Hey everyone! I'm so so so SOOOO sorry that this took so long to write! I got super stressed with school stuff and finals week and Christmas and it allllll just killed my writing mojo. :/ But I'm so happy I got the chance to sit down and write this chapter, cause I have LOTS of good stuff planned for the future. ;) I hope you guys like this chapter, and if you do, please review so I know how to improve! :DD
The drive home was normal for them. Tucker and Sam talked the whole time, and when she got out and walked up to her mansion, Tucker drove Danny back home.
Or, at least, to where he thought was Danny's home.
Tucker always drops Danny off outside of the slightly shady motel close to Fenton Works, since that's where Danny's been telling him he's been staying ever since he left home when he was 17. In reality, however, he's been living in his used 2004 Toyota Rav4. It's not great, but it's not that bad either. His day jobs delivering Chinese food and occasionally fixing the motel's appliances help him pay for gas, food, and other supplies. Plus, since his high school bully-turned-buddy Dash owned a gym, he let Danny wash himself in the showers and his clothes using the private washer and dryer in the back. Sam and Tucker sometimes let him stay over when their parents would allow it, but Danny pretty much stayed in his car. Anything was better than his parent's house, that's for sure.
It wasn't that he hated his parents or anything… he was just kinda neutral about them. But that in itself was the problem. Children are supposed to love their parents and vice versa, but they just didn't have that sort of connection. Maddie and Jack practically loved their work more than they did each other, but it's because of that that fact that they gelled so well; since they both prioritized work above everything else, they understood each other and weren't offended or upset if something came up that kept them apart.
This mutual understanding, however, didn't apply to him and his sister Jazz. While their parents didn't outright ignore them or anything, they took little interest in their friends, troubles at school, et cetera. The two were often left to fend for themselves, building a strong bond with each other in place of a parental one. It was hard when Jazz left for college, but with the help of his Sam and Tucker, music, and a new focus on schoolwork, he was okay. Once she left, however, Danny realized that he just couldn't live there anymore. In that big house practically all alone, he felt like no one even noticed him, like he was a ghost or something. Two months after Jazz's departure, Danny got the forms to be emancipated, and without much fuss from his parents, met with a judge and moved out.
Jazz wasn't very surprised when she found out, and neither were his friends. Even his favorite high school teacher, Mr. Lancer was less than shocked about it. Danny had been telling him about his family situation, and he confessed to Danny that he was proud of him for not staying in a bad situation.
Danny smiled at the memory. Lancer had been the adult figure Danny always looked up to, so hearing that he was proud of him was a really big thing for him. The reverie was broken, however, by the car's gradual stop.
"Hey man, you sleeping? We're at the motel," Tucker spoke in hushed tones as he turned around to face me.
"Nah, I'm awake. Just thinking about what a crazy night this was," Danny replied, smiling at the thought and stretching his arms as far as he could before hitting the ceiling of the car, "Thanks for the ride home, Tuck."
"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow so we can figure out this Vlad stuff, alright?"
"You got it. See you tomorrow!" Danny said, opening the door and stepping out. He watched Tucker give a small wave before closing the door and made sure his friend drove around the corner before walking to his car.
The night was peaceful and quiet. Omnipresent puddles in the motel parking lot reflected the orange-yellow light from the old street lamp standing tall amongst the cracked concrete. A breeze ruffled the branches in the border of trees separating the lot from the forest before letting them settle once more. The air smelled crisp but was tainted only slightly by the scent of the dumpster nearby. Danny's Toyota sat undisturbed in the far edge of the lot opposite of the dumpsters.
As he approached the car, he was about to unlock it with the key's remote, but decided against it so not to break the silence with a resounding honk. Danny walked up to the driver's door, unlocked it, and hoisted himself onto the plushy black seat. With an exhale, he settled into the seat and allowed his eyes to drop closed for a minute.
