Disclaimer: I only own Nick.
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Danny looked over at his classmate and secret crush, Sam Manson, as Mr. Lancer asked her to remove the dark sunglasses she had been wearing. Sam's style had changed a lot since she had fallen in love with her boyfriend, Nick Brownstone. She had stayed Goth, but had hung up her tank top for sweaters and other kinds of shirts that covered her entire top half, and her hair was no longer up in a ponytail, but she had grown it long, behind her back and over her shoulders. She also wore a lot of makeup and eyeliner these days, although everyone was careful not to say anything about how much she looked like Paulina, for fear of getting a boot in the face.
Another change was in her personality. Instead of being outgoing and relatively friendly, she was now shy and reserved. Also, the fire and spark that Danny loved so much had left her violet eyes, replaced by a kind of melancholy. Now it hurt Danny to look her square in the face, knowing he'd have to look back at her pained expression. He tried to hide it, though, and it seemed to be working.
Nick Brownstone was also Goth, but he was more extreme, wearing all kinds of spikes, hair done up in a spiky Mohawk, more chains than Jacob Marley. Something about him rubbed Danny the wrong way in a way he couldn't explain. Whenever Danny told Tucker or Sam about it, Tucker said it was just jealousy, and Sam told him she should be able to date whoever she wanted and that if he wanted her so badly, he should have made an effort. He knew better than to sit back and watch, though, especially after he told Jazz, who told him about how many abuse cases often go to such lengths as Sam.
As the fifteen year old took off her glasses, revealing more black eyeliner than even Ember had; Danny noticed something on her he hadn't before today: a babushka wrapped around her head. Danny knew Sam was Jewish, but he had never ever seen her actually practice Judaism, aside from celebrating the holidays such as Yom Kippur and Hanukah; let alone wear one of those before. Sam had also never been one to accessorize. Something's definitely up. Danny said to himself
"Hey, Sam." Danny said him and Tuck met her outside the cafeteria. When he held up is hand to give her a high five, she returned with the strangest reaction: she flinched, hands poised in self defense. "You ok?"
"Yeah, I-I'm fine." She said as he gazed at her bloodshot eyes.
"You sure? You sound nervous."
"I'm fine, Danny!"
"Ok, ok, I'm just asking."
"There's my little 'Goth bird of unhappiness.'" Said a tall, skinny kid buried under a mountain of Naugahyde brand pleather and metal.
"Oh, h-hi, Nick."
"You don't seem very happy to see me."
"I am, I am." She said, pasting a smile on her face. Danny may have been seeing red, but his eyes were green.
"That's better. What say you and me go find a table by ourselves?"
"Ok." Sam and Nick walked off, Danny's eyes reverting back to their original Pacific blue.
If Sam was skittish before lunch, she was a wreck afterwards, when she arrived for Algebra five minutes late. Something was up. Sam, while not exactly the most punctual person on the planet, was also not the type of person to arrive so late.
"Ms. Manson, would you care to explain why you're so late?"
"I'm sorry, I got tied up." Danny noticed Sam unconsciously was rubbing her right wrist. "It'll never happen again."
"Let's hope not."
"Tuck, I've decided I'm going to tail Sam on her way home." Danny said as school got out.
"Danny, don't. We've been over this: you're just jealous."
"Tucker, Jazz has researched many abuse cases, and Sam sounds like a textbook case."
"That doesn't prove anything. Times change, and people alter their styles."
"Not in the time span of a few days! I just have to be sure she's ok."
"If you want to follow her, then fine, but don't come crying to me when you realize how wrong you are."
Not listening, Danny flew off, invisible as a black cat in the night. He flew to the Manson homestead and through Sam's window. The room was empty, save for her clothes on the bed, but he heard a strange "huh-huh-huh" sound coming from her private bathroom. Danny phased his face through the door, only to find Sam stark naked, curled up in a ball in a half-filled bathtub, back as close to the wall as possible, sobbing into her knees.
He walked in, silent as a church mouse, and knelt by her side. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he made himself visible.
"Sam?" He asked, bracing himself for a smack across the face. A croaky "Hi, Danny." was the only reaction he got, Sam's face still hidden.
"Sam, what's wrong? Look at me, Sam." She refused to show him her face. "Samantha Elizabeth Manson, look at me." He said assertively, but not angrily. As suspect as he was to what had been happening to her, Danny still wasn't prepared for what he saw next as she turned her face to him. Danny's eyes flashed green not because of her, but he (Danny didn't think Nick worthy enough of a name) did to her.