Sneaking back in was a miracle. Paulina was still fretting over her hair while Lancer was writing her a pass to the nurse. Danny informs his friends that it was a false alarm, but to be vigilant.
"Wait, why'd it go off then? And your sure you checked out and around the school too?"Sam sat sideways, one foot hiked up on the chair, and the other planted flat on the ground.
Danny turned slightly with the same confused look as his friends. "Positive. I mean it could've been one passing by. But they usually have a problem with either me or something else."
"Maybe it was Skulker prowling the area?" Tucker offered, playing some spaceship shooting game, "Could give him a second beating for frying your phone." He joked.
Sam nodded in agreement, "That's right! Completely forgot that I ordered your new phone last passing period. Tuck mentioned it when he helped me out with the computer. It should be here in a few weeks."
"Sam you didn't have to do that. I could've waited to buy a new one, you know." Danny, while unbelievably grateful, felt a bit of guilty having his old crush and childhood best friend buy him a whole new phone.
Sam shook her head, "Its fine. I told you guys before. My parents are loaded so if you need something just ask." Her smile was infectious and Danny let some of its positive energy wash over him, he surely needs some.
The three talked for a bit more, deciding to make plans on hanging out sometime soon after school, and maybe going to Sam's house to watch movies. Danny made a mental note that he's gonna have to butter his dad up if he's gonna be going anywhere soon. Soon enough the group turns back to the lecture not wanting to get caught slacking so, for now, the plans and the ghost problem move to the back burner. Danny still manages to doze off every few minutes until the bell.
-linebreak-
The class passed incredibly fast yet stupidly slow. Danny, excited to get out of class to have a break, resentfully remembers he has to talk to Lancer and his sister. Not leaving anytime to hang out with his friends. Slouching back in his seat, he waves off his friends for lunch and waits until Lancer makes the first move.
Not wasting much time, Lancer calls out. "Daniel," The said boy winces. Full name great, "can you come here?"
Danny gets up and makes his way to the front of the class. The walk up felt incredibly awkward. At the beginning of the year having a seat in the back felt like a pretty smart move, not only could he pass notes a bit easier to his friends but he can sneak in and out of class easier so he can go be a hero. Now though, in times like these, he's annoyed at himself for choosing the farthest seat from the front.
Standing stock-still in front of Lancer, Danny quickly examines his teacher's face. He isn't mad, but he looked frustrated or something close to that.
"Daniel I'm gonna make this quick. I only want the truth. Why were you late?" Lancer gives him his full attention. Danny feels a twinge in his stomach. Was Lancer pitying him? Annoyed with him?
"I was-" Going for his usual lie, Danny got cut short.
Lancer gave him a strong look, "No more lying Daniel. Please."
Staying silent for longer than Lancer would've liked, took it as a sign that the boy was trying to come up with another believable lie.
He sighed and gained a soft nature to his voice. "Danny I'm only asking because I am your teacher. I'm supposed to look out for you, be a support, and help you grow. Now your grades are low and all I want is to see you thrive in school and life. Take your sister, for example, she'd be an excellent role model. Good grades, top of her class year, friends with almost everyone. Why not go and ask her for some help? I'm sure enough if you just ask, she can help you solve whatever is bothering you, hm?"
He gestured towards the child and tried to look caring, "I know being the younger sibling can put some unspoken expectations on you but I am positive you'll be able to figure it out in no time."
Any other normal student wouldn't have cared or been bothered by what Lancer said, but Danny wasn't just another normal student, was he?
He knew what Lancer said was in good favor and he wasn't mad at him for just doing his job. He knew his teacher was kind-hearted and loved and worried about all of his students, yet all that still doesn't mean it didn't hurt any less.
Lancer sighed again, "You're a bright young man and remarkably gifted when you put yourself to it. I have hope that you will become a very successful adult."
Danny's mind slowly started to get tangled up. Not meaning to think or acknowledge the self-deprecating thoughts.
Am I not just as good? Is she really that much better than me?
The sudden twist and flips in his stomach made Danny nauseous, feeling vertigo. He could feel the walls slowly closing in on him, somewhat hearing the muddledness of Lancer's voice just droning on.
His throat ached.
"You don't have to tell me what's going on since I'm just 'an old man who wouldn't understand a teenager's life'" Lancer put in quotations and gave a small smile "but I'm here. I'm always gonna be here."
The clock overhead ticked by without a concern in the world, and Danny couldn't do anything but stand fixed to the ground as his teacher finished up his speech. "I apologize for keeping you behind but for my sake and yours, do try to come to class on time." With that Lancer seemed to give up for today and hope for a better outcome next time, which he really didn't wish for there to be a next time.
Danny hardly heard Lancer at this point, but seeing as his teacher stopped talking and returned to his work Danny took that as a big, bright neon sign to get the hell out of there. And he did just that without missing a half-dead heartbeat.
