Disclaimer: I'll never own Danny Phantom, I'll never make money off of Danny Phantom…sigh…BUT you can bet your pants that I'll be able to write slash about it. :)
Author's Notes + Warnings (please take a second to read): This chapter is light and simple because the next chapter is, well as one person put it, "WTF! What the hell is this? How could you do that?" and so I guess it might be that this chapter is a slow element of peace before everything starts getting weirder. So at any rate, please just kick back and enjoy!
lllll blah lllll scene change
llllllllll blah llllllllll dream or memory
'blah' thoughts
"blah" speaking
Chapter 15: The Jacket Jazz
"The trick to solving this problem is that you had to realize how to figure out the inner angles based on the fact that all the outer angles of the polygon added up to 360 degrees," Jack said to his very small class.
"Oh, and then by using the tangent function you can figure out the inner angles," Dash said, with a sense of clarity.
Jack gave the blond a small smile, "Exactly Dash."
"So does this apply to all polygons or just when they explicitly say it?" Tucker asked.
"No, this applies to almost all polygons. You know that a circle is 360 degrees. Well imagine it like a rubber band, if you stretch it a certain way it can become a rectangle with four 90 degree angles and if you stretch it another way it can become a pentagon with...?" Jack trailed off expectantly.
Danny quickly did the math on his paper and hesitantly raised his hand. Jack nodded at him and Danny nervously said, "With five 72 degree angles?"
"Correct," Jack said smiling.
"And with that ending note gentlemen, it is five o'clock and time for the four of you to go home," Mr. Lancer said, looking sternly at them.
He stood up from the desk he had been supervising them from and moved to gather up his briefcase and coat. Jack quickly erased any traces of math from the board before grabbing his backpack from where he'd left it on the ground. Danny, Tucker and Dash stood at the door waiting for him to join them and finally all four thanked Mr. Lancer before leaving the English teacher's classroom.
Tucker suddenly said, "Man do you guys remember the look on Lancer's face when we asked him where we could find an empty classroom to study in?"
"Yeah, he looked like he was going to check our temperatures and call the school nurse or something," Danny said chuckling.
"Yes and I thought it was funny how he thought we were 'up to something' and kept looking at us suspiciously, but at least he let us use his classroom. I wonder, is it because he sees the three of you as...slackers?" Jack asked hesitatingly.
"Oh, no we pretty much are slackers," Tucker said proudly.
"Still, when Danny came to me asking for help for your geometry test, I thought it was going to be tomorrow or something. Why are the three of you studying so 'early' if it's not until Friday?" Jack asked somewhat suspicious.
"Grades," all three freshmen said at once.
They looked at each other before looking at Jack with innocent looks. Jack sighed and decided to just buy their story for now, figuring they would say the truth sometime. Despite whatever the trio was planning, at least it required them to keep up with their academics so perhaps it couldn't be all bad.
"Hey! Hold up you guys!"
Four heads turned to see a sweaty and slightly dirty looking Derek running up to them. When the sophomore finally caught up with them, he huffed out a tired greeting. Jack placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder to help him relax. Derek gave him a small smile in return and finally began walking with them.
"Geez, you guys missed coach's killer hour. You left at the perfect time, cause right afterwards that old fart gave us this scary grin and announced a 'death practice'." Derek said shuddering. "I'm so tired, thank god I finished most of my homework in class, I'm gonna go home and pass out."
"I already finished all of mine. Do you need help with yours?" Jack asked him.
"Nah, I can do it. It's just Calculus and that won't take me long," Derek said smiling.
"Calculus? I thought we take that second semester of junior year," Tucker asked in surprise.
"Yeah, normally we do, but if you bug the teachers enough they let you take this crazy entrance exam to get into the class," Derek said remembering the difficult test.
"The test takes about three hours and covers all the material you should already know including pre-calculus," Jack explained.
"Yeah and it's really annoying cause you have to score at least a ninety for Lancer to even approve of you entering the class," Derek said.
Dash smirked as he said, "Let me guess, you barely scored a ninety and that's why you're whining about it."
