(The Next Day)

School…

Somehow Danny thought it would be different, he really did. However, unfortunately school was just a cruel, and just as unbearable as usual.

Danny yelp as Dash Baxter, the football team quarter back rammed him into yet another locker. "How does it feel Fen-turd!" he scoffed. "How does it feel to know that you're the reason your parents and friends are gone!"

Danny winced, word of his cheating had traveled fast, and now everyone was giving him a hard time. Everyone was against him, saying it was his fault they were dead, even Mr. Lancer was missed, but only because he had been replace with an even more annoying teacher.

"Now thanks to you we have to put up with Mrs. Wade." Dash screamed, grabbing him by the collar. "And she smells, and looks old enough to be my great-great grandmother! I'm gonna wale on you so hard for this!"

Danny struggled to get free. "Leave me alone Dash!"

"What's the matter Fen-turd?" Dash scoffed. "Ain't got no more friends to save you from me?"

Danny winced as he realized, school had changed after all, because now he was alone!

"Not surprising since you killed them all!" Dash spat in his face.

"I didn't kill them!" Danny screamed. "It was an accident."

"Let him go Dash!" Valerie snapped, appearing beside him.

"Valerie?" Dash was surprised. "You're siding with this murder!?"

"He's not a murder!" Valerie snapped. "He's just a kid, who just lost everything. So, give him a break you jerk!"

"Fine." Dash said dropping Danny. "You know you should have done us all a favor and died with them!" He snapped, before walking away.

"Don't listen to him." Valerie said, offering him her hand.

Danny took it, and allowed Valerie to pull him to his feet. "How did he even find out?" he wondered out loud.

"Star's mom is one of the nurses that treated you." Valerie explained. "She was there when you told the cops you cheated on the test. Star's mom told her and her Dad over dinner, and then Star to Paulina, who told the cheerleaders, who told Dash, and now-"

"And now everyone knows." Danny sighed.

"Listen if you want to ditch I'm so there." Valerie told him.

Danny shook his head. "It's tempting, but I promised my Aunt I would try making it work here." Danny explained. "She thinks moving me somewhere else will only make me feel even more alone."

"You're not alone." Valerie told him. "You've got me."

Danny smiled, and the bell sounded around them. "I guess I better go." He said.

"I'll see you at lunch." Valerie assured him. "We can sit together if you want."

"I'd like that." Danny admitted. "See you." He said before heading off to class.

"See you." Valerie whispered, as she watched him go. "He'll be okay." She whispered, and then she added, "At least I hope so."

(Later on, at Lunch)

He was trying,

Danny Fenton really was trying, but everywhere he went the truth slapped him in the face, and it all started with first period. When Danny entered the class his Math Teacher, Mrs. Shaw told him his new seat was in the back of the class. Danny obeyed and moved to the back row which was usually populated by most of the class since no one wanted to listen.

Not this time, everyone squeezed into the first three rows of desk, leaving a whole row in between them and Danny.

"Do you think we're far enough away from him?" Star asked, as she and Paulina sat down in the third row.

"I sure hope so." Paulina said. "I'm too young and pretty to die!"

"Wow Fen-turd" Dash scoffed. "Even Mrs. Shaw is too scared to let you near her. I guess being a murder has its perks!"

"I didn't murder them!" Danny yelled!

"Sure, you didn't." Dash mused.

"Dash careful." Paulina streaked.

"Yeah you don't want to be next." Star warned.

Danny tried to ignore them, he tried to stay positive; he even tried to engage in the class discussion.

But no one paid attention to him, and whenever he raised his hand to answer a question on the board Mrs. Shaw just ignored him.

And every other class after that was the same way, he was forced by the teacher to sit in the back of the class, and no one sat near him. No one talked to him, no one paid attention to him!

And now even in lunch the same rules applied, Danny sat at a table in the back of the cafeteria, and everyone else sat at least three tables away from him; well, everyone but Valerie.

"You really don't have to risk your social life for me." Danny insisted, as she sat down beside him.

"Danny I promised I would help you through this." Valerie said. "We're friends, and friends do not abandon each other."

"Thanks Valerie." He said.

"Val." Valerie said. "My friends call me Val."

"Val," Danny smiled. "Thanks."

'"Things will get better you'll see." Valerie promised him.

Danny nodded, though he wasn't convinced. He picked up his fork and began to pick at his food, though he wasn't really hungry. The pain in his chest had grown tighter as the day progressed, and now it was almost unbearable. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something happy, something up lifting.

Nothing!

He opened his eyes and looked around the Lunchroom, looking for something to distract him from the pain, but everywhere he looked he was reminded of them.

Sam and Tucker should be sitting beside him, Jazz should be sitting two tables over with a mountain of books taking up the whole table. And Mr. Lancer should be scowling at the lunch lady, discussing what he thought of her "Mystery meat."

Danny dropped his fork. "I can't do this." He whispered, tears in his eyes.

