Hey everybody! Wassup? I'm so glad all of you loved the song! I thought it was just ironic enough that Danny would think of it! Amirite? Lol. That just happens to be my favorite song by my favorite band. And just as happy that you all liked the chapter. Now, I noticed that whenever I do a little centering in on a character, everybody likes it. So this is gonna be one of those kinds of chapters.

Immediately after I forced my boots to smoke, and turned us all invisible. I invisibly picked them up and flew them all back to our room.

"I hope the smoke was enough to mask us," I said, nervous. I laid down on the bed and put my arm over my eyes.

"I think you did fine, Danny," Tucker muttered, brushing his hat. I felt Sam sit down beside me. She leaned down to kiss my cheek.

"You're still low, aren't you?"

I growled, instinctively. It was true, of course. The transformation two days ago helped little, and ghost food didn't make much of an impact when I'm not in ghost-form. Sighing, I transformed and inhaled the ecto-oxygen combination that was the ghost zone's atmosphere. "It'll be fine, see?"

Tucker threw an apple at me, and I grabbed it, midair. "Thanks, T."

"Any time, dude." I watched the neon green skin of the apple morph and dance like the Ghost zone's sky. In minutes, it was devoured, and Dani was in her ghost form doing the same. Sam was watching her and thinking about how much she had grown. And Tucker was enjoying a game on his PDA.

He'd grown so much since the beginning of Freshman year. He was beginning to hit his "spurt. That time in high school, where puberty stops transforming guys into zit-covered, girl-chasing sweating beasts, and starts transforming them into tall, caring, and thinking young men. Not that Tuck was ever one of those kinda guys. Sure, he had his face break-outs in middle school. And yeah, he still likes to ask any girl who gives him two glances (except Sam) out on a Friday night. And we all know he can sweat when he has to.

But Tucker's really grown! He has his priorities straight: being there for his friends (which includes his share in the super heroics), minding his parents, his school work, politics (I know right? But he really has been looking into those kinds of things), technology, and girls. He rarely uses his PDA, unless it's to pass time or to record any ghost- or school-related information. He still babys it, but I think that that's because, as a growing young man, he's beginning to understand the importance of money. He just doesn't want to break it, since it has a ton of value to it (what's stored in it-wise and money-side).

That, and I think he likes to make Sam and I laugh.

I think that's also the reason he hits on girls who've turned him down before. He's smart enough to know that some of the girls he hits on aren't worth his time. I see him being in the eye of plenty of girls when we're in college. He'll be a heart-breaker, and never settle down until he's sure. I know it seems odd, but I imagine him adopting a kid before getting married or even in a relationship, just because he loves kids so much.

He was the best brother a guy could ask for.

...

Half-an-hour later and Sam was shaking me awake. "Hey, pretty girl," I shook my head.

"Hey, sleeping-beauty," Sam responded. "You dozed off, and I thought you'd want to go down to breakfast."

"Is that you telling me that you're hungry and scared that my parents might snap and jump to the worst ghost-related conclusions if I don't come down with you?"

She winked at me, and I got up.

I fluffed my hair; (for the second time that morning, mind you) and Sam and I made our way down to the meal hall for breakfast, hand in hand.

We reached the door, and Sam and I stared at each other for a moment. We released our hands, and I gulped nervously.

I opened the door, and all sound stopped. All eyes were on me.

...

Any person. Ask any person. Any person at all, and they'll tell you that a superhero is good with people. Think about it. A superhero saves people, signs a few autographs, is a general role model all around.

But, if you ask an actual person classified as a "superhero", like me, I guess, I'll tell you differently. Wonder why most superheroes have a secret identity? Why they hide away as soon as they can after saving someone? That's because every single superhero I have ever met - and I've met a few - have terrible people skills. They all love people, don't get me wrong. But they aren't very social. Many have had bad social experiences, actually, like being bullied. Thus they are extremely introverted and shy.

