A/N: Man oh Man. work kicked my ass these last few weeks (longest run was 56 hours) so yea there's that. But I still managed to get this out! Sorry it's a little on the late side but I hope you enjoy!

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Rara Animis 8
Teen Troubles

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Danny wasn't sure how long this tour of this Casper High was supposed to last as he followed the principal around the halls. The woman was drawling on, explaining the classes, general locations of the school, as well as policies and the like, (Danny had tuned a good portion out, more interested in the wall hangings) but mercifully they came to a stop in front of one of the many doors. "So here will be your first class for now, since you missed the first period," she explained before knocking twice and entering the class.

All eyes in the room snapped to the woman before shifting to Danny as he peered in past the door frame warily. He was waved in by the pot-bellied teacher after he hesitated a bit too long.

"-And remember my door is always open." The principal had been talking to him again, and he had been too busy staring off into the class to notice. Danny nodded and offered his best 'trying not to look nervous' smile while the woman took her leave.

With everyone staring at him, it was like when he participated in the Junior Colosseum matches in the ghostly Pantheon. This time though, he wouldn't be able to turn invisible or tap out if he got too overwhelmed...

"Right, Daniel Frost, was it?" the teacher drawled, taking him in, while Danny himself tried to hide within his cloak.

"Danny"

"Right... Well, take a seat. There's some empty desks near the back or here at the front." The man responded with a wave of his hand.

Danny scanned the classroom before his eyes landed on an empty desk near the back corner. It was a good strategic position, as far as he could tell. Nothing but a wall behind him, and he could see everything in front. He met eyes with the human who would be sitting to his left, the one who'd taken up the proper corner, and gave him a little nod of greeting and acknowledgement.

He was skittish looking, thin, with a red hat, large glasses, green eyes and dark skin. The teen blinked a few times confused as his eyes met Danny's before offering a nervous smile in response. Danny nodded again curtly in acceptance before making his way to the open desk.

The other teen seemed nervous and he frowned as Danny approached. Startled green eyes darted about before meeting back up with blue only a second before a small bit of laughter was heard, distracting the pair.

"-expensively dressed though."

"Looks scrawny to me," a teen in a red jacket whispered back, none too quietly, to another in a similar jacket.

"Nerd definitely," another supplied with a nod.

"Better teach 'em quick to know his place, or see if he is at least B list material."

Danny tilted his head confused as he passed by them. Their eyes wide and curious but with something almost malicious in nature behind them. It didn't take him long to see why, as one of the red jacket wearing teens had stuck out their leg and tried to trip him.

Danny's arms pinwheeled a bit before he managed to right himself, swapping his feet around to keep his balance, none too graceful, but not the worst recovery he'd had either. "Pardon," Danny said simply, trying to reel back his sneer of contempt, and stepped over the still outstretched leg, continuing along his way.

The jocks, who had started snickering as though they had done some great prank, halted almost instantly upon watching him recover. The silence met was unnerving to all but the dark-haired teen it was directed at.

What was the point behind that action? If he hadn't righted himself, he would have fallen, but then what? Would they have pinned him? Was this a normalcy? Perhaps a 'new prisoner initiation' sort of affair?

"Twinkle toes…."

"He still don't look like much…"

"Hey newbie, you play somethin'?" A blonde in a red jacket asked tilting his head to look over his nose at Danny.

"Play? Do you mean theatre? Or are you asking about swordplay? Of that, I am rather adept." Danny responded similarly tilting his head.

The blonde scoffed. "Drama nerd, figures."

"I do not believe I can follow the line of questions, to your apparent conclusion…" Danny said tactically, enjoying how the other stared at him in apparent confusion.

"Heh, totally called it…" Another chuckled pressing his elbow into the side of the blonde.

The blonde jock sneered at Danny and growled out, "We'll learn ya at lunch, dweeb."

Danny opened his mouth to retort only to snap it shut as the teacher spoke, ending the jock's 'fun.' "Mister Frost please hurry to your seat. Unless you'd be interested in spending your first day here with me after the school day in detention."

Danny frowned at the threat, confused by it more than anything, but obliged nonetheless sliding into the seat beside the kid with the red hat, who was still eyeing him with a mix of curiosity and worry. As soon as Lancer turned back to the board to scribble down some notes for them to copy the other teen leaned towards Danny.

"Dude, do you know who you just made an enemy of?" he asked, voice straining in a hoarse whisper. Danny's eyebrow raising was all the response he gave. "Dash Baxter, he's like the king of our grade."

"He is a royal?" Danny asked in an equally quiet tone. "He hardly seems like a tactician."

"Yea, dumb as a sack of flour, but will wail on you if you cross him. Watch your back dude, you're on his radar now."