His nerves were becoming fried with his brain shouting at him what Lancer said. Your sister for example- ask for some help- whatever is bothering you- figure it out. His brain wouldn't stop repeating the words, wouldn't shut up. Even when he told himself to think of something other than Lancer's talk. Even when he had one-sided conversations about anything else.
As he jogged to Jazz's car, he tried to distract himself with the sting in his palms from his nails and the plans he made with Sam and Tucker.
Arcade, Sam's house, movies.
Arcade Sam's house, movies.
Arcade, Sams house, movies-
Getting in the car though, he didn't plan for what his sister had wanted to talk about.
-linebreak-
"What?"
The light turns green but neither dared to move. They stay there for a few seconds, locked in time. Jazz's hopeful look and Danny's shocked one.
It was the car blaring their horn-like mad behind them that made Jazz turn forward and resume driving.
But Danny still had yet to process what she said and face forward.
He looked at Jazz while his head was filled with which secret she was even talking about. There were so many at this point that Danny, Sam, and Tucker made a list of things to avoid saying or bring up in conversations so they don't slip-up and reveal Danny's secret. Obviously a few of those secrets his friends didn't know about.
After they pass the second stoplight, Danny forces his mouth to move, and of course, he tries to come off as sarcastic and witty, "Ah... ha, what do you mean? Of course, you know everything, you're my sister. There isn't much to hide from you, even if I tried."
Jazz tightens her knuckles, she was gonna have to spell it out, huh?
Another deep breath and with sweaty palms, "No, Danny. I know. I know about you, Sam, and Tucker. I've known about it since Spectra came into town. The ghost fighting, the sudden disappearances, the curfew breaks, the extra bruises and cuts that-"
Jazz cuts herself off before she could cause Danny any unnecessary pain. She shudders a breath and looks at Danny. His eyes glued downward.
A sting of guilt darted through her and out of instinct she reached for his hand and held it, "It's okay. You don't have to hide your superhero side job from me. Not anymore."
Jazz squirmed in her seat as Danny's silence lingered, letting him collect his thoughts.
Very few minutes passed and Jazz was getting uncomfortable. Did she screw up? Did her plan fail? No. No, she couldn't let her mind start to imagine the worst just yet. Not before she sees her brother's reaction.
Getting more agitated by the second, the words were starting to click in Danny's fried brain.
When Danny was finally able to process what Jazz said to him in full, he spontaneously wanted to sob with relief and cry out a thousand questions. But a choked scoff-like-laugh came out instead and he leaned forward. Jazz immediately panicked, thinking she messed up big time but Danny began to laugh. He laughed like he had either just heard the best joke in the world or he had just succumbed to insanity.
He laughed so loud that Jazz winced at the volume in the small enclosed space. He laughed so hard his injuries ached and tears began to form at his lashes. He laughed so long that he was out of breath and had to wheeze in gulps of air, holding his torso. He laughed in relief and confusion and pain and hope and hate and-
He laughed until Jazz had to pull over so she can direct her attention to her brother and make sure he didn't just lose his mind.
Wiping away the emotionally stressed tears, Danny settles down enough to give a coherent sentence, "Sorry I- ha. I just didn't think. Haha..." He smiles, not reaching his eyes, and looks down "I tried so hard to keep it all a secret and, you know."
Danny steeled his shot nerves. "Still, out of everything you could've confessed... You hate me, you're dropping out of school, you got a boyfriend, you're leaving, you're pregnant. I... I didn't think you would've said that." Danny thought of all the times she could've told him and realized he made his sister worry for such, such a long time.
A frown found its way to his face and he looked up towards his sister with guilt plastered in his eyes. "I'm... sorry. For making you worry for so long." He said it with such self-inflicted hate, such remorse, such anger, such pain that is was like an arrow through Jazz's heart.
Jazz felt her eyes swell with tears and in seconds and she wraps him up in her arms from across the middle section. Her brother, her younger brother was on the very edge and she hadn't noticed until now. How much longer would he have been there before he took that one step if she stayed blind?
And Danny, speechless, arms still wrapped around his abdomen, lays his head against his sister's shoulder. Small reluctant tears fell and made damp patches on her shirt. His mind since the beginning of the last 9 months had silenced. No yelling, no negativity, no memories. Nothing. Just a complete utter void.
His only coherent thought was Her hair smells like cinnamon and vanilla.
The cars whizzing pass the small silver-blue Toyota and the breaths that were left behind in the air were the only sounds then. Each passerbyer was blissfully unaware, the sister of the town's hero is picking up the messy shards one by one, placing the child's heart and soul back together for just a little bit longer.
And maybe that's just what they need. A little bit longer for things to get better.