Which I can compare to extremely well. I hate being stared at, and wish I didn't wear my heart on my sleeve, but I just can't help it. I speed-walked to the end of the table where Tucker and Dani had saved Sam and me two seats. Sam following close behind.

I began to mess with the waffle on my plate. Sam cut off a bite of her own, and we both tasted it. Chewing it for a moment, we slid our plates to each other. Gluten-free. Yuck.

Gluten. Yuck. Sam thought back to me. Tucker chuckled at us, and we gave Dani and him a smile.

"Danny?" a Latin-American accent broke our zen. Flirtier than usual, weird.

"Yea-" I swallowed my bite, "yeah?"

"Wherever did you learn to play like that?" She was talking to me like she spoke to Phant- Oh no.

I threw a look to Sam, who shrugged and rolled her eyes. "... YouTube," I answered.

"So you never had a real teacher?" Paulina asked, seemingly stunned.

" Uh... Well... Not really, I guess. But the guys on YouTube were pretty sufficient."

"that's so neat!" She squealed and some of the other girls nodded.

"If it weren't for Sam giving me the bass in the first place, I would never have even learned to play Mary Had a Little Lamb," I replied gesturing to Sam. "It's completely her." I gave her a smile and she threw me her own aloof one.

"I'm not impressed," Dash called out. "Anyone can learn to play guitar."

"uh, actually, Dash, she's a bass."

He raised a brow and gave an evil smirk, "She?"

My eyes widened, and I gulped. "Yeah, she. I named, uh, it Jade... So, it's a she."

At this all the guys laughed. "Its like naming a stuffed dog Sally! It's simply a childish philosophy that everything must have a special name!" Mikey laughed.

"Not everything. Just everything important," I replied. "And the greatest scientists of our time did the same. Instead of calling the first monkey to survive orbit something like,'The one that Dinnit Die', it was called Able. It was important."

Chester thought it over some. I knew that he and Mikey didn't like the study of space as much as they did band or physics, but Chester had some history in it.

"That, at least, is true enough," Chester replied. I smiled and went back to eating my waffle as the others all fell silent.

My victory was a rare thing.

At least, Fenton's victory was. I looked up to Sam and we both gave each other a look. And seeing that I was absorbed by the girl who earned me the nickname "Clueless", everyone began to talk again.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Tuck whisper something into Dani's ear. My daughter began to laugh, and attracted Sam's and my glance. I grabbed her in faux roughness and began to rub my knuckles across her head. "What's so funny, Sugar-Skull? Hm?"

"Nuttin'! Nuttin'! Lemme go!" She struggled against me superior grip.

"Tell me first," I demanded playfully.

"Tuck said you and Sam were in LOoooOOVve!" I let her go and she pat her hair down into place. I could tell that she had to force her self to not call them "Uncle Tuck" and "Mom".

"That's right," I muttered so only she could hear. "Whose your daddy?" I asked playfully, putting her into a half-Nelson. I prayed she'd understand how I was trying to help her out.

"You are," she chided, then teased, "But does that make Sam my mommy?"

Yup, she got it. There's my girl.

'OOoooOoh's filled the air, and I forced a blush onto my face. Sam did the same.

"I GET TO BE THE UNCLE!" Tucker called, playing along. Silently I cheered as everyone laughed.

Well, everyone besides Sam's and my parents.

Why do they hate each other so much? They just sat there glaring at eachother. Jack supported me being with Sam, at least. And mom liked Sam alright. And they thought that that was enough. For them to like her. But they had no clue! The fact that they despised her parents made everything so much harder! If they were civil to each other, then my parents would know that Sam and I were together.

And Sam's parents really never did understand her, or support any decision she made. They loved her, and didn't directly tell her that they didn't like me. But actions will always speak louder than words. Each glare sent my way just assured Sam even more that they'd only be happy if they chose her (most likely filthy rich) beloved. And Sam wasn't afraid to tell me so.

