A/N- Chapter one was kinda long...so I'm gonna try to make chapters a wee bit shorter c: Sorry I always tend to make chapters long. It's a habit...unless you guys like long chapters! Then let me know! ;) Thanks for reading! I'm already so far ahead and non stopping. Hope you guys like fighting...cuz it's going to get a bit crazy up in Caper High! Hide your kids and wifes! Don't forget your husbands!
Chapter Two: The Proposition
"WHAT?" Danny, Sam, Paulina and Dash hollered out in disbelief. Dash was on his feet, his chair flipped back onto the floor. The news that the four of them were to be in the same group...share the same work...to overall come up with the same grade...it made each of them snap a little bit inside. That small snap was enough to break the dam of held back emotions. All kept inside for the past four years.
Sam stood up as well, chair still standing "Lancer. You cannot expect me to be in a group with...with THAT!" She exclaimed pointing dead at Paulina.
"Yeah you can't expect me to be close to that filthy goth none the less work with her!" Paulina said as she stood up too.
"Filthy? Really? Look at that dirt mark on your arm." Sam pointed out a mark on Paulina's arm. Paulina frantically touched it and Sam continued with a smirk. "Oh wait...that's a bruise...my bad."
"Bitch!" Paulina hollered out with fire in her eyes.
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo! Manson. Sanchez. Calm yourselves right this second!" Lancer said in utter shock at their out burst.
"We wouldn't be so worked up if you hadn't stuck us all in a group with people we HATE!" Dash said angrily to Lancer.
"Loathe is more like it." Danny growled staying seated in his chair. Rubbing at his temples for he felt a headache coming on.
"You got something to say Fenton?" Dash asked as he walked over to Danny. The class crossed their fingers hoping for a fight to break out.
"Fenton! Baxter! For the love of The Hunger Games! Calm yourselves down!"
Danny quickly got to his feet. If he was going to get hit he didn't want to get hit from behind. He turned to Dash and looked to him sternly. Sam then stepped in between them. "He wasn't saying anything meat head. Go get your testosterone in check you goddamn beast."
The class let out noises of instigation at the strong words. Sam was then shoved to the floor and Paulina took the place where she stood. "Don't you talk to Dash like that you whore!" Paulina said down to the fallen Sam.
"Paulina, what the hell?" Danny asked angrily at the girl.
"Oh was that your trash I threw away? My bad, geek." Paulina said smartly. Her eyes staring sharply at Danny.
The admiration for the beautiful girl was stripped away as it always was when it was between her and Sam. "The only trash I see here is you!" Danny shot back.
Paulina looked at him in disbelief. Danny was one of the boys she had wrapped around her finger for a long time...for him to say such things? She threw her hand out and slapped the shit out of Danny. Danny stumbled back but right into Dash who cracked his knuckles while looking down to the smaller boy in pure anger.
Paulina stood triumphantly for a moment until she felt a hand in her hair pulling her down. She shirked and looked up to see Sam standing over her. "He is right, Paulina. You are trash." Sam smiled down to her. Paulina's eyes fumed with hatred and pain. Her hand reached up and grabbed Sam's shorter hair and yanked it with all her might. Sam gasped out and they both started to fiercely yank at each other's hair.
Dash sent his fist on a fast course to Danny's face but the halfa managed to catch the fist with one hand and send his other right into the jock's solar plexus. Dash gasped for breath as he stumbled back from the crippling hit. He still had the will power to kick Danny right in the stomach. Sending the boy falling hard into a desk. Landing right to the floor in pain. Dash joining him on the floor in agony as well.
When it looked safe enough, Lancer finally stepped in when it seemed like Danny and Dash kept each other down. "Chua. Foley. Get those two. Fitzpatrick and Grey grab the other two!" He commanded.
Kwan and Tucker wasted no time in stopping their friends from a round two. Though neither really seemed to have it in them to want a second round. Danny had banged up his right side, but after a small inspection from Tucker...it just seemed like it was going to be a ugly bruise. Tucker left out the room first with Danny. Kwan helped Dash get to his feet, keeping him steady as the blonde was walked out.
"This is interesting." Valerie admitted as she and Star looked down at Paulina and Sam who looked tired, but would not let go of each other's hair. "Alright gently now..."
"Paulina get off you're going to get suspended from school and fail!" Star said frantically. The blonde tried to yank Paulina off Sam.
Valerie sighed to her friend "So gently...Both of you just let go!"
"She lets go first!" The two raven haired girls said in unison.
"Star, untangle Paulina's hands. I got Sam's." Valerie instructed. The two untangled their friends out of each other's heads and took them out of the classroom for Lancer. Lancer watched them leave and shook his head. Maybe this was just a bad idea.
Danny and Sam sat outside of the principle's office on the left side of the door while Dash and Paulina sat on the right side of the door. There were no chairs to sit at so they were all sitting on the cold hard floor waiting. They were waiting for a good 20 minutes now. Class had let out and they all sat there in silence as the students walked past eying them all. Wondering what they were all doing sitting down there looking a hot mess...and others telling those who wondered what had happened. When the new period started, Lancer walked up to the door. He paid the four no mind as he casually walked inside the principal's office. It was just not a good sign at all.
