He hated school. Absolutely hated it. Hated it so much that he had even tried to get his mom to home school him. His mom, however, thought he was too introverted as it was so there was no way she would help him cut off all interaction with the outside world. Of course, this is exactly what Danny wanted to do. So now he was stuck going to a place he hated everyday.
Danny, unlike most teenagers who hated school, actually had a legitimate reason for not wanting to go. He was the school pariah, the outcast, the freak. Of course no one had called him these things for quite a while. Danny was the school freak, but he was also the only kid in school that everyone (including the teachers) was a little bit afraid of.
It hadn't always been like this for him. He could remember a time a (long) while ago when he had people who he considered friends. He'd had teachers who thought he was a good student. Of course that was before Danny had been cursed.
Danny wasn't absolutely positive that he had been cursed, but it was the only thing that made sense to him. The year Danny turned 13 was when the he first realized he'd been cursed. Of course at the time he had thought it was cool that he had the ability to get what he wanted just by thinking about it. But that was before he realized that he couldn't control his ability. So his ability went from a blessing to a curse in one careless want that had a 14 year old bully hanging from a tree from his belt loop.
That was just the beginning; however, soon everyone knew that Danny was cursed. Light bulbs exploding when he complained of a headache, tests bursting into flames (because how many teenagers actually wanted to take a test?), his locker door flinging open before he even touched it and hitting whoever happened to be standing there (usually Danny himself)…the list goes on and on.
So Danny realized he was cursed when he found out he couldn't control his ability and everyone else realized Danny was cursed when strange things started happening around him. Of course everyone else, just knowing that Danny was cursed, started to avoid him. The friends he'd had in elementary school and middle school started to drift away until there was only him. Danny. The cursed freak of small town California.
So this was why Danny hated school. And this was why when Danny woke up on that fateful morning he just knew it was going to be a crappy day. "Mom, I think I'm sick. I should probably stay home from school today." And he was right. "It's not going to work this time Daniel. I expect you to be ready in forty-five minutes or else young man!"
Forty-five minutes? That means I get to sleep in for another twenty minutes. Maybe today won't be so bad after all. "Make that thirty minutes. I have to drop off the dry cleaning." Danny just groaned into his pillow and did the math…fine I'll only sleep in for five extra minutes.
The 'five extra minutes', completely by accident, had turned into 'fifteen extra minutes'. Which meant that Danny was late. Again. As he walked into school he hoped that his day would get better. Somehow, though, he knew that it wouldn't.
Danny was proven right in the first five minutes. Because he was late he'd been given a detention. Then he realized that his Biology homework, which was due second period, was in his notebook. The notebook that was currently sitting on his desk at home.
This might not have been such a big deal but, as it has already been explained, Danny was the school pariah. Meaning no teachers really liked him. Meaning that no teacher -- especially not Mr. Summers -- would cut him any slack. So Danny did the only thing he could think of. He really wanted the homework to be in his locker. This just made things worse.
What Danny really wanted what his science homework to be in his locker. Unfortunately he didn't really specify whose homework he wanted and what homework he wanted. So when he opened his locker between first and second periods he was very surprised and dismayed to find all of his classmates' homework in his locker. Well it had been in his locker, but it was now all over the hallway.
This led to Danny's next big problem: explaining to the principle exactly how all that homework had ended up in his locker. Danny tried to explain to Mrs. Taylor that he didn't know how the homework had ended up in his locker, but she didn't believe him. She told him flat out that she thought he was lying.
Well duh I'm lying…it's not like you would believe the truth anyway. --"Yes Mrs. Taylor, I know how the homework got there. You see I have this ability to make things happen by just wanting them to happen. I don't mean to cause havoc all over the school but I can't really control this ability of mine." -- Yeah that would go over real well.
So now it wasn't even fourth period and he had a weeks worth of detention. For once he was actually looking forward to lunch. There is one other facet to Danny that needs to be known. Danny didn't have any friends and yeah it kind of hurt him. However, he wasn't going to let anyone know that. So Danny had adopted an air of sarcasm and apathy that had served him well through out high school. It was just too bad that Danny underestimated just how angry everyone would be with their homework being gone.
Finally, time for lunch, Danny thought after fourth period ended. Danny didn't really like lunch because he didn't have any friends, but Danny is a teenage boy. And everyone knows how much teenage boys love their food. Besides, Danny was used to being ignored and avoided at lunch so it really didn't bother him anymore.
