8

"2 am," moaned Danny. "Two-A-M."

"Hey you weren't the only one who was up late," replied Sam. Tucker was beside her, downing his third bologna sandwich.

"Yeah but you two didn't have a pop quiz with Mr. Lancer." Danny laid his head on the picnic table, trying to fend off a headache. "I'm pretty sure that guy has some sort of personal vendetta."

"Well, it's probably because all last year you were: one, late to his class; or two, asleep in his class," Sam answered. She had hit up the library before lunch and was now nose-deep in Dracula for the third time. Danny and Tucker always wondered how she managed to talk and read at the same time.

Danny threw his hands up, exasperated. "Well, ex-cuse me for trying to save the town."

"Not judging. Just stating the facts."

He signed. "Yeah yeah. I guess it comes with keeping my ghost side job a secret. Anyways, how are you guys so chipper?"

"This is my 7th cup of coffee." Tucker had produced a thermos out of thin air. Danny got a strong whiff of espresso.

Tucker noticed Danny staring at the thermos. "What? The caffeine's been wearing off." They heard the first lunch bell ring. A few kids started filing out to class, but most ignored it.

"Got it." He could now see that Tucker was vibrating ever so slightly. "What about you, Sam? What's your secret."

"My secret is that I'm a creature of the night of darkness and therefore immune-" She interrupted herself with a large yawn. "Immune to drowsiness."

Maybe those dark circles aren't just eye makeup, thought Danny.

"I'm sorry guys. Sometimes I think-" he interrupted himself, pausing for a second. "Just… thanks. I would have never made it back in time if you both hadn't warned me."

"Yeah, you were out later than usual. What took you so long?" Tucker's glasses failed to hide his curious glare. Though Danny never took up Tucker and Sam's suggestion to fill out "official reports", they usually ran through the general happenings after a night's rounds. But Danny'd been too rushed and too exhausted to tell them about last night's escapades.

"Well, funny you should ask..." and then the final lunch bell rang. The rest of the students were getting up, with teachers shooing them out like stray cats. "Sorry, I'll tell you after school. Meet at Nasty Burger?"

"Why can't you tell us now?" Kids had started to shove the Danny away from Tucker and Sam.

"It's too long a story!" The last part he had to yell over Kwan, the tallest of the 10th graders. Then he was lost in the sea of letterman jackets and pastel cardigans.

Tucker looked over at Sam, who shared next period with him. "What do you think that means?"

"I dunno." A rare smile crossed Sam's face. "But I think he had quite the adventure last night."