"Brilliant deduction coming from a C+ student," Derek replied sarcastically. "Anyway, I gotta head this way, I'll see you guys later."
With the exception of Dash, the three boys bade their goodbyes to him and kept walking together. Jack chuckled to himself and caught the others' attention. Noticing they were looking at him expectantly, the auburn haired boy smiled as he said, "I'm sorry Dash, but I'm laughing at what you said about Derek's score on the calculus entrance test."
"Why?" Tucker asked with interest. "Did he really just barely make ninety?"
"No, he got a perfect score," Jack said evenly. He laughed softly at their shocked faces before saying, "In truth I'm the one that barely got a ninety-one."
"A perfect score," Dash said in disbelief. "Then why...why didn't he brag about it?"
Jack paused and finally replied, "He probably thought that you guys wouldn't believe him. Most people at school only see Derek as a jokester and a jock, but he actually does really well in school. He's lived his whole life with people not giving him enough credit that I suppose he's just used to it."
"But if you're good at something then you should be recognized for it," said Tucker.
Jack looked at three as he said, "That's how you and I think, but Derek's logic is very different. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the jerk brags enough for the both of us, but his deal is that he doesn't want to be recognized just by his accomplishments more like for who he is...at least that's what I think."
Shifting the weight of his messenger bag onto his other arm, the taller boy waved as he walked away from them, "Well anyway, good luck on your test and if you guys need my help again, don't be afraid to ask, ja ne."
Tucker held a confused look on his face as he said, "Jah ney? What's that mean?"
"No it's ja ne, he told me that it's an informal way of saying goodbye in Japanese," Danny explained.
"Oh, makes sense," Tucker said as he began playing a game on his palm pilot. "Ya know that guy is sometimes eerily perceptive about the people around him."
"Yeah, but it makes him easy to talk to and ask for help. Right, Dash?" said Danny. When he received no response, he looked over at the quiet blond. 'Maybe he feels weird walking with us.'
Danny tried again, "Dash?"
"Huh?" Dash said distractedly. He blinked out of his stupor and looked at them expectantly.
Danny and Tucker raised an eyebrow at Dash's reaction, but shrugged their shoulders and kept walking. Both began talking over the upcoming game against the Tritons, Dash every now and then putting in his two cents over the new plays the coach was making them practice.
"Wow, so a lot of these plays involve the...receivers being in the game more?" Tucker asked uncertain. He still didn't know all the techniques of football strategies. He switched off his game and text messaged Sam to make sure she had everything ready.
"Yeah, a month ago Coach made guys like Fenton and Sanchez train more," Dash said with a sly smile. "This is around the same time when he realized that a certain someone was hiding the fact that he can't run correctly for long periods of time."
Tucker saw Danny's face heat up at the comment and laughed aloud at the blush on his best friend's face. Danny fidgeted uncomfortably before settling down and putting his hands deep into his pockets.
"So what is your coach doing to help Danny?" Tucker asked Dash bluntly.
Danny grumpily interrupted, "He gave me a 'jogging partner', the fifth fastest guy on the team and someone who can 'whip my butt into shape'. I've been training with him for almost three weeks now."
"Well that's kind of cool of the guy to take time out his schedule to help you," Tucker said smiling at Danny.
Dash smirked as he said, "Yeah and it looks like his training's finally helping because Coach made us do the 40 yard dash test yesterday and Fenton improved his running time from 5.5 to 5.0 seconds."
"Is that a good thing? The difference is only a few seconds," Tucker asked Dash.
"In football that difference is a big deal and it's nearly impossible to improve so much in such a short amount of time," Dash said smiling proudly. "I think Fenton probably proved to coach that he's isn't completely hopeless."
Danny felt his face heat up further at the comment and put his hands further into his pocket as he muttered, "It's all thanks to my lunatic jogging partner."
Tucker gave him an amused smile as he said, "Aw come on he can't be that bad."
Danny gave him a look that spoke of weeks of trauma before exclaiming, "The jerk wakes me up at six in the morning and makes me jog for an hour everyday and jog two hours at night. Every now and then he tortures me by pulling pranks that make me run faster. He once slipped a bone in my pocket and blew a dog whistle so that every stray dog in Amity Park chased me. On weekends he ties a rope around my waist and pays little kids on skateboards or roller blades to grab on as I run."