"We are so suspended." Dash brought his knees to his chest and lied his head on his knees. "My Dad is going to fucking kill me."
"My Dad will never let me go outside again! By the time I get out of my house, I'll be as pale as a ghost!" Paulina whined as she tried to fix her wild hair.
Sam sighed wearily "My parents will try to ship me off to private school once and for all."
"I...don't even want to think about what my parents will do to me." Danny said blankly just staring off into space. "Fighting in school is a Fenton no-no."
"Thanks Paulina for ruining our lives." Sam crossed her arms.
"Me? Danny threw the first punch!" Paulina argued pointing the accusing finger at Danny.
Danny rolled his eyes " Yeah. Except for the part when Dash did that."
"Don't pin this on me, Fentoadstool!" Dash hollered out, lifting his head from his knees.
The four went silent when the door opened and heaven behold, Principal Ishiyama stuck her head out looking lees than pleased at her students. "If you're all done. Please come inside." She said quite sternly.
The four got to their feet and walked inside calmly without any arguing or fighting. Just silence. They even sat down without thinking. Sitting next to each other with no problems. They scanned the room wondering why their parents weren't around. It was just Ishiyama at her desk and Lancer standing next to her. The teens seemed to be confused at what was going on but they just stayed quiet and hoped for the best.
"Do any of you know the reason behind the Senior Buddy Super Spectacular Project of Importance to your Semester Grade?" Ishiyama asked simply eying the four rough looking teenagers.
"So Lancer can get more credit?" Sam asked with a a shrug.
"Watch it Manson!" Lancer shot her a look. Sam simply looked down to her lap.
"Baxter?" Ishiyama looked to the blonde. Dash scratched the back of his head. "Fenton?" Danny looked directly at her. He looked as if he were holding his breath...he even started to get a bit blue in the face. To prevent a death from occurring, Ishiyama lastly looked to Paulina. "Sanchez?" Paulina hid behind her hair as if the principal couldn't see her. "This is insane." Ishiyama let out a huge sigh of disappointment. "It's exactly for students like the four of you!"
"It's a week long project for students to buddy up and get along with their peers. What better way to do that then putting your heads together and coming up with a project?" Lancer started of what would obviously be a long speech. Danny tried to get comfortable in his chair, Dash cross his legs, Paulina slid her flats off her feet, and Sam turned to look at Lancer with an arm on the chair to hold her head up for support. Even Ishiyama grabbed a water bottle to prepare for the man's speech. Lancer noticed all this but continued on anyway.
"Casper High School has a bad rep for bullies and people not really getting along. You all need the skill of getting along with people out in the real world. You think if you get a job somewhere, someone's going to put with with you openly not liking someone who's been there longer than you? No. They are going to throw you to the curb. Working is about running a business. You are apart of a business. It's okay to not like people. We're human...but it's important to get along for the sake of the business. Or you won't be hireable and you'll all end up working factory jobs or at Nasty Burger. Even Nasty Burger has it's policies with employees you know. I have been observing you four and it seems like you all have the most tension between you. The project is about knowing each other better and at least coming to a compromise."
Lancer finally took a moment to breathe. "This is the proposition I have for you four. You either do this project without killing each other...or you get suspended for the whole time for your little fight. If you do the project you have a chance of passing. If you don't you'll all fail this. It's not called Senior Buddy Super Spectacular Project of Importance to your Semester Grade for not reason. It's 1/4 of your grade...which means if you don't do this...no graduation. You'll be hating each other at summer school." Lancer said very darkly. Watching the student's face look at him in utter disbelief at his words.
"Are...you serious?" Dash asked in a low tone of voice. His whole face blank.
"Very serious, Mr. Baxter." Ishiyama stepped in. "Will you four go through with this...or will I sign you up for summer school?"
"Just remember. This is for your own good." Lancer said in a more compassionate tone. "I'm not doing this to inconvenient any of you. This is for the best. For all of you. You are all bright young adults with promising futures. Don't let your petty grudges and childish teasing ruin it."
"I am doing this." Sam stood up and looked to the older woman then to Lancer. "I am doing this."
"Me too." Paulina stood up as well. "I already bought my collage wardrobe! It can't go to waste over this."
"Summer school is a bitch. I am never going back there!" Dash stood tall and proud looking stern at Ishiyama. "I'm in."
Danny stood up as well. "Proposition accepted. I am not about to flunk out."
"Love In A Nutshell! What is up with all this dramatic standing to the feet today?" Lancer had to ask the four who all sat back down quietly. With the proposition accepted, Ishiyama sent them out of the office and back to class. They got off free with the fight...but they just had to avoid the fighting again. Which was going to be terribly hard considering the circumstances.
