Hey everyone! It's been a long while since I've updated this. In case you guys are wondering, I've been struggling with depression and anxiety for many years, since before I started writing this. In fact, I started writing I Hate Mondays as an outlet to help me stay motivated and keep my imagination going. But over time, my mental health got worse and worse and I lost a lot of motivation to do things, as such, I stopped writing this.
However, you guys never gave up on this fic. Despite it not updating for years, you all still favorited it and followed it and commented. And it was seeing all those comments and likes that helped me open this thing up again. I was originally content with letting it die, but I realized that it wouldn't be fair to you all or to the story itself. So I'm going to try to continue writing this.
I am now 18 years old, almost 19, I'm about to graduate and go to college, I have a job, and much better mental stability. When I started this fic I didn't want to be one of those people who went on a long hiatus, but now I understand why. Life gets in the way. I write this because I want to, because I can. I don't get paid for this. I do it for you all. For your happiness and mine. I can't promise regular updates, but this fic will get finished. I promise that.
Thank you to you all who waited to this, and helped get me off my lazy ass. This is for you.
Disclaimer: Bitch Fartman doesn't deserve it. Fuck you dude.
Chapter 27
Mikey felt like he was going to piss himself. Something in his gut (or maybe his bladder) told him that things didn't add up. Was the Dani girl a clone or just a strange genetic experiment? What was with the devices in the lab? What did they do?
Who, or what, are his classmates?
Nathan didn't seem nearly as panicked as he was, it seemed so unlike him. When they got back to the guest house, the redhead simply smiled to Mikey and went to talk with a geeky chick, Lucy, and Lester.
But Mikey couldn't just play it off, he knew Danny and the others were going to talk to him and Nathan later, he just knew it. Yet there was nothing he could do about it now, maybe he should just try to clear his head.
He hoped this place had hot water.
"Soooo...do you think this place has a spa? I could so go for a pedicure right now."
"Oh I, like, totally hope so, Sarah. My feet are killing me!" Said Paulina. The two girls were sitting on Star's bed with Star sitting on one of the far corners of the mattress. Another girl, Cece, sat in against the pillows.
"I wonder how big this place is?" Cece asked, "Like, who knows, maybe there's a treasure or something in one of these rooms."
Paulina perked up. "Maybe Phantom stays here sometimes! OMG what if he's here right now!"
Star held back a laugh. If only you knew.
Sarah clapped her hands together. "Oh my god yes! Then he could whisk us all away from this terrible place and take us back home!"
"Well then girls," Paulina said, hopping off the bed, "What are we waiting for?"
"Nothing!"
Star really felt as though this wasn't a good idea, but after a moment of hesitation she joined her three friends out the door. Maybe she could help steer them away from anything revealing, or at the least find out some answers.
As soon as she rounded the corner, however, she felt something big and solid run into her, almost knocking her to the ground.
"Shit, sorry Star, didn't see you there." Kwan said, keeping her steady. She could only manage a smile in return.
"Kwan! Dash! Brian! Logan! What are you guys doing?" Said Paulina.
"Exploring," Dash said. "You girls?"
Sarah gave a coy smile. "Same."
"If you want," Chimed Cece, "You can join us, make sure nothing bad happens with all these ghosts around."
Brian, cranking up his flirting to eleven, adjusted his hat and went up to the girl. "Well, it you so insist. Couldn't let some sweet young ladies wander around without some protection." Cece giggled.
"HOW BIG IS THIS FUCKING PLACE!" Dash shouted as they came across another hallway of doors. They had been wandering around for about an hour, and Star was seriously beginning to wonder if they were lost.
"Is this another library? How many damn libraries do ghost monsters need?" Logan asked.
"This is just supposed to be a guest house too, so what gives?" Sarah said sourly.
"And there's still no spa or Phantom!"
Dash whirled around. "I knew you were just trying to find Phantom!"
Paulina glared at the jock. "As if you weren't?"
"Guys!" Kwan said, causing the six high schoolers to look at him. "It's stupid to argue over this shit. We don't know how things work here. Maybe the entire place connects together like some underground maze."
"Ugh," Paulina said, "You mean that those nasty ghost things can just sneak into our rooms?!"
