Chapter 24:

~SARALYN~

"Wow, this place looks amazing!" I cried.

The gym was set with streaming lights that blinked multiple colors. Streamers hung from the ceiling in our school colors, white, blue, and green.

"Saralyn!" a voice called.

I turned around and saw Skyler and Flynn walking towards me.

"Hey, guys!" I exclaimed.

Skyler was in the orange dress that she showed me earlier. It matched her perky personality and made her slightly tan skin pop.

"Nice choices of color, Flynn." I smiled.

Flynn fixed his jacket and smiled proudly. He was wearing a royal blue tux with a bright green tie and white shirt.

"Hey, SOMEONE has to show some school spirit!"

I let out a chuckle. As the gym continued to fill with excited students, Skyler approached me.

"Sara, you okay?" Skyler asked.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" I said surprised.

"Because you keep checking the gym doors, like you're waiting for something."

She was right. I cleared my throat.

"Who are you waiting for?"

"Uh... no one." I said. "It's, uh... complicated."

A little gasp escaped from Skyler's mouth. I turned around and standing behind me was Steven Burgson, the most popular guy in school.

"Hello, girls." His dark brown eyes met mine and he flashed a blinding white smile.

"Hi, Steven." Skyler said dreamily.

I scowled.

"Hi, Saralyn." The twinkle in his eyes would've turned a normal girl into a fangirling puddle.

But I'm not normal.

"Steven Burgson knows my name? Pinch me, I must be dreaming." I snapped sarcastically.

Steven chuckled. Skyler was standing behind him, staring at me like I was crazy.

"So, would you care to dance?" Steven asked.

"Dance with you?!" I let out a loud laugh.

"Of course she wants to!" Skyler shouted.

"Excuse me?!"

I dragged Skyler a couple of feet away.

"What's the matter with you?! He is the last person I would want to dance with."

"Come on! It's Steven Burgson!" Skyler whispered.

"Why don't you dance with him?"

Skyler's eyes flickered in Flynn's direction then back at me. "I... I need some punch! I'm thirsty!"

I crossed my arms and glared at her.

"Please?" Skyler begged. "For me?"

I let out a long sigh and felt my walls come crumbling down.

"Fine, but you owe me."

I turned around, leaving Skyler squealing like an obsessed little girl. I walked back over to Steven, who was surprisingly still there.

"Yes, I'd love to dance with you." I said through gritted teeth.

Steven smiled, and as the lights bounced off his eyes, they looked neon green. He took my hand and lead me to the dance floor, sending a bitter chill down my spine.

I'm going to throw up.

I was totally overwhelmed by all fumes that seemed to be coming from Steven (Axe maybe?). I'm going to kill Skyler!

"I'm having a fun time." Steven said.

"Yeah. Me too." I monotonously replied.

Our eyes met for too long. His face began to inch closer to mine.

...What is he doing?! Is he going to kiss me?!

Danny's face appeared in my mind and tears filled my eyes.

"NO!" I cried, and pushed him away.

Steven stumbled back into the snack table. There was a CRASH! and the next thing I knew, Steven was bottom first in the punch bowl. He lifted his head slowly, as if just waking up from a nap and suffering from the grog. As he absorbed his situation, he let out an angry cry.

"WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Steven shrieked. "YOU RUINED MY TUX!"

"Sara!" Skyler and Flynn rushed over to me. "What happened?!"

"He-He- he tried to kiss me!" I stuttered. "I-I-I..."

I burst into tears and bolted out of the gym.

"Sara, wait!" Flynn cried.

But I ignored him. I ran through the hallways as fast as I could until I reached one of the school's big balconies. I collapsed onto my knees and sobbed.

Why am I crying so hard? I've NEVER cried like this before.

"Oh, Danny..." I whispered. "I wish you were here."

~DANNY~

-7 MINUTES EARLIER-

We made it into the gym at Lincoln High and we managed to blend ourselves into the crowds of kids without being detected by Saralyn.

"Okay, guys." Tucker said. "What do we do now?"

