Finally back from hiatus!

Things have been so wild with family issues and work, but hopefully, I can get back into this on a more consistent basis. I hope you like this new chapter!

Song

"Sam, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm the ghost around here? If I didn't know any better I'd suck you into the Fenton Thermos from just the way that you look."

"When I don't burst into flames from contact with the sunshine, I'll think about your snarky, ghost-catcher remark," she quipped back. "Until then, this is my bathing suit."

"Bathing suit? More like a bathing cloak," Tucker added.

"He's got you there, Sam."

September had passed quickly after the Lunch Lady ghost incident, but despite Danny's declaration that nothing else could go wrong, ghosts kept coming. Formless, green and grey, and blue blobs or mysterious shadows began popping up everywhere. Like learning a new word, as soon as the gang saw their first ghost, they started seeing them everywhere. This resulted in their official ghost hunting pastime; an after-school and after-dark activity that had been draining them, ruining their studies, and had left them all exhausted.

Not only that but studying Danny and the ghosts that they hunted proved one very important thing: Danny was totally unique. There was nothing out there that was like him, and Sam filled the Gothica with as much information as she could retain at five in the morning when she got home from ghost hunting. It was her hope that somehow they would learn more about Danny and how his powers came to be. It was all confusing, scary, and exciting, but they were getting overwhelmed.

It was a rare, hot October day and the waterpark, Floody Waters, was still open for the season. They stood in line outside the park, which at 7:50 am still wasn't open, behind a line of other Casper High students who were excited about their autumnal senior trip. The three of them really needed this little break, but Sam's enthusiasm wasn't as pronounced.

While Danny and Tucker were in plain swim trunks and white t-shirts, Sam was wearing a black, one-piece bathing suit with a coverup that was a deep plum color. It was covered in spider web and bat patterns, knitted finely with waterproof material. To finish the ensemble, she wore a wide-brimmed sun hat, also dyed full black.

Danny and Tucker could feel the heat her outfit was absorbing from the sun and imagined that she was stubbornly boiling underneath it all.

"I'm supposed to be sipping hot apple cider or cinnamon pumpkin lattes," Sam grumbled. "Not standing in my bathing suit on the hottest October day on record!"

"Bathing cloak," Tucker corrected her again.

"Shut up," she seethed.

"Sam, again, this time I'm going to be real with you," Danny offered. "I get the whole 'goth in the sunlight' thing you've got going on, but you're going to pass out from the heat."

"Especially if you don't get wet," Tucker grinned.

Sam bit her tongue and didn't respond. Danny sighed and Tucker gave up, opting instead to look out for beach babes and other seniors in their class.

"Danny," Tucker whispered.

"Hm?"

"Look."

All three of them turned to see two girls from their class in bikini tops and shorts with white and cream sun hats standing a few students back from them in line. The young women were being fanned with brochures for the park by Dash and Kwan who looked as happy as clams.

The girls were Paulina and Star: cheerleaders, popular girls, and (according to the yearbook) goddesses.

"Barf," Sam said, pulling her black hat down further over her face and donning a pair of expensive sunglasses.

"Paulina," Danny breathed quietly.

"You've been pining over her for four years," Tucker laughed. "You gonna actually do something about it?"

"Three years," Danny corrected him. "Senior year has just started."

"I'd like to see some actual effort on your part to get the girl," Sam snapped. "If not, let it go already, will you? Disgusting."

"You just hate her because she's popular," Tucker said, putting both hands on Sam's shoulders and startling her.

"I hate her because she's a shallow idiot with perfect grades and a bright future," Sam said back, trying to shove Tucker off. "She didn't even earn it; she pays or flirts with smart guys to do her homework for her."

"As if you're a straight-A student," Tucker joked and released her.

"Even with all the ghost hunting, I am, thank you very much!" Sam hissed. Technically she had a B in physics but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Oh," Tucker said, putting both hands up in surrender. "Sorry."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm just saying, unless you're going to suck it up and ask one of those girls out, stop pining."

"There's no way she'd say yes!" Danny cried.

"You have superpowers," Tucker whispered. "Where's that ghost-fighting confidence?"

"I've only been ghost fighting for like, a month?" Danny reminded him. "Whatever my parent's stupid portal spits out is now my problem, not my choice. I'm not even that good at it!"

"I think you're a great ghost fighter," Sam said under her breath.

Danny couldn't help but smile a little. "Thanks."

"Whatever, dude," Tucker shrugged. "If I had your powers? I'd be the most eligible bachelor at Casper High."