Loudly.

Followed by her banging her head against a nearby wall or table.

I finally let Dani go, and brushed her hair with my fingers into her eyes like she liked it. Dani rushed back over to her seat. And I began standard teenage boy discussion topics. "So I've been thinking about when I get a car..."

"If you get a car," Sam interrupted playfully.

"Right. I'm thinkin' about gettin' a-"

"Huge SUV?" Tucker interrupted.

"Economic and environmentally secure small car?" Sam questioned immediately after.

"I was thinking a truck..." I replied.

"Oh," my friends chorused.

"You gonna get it lifted?" Dani asked.

"Maybe... If I can afford to. But I was thinking of getting a custom license plate."

"What's it gonna say? S-M-F-N-T-N-1?" Tuck asked. I thought a moment on what that would spell out, then lifted a brow at him.

"Why would my license plate be the same as my tublr, minecraft, email, and go-to password?" Tucker shrugged, and I rolled my eyes. "Besides that'd be Sam's."

Sam rolled her eyes at me and I smirked. "Sounds like a plan, hot-shot."

"I was thinking mine would say T-E-K-G-E-E-K if I ever got one," Tucker mumbled.

"I think mine would be C-L-N-T-H-I-S," Dani decided. This made everyone laugh, and I shook my head.

"I think mine would have to be C-L-U-E-L-E-S-S." My friends all nodded in agreement.

"Makes the most sense to me."

The day passed with people socializing in the hall or hanging in their rooms. I tried to do the later, but I couldn't help but overhear every single conversation.

All at once.

It was damn annoying.

~"And she was all yes-way, and I was all no-way-"

"No way!"~

"And it was like totally like awesome! And like then she was like all like no-way, and then it was like not totally like awesome."

"I like totes hear ya, bro."~

~"Do you think Phantom's ever been hear?"

"Maybe... What if he's walked these halls!"

"-And breathed this air?"

"OMG!"~

Mainly because, as you can probably tell, I'm not the clueless one. People everywhere were asking about Phantom. And when it wasn't their own woes or his whereabouts, it was Fenton's bass.

I like attention, but I hate people talking about me.

~"There is NO way Fenton is that good at singing AND playing guitar."

"I know right? He could never be that gifted!"

"Unless that's why he never gets his work done."

"Think he spends all his time practicing?"

"Probably thinks he could be a star if he kept it up."

"The only star Fenton's ever getting close to is a golden one on his art project."

"lol. I know right?"~

I groaned. You'll never know how annoying it is for people to talk about you. Especially when you can hear everything they say. AND have your own million thoughts swirling about.

Which is why I am a master in the art of blocking noise out.

In through my nose. 10, 9, 8-

~"Fenton's such a loser, no matter how well he can play."~

Out through my mouth. -7, 6, 5-

~"Phantom better save us soon! I think I might die if he doesn't!"~

In again. -4, 3, 2-

~"Like no like way!" "Like yes like way!"~

-1-

I breathe out and open my eyes. Complete silence.

-Blast off.

Now it was time to organize my thoughts.

Last spring, Sam had got three tickets to one of the greatest and currently most popular shows on Broadway, Matilda. Ever since I'd flown us there and back to see it, I had been obsessed. Well, not obsessed-obsessed, like full ghosts, just regular teen obsessed. And Sam apparently was friends with the producer and director -nice guy- and he had given her a DVD of a run-through during a practice, and she'd given it to me for what she called my "early Hanuka gift".

I thought about that a lot before I organized my thoughts. Mainly because the song "Quiet" was what helped me learn to block noise out. Building anger or annoyance, breathing calmly through the anger, and finally letting go of the anger. It worked almost every time, and was what got me to bed at night. I've gotten so good that I can block out noise even with ear buds blasting hard-rock.

So first I work on organizing the hard things.