"Paulina they are letting us stay here the night, in their guest house, I think they can go wherever they want."
"Whatever!"
Star had stopped paying attention to the group and wandered off down the hall a little more. She came before a large archway with many connecting hallways leading into a large room. It seemed Kwan was right about the underground system.
She pulled her parka closer around her and looked down each of the hallways, wondering where she should go, when she suddenly saw a figure dart across one of the halls. She looked behind her to see her friends still arguing, and went down the hall that the figure had been in.
Star looked around her, disappointed she couldn't find the figure. She tried the door it appeared to come out of, but it was locked. There was no door on the other side of the hallway. Star sighed and resigned herself to going back when she saw a large mirror near the end of the hallway. It was oval in shape, with dark blue and neon green accents in the silver metal. She looked in it to see a tired face with unwashed blonde hair and couldn't help feeling pathetic. The secret was weighing on her more than she thought.
She combed her fingers through her hair and wondered if she still had some concealer in her purse (it was back in her room there, though, and she doubted it anyways).
The blonde settled with putting on some chapstick she had put in her pocket, but when she looked back in the mirror she felt her breath get stuck in her through.
A young boy, no older than eight, was standing right behind her, his golden eyes staying into hers through the mirror. His skin was a pale blue, his hair a dark green, and he had a large mark, like a scar, running from his right cheek to his right collarbone, leaving a chunk missing from his jaw and neck.
Star stood there frozen before she was able to register the face staring at her.
"...Matt?" She whispered. The boy smiled and began to float down the hallway. Star felt her heart race.
"Matt!" She said as she turned around, but when she looked, he was gone.
Star breathed heavily, as if she got out of a rough cheer practice session, and slowly made her way to where she saw the boy before he vanished.
It was by the same door she check earlier, but when she checked the knob this time, the door opened. Inside was what appeared to be a living room, with multiple couches, a small kitchen off to the side, and doors leading to other rooms. She stepped in a moment to get a better look, and that's when she saw something that surprised her.
A portrait of Danny and his friends standing in a large imposing yet beautiful throne room, each dressed like royalty. Danny himself stood in the center, tall and regal, with a crown of fire and two rings on his hands, one on the left hand and one on the right. Looking at him, she remembered something Dash had mumbled when they first crashed.
"Who does Fenton think he is, acting as if he's king and all…"
It seemed like Dash was actually right…
It explained a lot, why so many ghosts know him, why they threw feasts in his honor, how he was so commanding despite being constantly shat on by everyone in their school and his parents. There were still things she didn't understand, the whole prison thing for one, but he understood this. Danny was the king of ghosts (whatever that meant), and he and his friends were just trying to protect their loyal subjects. Danny Fenton/Phantom, whoever he was, was just trying to protect his family. That's what that crackpot jail warden was talking about, right?
Star stared at the painting and wondered how she didn't realize this before?
"There you are Star! I was wondering where you went."
Star smiled as she walked up to Kwan and the rest of the group. "Sorry, I just spaced out and kept, like, walking."
"Did you see anything cool?" Logan asked.
"Anything about the ghost boy?" Paulina said.
Star shook her head. "Nope, nothing at all. Just, uh, more libraries." She said.
The other teens groaned.
"We should start heading back, I'm starting to get hungry." Sarah complained.
"Uh, yeah, um me too." Brian said after a pointed look from Sarah.
Paulina crossed her arms in defiance, but after some glares she sighed. "Fine. Lets head back. I guess I could eat too…"
The group began to walk back the way they came, Star following a little behind. Kwan slowed down to walk with her.
"Hey, Kwan…" She said after a few minutes of silence. "Do you, do you remember my cousin Matthew?" She said quietly.
Kwan looked at her, slightly confused, "Little Matt? Yeah I remember him. Didn't he, um, die a few years back?"
Star nodded. "Died in a car crash when we were in eighth grade. You really helped me when it happened."
"Of course I did. You're, like, one of my best friends, and my girlfriend. But why are you asking?"
"Just...remembering playing hide and seek. It was his favorite game."
Hope you all enjoyed! It was really good to write again. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about what would come next.
Please comment and the works, it increases the chances of a new update. And again, thank you for being so loyal to this story.
~Kitty ='u'=