What an incredible night… They met Vlad Masters, won the Battle of the Bands competition, and might even have a record deal! It seemed almost surreal, like it's all just some amazing dream. Speaking of dreams…
Danny forced himself to stay awake long enough to climb into the back of the car, throw on a pair of sweats, huddle under the flannel blankets, and plop his head onto the comfy pillow before letting himself slip into slumber.
Karma Karma Karma Chameleon… You come and go, you come and-
A groan resounded from the mass of blankets.
'Jeez, you say you like Culture Club once, and your friends change all of your ringtones (and alarms, apparently) to their songs,' Danny thought, trying to shake off the haze of sleep. What time was it anyways?
9 AM… He didn't have to start work until 4, and Sam and Tuck got out of class at 10. Danny rolled over for a few minutes more, not wanting to escape the warmth of the blankets, but eventually pushed himself up with a yawn. He sluggishly crawled to the front seat, smushing a pair of sunglasses to his face and finger-combing his hair to get out some of the knots. With a turn of the key, the car purred to life. Danny fiddled with the radio for the moment, eventually just throwing on his favorite Dumpty Humpty album and pulling out of the parking lot. If he was going to meet up with Vlad later, he had to look somewhat professional (or as professional as he was going to get).
Within a few minutes, he reached his destination, grabbed his backpack of supplies from the back, and hopped out of the car. '25 Hour Fitness' seemed to glare down at him from the top of the stone building. Danny walked up to the entrance, passing through the automatic doors and stopping to look up at the front desk. Dash was resting on the metal wrap-around desk, half-asleep and snoring like a baby. With a smirk, Danny reached for the chrome bell on the other side of the desk, gently placed it by Dash's ear…
and proceeded to ring the ever-loving shit out of it.
Dash jolted into wakefulness and instinctually swatted at Danny's hand. Danny merely chuckled at his friend's sudden start and received a groggy glare in return.
"Mornin' sunshine! You look happy and ready to face the day!" Danny stated cheerfully. Dash continued to glare.
"You're awfully chipper," Dash grumbled and dragged a hand down his face, but straightened up in curiosity, "How did last night go, by the way?"
"Oh, it was whatever. Not a big deal or anything… besides the fact that we won and we might have record deal with DALV records!" Danny's nonchalant tone quickly bled into an excited one as he began to boast.
"Get the hell out, man! So what does this mean, you're going to make it big now?"
"I hope so! We're going to meet up with Vlad Masters today, so we're gonna see what happens… We could be famous, Dash!"
Dash reached forward and ruffled his hair while pulling him in for a one-armed hug. "You guys deserve this! You practice all the time and have to be some of the most talented people I know… I'm really happy for you guys," he finished, smiling genuinely.
"Thanks, man," Danny started, his sincere smile turning mischievous, "and if we happen to find any hot girls while we're on our tours, I'll be sure to hook you up."
"You know me too well, Fenturd!" Dash replied with a laugh.
Danny chuckled as he turned and made his way into the back to use the showers.
As the sunlight leaked through the thin white curtains, Vlad Masters laid peacefully in his bed. The muscles in his face had slackened, allowing his expression to slip from the usual focused almost-glare into that of ultimate relaxation. It was only in sleep that the dull tiredness that normally took residence in his joints completely vanished.
A particularly persistent beam of sunlight pierced through the crack in between the two fine, silken curtains and onto Vlad's face. With a gentle sigh, his eyes fluttered open and he stretched in his bed, now awake from the light. His hands slowly traced lazy patterns onto the smooth sheets, letting his fingers roam the surface of the fabric, fabric the same color as the bordeaux wine he sipped on the night before while contemplating the evening's events.
The soft blue glow emitting from the small laptop clung to Vlad's face, settling across his cheeks and furrowed brow, looking oddly natural in a strange, ethereal way. Vlad released a quick, angry sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had been staring at the same document for the past twenty minutes and had only managed to get through a paragraph and a half before his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
Elsewhere, being of course, a certain band with a very talented guitarist.
Vlad could already tell he was amazingly talented. All of them were, really. With a bit of help from himself and the company, Frozen Ghosts had the potential to make it big in the music industry. All they had to do was say yes and they would be on their way to fame and stardom.