Danny made it home after the seriously long day of school. Home sweet Fenton Works. The building at the end of the block was still as it was long ago. The huge sign outside along with the emergency op-center sitting happily on the roof was what the Fenton family called home. Eager to just sleep, Danny opened the door to his house...but what he saw was going to prevent him from having a sound sleep for a while. Jack and Maddie Fenton were in the living room with bags all packed up. The two were running around seeing if they needed to pack anything else for their trip. A trip Danny just now remembered about.
"You guys need help?" Danny asked kindly. He threw his backpack on the couch and looked to the two that looked at him when they noticed his presence. Oh no. They know about the fight. Lancer must have told them. Oh no. No no no.
"Danny! There you are!" Maddie brightened at the sight of her only son. "Nope. We're done, right Jack?"
Jack dug in his pocket and pulled out a small case of mints. "I got my Fenton Mints along for the ride! I'm as ready as any man can ever be!"
Danny thanked any god that was watching that his parents didn't know about the fight and just threw it out of his mind. "You guys look ready. This ghost hunters convention is a really big one. This could be you guys' big break!"
"We don't expect that much, sweetie." Maddie said with the up most modesty.
"We expect more!" Jack shouted out excitedly. Maddie shot him a look. "I mean uh...yeah what she said." The grown man pouted. Maddie rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek and Jack immediately turned that frown upside down.
Danny just smiled happily at the two. His parents didn't change at all. They were still tight as ever. An indestructible force. Madly in love with one another. Still full of youth and spirit. These two weren't going anywhere anytime soon. They were finally getting better funding from all kinds of science agencies for their brilliant work. Jack Fenton's reputation as the local crackpot was a thing in the past. He was still kept the title of the local idiot. But an idiot with useful inventions. Maddie was still the brains behind the operation of course. She'd been kept a lot busier with her work now that she didn't have to be Super Mom all the time. Her kids were grown up and her devotion to ghost hunting was never stronger than it was now.
They were almost at the top of the world and Danny just couldn't be prouder of the two. Though it always came with worry. They were going to find out sooner or later. It's been four years. One day they're going to put two and two together. How will they react? Will they truly love him after everything? Yes, the Reality Gauntlet proved they'd love him no matter what...but that was four years ago! Things changed since then. They might believe something like...he was an impostor Danny and their son died long ago or...something. It scared him a lot...which is why his mouth had stayed shut. He'll tell them one day...when he's safely floating around in space. Yes! That sounds like a good coming out of the ghost closet time.
Danny was shaken out of his thoughts when Jack wrapped his huge arm around Danny and pulled him close. "So the rules about the house while we're gone. Jasmine isn't here to rat you out anymore so..."
"Jazz rats me out?" Danny asked with fake surprise.
"No small parties." Maddie said sternly.
"No big parties." Jack said just as sternly.
"No medium size parties."
"No loud music, booze or smokes!"
"I get it. No parties." Danny said as he tried to get out of his Father's grip but the man only held him together.
"We're counting on you Danny. Don't screw up." Jack said leaning down to Danny with narrowed eyes. "Or else."
Danny gulped, making sure to note to not throw a party. Or have parties thrown accidentally.
Jack slapped Danny hard on the back and laughed out loud. "You're much more mature than you used to be so we trust you...still a bit naive...but you can grow facial hair and that's good enough for me!"
Danny let out a silent scream at the smack. His Dad not failing to hit on the side of his bruise. He sucked it back up, put on a brave smile and looked to the two of them. "Yeah...my goatee...is cute huh?"
"I'd rather you not have it honestly." Maddie threw out there. "You kind of look like...a hoodlum."
"Really Mom? A hoodlum?" Danny laughed. "But what else do you guys plan to do besides the convention."
Maddie smiled warmly "Yeah Jack, we'll have lots of time together...to ourselves."
Jack thought for a minute then busted out "Play lots of Yahtzee!"
"...Please don't tell me that's some kind of innuendo." Danny whispered to his mother.
"Okay. I won't." Maddie said simply.
"Oh...ew." Danny shivered in disgust at the thought.
There was a beep outside and the parents face lit up in joy. Jack grabbed his bags. "I CALL SHOT GUN!" He cried as he hauled his huge self out the door.
"That must be the cab. Stay safe, Danny. We love you." Maddie said gently as she gave Danny a kiss on the cheek. She studied him for a moment as her eyes turned serious. "Anything happens, call us. We'll be back."
"I'll be okay Mom. Go. Enjoy your convention." Danny encouraged her, which gave the mother a sense of comfort. Maddie took her backs and left out of the house.
The door opened back open in a matter of seconds and it was Jack. "Just in case you end up bringing a cute Sam...err girl...there's a game of Yahtzee upstairs in my nightstand. Have fun!" He smiled that goofy bright smile. He shut the door on his way out.
"I...think it's about that time to go check out the ghost zone..." Danny headed for the basement trying to resit going upstairs to look in his Father's nightstand. He knew he'd regret if he did.