Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, nor do I own Fullmetal Alchemist. However, the unique plot and events I put the character through are original creations of my own mind.
Sam tapped her fingers gently on the glass counter top, leaning against it as she awaited the popcorn and soda. Her eyes glanced to the clock in the far corner - one fifty three. The movie would start in seven minutes, and Danny nor Tucker were in sight. Sighing, she turned around again to face the concession stand workers pouring margarine on her bag, along with three sodas for herself and her friends...if they showed up.
"That'll be twenty-two ninety-five, please." Sam reached into her skirt's pocket, withdrawing a hundred dollar bill. The minimum-wage worker's eyes widened as she handed the money to him, though he continued to give her the change.
"Thanks." She muttered, pocketing the change. Sam struggled with the large tray of refreshments, walking off into theater five to watch Queen Chaos: End of the World, hoping that Danny and Tucker would make it in the five minutes they had left.
"Excuse us! Sorry!" Danny and Tucker ran through the congested sidewalk, dodging the Saturday traffic as best they could, racing towards the theater. As the traffic dimmed slightly, Tucker easily caught up with Danny.
"How much more time do we have?" Danny huffed, swerving around an empty trash can. Tucker brought his wrist up to his eyes, squinting at his watch.
"Three minutes." He muttered, and the two began to speed up as the neon sign to the theater became more visible.
Within moments, the two had burst through the doors and ignored the surprised yelps as they shoved through the crowds at the concession stand, racing towards theater five.
"One minute left!" Tucker said, and Danny was surprised to see Tucker run just as fast as him, even with his precious technology at his back.
'I thought Tucker never even wanted to see the movie.' Danny thought as the two halted to a stop, swinging open the doors to theater five. Breathing hard, they walked down the dark alleyway just as the lights began to dim. From what light remained, Danny made out Sam in the top row of the stadium seating theater.
"C'mon." Danny sighed, the two best friends trudging up the stairs. Finally, as they neared Sam, they noticed her face light up a bit at the sight of them actually making it. Squeezing in the row, Danny plopped in the seat next to Sam, Tucker following him. He breathed hard, and it took a few moments before he felt rested enough to talk to Sam during the previews.
"Sorry, Sam."
"At least you got here." She whispered, smiling slightly at Danny. Her attention then snapped towards the screen as dark, eerie music began to play, the title page flashing into view on the screen.
Danny never meant to be so late, but the box ghost had escaped the Ghost Zone again in the morning, and he still had to get Tucker after he finally sent the pathetic ghost back into his dimension for the forty-fourth time. It hadn't helped that when he arrived at Tucker's, Mrs.Foaly said he was still getting ready to go. By the time the two had begun their walk to the theater, they only had ten minutes to do so. Danny would have flown them both there, if he had had the energy. Once again, his fitful sleep of waking and falling back asleep continuously had barely given him any energy at all. Danny still had no idea how he would ever stay awake during the re-test on Monday if this kept up, let alone pass the re-test.
"Wasn't that awesome!" Sam marveled, throwing away her excess trash. Danny had fallen asleep within five minutes of the movie, ignoring the screams, roars, and battle sounds that had pumped through the surround sound.
"Ah...sure." Danny said, looking back at Tucker. He had an odd look in his eye, and by the looks of it, Danny guessed he had fallen asleep as well. Rain had begun to fall viciously outside once more, making the puddles of last night's storm overflow and create tiny rivers along the grooves in the streets. As the three exited the movie theater, they each put out their hands to block the rain from their eyes, jogging through the soaked sidewalks. Puddles splashed at their feet, drenching Danny's jeans in cold rainwater.
"Hey, why don't you two come over my place? It'll get us out of this rain quicker." Sam suggested as each turned away from the busy street into a residential area.
"Sure." Tucker and Danny spoke at the same time, following Sam's lead.
By the time the three entered Sam's mansion, their bodies were completely soaked and shivered violently. A roaring fire made the large living room warm and inviting.
"Where are your folks?" Danny asked, looking around.
"Out, probably protesting. Grams is on the road with her bowling league." Sam stated, Danny's hands then grasping both her and Tucker's wrists. Color vanished from their bodies, and nothing seemed able to hold their touch. The three were immune to any physical harm, and the water that had doused their bodies fell and dampened the red carpeting. Letting go of his friends, Danny reappeared dry and solid, as well as Sam and Tucker. Tucker seemed a bit taken aback at first, as though shocked of what just happened. However, a content expression mellowed his face once more, and the tension left his body.
"You alright, Tucker?" Sam asked, beginning to walk up the stairs to her room.
"I'm fine." Tucker spoke reassuringly, leaving Danny and Sam to merely shrug at the matter and continue up the stairs.
"Woa." Danny muttered as he entered Sam's enormous bedroom. The uttered word was not exactly at her room, but at the sudden appearance of a wall to ceiling book case. Walking over to the bookcase, he craned his neck to gaze at the old, leather-bound books, reading the titles on the spines.
"'Basics of Alchemy' by Tim Marcoh... 'Living Alchemy' by Shou Tucker..."
"Huh?" Tucker asked.
"Not you, these books! Sam, I think you're a bit obsessed, here..." Danny sighed, turning to her, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Who, me?" Sam spoke innocently, but the eyeliner and black decor made it hard for her to look 'completely' innocent.
"Where'd ya get all this stuff?" Tucker asked, walking over to a bookcase and tenderly slipping out a book on 'The Art of Transmutation Circles'.
"Since when were you interested in this Alchemy garbage?" Danny asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Since half this quarter's history grade depends on it." Tucker answered blandly. Ignoring the conversation between Danny and Tucker, Sam placed the book Tucker had back in its place, then turning to the two of them.
"Wanna see the place?" She asked enthusiastically. Tucker merely smirked, nodding. Sighing, Danny followed the two.
'Great. First an apocalyptic movie, now Sam's little shop of horrors...what now?' Danny thought sullenly. It seemed the only positive side to this Saturday's ordeal was the little ghost activity and the rain had finally cleared up.
Author's Note: I'M REALLY, REALLY sorry how long this took. I had writer's block for the longest time...but I promise, the fifth chapter will be coming out soon.