Inspiration Juice

Ingredients:
Three cups of obsession, three cups of a good idea, two cups of an accumulation of a loss of sleep (over 5 or more days), and a dash of insanity. Mix well and let sit for two more days.
Duration:
Between three and seven days.
Side Effects:
May result in a continued loss of sleep and mental wellness. Often includes a lack of ability to sit still for more than a minute at a time. Could result in a lack of motivation for anything other than furthering the original idea. Has a history of temporarily increasing antisocial tendencies in people over ten years of age, although in some cases, this has been found to be permanent.
Warning:
Highly concentrated mixture that allows focus on only one story/work at a time. An over exposure to Inspiration Juice can lead to permanent mental and social issues, that need to be treated with induced socialization and writer's block. Seek immediate medical attention if brain spontaneously combusts. Do not mix with anti-depressants. Do not take while driving. Keep out of reach of children.

Haha, I must have had a little too much of the inspiration juice for this particular story because I'm still writing. So, here is another chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 6:

After dinner, Tucker left, and Sam and I went onto the roof of the Ops Center to watch as the sun descended behind the low, unimpressive, Amity Park skyline.

"You were right," she muttered quietly. She didn't specify, but I knew that she was talking about my mom. This was one of the few times I wished that I hadn't been right, it would be hard enough raising these two babies, but without the support of my parents if they ever found out…that was hard to think about. "What now?" Sam continued her voice concerned, "You saw how close she came to busting us…well, me, specifically, tonight. What if next time there isn't a Dr. Pepper for you to knock over?"

"Hey," I said quietly, putting her much smaller hands in my own, "I'm not going to let that happen. And, if for some reason they do find out, we can leave, and I will be right beside you."

"Danny," she sighed, "I wouldn't ask you to do that. You wouldn't have to leave, they wouldn't necessarily know about you."

"I know you wouldn't ask me. But I would do it. If it means exposing my secret, so be it. You being pregnant is at least partially my fault, and those twins are half mine, so I'm not going to let you take on the full responsibility. So, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me. We're in this together," I affirmed, giving her a smile.

Sam giggled, surprising me, then she looked at me. I'm not sure I will ever be able to describe the look on her face. It was everything from awe, to surprise, to guilt, to gratitude, to happiness, to fear, to joy, to anxiety, to sadness all rolled into one. It was so many emotions that I could not name a specific arrangement for her expression. But when I looked again, I noticed that there was something else too…something that I recognized but was not used to seeing directed at me the way I was seeing it now.

Love.

I leaned closer to her, pushing a dark strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair had gotten do much longer—running straight down to the center of her back now— than it was when I we were fourteen. Now, those two years seemed like an eternity ago. I had just been beginning to figure out my ghost powers. Even with all that craziness—dodging my parent's inventions, dodging fruitloops, accidentally phasing through walls and floors—now things were in a more crucial sense of chaos, a waiting chaos, like the calm before a storm.

I looked into Sam's deep purple eyes, and, for a moment, none of that seemed to matter, like we were the only two people on Earth and the storm was gone.

She smiled, moving closer and pressing her soft lips gently against mine. I reacted, kissing her back, passionately. We stayed like that, in our own little world, lost in the feeling of each other's lips on our own, for what only felt like a few minutes. But when we finally separated, only the last few rays of sunlight danced above the horizon as the stars slowly emerged into the dark blue sky.

We were quiet. It was not an awkward quiet, but a thoughtful quiet. My lips still tingled where hers had been, and I resisted the urge to put my finger to my lips, just to make sure they were still there.

What everyone else around us had been guessing for years had finally happened. Not a fake-out-make-out, not a dream. And this time, I could actually remember it.

I picked up her hand that was resting on the broken asphalt shingles, and held it in my own, clasping our fingers together.

She seemed a little surprised, and blushed, but she made no attempt to pull away.

"For what it's worth," Sam sighed eventually, "I think you're going to be a great dad, Danny."

I thought about this, unable to stop the grin from spreading over my face.

That actually had given me a lot of comfort, knowing that Sam, at least, has faith in my ability to not mess up.

"Really?" I questioned finally. Sam nodded.

"You are one of the most funny, thoughtful, loyal, trustworthy, honest, kind, and protective guys I have ever met," she admitted.

I chuckled quietly.

"Well, for what it's worth," I replied, "You're going to be a great mom too."

Sam scoffed.

"I'm serious. You're smart, talented, independent, you put others before yourself, you're not afraid to do what is right; you stand up for those you care about. You're also strong and determined. You solve problems. You have great morals, and you aren't afraid to express them. I have no doubt that you'll pass on these morals to our kids too," I told her. She seemed a little shocked, but I could tell that everything I had just said had just lifted a giant weight off of her shoulders the same way she had made me feel relieved.

We were quiet again. Now, the sun had completely vanished, leaving the clear dark sky. Up above, the moon was only a shallow crescent, hanging lazily in the sky, ready to disappear back into its usual cycle tomorrow.

"Um…tomorrow's Saturday right?" I asked. Sam made a noise of agreement and looked at me with her eyebrow raised quizzically.

"Well…" I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, "I was thinking maybe we could go to the mall…the one in Fairview and maybe order some stuff. Plus with twins you're probably going to need new clothes soon…that's not me saying you're fat! I just…I don't know I think it would be a good idea and—" I stopped when Sam started laughing.

"You see! This is why you're going to be a great dad. No other guy, especially no other guy our age, would be concerned about this," she laughed again. I blushed, a little embarrassed. She noticed, squeezing my hand a little and making me look at her, "I thought it was sweet."

She leaned in, kissing me again, but this time it was only a light peck.

She looked up at the darkened sky.

"I should probably get home," she sighed in disappointment.

"Okay, come on. I'll walk you," I told her standing up and extending my hand, helping her to her feet.