I have to decide to take the throne or not. That was scary. Probably the top of my list because it lead to, I can only finally Trechor if I do so in the name of the crown. Even more terrifying. Ugh. I felt myself grumble, and ignored the rumble in my chest to do so again. What if I locked him in a thermos like I did Dan? I shook my head, No, they'd probably team up to break out an dmake my life a living hell so I would become my worst fear and Dan would win, and future me'd be upset or angry all the time, and so Past Trechor would win, too. And present me wouldn't ever win. I stopped before my train of thought could scare me any more. I lifted my lungs with a solid breath. The only way to ensure my safety and the safety of both worlds, is to defeat Trechor in the name of the crown, and maybe... do the same... to me? Wait, what? No! Do the same to FUTURE me. Right. I nodded to myself, and felt my eyes open for a second, But then I'd be king... I gathered my thoughts and filed them all under "To be dealt with IMMEDIATELY after we get everyone out of the Ghost Zone". Which, of course was filed between "Cute proposal ideas" & "My life goals", and "Things I've accomplished that I can think about when I'm upset and feel like I haven't done anything with my life".

This was a VERY organized system.

Now, I'd already planned out my route to get everyone home. Today was day... What day was it? Monday? Yeah, Monday. And we were at Quand's, which was 20 miles south-west of the Far Frozen. We were already in the lower section of the Zone, where some weather and much ground existed, so it'd be an easy day-trip north-east. We'd start out at oh-three-hundred, and if we kept a 1.2mph walking-pace (only stopping for five-minute breaks every two hours and a half-hour lunch) , be there by twenty-hundred hours. No light would be wasted, and we'd all be unscathed by the time we reached the far frozen.

So that was figured out. Which meant I should think about things filed under the "Amity" file. I wonder how Jazz is... No ghosts should be attacking. But she's got to be a bit lonely. I stopped myself, Well, she's not that lonely, I'm sure.

You see, two months before she was at a Ghost Con with mom and dad. And I was definitely done with the wild accusations thrown randomly at specters. Especially since none of them, not even ONE, were true. So, Jazz had taken me out to a Psych-Con in the next strip-mall over. We were getting coffee and with most tables empty, we had to ask to sit by someone in the same table. We met a really nice guy from New Jersey, his name actually was Bronx, and it was kinda weird. We both, actually, made friends with him, and he and Jazz talk over the inter-webs sometimes.

So, she couldn't get THAT lonely. Right?

She'd grown up tons, and since she'd been taking those pre-college courses online, I'd really started thinking of her as a college student. And adult. She didn't just try to act it anymore. She really just carried herself that way, and people respected her as they should. She was more motherly towards me in the later years, and thought she wasn't always around or had free time to spend with me, she'd always (even when she was little, she did this) tell me, when we said goodnight, that she was "Right across the hall".

Mom and Dad never told me that.

No, Mom and Dad told me that if I saw a ghost, I shouldn't sit there looking like I'd seen a ghost. They told me that it wasn't a nightmare, and that I should scream and yell and kick, and they'd come running in with guns.

When I was about six, I think, I was starting to get into that phase where Jazz was. We both realized that our parents were kinda wacky. But, I was still always a bit suspicious about ghosts and zombies. I think it was at age six, that I started telling her before bed, that I was a master nightmare slayer, because... when you have parents that tell you that they would come running in with guns if I screamed ghost, and naturally if your scared your head goes under the sheets, you get nightmares, and you don't want to yell.

We had a special spot on the couch. We'd sit there and be best buds, until we were brave enough to go to sleep. She was always the one hugging me, mainly because she felt responsible for me, but I know it helped her too.

I thought about all this and all the things my sister and I were: best buds, first friends, we have each other's backs, etc. That helped get my mind off things.

I filed my thoughts away, and tried thinking about something that wouldn't bring a tear to my eye. So I thought about who I did have with me.

Sam.

