A/N: Heya, y'all! This is Tzigane-Akiko (by the way, shorthand will now be TziAki). Guess what? My kitten has adapted a lot faster than we thought, so I have tons of free time again! Which means Rocket2014 doesn't have to update for me (which she says is a good thing; she didn't want to have to update after all)! I is back! But on with the story. You probably want me to shut up now.
Danny's POV:
"So, Danny, how's your day gone so far?" Tucker asked me with a grin when lunchtime finally rolled around. It was almost painfully obvious that he was trying desperately hard to refrain from breaking out into what could only be predicted as uncontrollable laughter.
I was not having a good day, so I told him so. But not in so many words . . . "Tuck, I need to strangle something . . . hold still, will ya?"
"Uh . . . forget I asked." Tucker (wisely) silenced himself.
"Smart move." Sam told him point-blank, sipping her water. Sorry, distilled water.
I simply groaned and rested my head on the table, carefully avoiding my posessed lunch tray (trust me, our cafeteria food is much scarier than any ghost, any day . . .). Like I'd just previously stated, I was not having a good day at all. First, Jazz woke me up by clanging two pots together . . . loudly. After that, she tickled me awake and threatened with a flamethrower I didn't know she had. Then, once I got to school, the Lunch Lady attacked and made me late for first hour. Thus, the finally-numbed ache of my cheek was reawakened from Sam slapping me again while Lancer tried to make me tell why I was late. Then, Technus attacked in the middle of a lecture during third hour. More slaps, both on my exit and on my return. Kicks were recieved in fourth hour, from Sam stopping me from blurting out why I'd pulled the fire alarm (which was because no one would leave during another ghost fight with the Lunch Lady, so I had to get them out somehow). Finally, lunchtime.
Why was Sam brutally abusing me so?
Well, it turns out that what Tucker thought was liquid candy that tasted like the truth potion actually WAS the truth potion. Which I accidentially swallowed.
Again.
Why do the gods hate me so? Thankfully, I haven't been beat up by Dash yet. Maybe I'll be able to avoid him for the remainder of the school day . . . unless the gods are out to make my life as miserable as possible.
"Hey Fentonia!"
Ah. I knew it.
The gods are out to make my life as miserable as possible.
"Hey Dash . . ." I groaned again, not moving my head from its oh-so-comfortable resting place on the table. I really was NOT in the mood for this right now. Dash would probably end up making me blow my top, which would in turn reveal my Pantom secret, which would result in general pain all around. Really, not in the mood.
He didn't just go away. Instead, he grbbed the top of my head and forced my head up. "Hey Fentonia! I hears you been blurtin' stuff all day again!" He smirked smugly as I glared at him.
"Just go away . . ." When he let go, I rested my chin on the edge of the table. Really, really not in the mood. I cannot stress that enough. Not in the mood.
"What's that, Fen-turd? You want me to stay and hang out? If you insist . . . !" Stupid, oblivious Dash never could take a hint. Ah well. That was expected. Thus, it didn't surprise me when he plopped all his muscle and jocky-jerk-attitude into the seat next to mine.
"Dash, I'm freakin' serious. Just go away for once . . ."
"Tut tut, Fenton, I'm already sitting in the seat! Don't make me hit you for wanting my company so bad!"
Okay.
That one . . . was funny.
Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh . . .
. . . . aw, who the hell am I kiddin'?! This is too funny! Dash . . . hitting me? If that didn't happen enough already! And, if you think about who he's really beating up . . .
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Nearly everyone in the lunchroom stared at me, probably assuming that I'd finally lost it. It just made me laugh harder. And when I saw Sam and Tucker looking like they couldn't figure out what was going on and were trying to figure out how to stop it . . . yeah, I went into hysterics.
Dash, unsirprisingly, did not like my response.
"You laughin' at me, Fenton? You better be laughing with me, or else . . ."
Oh, man, this was gooooooood . . . . for once, Dash actually provided amusement!
"No, Dash, I'm not laughing with you. I'm laughing AT you, and it's REALLY funny!" I laughed harder. Ah, the truth potion has had its moment of usefulness! I needed this soo bad . . . heh heh heh! "Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"Ahahahahaha!" Dash mocked in a fake, high-pitched voice (only making me laugh harder). "Stop it, Fen-turd!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Stop it!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Stop it!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"STOP IT!"
Sam finally caught on to the hilarity of the situation, and started to giggle a little. Tucker gave her a wierd look that completely stated 'who-the-hell-are-you-and-what-have-you-done-with-Sam'. She elbowed him in the ribs, and whispered why it was funny in his ear. He started to chuckle, and it escalated until they were laughing almost as hard as I was. Valerie took another moment before giggling nervously, but then it changed to her actual laugh (probably because I looked so funny . . . I had my forehead on my forearm as I laughed, and was banging the table with the other hand curled into a fist). Star, sitting next to her, followed suit. It spread . . . and spread . . . and spread.
My hysterics were lost now in a crowd of hysterics.
Oooh, my day just went from terrible to best ever . . . . .