He lifted his wine glass to his nose, capturing the scent, before taking an indulgent sip. He glanced at his laptop once more before deciding that he wasn't going to get any work done tonight at the rate he was going. He pushed the screen of his laptop down with his left hand and carried the glass of wine in his right before exiting the study and returning to his bedroom. Placing the glass down on his nightstand, he pulled back the covers and slid onto the comfortable mattress. As he sank back against the plush pillow, his thoughts, once again, strayed to Daniel – the cool blue eyes, so expressive and clear; the smooth skin above a lightly toned bicep; the gentle grip of his slightly cold hands…
And before he even realized it, he fell asleep to the thoughts of an autumn breeze and the most gorgeous blue he'd ever known.
Stepping out of the shower, Danny wrapped a towel around his hips and fished out his clothes and supplies from his backpack. Within a few minutes, he was dried, dressed, and fussing with his hair. While he blow-dried his locks, he took a quick glance at the clock on the wall next to him.
'10:08… Sam and Tuck should be out of class by now. I should probably call them and ask when to meet up for Vlad.'
With a few more brushes, his hair was styled in his usual choppy, side-swept bangs and he was ready to go. As he slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked past the front desk, he saw Dash asleep yet again, but decided to just leave him this time. He was just about to grab his phone from his back pocket to call his friends, but as soon as he put his hand on it, it started to vibrate.
Call from… Sam 'Perfect timing.' He quickly flipped open his old phone and pressed it to his ear.
"Hey Sam! You guys out of class?"
"Yep! We just met up in the parking lot where Tucker's car is. You want us to pick you up and we can call Vlad in the car?" She replied, his old phone making her voice crackle.
"Yeah, sure. I'm at the gym, so do you want me to wait here or meet you guys somewhere?"
"We can pick you up, if you don't mind just hanging there till we get there," she said, her voice then taking a teasing tone, "And by the way, considering how often you go to the gym, shouldn't you be super buff by now?"
Danny gave a nervous chuckle. "Nah, I just do cardio! I don't really lift, though I probably should." He hated lying to his friends, but he couldn't let them know his real situation.
"Danny, you're fine, it was a joke! Tuck and I will be there in like, 10 minutes, okay?"
"Okay. I'll be hanging out outside of the place."
"Kay. See you soon," she responded, followed by a subtle click of a call being ended.
The phone returned to the screen it had been on the last time he had opened it. His inbox showed the lengthy group text Tucker and Sam had been talking in, but Danny hadn't really had the chance to look through it yet. They'll both be taking online classes, their families are okay with it (Sam's parents not as much, but that's to be expected), and they both figured that DALV would pay for any travelling expenses they may have. Danny didn't have any objections to what they said, since he wasn't in school and he didn't talk to his parents.
As he leaned up against his car, he flipped his phone open and shut in boredom. The 3-and-a-half year old device was old, scratched, and had duct tape covering the back to ensure the back cover wouldn't fall off. As he looked at it, he wondered how much longer it would last for. He was supposed to get a new one after two years, but since he left home and got his own phone plan, the company wouldn't allow him to get a newer model under his new contract without paying some ridiculous fee. Danny barely has enough money to pay for his current plan, let alone an entirely new device. Although with the money they all got from the competition, he should be able to buy a new one. Maybe even a smartphone…
A loud honk shocked him out of his daydream. Danny looked up and saw his friends waving at him from behind the window, smirking at his surprised expression. Danny gave a sheepish grin as he opened the back door and plopped himself down.
"What were you thinking about so hard, dude? You looked like you were thinking about the meaning of life or something intense like that!" Tucker said, amused by his friend's reaction.
"I was just thinking about my phone… I think I should get a new one."
"FINALLY!" Tucker exclaimed, thrusting his hands towards the sky, "Praise be to the God of technology!"
Sam rolled her eyes, but Danny just laughed at his friend's antics. "Yeah, yeah, I know it's old! But I figured that with the money we got from the competition, I could get a smartphone."