Tucker was unable to continue walking and leaned against a nearby wall laughing his head off. Dash chuckled nearby and looked over at the embarrassment written all over the brunet next to him. He slapped Danny's shoulder and gave him a small smile. The two stared up at each other in silence before the moment was broken by Tucker hanging off of Danny's shoulder, still laughing.
"Hehehe, I feel sorry for you." Tucker said smiling. "So what's his name anyway?"
Danny pointed with his thumb next to him and calmly replied, "Him."
Tucker's eyes widened in surprise and stared at the blond next to him. He was going to ask Dash something before he was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing. Dash reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his cell phone to see who was calling him.
With a smirk on his face he held it to his ear and slyly answered, "What are you wearing?"
Danny and Tucker looked at each other in alarm and unconsciously leaned forward to hear whoever it was that had called Dash. Danny made out the sound a female voice yelling at Dash loudly. Dash chuckled good-naturedly and "uh huh-ed" for most of the conversation before saying goodbye to the other person. Dash looked back at the other two and scoffed as he saw them casually move away from him.
"Geez, you two are worse than the nosy girls at school."
Dash ignored the annoyed looks aimed at him and stretched his arms over his head. He sighed once before turning on Danny and staring at him almost menacingly.
"If I ask you to come with me somewhere without asking questions would you?" Dash asked him in earnest.
Danny paused for moment and gave him an honest answer, "No."
"Heh, I thought you'd say that," Dash said giving him his most innocent smile. Danny took a step back not buying the look on the blond's face at all. Before he had a chance to realize what was happening, Dash half tackled him and grabbed him. The blond grunted from the effort and gruffly threw Danny over his shoulder.
"Dash! What are you doing? Let go of me!" Danny yelled pounding against Dash's back.
Tucker stared at the scene of a struggling Danny trying to get Dash to let go of him. He would have laughed aloud if he wasn't worried about his best friend's safety. He nervously asked, "Um Dash, what are you going to do to Danny?"
"Don't worry Foley, he'll be alive tomorrow...if he stops struggling that is," Dash said shifting Danny and almost making him fall. Danny stopped struggling, afraid the blond really would drop him.
"Alright, alright, I'll go! I promise I'll go and won't ask questions, just put me down!" Danny said desperately.
"I dunno, carrying you like this might get us there faster," Dash said smirking. "You really need to eat more Fenton. I bet Paulina probably weighs more than you."
Danny blushed and began struggling again, "Shut up! Just let me down, I can walk by myself!"
Dash laughed to himself as he bent forward and let go of Danny. The brunet stood shakily on the ground but didn't have time to recover before Dash grabbed his arm and dragged him off.
"See you, Foley." Dash threw over his shoulder.
"Tucker help!" Danny said as he reached out toward his best friend.
Tucker shook his head in amusement and jokingly yelled out, "Hey Danny if you die can I have your computer?"
"No you traitor!"
'Hehe, I gotta tell Sam about this,' Tucker thought and began to text message his girlfriend again.
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Dash looked over at the brunette boy next to him, wondering if the other boy was still mad at him. Danny was walking slightly ahead of Dash, feeling embarrassed over his earlier behavior. He clutched the bag that held his gift tighter and thought back to what had happened earlier that evening.
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"Hey Fentonmeister!" Kwan called out jovially. He slapped Danny's back roughly and nearly made the other boy crash into some trashcans. Kwan did the usual handshake with Dash and asked, "Was it hard getting him here?"
"Nah, you know Fenton. All it took was a little persuasion," Dash said, emphasizing his point by cracking his knuckles.
"Well let's go before my cousin gets mad. She was supposed to close the store twenty minutes ago," said Kwan. Danny barely caught a glimpse of the store's name, "Sports Style" before Kwan grabbed Danny and led him inside the shop. Kwan let go of him to talk to an Asian girl that was standing behind a large counter.