"Danny I know it's hard but give it some time." Valerie insisted.

"No, I can't take it any-" Danny froze midsentence as his ghost sense cut him off. He gasped looking around expectantly.

"Danny are you okay?" Valerie asked.

Suddenly a giant ghost spider jumped down from the celling screeching loudly.

"Everyone Run!" Star cried.

"I have to go!" Danny and Valerie said at the same time, they gave each other an awkward look before running off in opposite directions.

Valerie pressed a button on her watch, allowing her ghost fighting suit to form around her, she tapped her feet together and her surf jet deployed from her boots. She turns in the air to face off the spider, "Alright ugly it's time we put you to sleep for good!"

The spider screeched and began to throw ecto-webs at the ghost hunter.

Danny ran behind a trash can and cried. "Going ghost!" Danny transformed to his ghost-self in an instant and zoomed off to Valerie's aid. "Watch out!" he cried to Valerie.

"Get lost Ghost-boy before I make you." She screamed, looking away from the spider.

The ghost-spider saw its opening and leaped, pouncing at Valerie, and sending them through the cafeteria windows shattering them from the force.

Valerie lands on the ground of the school yard with the beast above her, its mouth dripped with green saliva.

"Valerie!" Danny screamed; he flies after them.

"Get off of me you gross thing!" Valerie yells grabbing a branch, and just before the spider can bit her head off she used the small tree limb to shield herself.

The spider snaps at her, trying to get threw her small defenses.

"Leave her alone!" Danny yells, ramming into the spider, which knocks it off of Valerie, and several feet away.

"Are you okay?" Dany asked.

"What do you care Ghost Boy!" She shouts firing at him with her ecto-wrist blaster.

Danny dodges the blast, but just barely. "Hey, I'm not the enemy here." He screams.

"And I'm supposed to believe you!" she screamed, getting to her feet. "When you ruined my life!"

"That wasn't my dog!" he exclaimed.

"Sure, it wasn't just like that's not your spider!" Valerie yelled pointing at the beast, which was currently getting back on its feet.

"Of course not!" Danny exclaimed. "You know not every ghost attack is my fault."

"Then why are you always here when they happen." Valerie challenged, aiming her weapon at him again.

"I'm trying to stop them; I'm trying to protect people!" Danny yelled.

"And why would a ghost care?" Valerie screamed.

The spider charged for her, but Valerie was too busy yelling at Danny to act in time.

Danny, however, saw it coming for her, and in a split-second decision he pushes her out of the way, the spider tackles him.

Valerie recovers quickly, and looks to the struggling ghost boy. "He saved me…" she whispered. "But why?"

Danny tries to push the beast off of him, but it's too big. "Tucker, Sam, help!" he screamed.

But no one came to his aid.

'That's because they're gone.' Danny realized. 'And they're never coming back.'

The Spider hissed and bites him deep in the chest. Danny screams, and as a wave of pain, and weakness washes over him, he changes back to his human form.

"Danny!" Valerie exclaimed, 'Danny's the Ghost kid!' She is so shocked she almost doesn't act.

Almost!

"Get away from him you monster!" Valerie screamed and fired her ecto-wrist blaster. It hits its target, and the spider explodes into a pile of ecto goop. "DANNY!" Valerie runs to his aid, she's by his side in minutes, her ghost hunting suit vanishes, as she does so. "Danny can you hear me!"

Danny blinks at her, but her voice sounds far away, and his vision is blurred, so he can only see a shadow of her. "Sam, Is that you?" he asked.

"I'm here Danny." Her voice says. "I'll get you some help."

Danny smiles. "I knew you'd come." He whispered, his eyes opening and closing as he wavers in and out of consciousness. "Where's Tucker?"

"Danny stay with me!" Valerie cried, as she pulled off his shirt to examine his wound. Its two big punctures with some green liquid oozing from it. "You're going to be okay."

"Sam I'm sorry." Danny said. "If I could change things I would." He whispered, "I should…have… listened to…you." and with those final words his world goes dark.

(Deep in his Subconscious...)

"Danny? Danny are you with us man?"

Danny opened his eyes slowly, and he was met with quite the surprise. "Trucker?" he asked, as his old friend stood before him, but he was different, he was… "You're a ghost!"

"Of course, I am." Tucker said. "This is the Ghost Zone, and I am dead after all."

Danny looked around and realized that they were in the Ghost Zone. "Wait, am I? Did I die?" he asked.

"You sure did you idiot!" Sam said appearing beside him.

"Sam!" he embraced her. "I am so sorry I should have listened to you."

"Okay, okay." Sam laughed at his over excitement.

"No, it's not okay." Danny cried.

"It is now." Jazz said, appearing out of nowhere. "Don't you see Danny we're together again?"

"Oh, come here my boy." Maddie exclaimed as she and Jack embraced him.

"I thought I'd have to wait for you to die of old age before I could hug you again son." Jack said.

Jazz, Tucker, and Sam joined in.