"I... don't know." Aaron said. "I didn't think we'd get this far, honestly."

"Are you kidding me?!" Sam said. "Aaron, you blockhead!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"GUYS!" I cried. "Settle down! Geez, you're sounding like an old married couple!"

Sam and Aaron glared at each other.

"Danny, look!" Tucker pointed. "It's Sara!"

I craned my head to the door. I watched her walk in with her arm linked with another girl, probably a friend. A guy in a goofy tux approached them.

She looks so beautiful.

A boy walked up to Saralyn. I used my super ghost hearing to listen to the conversation.

"...So, would you care to dance?" the guy asked.

"Dance with you?!" Saralyn laughed.

"Of course she wants to!" Sara's friend shouted.

"Excuse me?!"

When they backed away to talk, a lightbulb went off in my head..

"I'll be right back." I whispered to the others. "I've got an idea!"

I turned invisible and took over the guy's body. A few seconds later, Sara came back.

"Yes, I'd love to dance with you." Sara said through gritted teeth.

Good, she didn't notice anything.

I took her hand and lead her to the dance floor. As we danced, I could feel the awkward level rising steadily.

"I'm having a fun time." I said.

"Yeah. Me too." Saralyn monotonously said.

I watched Saralyn looked around the gym, completely uninterested with an expression clearly showing she'd probably rather eat a bowl of poisonous scorpions than dance with the boy I overshadowed. But man, she looked so pretty. I suddenly began to lean in.

The award for Most Awkward Teenage Boy goes to Danny Fenton.

"NO!" Saralyn cried as she shoved me backwards. I flew out of the boy right as he landed in a bowl of punch. She sure is strong.

The boy, realizing his million-dollar suit was soaked in Wahoo Punch, snapped at Sara. The two friends from before approached her. I watched Sara burst into tears and run out of the gym.

Oh, no. What have I done?

I followed Sara. I stayed invisible and peeked my head out from the door frame. She doubled over and sobbed on her knees.

"Oh, Danny," she sobbed. "I wish you were here."

I fought roughly against the intense urge to come out from my hiding place. I almost started crying.

What am I going to do now?

~SARALYN~

I heard footsteps and chattering down the hall. I jumped to my feet.

"Do you think she went this way?" a voice said. It was Skyler.

I turned invisible and pressed my back against the wall as Skyler and Flynn ran onto the balcony.

"She's not here." Skyler grumbled and leaned against the railing.

"I forgot how fast she could run." Flynn said, leaning forward and catching his breath.

Skyler turned around and looked at Flynn.

"When should we tell her?" Flynn asked.

Huh? Tell me what?!

"I don't know." Skyler said. "But it needs to be soon. I'm her best friend! Keeping this secret from her is tearing me apart!"

"Well, ONE of her best friends."

I felt a guilty sickness in my stomach. I've known Flynn and Skyler for years and I never told them about my ghost powers...

Skyler sighed in frustration and looked out over the balcony. Flynn walked over to her and... put his arm around her?!

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay. Soon there will be no more secrets."

"Promise?"

Flynn smiled. "Promise."

Flynn leaned in and kissed Skyler. The wires in my brain began to short-circuit.

WHAT?!

It turned out that I actually cried that out loud instead of in my head. I covered my mouth. Skyler pulled away and her eyes flew around.

"What was that?" Skyler asked.

"I don't know." Flynn said. "We should probably continue looking for Sara."

"Right."

They both ran off of the balcony. I waited until their footsteps faded then became visible.

"Great. First I lose the love of my life, then I find out the disgusting way that my best friends in the world are dating each other!" I said. I paused. "...and now I'm talking to myself! Can this get any worse?"

As if on cue, I heard thunder and felt a couple of drops on my head. A couple of drops turned into thousands as rain began to pour down.

"REALLY?!" I cried to the skies.

I sighed and leaned over the balcony railing as the tears began to form into my eyes again.

~SAM~

I felt so bad for Saralyn when I saw her run out of the gym, crying like that. That was more despair than even I could handle. I hoped that Danny would find her as I watched him sneak his way out of the room.