. . . and then it had to shoot right back down, eh?
I now find myself, still in hysterics, sitting in a chair in the principal's office. Better yet, Ishiyama actually followed my suggestion and the chair I am currently half-falling-out-of has a lovely gold plaque reading 'this seat is hereby reserved for Daniel Fenton'.
As you have probably guessed, my hysterics would not be calming down for a while now.
"Fenton, you can go in now." The secretary told me, giving me and my laughter a nervous smile. Yep, she probably thought I was off to the looney-bin as well.
I just laughed harder as I struggled up off the seat (do you have any idea how hard it is to get up from a chair when you're laughing so hard you're falling off said chair?). Entering Ishiyama's office, further hysterics ensued upon seeing the principal's stern but completely confused face.
" . . . -t-take a seat, Daniel . . ."
Wait for it . . . "C'mon, Ishiyama! I've been in here enought that you can call me Danny by now, you know!" And the hysterics have increased! And they increase furthur upon watching Ishiyama's expression turn to furthur confusion! Wow, I'm starting to have trouble breathing . . . in, out, in, out, in, out . . . NOT WORKING! AHAHAHAHA!
Ishiyama made the wise choice and just sat there, waiting for me to stop laughing. Oh, if she'd have opened her mouth . . . maybe we'd have needed CPR or whatever you do when someone's not breathing.
Finally, I calmed down enough that I wasn't cracking up at every word or facial change. A few chuckles, but now I was calm.
"Fine . . . Danny . . . " Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh . . . "Dash Baxter came in here a few minutes ago sayin you were picking on him in the cafeteria. Now, why on earth would you do that?! He's our star quarterback, for heaven's sake!"
Okay, now I'm totally solemn. Me, pick on Dash? "Ishiyama, it's the other way around. Dash bullies me daily. This is the first time I retaliated, and I didn't even do that. All I did was laugh because I found something he said funny. That' not picking on him. If that's what you consider picking, then Dash has earned himself a lifetime of expulsion."
"Daniel, if he's been bullying you, then why haven't you told us?! If you'd mentioned it, we would have done something about it!"
Okay. That's the last straw. Don't you dare lie to me, Ishiyama.
I shot to my feet, slamming my palms down on the edge of her desk. My face was a pure mask of hatred, I could see in the mirror behind her. "Dammit, don't you DARE lie to me, Ishiyama! I HAVE told you about Dash's bullying, but you did absolutely NOTHING about it! Don't you DARE lie to me!!!"
"Daniel! I am not lying to you! You have never come to me about bullying!"
"Oh yeah? Monday of this week. Tuesday of last week. Monday of last week. Friday of two weeks ago, and Thurday two weeks ago. Tuesday, two weeks ago. It's fuckin' daily, Ishiyama! I get beat up DAILY by Dash, and I've made appointments to talk to you about it! You've talked to me in those appointments! But what did you tell me? That Dash doesn't beat anyone up. I have freakin' PROOF, dammit!"
"Really?" Great. Now she's angry too. "Then show me!"
Now, as you may have guessed, being half-ghost gives me pretty fast healing powers. However, when it comes to Dash . . . those don't heal for a while, half of the time. I have plenty of proof.
I pulled up some of my shirt. There are bruises there, from Dash hitting me when I wouldn't tell him why I was blurting stuff out a day or so ago. They're half-healed, and still pretty black-and-blue. I watched Ishiyama's face as I fixed my shirt.
"Daniel. That's not from Dash. You probably ran into something and didn't notice, or got hit with something from a ghost fight!"
. . . okay, Ishiyama, you /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (sorry, I had to censor that part . . . I cussed at her in my mind with some foul language usage I doubt you knew I knew). Now you're over the line.
"NOT FROM DASH?" I hissed under my breath. "I HURT LIKE ALL HELL, AND YOU SAY I DON'T KNOW WHAT HURT ME? I CAN ASSURE YOU, IT WAS DASH'S FIST THAT DID THAT! YOU WANT MORE PROOF? FINE!!!" I whipped around and showed her the permanent imprit of my locker's combination lock in the middle of my back. It's there because of Dash's habit of pushing me against my locker before beating me up.
There was no way she could try to sway that one. If she does, I'm so going to have Sam help me sue and sue and sue and sue and sue and sue . . .
Her face was white when I turned back around. Hah. What you gonna do now about your 'star quarterback', Ishiyama?
"I . . . I'm sorry, Daniel . . . I didn't know . . . I'll talk to Dash about it . . ."
Eh. It wouldn't do much except make him beat me up harder, but I'll take what I get.
"Thanks, Ishiyama." I strode towards the door, but paused with my hand on the handle. "By the way . . ."
"By the way what?"
I smiled to myself. Without turning back, I said over my shoulder " . . . by the way, thanks for the plaque on the chair."
Before she could respond, I was out the door and gone.
Heh . . . I can already tell what Sam'll say . . .
"Well! About time you stood up for yourself!"
Yep, I knew it. The truth potion really does have its good points.