They must have been staring too long at the girls because Dash and Kwan suddenly looked upset. In fact, Dash and Kwan cut about eight other classmates in line before stopping in front of Sam, Danny and Tucker. Sam kept her face impassive, but Danny and Tucker flinched.

"What are you two freaks looking at? Wanna hangout with the popular kids, do ya?"

"Uh, actually-"

"Shut up, Foley!" Dash growled.

Kwan stood next to his friend, quiet but with arms crossed – looking imposing. Then Dash smiled maliciously.

"In fact, why don't you apologize by giving up your spot in line. You're much closer than we are to the entrance, right Kwan?"

Kwan grinned with too many teeth showing.

"My thoughts exactly."

Sam's eyes narrowed beneath dark sunglasses and she stepped forward. Her sandals made gentle tapping sounds on the hot concrete.

"Why don't you two get lost before you turn my already hot, sweltering, and very bad day into a worse one, hm?"

Kwan and Dash laughed mercilessly.

"Oh, what? The littlest vampire can't handle some sunshine? Is that why you're so pale and ugly?"

"Hey!" Danny and Tucker both said at the same time.

Kwan and Dash doubled over in laughter at the joke. "I think it's payback time. Don't think that I forgot you put a bruise in my shin last month, bitch."

Sam's eyes went wide at the insult – no one had ever called her that before. Danny stepped forward so fast that neither Tucker nor Sam had time to stop him.

"Shut up, Dash! Don't you dare call her that," Danny snapped. "Don't make me-!"

"Make you what, Fenton!?"

There was no humor in Dash's eyes anymore. Even Kwan looked vicious.

Since earning his ghost powers from the terrible accident only two months ago, Danny had drastically changed. He used to be so thin that his mother would force him to always eat a second helping of dinner. He was once the same height as Tucker. Now, he was taller; stronger-looking. He'd filled out handsomely for a seventeen-year-old and his lean muscles suggested a hidden strength. It had baffled his parents and his doctors both back when he still had checkups, but it hadn't stopped Casper High bullies.

What they didn't know was that Danny could throw Dash through a wall if he wanted to, but even with his new height and build, he still looked smaller than his bullies – no one took him seriously.

"I'll tell you what," Dash growled down at Danny and his friends. "I'll give you to the count of five, and if you're not out of this line by then, I'll pummel you so hard they'll find your bodies at the bottom of the wave pool."

Sam and Tucker saw the subtle flash in Danny's eyes – a bright green – but Dash only blinked a little at what he must have thought was a trick of the light.

The line in front of them was suddenly moving, and students began filing into the waterpark. Mr. Lancer, their English teacher, was yelling rules and restrictions to them as the line moved forward, eyeing each of his pupils with a stern glance and suspicion. Dash's eyes flicked up to see Mr. Lancer's watchful gaze and smiled more sweetly down at the three of them.

"Line's moving. Guess you got lucky, Fenton. Next time, though, you won't be."

Dash and Kwan left then, returning to Paulina and Star who were glaring at Sam, Tucker, and Danny for taking their men away from them.

Danny's hands were still shaking as the line coaxed them further into the waterpark.

"Danny, what the Hell was that?" Sam whispered.

"What?" he growled. Her eyes widened at his tone.

"You almost 'went ghost' on Dash!" Tucker hissed back.

"He was being an asshole, and what he said about you, Sam? You two were the ones who told me to stand up to them last time!"

"Yeah, but not beat Dash to a pulp!"

"I didn't even touch him."

"But if you had, you might have really hurt him." Sam reminded him. "You're so strong now, Danny. Remember last week in the cafeteria?"

"What happened in the cafeteria?" Tucker asked.

"Sam tripped over someone's backpack and I grabbed her before she fell."

"And left a really gnarly bruise on my arm."

"I didn't mean to, Sam-"

"That's the point," she interrupted him softly. "You don't know your own strength anymore. Tucker's right, ghost or not, you have superpowers. That means you're…"

"What?"

"Not normal anymore. Not weak, not easily hurt. You have to keep up appearances or you might accidentally injure someone. Or spill your secret!"

"So, I should just get stepped on each and every day until graduation?"

Tucker and Sam looked at each other uneasily.

"Great. Got it. I'll see you two in there," Danny said.

He stepped away from them and through the ticket line entrance to the park. They tried to go after him, but when they blinked it was like he had never even been there, and they knew he had disappeared into thin air.