"We love you Danny." They all said.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Danny asked.

"Danny we're not alive anymore." Jazz said. "So that life no longer matters."

"Yeah we've got an eternity together why waste it being bitter." Maddie asked. "Besides there are somethings you just can't change."

"Now do us all a favor and wake up Danny." Sam said, but her voice wasn't her own anymore. "Danny please wake up…."

(Back in reality…)

Consciousness…

It came slowly with little to no comfort whatsoever.

"I think he's coming out of it!" A voice exclaimed.

"Danny? Danny can you hear me?" Another voice asked.

Danny moaned and opened his eyes slowly. He immediately takes in the hospital room around him. "I'm alive?" he whispered, though he does not sound relieved.

"Of course, you're alive my boy." A voice said.

Danny looked up to see the last person he wanted to see at the moment. "Vlad?"

Vlad Masters step closer to his bed side, and Danny noticed that his archrival was not grinning wickedly like he usually did. "You gave a quite a scare Daniel, luckily the doctor's here knew of this ghost spider venom that was coursing through your veins."

"Danny you're okay." Valerie said appearing beside Vlad.

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"I called Mr. Masters." Valerie explained. "He's the one that gave me my ghost hunting supplies, and I thought that maybe he had seen this kind of spider bite before."

"Yes and luckily I have." Vlad said. "Anyway, Valerie could you be a dear and let Danny and I talk."

Valerie nodded, and left the room.

"Okay what's your game now old man?!" Danny snapped. "And why would you give Valerie ghost fighting weapons!"

"OH, like any of that matters now!" Vlad snapped, and then a little more gently he asked. "Is it true? Are they really gone?"

Tears welled up in Danny's eyes. "Don't pretend you care." He snapped. "Don't pretend to care just so you can get to me! I don't need you!"

"Daniel I know we've had our differences, but I want to help you. I really loved your mother, and in her honor I want to help make sure her only son is cared for."

"My Aunt is doing that!" Danny snapped. "We don't need you!"

"So that's it?" Vlad asked. "You're just going to pick up the pieces and move on?"

"Yes!" Danny yelled.

"Well, it's not working." Vlad said.

"How would you know!?" Danny snapped.

"Daniel that spider was a low leveled ghost; it was hardly more powerful then Ember and it almost killed you." Vlad explained.

"I wish it had." Danny admitted. "Then I could finally be with them and away from you."

"Daniel I can help you." Vlad insisted. "Staying here is only going to make you feel worse. Alicia should know that. Come to Wisconsin with me, and let me help you."

"I don't need your help!" Danny yelled.

"Fine." Vlad held up his hands in defeat. "But if you change your mind, and want to get away from all this, you know my number." And with those final words Vlad walked out of the hospital room.

"So, I guess you know him hu?" Valerie asked, sneaking back into the room.

"He and my dad were old collage friends, and well he kind of hates my dad for stealing my mom from him." Danny explained.

"Oh, wow yikes." Valerie forced a laughed.

"You saw didn't you?" Danny asked.

Valerie sighed, but nodded. "So, this whole time you were the Ghost kid."

Danny nodded.

"But how?" Valerie asked.

"My parents are ghost hunters, and there was an accident with the ghost portal in their lab." Danny explained to her. "It fussed my molecules with ghost DNA, and I became part ghost."

"So, you're really trying to fight those ghost?" Valerie asked.

"Yeah I thought I'd use my powers to help people." Danny said. "I never meant for you to get involved."

Valerie smiled. "I guess I never really gave you a chance." She said.

"So, are we still cool?" Danny asked.

Valerie nodded. "Yeah we're cool. Heck maybe we can star fighting ghost together." She said.

Danny smiled, but frowned as he thought back to his dream.

"What's wrong?" Valerie asked.

"Do you think they're ghost now?" Danny asked.

"I don't know." Valerie said. "Maybe."

"Do you think they're happy?" Danny asked. "Wherever they are?"

"I'm sure they are." Valerie said, even though she wasn't sure at all.

"Val?" Danny asked.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I can do this anymore." He said. "I don't think I can live here, or fight ghost, or do anything."

Valerie frowned. "You just need more time."

"But what if it never gets better?" Danny asked.

"It will" Valerie assured him. "But you have to try, you have to really try. Promise me you'll try."

"I promise." Danny said, yawning loudly.

"Oh yeah the doc gave you something to make you drowsy." She told him.

"I don't want to sleep." Danny said. "I don't want to see them again, it's too painful."

"It's okay." Valerie assured him, as he began to drift off to sleep. "You'll be okay."

But those words were lies, Danny was sure of it now. All his efforts to move on had been in vain, he had tried it their way with no success.

"If you change your mind, and want to get away from all this, you know my number…"

Vlad's words echoed in his mind, as fell into a deeper sleep.

'Maybe he's right, maybe the only way for me to heal is to get away from it all.'

Yes, maybe then the pain would finally go away.

-To Be Continued