Danny walked into his house and sat with a sigh at his kitchen table. His mother, a bit older-looking with a few gray hairs (and a few added pounds around her middle) smiled at him.
"It's so nice to see you home, Danny," she said lovingly.
"It's nice to be home, Mom," he said, about as enthusiastically as a man on death row.
"Honey, you sound about as enthusiastic as a man on death row! What's troubling you?" Maddie Fenton asked him.
"Nothing really," he lied. Man, he thought cynically, I sure have gotten good at fudging the truth at my own expense.
"Alright dear. But you know if you need to talk, I'm here." Maddie said.
"Okay Mom. Thanks," Danny smiled weakly.
Just then, Danny's father burst into the room. "MADDIE!" he yelled. "THERE'S A STRANGE MAN IN OUR HOUSE!" he pointed in Danny's direction, and before Maddie could correct him, burst into laughter.
"Danny, it's so much fun to be able to pick on you again!" Jack rubbed his son's hair playfully.
"Thanks, I guess..." Danny shook his head. "I'm gonna head off to bed," he announced.
"Already?" Maddie asked curiously.
"Yeah, I'm beat. Long week. Love you guys," he said, pulling himself out of his chair with all his might.
"Don't let the ghost bugs bite!" Jack offered his fatherly wisdom.
Danny rolled his eyes. "I won't, Dad." And with that, Jack and Maddie watched nostalgically as their youngest child took the stairs to his old bedroom.
The next morning, Sam Manson had all her bags packed and taken to their comfortable limousine by 9 am. She hadn't told the boys what time she was leaving so she didn't have to feel guilty about leaving them alone all summer. She took one last look at her favorite room in the Manson mansion – hers. And with a deep, contented breath, she ran down the stairs to the living room. Her parents were out for the morning, making last minute arrangements and buying a few things, and her fiancé wouldn't be arriving until 11, so she was on her own until then. The time was officially 10:30 now. She swung open the front door with her eyes closed and inhaled some fresh air. The sunbursts were everywhere, and splashed down upon her world like so many hopes and dreams. When she finally opened her violet eyes, she gasped loudly. A dark-haired boy sat on her front steps, and now stared back at her.
"Hi," he said sleepily.
"What are you doing here?" Sam demanded, surprised.
"Just wanted to say bye before you left us for your new life," Danny smiled sadly and sat down in her grass.
"I'm not leaving you." Sam scoffed.
"Yes, you are," Danny argued.
"Am not!" Sam argued back, her eyes flashing with mock anger and duress.
"Are too," he smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. Without warning, she leapt into the grass and right on top of him.
"AM NOT!" she demanded while sitting on his stomach.
He nearly choked. "Okay, okay, you're not," he said, his voice forced and croaky.
"Thought so," Sam said proudly, sticking her nose up. While her eyes were closed, Danny shoved her off of him, and she leapt back up. He sat with his legs crossed Indian-style, and she tripped and landed in his lap. He closed his eyes and she looked up at him.
"I'm comfy," she added playfully.
He stopped breathing for a millisecond and she rested her head on his chest. It was a very awkward position for Danny, having his best female friend in his lap claiming her comfort while he really just wanted to run, while at the same time he wanted to slide his hands around her waist and whisper how much he loved her in her ear. And suddenly, as if possessed by the idea, he slid his arms around her waist and she tensed a bit. But she looked up at his smiling face and relaxed.
"So what are you going to do while I'm gone?" she asked him. But his mind was elsewhere. His pulse quickened and he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Danny?" she said curiously.
"Huh? Oh, uh, what was the question?" he asked nervously.
"Uh, what are you doing all summer?" she repeated.
"Oh. Right. Nothing really," he told her. "Job-hunting. Apartment-hunting. Ghost-hunting. Whatever works." Danny had given up ghost-fighting when he had left for college, figuring they'd all be bored fighting him (and losing) by then. He had grown very strong and capable of suppressing the ghost-powers that had become a burden to him for so long.
"Uh huh," she nodded. A slight breeze picked up and blew her hair in his face. The time was ticking by faster now, and the eleven o clock hour was ever closer. Five minutes left to spare, by Sam's silver watch. Danny's heart beat faster with every motion the quickest hand made. Sam just sat there, unmoving. He couldn't tell what she was feeling. He hoped something, for his sake, mostly. He silently prayed he wouldn't have a heart attack, and that Sam wouldn't hear his quickened pulse.
"Sam," he said, barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?" she asked him.
"Don't leave," he whispered in her ear.
"Whaaaat?" She leapt out of his arms and stared down at him.
He jumped up and looked her in the eyes.
"Don't leave me here." He said simply.
"Danny, don't be insane, you'll have Tucker and your family and our other friends," Sam tried to stop his crazy notions.
"No, Sam, it's not the same, it won't measure up," Danny shook his head.
"What do you mean, it won't measure up? Danny, what's wrong with you?" Sam asked him.
He put his hands up to the sides of his head.
"Come on, Danny, help me understand a little bit here!" Sam insisted. "Because right now, I really don't!" she snapped.
"Well, I'm sorry you don't understand! I'm sorry in all our years of friendship you haven't been able to see how crazy I am about you! I'm sorry after all the breakups you are still looking beyond your hometown! And most of all, I'm sorry that you don't understand I've been too afraid to admit to you that I really think I love you!" Danny blurted.
Sam stood there, dumbfounded.
"You... you love me?" she repeated, unbelieving.
"Yes! With all my heart! Every bit of me, Sam! I can't get you out of my head!" Danny said, his face getting paler by the minute. How could he do this to her on the day her life was going to change for the better?
"How can you do this NOW, Danny? Why, when you had a million chances, did you wait until I was getting MARRIED to tell me?" Sam demanded.
"You're not getting married! You're eloping!" Danny yelled back at her.
"Same idea, stupid!" she snapped back. "And this is absolutely unbelievable." Sam told him. At the worst possible time, a familiar blue sports car pulled into her driveway.
"That would be Jesse," she said simply.
"I guess so," Danny said scornfully.
"Look, I'm glad you got that off your chest and all, but life isn't a fairytale, Danny. Life is real and when you fall in love, sometimes it hurts. It's not always perfect. And that's why I have to... go, now. Goodbye, Danny." Sam said, starting towards the blue car. She took one last moment to turn and cast him a desperate glance.
Danny sighed and looked at her, as she stood there, frozen.
Jesse motioned to her, staring at her quizzically, demandingly. Danny wanted to punch him in his face. Sam opened the door and, slowly, slid into the passenger's seat, clicking in her seatbelt and looking down at the dashboard.
"You never did like happy endings, did you, Sam?" Danny asked paradoxically. He watched stuck in time, as that stupid blue car drove off into the horizon - a place where his eyes fell too very often. Within a few moments, reality crashed upon him like a tidal wave, with no support to steady his knocking knees. And now Sarcasm, his long-time friend, had finally stabbed him in the back.