I thought about her for a while. Her hair, her smile, the way she'd laugh when I'd growl at an oncoming threat. But then came up the thought of other girls. We'd started dating after the Ecto-Acne incident. And when we decided that it had to be secret or else we could be linked if anyone saw Phantom kissing her after a battle, we were both heartbroken.

Especially when we decided that meant that we should pretend to be chasing other people. So I pretended that I was chasing after Paulina and Valerie again, and then...

Gregor.

We got in a huge fight over that one. I knew we had agreed that if we saw someone whom people would assume that we'd go after, we should pretend to try. And I know he kissed her-

That stopped me in my tracks every time. He kissed her. He kissed her! I was going to rip him apart because he kissed her! That scumbag kissed my Sam.

We both knew it was basically the same as the Dash thing, but I still overreacted. We got in a huge fight, And I think it made us both feel tons better, well made me feel loads better when I'd proved he was, in fact, a scumbag.

We decided to never go out with anyone again.

she was perfect, my Sam. And motherly beyond belief. She loved watching things grow and caring for them. Pierre and Yoshi were seeds last spring, and look at them. Look at me. She knows how to care for anything. Green thumb is just the start.

I kinda was starting to miss gram. Sam's grandma, I mean. She was always so quick and smart, and funny. A ton like Sam, and probably the greatest not-my-real-grandma Grandma ever! She'd be taking care of Jazz, wouldn't she?

I decided that thinking about Sam and her gran was a good note to let noise back in. Slowly sounds were recognized, and I stood.

"At chamuda," I said, wrapping my arms around a her bare midriff.

"Ata chamud, gam," she replied smiling. "Ani ohevet otchah."

"Ani ohev otach, gam," I responded, kissing her cheek. She was precious. Tuck fake-gagged, and Dani 'awed' at us. She had no idea what we were saying, since she didn't speak hebrew, but she still 'awed'.

"Chaval al ha zman," she muttered.

"Shame on time," I copied in English.

We stayed as we were and more and more annoying sound set in on my ears.

"Maybe, but like-" "Yeah, yeah, right."

"When is phantom gonna get here and save my perfectly flawless skin!"

"I don't know, Mads. Maybe if the ghost kid saves us, we owe him an apology."

Wait, that's my dad.

"What are you talking about, Jack! Think of all the damages he's caused! He's a ghost!"

"Well, as much as he's a ghost, Mads, he's also a kid. Damages are to be expected in fights between specters."

"What about the mayor then?"

"I'm not sayin' everything he does is right, Mads, just that maybe, if he saves us and everyone else... We were wrong."

"But he's just a ghost, Jack!"

"And we're just humans, Mads!" A short silence followed. "And we're staying in the home of a ghost. A ghost that considers our son his friend."

"Danny obviously went against our orders and talked to a ghost, he sh-"

"But Danny-boy's always had great taste in friends. That Sam girl, and Tucker- think about them. They're practically our third and fourth children. Good, good kids. The only reason they'd ever hurt Danny is to teach him a lesson, then they'd apologize and explain and go right back to bein ' pals again."

"I don't know, Jack. Maybe if Danny's secretly close to the ghost boy, or something, I can trust him... But I doubt that. And I don't think we should change our opinions only, what, five days into our first trip to this dimension."

"But Danny's been here before. Think of what we've already learned. From and about him and ghosts."

And mom stayed silent.

Tucker and Sam must have heard it, too, through the link, because we were all silence.

We all shared a glance.

"Can someone start talking?" Dani asked awkwardly. It shook us from our thoughts, and we all chuckled.

"Sorry for standin' around like a couple of Meshugah, Danielle."

Meshugah means crazy people, by the way. The rest I bet you can figure our just by googling them. Or binging them... Or whatever you people are using as a search engine these days. I hope you all liked it, and are willing to give me some feed back or ideas.

WE ARE GETTING SOOOO CLOSE TO THE CLIMAX, YOU GUYS! You should all be super excited for the next chapter! i know I am!

Also, this chapter is 4,248 words long. Crazy, right? Ciao!