping coffee and grading tests. Does this guy ever go home? She asked herself, leaning on the door. The next thing she knew, she was in a heap on the floor, right at the teacher's feet.
Mr. Lancer heard a loud thump and looked up from grading Dash Baxter's test (he got a D+) to see his favorite student lying on the floor. "Hello miss Fenton, why are you here so late? And how did you get through the door so quietly?" She smiled sheepishly.
"I never left, I was in the library and lost track of time. And the door? Psh, no problem. I'm just good at getting through doors quietly." Getting through them's no problem, it's just the landing that's a little rough... Mr. Lancer continued staring at her, nodding unbelievingly.
"Jasmine, I may be old but I'm not that hard of hearing yet." She frowned. Ok then, he knows I'm lieing. What would Danny do? She quickly turned her frown into a smile.
"Uh, so how's Danny doing in his classes?" She hoped changing the subject would work.
"I wouldn't normally discuss my other students with anyone, but seeing as you're his sister and he seems to be doing better with your help, I guess I can give you a brief overview. His grades have been getting better these past few weeks, but he always seems too tired whenever he enters the classroom. When he applies himself, the results are amazing. He could be the type of genius you Fentons are famous of being if he actually tried." Jazz nodded. "But Jasmine, I don't understand why he doesn't. What does he do every day that has him too tired for homework?" Besides ghosts? Trying to prove he's not evil, hide his secrets from Mom and Dad, and live a normal life. You know, normal stuff.
"He's got a side job, but he doesn't want to let anyone know. So don't bring it up with him, or he'll kill me." She smiled before realizing she was starting to sink through the floor. She quickly bent her knees and made it look like she was bending down to pick something up.
"A penny! Cool!" Good thing there was a table there. I've got to get out of here. Lancer blinked; Jazz wouldn't normally be interested in a penny. "This'll help those poor starving children in Africa!"
"Now Jasmine, I'd love to play 20 questions with you, but I'd rather know the real reason you're here this late in the evening." She cringed. Of course he isn't going to believe a lie! Whatever I say has got to ring with truth, without telling him the whole story.
"I decided not to go to the party, and I didn't want to be at home. I would've hung out with my friends, but they were going to the party, and Danny's at Sam's. Where else was there?"
"Hamlet! Jasmine, I can tell you're not going to tell me why you're here, but I'd love to know how you got in here in the first place! All the doors were locked!" And it's not like any of the windows can be opened from outside either.
"I'd rather not talk about it." But she knew Lancer would pound her for an explanation on Monday if she didn't give one now. And here, there weren't any eavesdroppers except maybe the mice. All in all, it didn't mean Jazz was ok with it though.
"Miss Fenton, is there something going on? Normally, you're the most open student here at Casper High. I know as a teacher, I'm not supposed to take such an interest in my students, but what else am I supposed to do when someone suddenly falls into the lounge at 7:30 on a Friday, when all the doors are locked? I'll give you a hint, it's not turning a blind eye. Something is bothering you, something that made you want to leave your house. You knew it would be noticeable, so you didn't go to the party. And you're afraid to tell Danny. If it was something small, like ghost attack small, you'd find him before even worrying about your own safety. You're not the type of person to turn your back on the world, Jasmine, so why are you here?" Ghost attack? Small? I should've taken that job in Roswell, there's no way it could've been this weird.
Jazz, meanwhile, was stunned. He saw right through me like a book! And I thought I was a good psychologist! She looked at him, and nodded. "Yeah, it's something big." She averted her gaze. "I..." Her cell phone started to ring.
"Hello?"
"Jazzypants! You got the portal working! Thanks!" Jazz smiled at her dad. So clueless, and people wonder where Danny got it from
"Yeah, it was no big, Dad."
"So, how's the party? Meeting lots of cute guys?" Jazz blushed.
"Dad! Everyone's in mask, it's impossible to tell! Listen, I'm kinda busy, I'll call you back later." She hung up and put her phone away. Good thing I hid my costume. She glanced back at Lancer.
"Sorry about that, my Dad just wanted to call to tell me the portal's working and asking me if I'm having fun at the dance."
"Scarlet Ibis! You didn't tell him that you decided not to go?" Jazz shook her head.
"He'd already left when it happened. I was home alone. Except the Box ghost, who wouldn't shut up about his love of boxes."
"It?" He was more confused now.
"The thing. The thing that made me decide not to go to the party." He nodded.
"Well, Miss Fenton, I hope that whatever problem has arisen for you leaves quickly."
"It won't. I'm stuck like this." She looked down at her feet, not noticing Lancer staring at her.
Cliffie! What's Lancer staring at?
