Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or 6teen.
New Year's came and went as fast as the speed of apathetic ignorance. People celebrated with fireworks and cheers, but Danny Fenton would not notice the coming midnight festival or its partygoers.
His mind was still racing back to the kiss from before, repeating the moment like a song. A romantic earworm he could make less sense of.
The was no mistletoe.
There was nothing catchy about rhythmic about the moment.
We were just talking.
And she was—is—will continue to be the most beautiful girl in Casper High in the history of all teendom.
Where does this start making sense!?
"Danny, are you ok?" Jazz held a calming hand on her brother's shoulder, worried as she sat beside him.
Danny's thoughts returned to earth as he remembered what he was doing. He was in the living room, watching tv with his sister and friends as they waited for the New Year's Eve countdown to start in eight hours as they kill time.
The boy was tired of his mental self-arguing, trying to keep his mind still as he tried to make sense of things. After a year of failed romance, granted he never put much effort, having an incredibly hot French girl kiss him, albeit on the cheek, was something he thought only possible in dreams. In real life, the geeky loser shouldn't experience such joy unless he was a main character in a comic book.
"Danny?"
And any chance he had with Valerie was swept under the rug. Not that it helped, given their history and an incident with a ghost dog on a rampage to find its chew toy.
Jazz slapped her brother multiple times. "Danny!"
The ghost boy now calmed down. Violence had more of a soothing action at times from being desensitized by the near-constant ghost battle. And the slaps from his sister were no different as the living room became crystal clear, decorated with the eyes of his friends staring at him.
"Huh? What? Ow! Did you have to slap me so many times!?" Danny rubbed his cheeks, feeling like a hamster after it stuffed its face.
"You weren't listening. In fact, you've been quiet since like...before Christmas. What happened?" Jazz stared at her brother. No response or answer was given as she heard her younger sibling piece together fragments and words in an attempt to sound coherent.
The ghost boy's mind was blank, wondering how to explain that Amelie, the hottest girl in school, kissed him, granted it was his cheek. Still, he said nothing of the event, not even at the Ghost Zone Christmas party.
And the party could still be remembered vividly.
Escaping from his parents' arguing Christmas Day, again, Danny had ventured to the Ghost Zone, specifically Skulker's lair. The hunter had decided to be this year's host, decorating his jungle domain with festive lights with speakers lining the area, blasting holiday tunes.
"I can't believe I actually feel safer here than at home on Christmas day. Irony..."He thought, trying not to think of his parents' stupid fight.
"Hey, dipstick." Danny blinked as he felt Ember wrap an arm around his head, her voice teasing a particular mischief befitting her rock star persona. He was pulled in, having a cup forced into his mouth as he chugged.
"Christmas Chug!" Ember cried, hollering as the contents were drained in record time. She laughed when the cup was empty, patting the ghost boy on the back.
"I thought you couldn't try to kill me today! Or whatever you'd do to ghosts!" Danny yelled as he wiped his mouth with his hazmat sleeve. "And that better not be what I think it is!"
"If you mean beer, that doesn't really exist here." Ember ignored the confused face she got as she refilled the cup, chugging it down in one go. "Everything here is practically ectoplasm based imitation."
Danny raised an eyebrow and said, "Seriously?" He glanced at the beverage handed to him, frothy like a beer, but when he gave it a sniff, there was no scent of alcohol. He had known the smell from one party he attended, and even though it was only once, its stingy unmistakable scent was unforgettable.
He took a sip, noticing the sweet flavor, and since there was no alcohol and the other ghosts were drinking it without problem, he shrugged.
"When in Rome," He said before taking another s and realizing it was just some kind of ectoplasmic soda. As weird as that sounded, it was good. "Beats, busting up ghosts, that's for sure."
"Speaking of busts, how's the French chick doing?" Ember downed her refilled drink. It was almost impressive how much she was taking in. It seemed the rock star ghost knew how to party like one.
At this point, the two would begin another of their quippy exchanges as she would try to get under the ghost boy's skin, but she never got anything in return. To her surprise, the twerp was silent, red as blood, and staring at the air.
She waved a hand in front of him, getting no response. With a growl, she poured the drink in the ghost boy, waking him from his stupor. Nearby ghosts laughed at her antics, remembering this event for the next trade of barbs after Christmas.
"Hey! What was that for!?" Danny phased off the liquid, staring at Ember, who sighed with an almost sad face. She muttered something, but the boy did not catch a word on her red, frowning face.
Ember remained silent while Danny ignored her and went to another spot, his mind still on Amelie and that kiss. He never looked over his shoulder to see the rocker glancing back at him, staring at the cup. Nor did he or anyone see a dark wisp smiling wickedly at the two.
The ghost boy touched the cheek where the pair of soft lips touched, unable to believe a hot French girl kissed his cheek. This was only seen in comics, and it was hard to swallow even with his life similar to the pages.