"Aw yeah! Don't worry man, I'll let you know about the coolest droids on the mar-"
"Droid? Who said he wants a Droid? He would be perfectly happy with the sleek new iPhone!" Sam angrily interjected. Danny groaned, knowing what was about to happen.
"Perfectly happy? I seriously doubt that, considering that iPhone's batteries suck, but you can't change them out unlike most droids. Plus, you can't even change how many gigs you have to add music and stuff!"
"You can't even do Facetime on a Droid! And what about iTunes-"
"But the Galaxy s5 has-" "Camera has -" "Google Maps is way-" " Fingerprint sensor rather than-"
"GUYS!"
"WHAT?!" The two whipped their heads back at Danny and gave an angry glare, determination clear in their eyes.
"How about we talk about this later over some burritos? Sam, you get a veggie one, Tucker, you get the double meat, and we all calmly talk this over?" The statement lilted into a question once he realized their expressions were still that of extreme anger.
Sam went first. "Fine." She slumped down into her seat and ran a hair through her hair.
Tucker sat back in his seat and fiddled with his phone. "Yeah, that sounds good."
Danny breathed a sigh of relief, though it wasn't too big of an issue anyways. For the most part, when Sam and Tucker got into an argument, they ignored each other for the day and got over it by the next, usually even earlier than that. Except for the time when Sam tried to change the school menu… That didn't work out well at all.
"So… since we're all good, should we call Vlad now?" Sam and Tuck both turned back around to face me with a smile.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Sam exclaimed.
"Okay, lemme just get the number…" Danny palmed his back pocket for the card and pulled it out so Sam could put it into her phone.
"You guys ready?" She looked up at each of them, her nervous excitement spreading to the other two. Danny nodded his head and Tucker grinned wide.
And with that, she pressed 'call'.
The sound of shuffling papers and the scratch of a fountain pen were the only noises that penetrated the normal hum of Vlad's office. He signed each paper with his typical lavish signature, making sure to not miss anything. These papers were not the typical drivel he had to slap his name on just to get it off his desk; no, this was much more important. These were the papers that every aspiring artist would like to see someday.
These were the papers that Frozen Ghosts would sign to take their first step to fame. The only problem was that they had yet to actually ca-
A peaceful guitar riff sounded from his cell on the coffee table in the middle of the office. He smiled in satisfaction, strode to the table, and picked up the phone after the second ring.
"Vlad Masters speaking."
"Hi, Mr. Masters! This is Sam, Danny, and Tucker from Frozen Ghosts… We just talked to you last night?" The young miss answered the phone, her tone exposing her anxiety about the current conversation.
"Of course, how could I forget? Have you made your decision?"
"Yes… We definitely want to go for it," she said, her voice nearly trembling.
"Excellent! When will you be able to come in to sign the papers and work out the details?"
"Uhh, Tucker and I are free Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after twelve, and Tuesdays and Thursdays after two. Danny has work at all different times, though…"
"Well, are you three free today? If not, I'm sure we can figure out a time, but the sooner the better when it comes to things like these." Vlad heard a rustling, along with a few whispers before a response came.
"We can do today at any time!"
"Wonderful. Would you be okay with coming in now?"
"Now?" Another pause, then, "Yeah, that's okay. Thank you!"
"You are most welcome. I will be seeing you shortly, then?"
"Well, we're on the other side of town, kinda by the mall, so it'll take like half an hour to get there. Is that still cool?"
"That's fine. Goodbye for now, then."
"Bye Mr. Masters!"
And with a grin, he paged his desk assistant and asked her to let in the members of Frozen Ghosts when they arrive.
He settled into his desk chair, rolled his shoulders back, and reviewed the paperwork once more.
'After all,' he thought, the grin spreading even further, 'I've got a new band to sign.'
I know this chapter was a little boring, but I needed to establish some things before moving on (things like Danny's backstory, his relationship with Dash, his current living situation, etc)! But anyways, thanks for reading! See you sooooooon :3