Danny took a moment to look around the shop and saw that the entire store had nothing but sports clothes. He walked toward a nearby glass counter and saw different sweat bands with specially designed words and logos embroidered on them. Danny caught sight of Dash through the reflection and walked over to the blond who was perusing a rack of basketball jerseys.
"Dash now that we're here can I know why we're here?" Danny said in a harsh whisper.
"No way Fenton, it'll spoil the surprise," Dash said smirking.
"Surprise? What surprise?" asked a bewildered Danny.
"Dweeb, if I told you then it wouldn't be surprise would it?" Dash said, giving Danny a teasing smile.
"Yo Dash! She said it's ready, we just need the nickname now," Kwan said aloud.
Dash gently pushed Danny with him and walked the other boy toward the counter. Danny looked at the beautiful Asian girl in front of him and grew flustered when he saw her smile at him. She pulled out a white box from a shelf behind her and laid it on top of the countertop.
"Oh yeah before I forget. Danny, this is my cousin Jade, Jade this Danny and you already know Dash," Kwan said, gesturing on both sides.
Danny shook her hand and politely said, "It's nice to meet you."
Jade giggled and in a soft voice replied, "Likewise. Well, I tailored the jacket to the measurements you asked for Kwan, but Danny should try it on...just in case."
Danny was finally fed up and curtly asked, "Try what on? What are you talking about?"
"Surprise, Fentonmeister!" Kwan said grinning. He moved the box toward Danny and in the same happy tone explained, "Dude, you're officially one of us now, so you can't go to school without one anymore."
"Open it," Dash said. He nudged the shorter boy towards the box.
Danny did as he was told and after a moment raised an eyebrow as he saw the red letterman jacket. He looked up overwhelmed and was so caught off guard he didn't know what to say.
Dash smirked as he asked him, "Well, what do you think Fenton?"
Danny gently pushed the box away as he said, "I-I can't accept this."
"Dude of course you can. We had it made specifically for you," Kwan said sincerely. "And if you don't then my cousin will probably kill you." Jade nodded to emphasize his point.
Jade looked at him imploringly as she said, "Try it Danny, I need to make sure it fits."
Danny looked at the round of encouraging faces around him and put down his backpack and quickly put on the jacket. Jade led him over to a nearby mirror and fiddled with the jacket for a bit before saying, "I think you look really good in it. What do you think Danny?"
"I've never worn one of these before, but I kinda like it." Danny said as he stood as straight as he could. His fingers ran through the fabric of the jacket, taking in all the detail including the curvy letters that had been used to embroider his name into the red material. He looked back at Jade and said, "It fits really well, thanks."
"Don't mention it. Oh but wait, now we have to put the finishing touch," Jade said smiling. She helped Danny shrug out of the jacket as she asked, "What's your nickname?"
"My nickname?" Danny asked, not knowing what to say.
Jade nodded and then said, "If you're very fast, how about we call you 'The Rocket'?"
"Pfft, no way, Fenton's as slow as molasses," Dash said laughing.
Kwan shook his head and retorted, "Yeah, but lately he's gotten a lot faster. Even Rick said that Fenton's good at dodging tackles and that when Fenton's in his element it's like trying to catch dust."
'Rick said that about me?' Danny thought surprised. The other boy had been so hostile toward him after the fight between Dash and Griffith, that it seemed ludicrous that his teammate would ever compliment him.
"What did you say Danny's football move was?" Jade said uncertainly.
In a firm tone Dash said, "When Fenton catches the ball, he tends to spin midair before landing on his feet and then he just runs with the ball if he's not already in the end zone."
Kwan laughed as she said, "Sometimes he crashes or gets tackled into the end zone just as he catches the ball. The coach gets mad at him for always hurting himself by dive bombing it. It's like you're constantly launching yourself out there on the field, Fenton."
"Kwan, that's it! Dive Bomber. Danny 'The Dive Bomber' Fenton," Jade said enthusiastically.
All three boys thought about the nickname for a moment before Kwan and Dash nodded their approval. They smiled as they looked at Danny expectantly.
Jade looked at Danny and asked, "Is it alright with you Danny? Did you already have another nickname in mind?"