His mind wandered to the beautiful Amelie as she walked through the hallways. Her toned legs walked gracefully as her hips swayed, balancing her upper body and large, large chest. But what put it all together was her face, neutral yet accentuating and enhancing everything without effort.
Other ghosts noticed the ghost boy's silence. Youngblood floated over, eating gingerbread cookies loudly as he played pirate with them. The crumbling and splattering of crumbs never phased Danny, only messing up the couch he was on.
"What's with him?" Youngblood asked with a mouth full of cookies.
"I think he's caught up in too much drama. You know how his folks are this time of year," the skeleton parrot on his shoulder said with a low tone.
"Really? Who cares? It's a party!" Bertrand said as he and Spectra both started cutting a rug on the dance floor. Soon others joined in, Desiree drawing a crowd with her belly dancing mixing with more modern routines.
The party continued. While Ember kept trying to keep her cool, her eyes couldn't help but glance at the ghost boy ever so often, noticing that he still seemed to be lost in whatever he was thinking about. And she knew that it had something to do with that french chick.
She frowned, feeling a gnaw of jealousy but tried to ignore it as the party continued. Christmas only came once a year.
The French girl was at her part-time job at Phantom Flavors. As always, the place was packed with hormonal boys, buying ice cream for a chance to ogle her and her chest. Their hungry eyes were never subtle, staring as they saw the girl bend down to scoop out of the buckets.
Amélie tried to ignore them and focused on her job. The only thing the boys would ever taste from her were the thirty-plus flavors available or what was left of them.
However, all this was done on autopilot as her mind kept racing back to the holidays, specifically about a certain boy and what happened between them.
I just wanted to make Danny feel better. So why am I thinking about the bise?
For some reason, it had been on her mind a lot, bothering her at the most inopportune times, and she didn't know why.
Why was this bothering her? In France, kissing was perfectly normal, even used as a greeting on the cheek. There was no third date rule back home or any negative social consequences, though that didn't mean a girl had to. However, while she knew that the gesture is more commonly used to celebrate or enjoy romantic endeavors, this did not answer her question.
I remember kissing family and boys on the cheek before. What difference does this make?
It was like a pesky fly buzzing around her brain and never stopping. And while she could focus on work and her life, it was hard to be rid of that one pestering thought.
Not even the lame, cheesy, or even perverted lines coming from the boys could catch her attention.
Well, except for one line.
"Hey there, beautiful," A voice breaks through her thoughts. Amélie blinked as she jolted up. Her chest bounced from the speed as the girl noticed the boy's voice. It's one of the jocks, Dale, winking at her with a smug smile as he leans on the glass. With a slight blush, she answers back, calming her heart.
"B-bonjour, welcome to Fantomé Flavors. What would you like?" Amélie asked, picking up an ice cream scooper. Her voice calmed down, but her emotions were caught in her sleeve.
"I'd like..." Dale dragged out the last word as he looked over the flavors, pausing as he noticed there was barely anything left. "Uh...nothing? What the heck?!"
"Pardon, but due to the constant rush of customers, we are out of everything but the Rocky Road, Strawberry, Coconut, and Tiramisu."
"Oh..." Dale paused with an awkward scratch on his head. "When will you—"
"I do not know when we'll be getting anymore ice cream," Amélie butted in. Dale and the patrons stared in disbelief as they listened. "Due to the gorging of all the ice cream, le directeur has decided to close the shop as he restocks."
Dale blew out some air as he stared at the glass. Part of him was sad to see the place almost empty, especially since he did lie the frozen treat. Still, he knew something had happened from the moment Amélie stuttered. It was a chord of her heart, if unintentionally. So, he kept trying to put the moves on her, hoping to pluck that same string and find out.
"That's all right, I'm more in the mood for a warmer treat." Dale, once again, leaned on the glass, his lecherous hunger staring into the deep valley the French girl had on display.
"We are out of cookies." Amélie rolled her eyes. "Or brownies. So I doubt you'll get anything warm."
"Amelie, come and help me with inventory!" Her boss yelled from the back
Seeing this as an excuse to avoid the jock, Amelie took off her apron, handed it to another employee, and walked to the back.
"Right away, Monsieur Fussell. Amelie said as she left the jock in the dust. Dale saw this and frowned, but he soon grew a smirk, glancing over his shoulder at the other jocks, notably the current best customer Dash, who blinked.
The jock went back to the others, talking amongst themselves. Now and then, they would look at Amélie, who ignored them as she did her job. she had no qualms about their intents and would leave them be.
Right now, the French girl was pretending to work with her boss, who only pulled her to keep her away from the jocks and other unwanted guests.
"You alright?" Mr. Fussell asked. The man gave a sympathetic face as he turned to the boy with a scowl, scaring their gazes away. "I know that has to be tough, having all those eyes trying to eat ya."