"From what all has happened, I think those two deserve to be together." Aaron said.

"If this is was a movie, isn't this usually the part where secrets are revealed, love is announced, and after that, the happy ending credits roll in?" I asked.

"Yeah..."

Aaron kicked his foot on the ground.

"What?"

"There's something that I need to tell you."

As if on cue. I laughed inside my head.

"I've kind of been... holding something back."

"Like... what?"

"Well... I, uh..."

I couldn't help but smile when he blushed.

~SARALYN~

I sighed for probably the millionth time. I let my mind wander and I found myself sitting at the top of the hill with Danny.

"So, what would happen if we ever got separated in a crisis?" I asked.

"What do you mean? Danny said.

"Like, what if I'm alone, you're not there, and I'm fighting ghosts, but I'm rendered powerless?" I explained. "What do I do?"

"Well, you could whistle for me to come."

"Since when did you turn into a dog?"

Danny rolled his eyes while I laughed at my joke.

"Well, should that ever happen, you can consider it. I promise, I'll come running."

I smiled and turned my head away to avoid him seeing my blushing face.

My daydream was interrupted by footsteps.

Oh, great. Now what?

I turned invisible again and waited. The footsteps stopped. I reappeared and stepped out.

"What's with everyone running by?" I said.

"Take a lucky guess." a voice said.

I turned around and gasped.

"Rudy?!" I gulped.

Rudy chuckled.

"Surpriiiise..." Rudy said.

"What are you doing here?"

"Haven't we been over this a couple of times before?"

"Fine, then, don't tell me." I growled. "I can take you."

"Oh, child." Rudy smirked. "Whoever said I was alone?"

"Huh?"

A loud screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard screamed behind me. I covered my ears and turned around.

"Ember?!" I gasped.

"That's right, baby doll!" Ember smiled, strumming her guitar. "I'm back and rearing for revenge!"

"What did I ever do to you?" I said. "I've never even fought you before."

"Well, your dipstick of a boyfriend, Danny Phantom, has sent me back to the ghost zone plenty of times, so I thought I'd take my anger out on you."

The sound of Danny's name sent a chill up my spine.

"I-I can still take you both!"

"Not so fast."

As the two rings appeared around my waist and separated, Rudy took out something that looked like a taser and pressed a button. Two suction thingies shot out and attached to my arm, sending a large electric shock pass through my body. I cried out in pain and fell to my hands and knees. The rings came back together and disappeared, and I was still in my human form.

"What... what was that?" I said, my voice sounding raspy. "What did you do to me?!"

"This mechanism was designed to take away ghost powers." Rudy said. "Now you're powerless."

Rudy leaped forward and swiped his fist across my face. My neck jerked to the right, causing my body to lurch that way. My cheek began to swell. I tasted blood.

"Get ready, kids!" Ember said, setting the dial on her guitar. "It's time to rock and roll!"

As I just got on my feet, Ember jammed the strings and a musical fist zoomed towards me. It slammed into my chest and I flew back against the balcony railing. There was a loud snap and my torso screamed in pain. I groaned as tears filled my eyes. I struggled to my feet.

"Nice guitar." Rudy said. "Can I try it?"

"Sure thing." Ember said.

I took my chance. As Ember offered her guitar, I took a deep breath and lunged towards Ember. Caught off guard, Ember let go of her guitar. I snatched it and somersaulted to my feet, something that my body did not like at all.

"Don't just stand there!" Rudy cried at Ember. "Get that stupid guitar back!"

"Oh, you did NOT just call my guitar stupid!" Ember snapped. "NOBODY talks to me like that!"

Rudy lunged towards me and I ducked. Taking a breath so deep my lungs hurt, I put my fingers to my lips and sent forth a sharp and loud whistle. Ember and Rudy covered their ears. I stopped, feeling myself get light-headed. I took another deep breath and repeated another shrill whistle, harder to attempt this time because my lips began to swell. As my fingers came up to my lips for a third time, a ghost ray smashed into my stomach.