Chapter 1

Hey, it's me again! Sorry for the long wait, it's just that my other story Burnt To Ashes is more of a priority than this one. But I still updated - yay me! This chapter is basically just laying down the plot, but the real action begins in the next one. Please read and review! c:

Everyone knew that Dash, star quarterback of the Casper High football team, didn't do drugs. He just carried them round for show, occasionally exchanging them for cash to some of his more 'edgy' peers. So when Dash had gotten hold of some of the more dangerous drugs, nobody questioned him about it. They all thought it was cool that he had such a high level of self control, and he was even cooler for carrying the substance around without getting caught.

Well, most people thought he was cool.

"I don't even know what he's playing at. It's ridiculous! Everyone practically worships him because he carries around a few sweeties in his pockets." Sam Manson exclaimed, grabbing a book out of her locker and slamming it with much more force than necessary. She looked over to where the 'popular' crowd was hanging at the other side of the hallway and gave them a hateful glare.

"Oh come on Sam, we've been over this before. There's nothing we can do about it, so we might as well ignore him and get on with our lives." Danny replied, eager to steer the conversation onto something else. Sam was always so touchy about this topic, which usually resulted in the best friends having some kind of row.

Tucker, the third member of the best friend trio, put a hand on Sam's shoulder reassuringly. "Yeah, Danny's right. Let's all just accept that he's a jerk and move on. We have much bigger things to worry about anyways." He smiled.

"Like what?" Sam quizzed, raising an eyebrow at her dark skinned friend. Tuckers smile faulted as he realised he didn't know how to respond.

"Err... Um...Lots of things?"

"Like how we're going to go see Dead Teacher 3. I'm grounded, remember?" Danny added, rescuing Tucker from having to find something else that they could be doing. Tucker flashed Danny a thankful grin.

"Oh god Danny, what have you done this time?" Sam groaned, hitting her head against her locker. Danny was often getting grounded, restricting them of their already limited social life. To be fair, it was hardly ever his fault. He always seemed to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was almost as if bad luck followed him around, glued to him like a shadow.

"Lancer rang up about me breaking all those beakers in science. Remember, the ones with the hydrochloric acid in them? Yeah well apparently some got on Paulina and her parents rang up and complained. Apparently they want to sue the school, and because it was my fault, Lancer decided that my parents would be paying." He sighed, looking to the ground and shifting his feet. He really was fed up of getting grounded all the time. His parents didn't seem to understand that it was an accident. All they heard was 'damage' and 'paying', they didn't think for a second that Danny might have not meant to break the beakers.

"Awh man, it'll be okay. Your folks can't have grounded you for that long, can they?" Tucker asked, crossing his fingers and secretly hoping that Danny wouldn't be grounded for long.

"Three weeks..." Danny mumbled, not bothering to look up.

"Three weeks!" Sam and Tucker gasped, both looking at their friend in alarm. "But what on earth are we supposed to pass the time in three weeks? Dude, come on, you gotta be kidding me."

"No joke guys, I'm sorry. I guess you'll have to find a way of having fun without me."

"Did someone say fun?" Dash Baxter cut in, shoving Danny aside into the lockers. Danny fell to the floor with a thud but the jock didn't spare him a second glance.

"What do you want Dash?" Sam snapped, grabbing Danny's hand and helping him to his feet. Danny shot Dash a week glare and dusted himself down.

"Yeah Dash, why'd you come to see a couple of losers like us? Surly you have better things to do, like practicing being a bigger jerk." Danny grumbled, grabbing his shoulder which was now sore as a result of being shoved into the lockers.

"Watch it Fen-turd. Do you want to come to my party or not?" He asked, shoving a flyer into Danny's face. Danny pulled the flyer away from his face and stared at it with his mouth wide open.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Danny quizzed, a look of anger settling on his face. "I get it Dash; you don't want me at your parties. But me knowing that isn't good enough for you, is it? Now you have to literally rub it in my face..."

"No joke, Fenton. Me and my mates decided we want you at our party. You only though, not your geeky friends. Meet by the Nasty Burger tomorrow at three." Dash said. He turned his back on the trio and walked back over to his friends, not really caring that Danny may have had something else to say.

"Erm dude, what was that about?" Tucker asked, not quite believing what he just saw.

"I'm not really sure..." Danny responded, rubbing the back of his neck in unease. Did he seriously just get invited to one of the coolest parties of the year?

"It doesn't really matter anyway. It's not like you're actually going to go, right Danny?" Sam quizzed, although to Danny it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I don't have a choice Sam..."

"What? Of course you have a choice! How could you not have a choice? Just because you were asked to go doesn't mean you have to." She exploded, earning her a few strange looks from the other students.

"Sam please, calm down!" Danny said in an exasperated tone. "Look, I know you don't believe me, but I really don't have a choice. If I don't go, Dash and his friends will beat me to a pulp the following day. And it won't be just a wedgie either."

Tucker grimaced at the thought. The last time Dash had gotten mad he had literally thrown Danny out of the window. He dreaded to think what the jock would do if Danny got on his bad side again. "Yeah Sam, Danny really doesn't have a choice. Unless you want to see him inside one of the burgers they sell in the cafeteria on Friday."

"Well I won't let him touch you! If he tries to even lay a finger- "

"Come on Sam, drop it already. Do you want me to spell it out to you? I. Don't. Have. A. Choice." Danny snapped. But he immediately felt awful for having a go at his best friend when he saw the hurt look in her eye. "Oh god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it; I just didn't want you getting hurt." He apologised.

Sam looked her best friend in his bright blue eyes and smiled. "It's okay Danny. I don't want you getting hurt either. You shouldn't let those jerks push you around, you know."

"I know. I'm not planning on staying long anyway. I'll just turn up, give Dash his present, and leave." Danny smiled. He didn't know what he was going to get Dash, but he was sure that his sister would help him think of something.

Tucker gave Danny a pat on the back. "Good luck, dude. I think you'll need it."