Danny looked at the same three expectant faces in front of him and quickly tried to think of another nickname. Danny thought back to all the names he'd been called in the past. 'Loser, Fentina, Fen-turd, Halfa, Ghost Child, Ghost Mutt...nevermind.' He sighed in defeat and gave them a wan smile as he shook his head.
"No, I'll take it," Danny said simply.
Jade sighed in satisfaction as she said, "I'll set to work on it right now, just give me a few minutes. Kwan, go and close the door so no one else can come in…and take care of the shop while I'm in the back."
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Danny turned to look at his friend and stammered out, "Dash, I-I just want to say-"
"If you say thanks one more time Fenton, I swear I'll clobber you," Dash said holding up a fist threateningly. "We all got our jackets at the beginning of the year because of our annual fundraiser, but you joined the team late so we all pitched in to get you one. None of us want that kind of thanks so the best way to do it is to prove that you've earned that jacket by playing an awesome game on Friday."
Danny sighed before smiling thankfully. In a firm tone he replied, "I promise on Friday that I'll play my hardest because there's a lot riding on this game, my thanks to the team...and your date with Sandra."
Dash blushed and punched Danny's shoulder, "Fenton, don't bring that up."
"I know you're worried Dash, but don't be," Danny replied encouragingly. Dash saw Danny rub his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the odd smile on Danny's face.
"We're going to win Dash, I'll bet my life on it."
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She threw up again, this time loud enough for her father to hear her and come rushing out of his office. He hurriedly entered the bathroom and stood stock still for a moment. Snapping himself out of his shock, he pulled her hair away and placed a soothing hand on her back. She dry heaved for a few minutes, before throwing up again. He looked away as he saw the stray drops of blood run down her mouth. She panted softly before nodding and shakily standing up with his help.
He flushed the toilet and watched as she rinsed out her mouth. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, drying it on a nearby towel. She stood there looking in the mirror, seeing him behind her and quickly turned to hug him. She cried softly into his shirt and he held her just as tightly, wishing he could hold his precious daughter for the rest of his life. It was a useless wish, but he would give anything to keep her alive. He cherished every day with Sandra for fourteen years because he knew that there was always a chance she might not make it to the next.
In a muffled voice Sandra said, "Aboji, I'm scared. I'm not ready to die yet."
"I know Sandra, I don't think most people are when their time is nearing," Richard said solemnly. "But I promise that I will not leave your side when that time comes. For now do as your mother told you, for as long as your weak heart beats, just live."
End of Chapter 15
Author's End Notes: Overall, I bet the football coach sees Danny's speed as the strangest anomaly that he can't explain. It's simple really Danny + uniform (cover) equalsDanny Phantom (super fast). Danny - uniform equalsregular Danny(kinda slowpoke in comparison). The problem is just that he doesn't know the linking equation Danny Fenton + powers equals Danny Phantom. This last disturbing scene with Sandra is I guess the prelude and perhaps another clue to what I call the inevitable.
Spider's Shout Outs:
(Because it's an unverified fact that spiders have loud voices)
Kate: Thanks a bunch for the e-mails chick! I updated finally and I'm happy that you kept such an interest in my fic. I hope this one didn't disappoint and hope to hear from you soon. :-)
FizzyTopKyle: Hey! Lol, hurray I'm not alone in using the expression "you rock my socks". I like your name by the way; it has an odd but interesting ring to it. Anyway enough of my sillyness, hope you liked this chapter too thanks for the review!
animegurl088: Hello! Very nice, short, sweet and too the point type of review. I like those sometimes because they add another ingredient to the blend and you can say it all without having to write a lot. Lol, thanks for the review!