Danny blinked in confusion. "Wail? He wishes to scream like a small child at me?"

The other teen snorted, face twisting as he tried to hide his laughter. "Dude, what?" he managed with only a small snicker. "I mean yes, but mostly you'll come away with a black eye."

"It is pointless to pick a fight with one that has no interest in fighting back," Danny responded eyeing a small bruise on the other teen's cheek. This wiry teen before him hardly seemed like a fighter, what was the point of fighting those weaker then you when words could brand much more loyalty for a king?

The teen rolls his green eyes with a scoff. "Ya think? Don't stop them though. By the way, name's Tucker Foley, that's 'T-F' as in Too Fine," he announced with a bright grin and a finger gun. He posed a moment longer before wiggling his thumb and clicking his tongue, intimating the firing of a gun, obviously expecting something from Danny in return.

"I am Danny"

"What? Really? Nothing about my killer catchphrase, dude?" Tucker pouted.

Danny shrugged offering a small smirk. Really, what could he say? He'd seen worse. Ghosts were the epitome of eccentrics after all, not to mention the multitude of ghosts who feel the need to announce their presence as loudly and as long-winded as possible.

One does not know true pain until they meet a ghost who's obsession is that of an oversharing town crier, well, at least in Danny's opinion.

"Mister Foley, can you please read what is on the overhead?" Lancer's sharp voice cut through the other teen like a knife causing him to shudder.

"Um, I mean…. I can. Not good, but sure?" Tucker offers with a mix of a grin and a grimace as he prattles off the Latin words and how they relate to the origins of modern English words.

Danny made a face as his new acquaintance butchered the pronunciation of the Latin. Well, he wasn't lying about not being good at reading it… Lancer seemed to have a similar thought as well from the look he was giving.

The section read, Lancer sighed before he went on to assign the readings, and congregations, for the night's homework only barely managing to get out the page numbers as the bell rung, causing the kids in the room to flee.

"What's your next class dude? Or you got lunch?" Tucker asked as he closed his book and stuffed it into his bag.

"My- oh?" he follows the other's gaze to the piece of paper on the desk. "Ah, it's in the cafeteria then I go to the gymnasium?" Danny responded simply, blinking. "After that… I do not seem to understand these codes here, but the numbers should not be hard to locate."

"Lunch then gym? Same," Tucker said. He watched Danny a moment before he nodded, seemingly have come to a conclusion. "I'll show ya the way. Geeks gotta stick together, right?"

"Geek? or... Yes, I was raised Greek..." the halfa mused before shaking his head when Tucker shot him an odd look. "Well regardless, shall I follow behind your lead or walk alongside you?"

"Dude, what? Why are you talking like a D-N-D character? Kudos for your bravery I guess, but ya don't gotta keep it going," Tucker said absently, as he threw his backpack over his shoulder.

"I have no idea to what you are referring to…"

"Right... You gunning for the school cryptid then?" At Danny's blank stare, Tucker sighed and rolled his eyes. "Come on dude, I'm just chirping ya," he offered moving to exit the classroom, Danny following still confused, in his wake.

Danny glanced up to the ceiling with a pleading look. He now understood why ghosts often stuck with those who had died in a close era to themselves and didn't often migrate to new places. This human's words seemed to be plowing over him. How much of it was slang and how much was simply an item, or reference he had no knowledge of?

Danny sighed and decided to play it safe, and follow along behind the other teen. "Clockwork had better have a good reason for keeping me here… " He muttered under his breath as he exited the class. "OW!" Danny yelped as soon as he passed the threshold rubbing his head and looking about.

"Ah, bad luck man. That bit of tile went straight for ya. They really need to repair faster after the attacks…" Tucker supplied pointing to the bit of broken tile a little bit behind him. Danny looked back up at the ceiling with a frown. Right, don't chastise the all-knowing being aloud then…

As they passed through the large red doors leading into the lunchroom Danny immediately was blasted with noise. The large collection of teenagers all chattering at once was deafening when confined to such a small space. He grimaced but continued to follow Tucker to a table near the back of the room.

With a loud huff, Tucker plopped himself down in the plastic chair and dug out a lunch bag. Upon checking its contents, a grin spread across his face. "Roast beef sandwich, score." Tucker pulls out the item and takes a large bite before staring across the table to his new friend. "You not eating?"

"I did not bring any food," Danny admits.

"Sucks, man. I'd recommend skipping the cafeteria stuff too."

"I-"

"Hey losers!"

"What do you want Dash?" Tucker huffed out pulling his sandwich towards his chest as though to protect it.

"Simple. The new loser needs to know his place."