When Danny walked into the cafeteria he could tell that something was different. Unfortunately, after the 'homework stunt' as it was being called the other students were angry at Danny. So angry that they got over their fear of the 'freak'.
Now, Danny knew something was different but he couldn't really tell what it was. He figured it out pretty quickly though when muttered insults started flying his way.
"Freak."
"Loser."
"Jackass."
And from the rumors that were being whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
"Didn't you hear? He's a witch or warlock or something…"
"…totally evil…"
"…cursed…"
Danny heard everything but he just ignored it. In a few days everything would go back to the avoidance and neglect that he considered normal. And this would've happened, if the school bully, David, hadn't decided to take personal offense to the 'homework stunt'.
"Hey you," David said as he pushed Danny from behind. Danny just steadied himself and continued walking to the front of the cafeteria.
"Hey you, Freak! I'm talking to you!" And again David shoved Danny. Calm down Danny, don't get mad…you know what happens when you get mad, Danny said to himself.
David, however, wasn't going to be ignored. He kept pushing and calling out insults to Danny until Danny finally shoved back.
"What's your problem?" Danny demanded as he finally turned and faced his tormenter.
"You're my problem freak. What were you thinking? Stealing all of our homework like that…you need to be taught a lesson." And with that David raised his fists.
"Look man, I don't want to fight you. Just leave me alone." Danny turned around and started walking away, shooting glances at the teachers hoping they would help diffuse the situation. Unfortunately the only teacher on duty in the cafeteria was Mr. Hart, the chemistry teacher who'd had Danny in his class last semester. The class that just so happened to have no less than 3 explosions all of which were Danny had caused when he got angry. Danny knew he wasn't going to get any help from that front.
"Hey, don't walk away from me you freak." David grabbed Danny's shoulder and forced him to turn around…right into David's fist. Danny felt the pain and had time to think -- Oh crap -- before everything went crazy.
The lights started flickering and the tables started shaking. Everyone was panicking. Danny was trying to get control but he was so angry it wasn't working very well. Soon however, the lights stopped blinking and the tables stopped moving. Everyone got quiet and looked to where David and Danny had been standing. Only one person was there now.
Danny's faced paled as he looked across the room and saw David lying on the floor bleeding from a cut on his head. When everyone saw David lying on the ground not moving they all looked at Danny fearfully. Danny started to shake his head while the rumors started to fly.
"See I told you…evil…"
"…he is cursed…"
"…it's like magic or something…"
Danny couldn't take it or the looks any longer and ran out of the lunchroom. He ducked into the nearest restroom and looked at his self in the mirror. "This can't be happening…this is not happening!" But it was happening and Danny knew that it was all his fault.
"I wish I could find one person that could help…I wish I knew what was wrong with me." Suddenly Danny's reflection blurred and then he found himself looking at a beautiful blonde haired, green eyed girl who looked just as sad as he did. Danny blinked and the beauty was gone.
Danny shook his head and bent down to wash his face when he saw a bright blue flyer, -- That wasn't there before. He picked it up and started to read.
Attention all young magicians. Applications are being taken for a chance to be on a Reality TV show run entirely by teens. If you think you have what it takes just go to and apply. This is your chance to be a part of something magical.
Danny snorted; this is so not going to help me. He went to throw it away when he realized he had made that flyer appear so maybe, just maybe, it would help him.
"Magic huh? Well I'm ready to believe anything…"
Danny folded the flyer and stuck it in his pocket. He turned back to the mirror, hoping the girl would reappear, but he only saw himself. He shrugged and went out to face the consequences of the losing his temper. Maybe mom will agree to home schooling now...
Danny didn't really give much more thought to the girl from the mirror. He knew he had seen her for a reason and he figured that he would see her again. He had a feeling that she would be able to help him. He hoped so anyway.
Author's Note Yep I finally got it done. It only took me a couple of years right? This is another pre-movie fic based on Disney's Now You See It… This will be last piece that is written like this (unless I'm just randomly inspired). I am however currently plotting out a chaptered fic that will show all the things you didn't see and show the thoughts of Danny and Allyson during the movie (it's going to be called '…Now you don't.'). I don't know when I'm going to have it up but I do have a few other fics from different fandoms that I want to get up by the end of summer. I hope you enjoyed the story. A big thanks to Musikgirl for continuing to pester me until I had this one done and for the quick beta read.