Ellen: Hellow again! Thanks for review! Lol, yeah that Colonel is kinda whack in his behavior, but what trips me out more is that there are actually military men like him. +shivers at the memories of the person she is basing the character Colonel Perkins on + P.S if you feel bad about Dash now, wait till later. ;-)
hittocerebattosai: Hola! Lol, I'm sorry but I laughed when I read your review. Not in the mean way mind you, but just the expression you used made me crack a chuckle. Wow, 800+ stories? That's a lot to read! I hope that when winter break comes I can read that amount. +dreams of winter vacation+ But anyway, here is the latest chapter and I hope you like it, thanks again for the review!
mickeylover303: Hey there fellow DP slash fan! I think the reason why you won't find many fics out there is that not that many people seem to think D/D works, plus there was that Butch Hartman anti-slash fiasco, but anyway if you love it enough and think you're up for the challenge…why not write one? Just a suggestion. +smiles encouragingly+ Thanks so much for your kind review. I'm pleased you consider this work worth reading and I'm really glad that you can imagine what's happening in your head. (I often wonder if I'm not clear enough on details) P.S. Don't let people tell ya different, if others see the slash possibilities too, then it's not just your imagination. +wink wink+
KimuraSato: Lol, pooh bunnies? (I wonder if those would be as cute as regular ones…they probably would be, but just smell bad) Yeah the Butch Hartman anti-slash fiasco got on my nerves too and was that last kick in the butt to go update because I felt a little of that "fight the power" spirit. Yeah I know people are kinda grr cause I'm taking my time with them hooking up, but I promise things will speed up now (I can't delay the inevitable anymore). Lol, yeah even I realized that there's something perverted in Colonel calling everyone "private". Ah hurrah for dumb jokes I guess. Anyway, thanks for your awesome review!
Askari Knight: Hey….+nervously gives Askari Knight a Danny Phantom plushie as a peace offering+…um, my only consultation is that you will see lots of slashiness in the chapters to follow. And as far as Danny getting kissed, please don't worry about this either. I planned ahead and know the exact number of chapters this fic will be when I finish and thankfully there are enough dances for the chapter titles, lol. Thanks for your review and I'm sorry for the suspense!
Shi Rurouni of the Aphrodesiac: Hello+imagines what it must look like to groove to a dial tone+ Lol, we all do something when we're nervous. My hands fidget and I can't keep them still unless I do something with them. On the night before I left for college I cleaned my entire house, my parents were happy, but thought I was crazy, hehehehe. Let's make a deal, I'll keep writing, but you gotta keep groovin and a shakin. Thanks for the review+Spidey dances slightly as she heads off to her kitchen for a snack+
Isabella Rossellini: Hey! hands Isabella Rossellini a tissue Please don't make with the water works (I sometimes become a push over if I seem them). Lol, even though I am taking forever, they will eventually get together promise. +Spidey hands her, her other handmade Danny Fenton plushie+ I hope you liked this chapter though. Thanks for the review!
DraconWolf88: Hey man! Thanks for taking the time and e-mailing directly with your review! It's been months since I've heard from you because it took me months to update, my bad ya know. Lol, I let someone read the Wulf fic I wrote and this person said it pretty much sucked. So I'm going to try again, but at least now it'll be easier because I have the episode. When you made the request you didn't really have a specific plot line, but I understood what you meant after I read KimuraSato's works. I should warn you though that I really am trying to finish this fic before I do anything else and so I might not update with the Wulf fic until then. Still I hope you like it when it comes out and if not I'll try again. :)
Dazja: Hey, it's you again:) I happen to know a lot of donkeys and they actually think it's politically incorrect to be referred to as 'stubborn'. They were going to protest on me, but a couple of veggie bribes and they kept quiet. Lol, thanks for your review. It's good your cool with the ongoing length and change of pace, but this chapter was supposed to be a bit of a halt (if I understood your meaning correctly). Just that last sunshine before things become weirder.
authoraisarete: Hey again! The three things, came out of the air and that air flows in the same place where the story is going to go (aka "the three things" was unplanned and so I just pulled it out of thin air). Lol, hooray, Jack has someone rooting for him at least. I can tell you that he's not going to be doing so hot the rest of story though, but things will get better for him towards the end. I hope this update didn't disappoint and thanks so much for the review!
Ranma Higurashi: Hey there, it's read to see you again.Lol, yeah Derek is one of the few that isn't blind and is open-minded enough to see what's changing. And I loved your animalistic response towards Griffith. Why use words when a nice sound covers it? (hw--->grrr, lack of sleep response--->growl) Lol, well anyway enough of my silliness, hope you liked this chapter too. Thanks for the review!