Danny tilts his head at the blonde jock amused, and flashes the group behind him a slight shit-eating grin. "Oh? Do you not know we are in the cafeteria then? My apologies, I had not realized you were blind," Danny said.

"You gettin' smart with me?" Dash moved to close the distance between them and loomed down on the smaller teen.

Danny's smile grew and without skipping a beat said, "Sorry, you need I dumb it down for you, then?"

"Why you…. You wanna say that again?" The jock growled out, making a grab for the fluffy lining of Danny's cloak.

The smaller teen easily dodged backwards out of the blonde's grasp. Dash blinked stupidly a moment, disbelieving that Danny evaded him.

"You know," Danny said with a slight raise of his head, "if you wish to issue a challenge of combat, I will be happy to settle... whatever this is, within the arena. Though, I would like to know to which ends I have seemingly offended you to warrant this response?"

Dash blinked and screwed up his face in confusion, while Tucker snorted into his hand to stifle a laugh. He had, at some point, scarfed down his meal, but the crumbs stuck to his lips sprayed free as he tried in vain to hide his amusement.

"What are you laughing at Foley" Dash spat changing to the easier target. He swiftly caught the scrawny nerd in a firm grip by the front of his mustard yellow shirt and hoisted the boy up to his toes.

Danny was there a second later putting pressure on Dash's wrist, scowl in place, causing the jock's grip to loosen. "It is uncouth to drag others into an issued one on one challenge. You had been intent to have a go at me, and so I accepted," he sneered pressing harder on the pressure point.

"What's with you freak?" a sandy brown-haired jock quipped with narrowed eyes. "Moves like that ya could be a B-lister at least. Just drop the accent."

"Yea, you punch Foley and you're in," another agreed curling his lip.

"Fine. Ya get one chance nerd," Dash added with a sneer of his own.

Danny eyed Tucker with a raised brow as the teen squirmed. "Just do it, dude, I understand," he said in a resigned tone before squinting his eyes tight.

The jocks instantly started trying to peer pressure Danny. His frown deepened eyes narrowing, sky blue irises taking on a much more icy undertone. "Those who use their power to accost ones who are weaker, are people I have no interests with. There is no glory in lording over others if your subjects would smite you first chance given. You are ill intended, and you will be usurped by a more fitting ruler."

"Hey! I think I know that one! What play is that from?"

"Can it Kwan." Dash shot over his shoulder, before ripping his hand away from Danny. Dash reared back his arm ready to throw a (rather sloppy in Danny's opinion) punch, only for a sharp call to cause pause.

Dash's fist fell as he instead crossed his arms over his chest. "Enough!" The teacher called rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. "Break it up and go back to your meals before I give you all detentions.

Dash nodded and turned to leave but not before stomping down onto Danny's toes, causing the smaller teen to yelp. "Saved by the science teacher, appropriate for a geek," he hissed. After making a motion with his head the bully brigade, they all left as one. A few moments later, the satisfied teacher left too.

"Dude that was awesome! Like, you actually stuck up for me! And turned down an offer to be one of the popular kids! Almost no one ever does that." Tucker grinned grateful smile in place.

"Jeez Tuck. What am I then? Mulched compost?" a female teen said plunking down next to where Tucker was sitting, lunch tray in hand. "And you." She pointed an accusatory finger to Danny as he turned his attention back to Tuck and the new girl. "That fur had better be fake," she said with such ferocity Danny actually wondered if she were a ghost herself.

Danny took a seat across from the odd pair and flashed a grin to the girl. "Well it is, in fact, real-" Sam's purple glare intensified to the point Danny actually marvelled at the fact her eyes hadn't begun glowing. Tucker made a motion across his neck with his hand, teeth clenched as he flailed. "Real yeti fur, to be exact."

Sam blinked, quelling her intensity but her scowl deepened. Tucker let out a small snort, before yelping in pain and falling back in his chair, holding his leg in pain, Danny watched him a bit before glaring her down as if daring her to try something else.

Why does everyone seem intent to do physical harm to that one? When the other boy laughed bitterly and kicked up at her back Danny relaxed slightly, now recognizing the chastising blow for what it was.

"Ha, ha." She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and eyeing the teen again. "Well, What makes you want to be around this idiot?" she asked jerking her head to Tucker as he pulled himself to the chair.

"Sam chill, jeez. He's new." Tucker said waving off her glare.

"That wouldn't matter if it was real fur," she insisted staring at the boys. "But I can already see it's not, there's no tag, or brand marker, so you're fine for now. 'Least until you assimilate elsewhere and have your soul sucked out by the school system."

Danny blanched looking completely scandalized. "They employ reaper wraiths here?"