"The eyes do not bother me as long as they use only their eyes and not their hands," Amélie said softly.
A small smile graced her.
"I have to admit. The attention can be nice, if not for the fact I get too much."
"You're alright with it?" Fussell gave the most curious and concerned face he ever gave in his life.
"Oui. My maman said that the world will always watch the most magnifique. So, that must mean something, Qui? As long as they do not try and more than stealing glances, I can handle anything else," She added.
The older man shook his head. He knew what the mother meant, and while there was nothing wrong with trying to enjoy one's gifts, he had been through life to know a thing or two. "Just be careful," he said, almost reaching out with his hand. "I have to close the shop for more ice cream, and I won't be able to help you after today."
Amélie nodded, returning to her fake task as her boss watched over her. Despite being away from home, having a father figure protecting her made the store safe. The girl flexed her arm, showing off an impressive muscle, making Mr. Fussell smile. But she wondered what she would do after school.
The school bell rang as Danny dragged himself inside with his friends. The last two days seemed particularly brutal as Ember, Technus, and even the Box Ghost caused chaos for the New Year.
The ghost boy did his best to deal with them each, resulting in little sleep and less free time. Most, if not all, were spent training, leaving him and his friends not enough to do everything they wanted.
Of course, thinking about the kiss attributed to the lack of time.
"Man, if school wasn't bad enough, I think the ghosts are just gonna attack more now," Danny yawned with an open mouth. He was beyond tired and was certain he was practically a zombie at this point. "I don't even know how I'll get through today."
"You want an energy drink?" Sam shook the can gently in the boy's face. "It's all natural with no chemicals."
"Yeah, but it tastes horrible," Tucker quipped, shuddering as he recalled the brand. "You'd think something natural wouldn't taste like an old boot."
Sam rolled her eyes, groaning at the comment. She put the drink in her spider backpack, shrugging as she walked through the hall of lockers.
Danny pushed forward, motivated by sheer willpower as he moved via habitual muscle memory. There was nothing great about school, granted he knew it was important, making the trek to his locker seem tedious as he stopped.
The metal box opened up, but the ghost boy's focus was split as he heard a shout of excitement. Grabbing his boos and closing the locker, he ran down the hall as his friends followed, where he saw something that caught his attention up ahead.
The ghost boy stopped, staring down the hall like everyone else and Tucker. The boy acted as brakes for their gothic friend who crashed into them like a wall.
"What the heck?" Sam cried out, but she received no answer.
Sam waved a hand in front of the boys' faces, getting nothing but a blank and lustful stare from the ghost boy and technogeek, respectively. It wasn't until she glanced down the hall and gasped that she saw all the fuss.
Down the school hallway, Amélie walked with the same sway she had over the school, but she was not wearing her usual tied-up, partially unbuttoned blouse, and short skirt. Instead, the red and yellow colors of Casper High spirit enveloped her as her skirt shook with every step, blurring lines with her long, slender legs. Her top, a vest tied together with string, made the school majority drop their tongues and jaws.
Danny stuttered and choked in the air as he watched the French girl walk to her locker. The horde now grew, fenced back only by the boys inwardly fighting for a better spot.
"This can't be good," Sam remarked.
Amélie closed the door, staring intently for the boys to part. The goth girl walked in front of the exit as her friends continued their staring,
"Bonjour, Sam." The French girl waved her finger with a smile.
"I'm sorry, but does this—" Sam pointed at the cheerleader outfit. "mean—"
"Qui. Starting today, I'm going to be a—what is Majorette in English again?—Oh yes, a Cheerleader."
A little fluff here as I set more plot in motion. Looks like Amélie will be breaking Casper High, if not the minds of many students. Anyway, next chapter will have more development and some romance. Stay tuned.
For those curious: Bise is French for a kiss on the cheek used for greetings.
If you like the story, favorite, follow, leave a review, and/or add some love to the trope page.
Special Thanks! to Flower Princess11 for all her help!
Thank you for your reviews:
Jebest4781: Danny and Amélie will now start to see each other in a different light. But the real romance won't happen for a while.
Invader Johnny: And the good memories keep flowing.
RonaldM40196867: Across the pond? I like that saying. Amélie is a good girl with brains, brawn, and beauty, but that doesn't mean she is without faults. She does have a sense of vanity and pride, that can be bad and she loves to party. This story won't end for a while; I got a LOT of chapters lined up. No idea about a sequel. In Europe, people can be very friendly, though don't always expect that from the French, and in a sense, you are correct. You are correct ;)
Luiz4200: Dash is an idiot. He thought anything with the name Fenton in it is ghost proof. That's really it.
IrishKatana: I've been wondering about that. I'm not certain because I feel it may take away some exotic elements. But, I'll go on to add some translations for the more pertinent lines.
Guest: Hope you like this.
Okami2312: I like that, and you'll be happy to know that will happen within the next few chapters.