Tucker snickered. "Yea, what do you think the teachers are?"

"Can't argue with that," Sam agreed before digging into her salad.

"Alas, I had been hoping this was not a prison," Danny said.

After swallowing down her bite Sam sends an almost feral smile towards Danny. "Alright I'll admit, new guy's funny"

"Yeah man, you play it straight too. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you weren't kidding," Tucker agreed tossing over an apple. "Here man, I ain't gunna eat it."

Danny caught it and flashed his new friend a smile, pushing down his nervous feelings of the teachers now. He flicks his eyes towards the nearest teacher before dipping his head slightly to show gratitude towards Tucker.

Sam smacked Tucker's shoulder with the back of her hand. "Seriously Tucker! Eat a plant once in a while!"

"I did earlier." He rebutted with false pain in his voice. "It was wheat, ground and baked but it's still a plant. I made the sacrifice. I did it for the sandwich…. That glorious-!"

"You're an idiot." She rolls her eyes, ignoring the rest of Tucker's monologue. "So where are you from? Why move to Amity?" Sam asked elbowing Tucker to shut him up.

"I had no choice in the matter, actually if I am being honest."

"Parents moving for that new DELV building that opened up? I heard they were doing a mass hiring..." Tucker supplied rubbing his sore side.

"Ah no, forcefully relocated, quite frankly. I am not familiar enough with the area at all, either…" Danny trailed off remembering what the officer had said earlier about ghosts. Would these two think him nothing more than a scourge as well? A pest, a plague that needs to be wiped out? Did all humans think that way?

"Is that why you were brought in by the cops today?" Sam asked a smirk on her face. "And here I'd thought you were some sort of bad-ass. You just got lost on your way here?"

"Yes, that is what happened." Danny agreed easily content to go along with the lie she had manufactured for him.

"Lame."

"Not all of us want to go to the slammer, Sam." Tucker refuted with a roll of his eyes.

"I regret nothing. Those frogs needed to be freed!" Sam argued back. "At least I didn't get that super stomach bug from the tainted meats last month. Tell me again about your hospital visit Tuck?"

"Oh no, low blow, man…"

The girl rolls her eyes, playful smirk in place before turning back to Danny. "S'pose I should mention," the goth stuck out a hand. "Sam."

Danny nodded and reached past her hand to grip her forearm. "Danny," he responded giving a firm up and down jerk of his arm.

"Medieval. I like it." She smirked, motioning to the odd clasp of his hand.

"Actually, I learned from my guardian, Pand-...da, Panda. She is Greek." He gave a sheepish smile hoping they wouldn't catch the slip-up. Pandora had said she was a famous figure among humans after all.

"Dude, is that what you call your Mom or Dad?" Tucker teased a bright smirk on his face.

"She is not my mother officially…"

"Oh… sorry dude…" Tucker exchanged a glance with Sam

"Where do you put these?" Danny asked suddenly, not liking the other's sullen attitudes, waving his bare apple core in front of the duo.

"Green bin over there." Sam offered with a jerk of her thumb in the general direction. Danny nodded and moved towards the bin. Once he was out of earshot Sam whispered to Tucker, "I did hear a rumour he was a kennel kid… overheard a few of the teachers talking about it in the hall."

"So when he says forcefully relocated…."

"Yea, CPS probably changed his foster family on him…I heard they can do that with no reason other than they can." Sam frowned. "Just another reason that government practices need a serious overhaul to be useful."

Danny's tossed the core into the bin, smirking as it landed in with a 'ka-chunk.'

"Yeesh, harsh… what do you-" Danny's return caused Tucker to clamp his jaw shut with a slight clack. Danny raised a brow as he was met with twin pairs of overly nonchalant smirks.

"Am I missing something?" Danny asked, deciding it better not to question on what he had inadvertently overheard, eyes flicking from one teen to the other in confusion.

"Um, It's just almost time for gym! Worst time really, right after a meal… I once threw up so bad because I had this hotdog eating contest with AJ and we- Ow Sam Stop that!" Tucker complained rubbing his now sore arm.

"Well quit your rambling then." Danny eyed the two again, but before he opened his mouth to speak, Sam pulled Tucker to his feet, and grabbed Danny's arm. "Well come on let's go before Dash beats you two to the locker room,"

"Right yea! Come on We'll show you the way, bud!" Tucker said overly cheerful.

Danny smiled none the less hearing that. It was nice being around others his own true age, he had to admit. Even if they were odd from his perspective. They seemed to have accepted him too, well human him anyway.

But would they be so accepting if they knew he really wasn't a human, but a ghost?

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A/N: And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed the intro of Sam and Tuck. Please R&R