Due to my fast healing, I was able be out and about before my fall break ended. I stood up on the first day I could stand and took the first deep breath I'd had in a while, then proceeding downstairs where I about gave my mother a heart attack.
After 3 days of (forced) bed rest, I was dying to do something. Anything. Stella was no help. While she is getting tan in Florida, I am dying in bed getting paler.
Paler is bad for me.
Tucker has kept his word and has been talking to me more often. I don't fully trust him but he was trying. We played Doom all day one day, and, with his company, I almost forgot what Dash said to me.
Almost.
So, when I got my casts off, and was able to walk around without being monitored, I begged my parents to let me go out on my last few days of break. "Daniel! You just recovered from being mugged the last time you got out." My mom accused.
I groaned. "Mom! I'm not going to let fear rule my life!" I pleaded. Dad scoffed and patted my back. "Just go out, have fun. Come back around eleven, and don't forget your phone." Dad said, pulling my mother away as I grinned widely.
I rushed into my room, grabbed my phone off the charger before sprinting out into the outside world. I took a breath of fresh air, happily walking down the street to the park.
"Danny!" A familiar voice called from behind me.
"Hey, Frank!" I said happily. Frank jogged up to me, catching his breath before patting my shoulder. "Heard you got mugged!" He laughed. I nodded, laughing along.
"Dude! I thought they were kidding." Frank said, wide eyed. I shook my head.
"Nope! Had to be put on bed rest for a week." I muttered. Frank's eyes widened further than they should've.
"Your first week of fall break was wasted?! No! Party tonight. My house. I'm going to get you wasted. I won't tell Stella this time...I don't know what that was about. Party will start at ten, giving me enough time to send out texts. Anyone you want me to invite?" Frank said, already whipping out his phone.
"Nah, just don't invite Dash. Not on good terms with him." I grumbled. Frank nodded. "Alrighty! I'll see you at ten." Frank winked, already running away. I shook my head.
I headed to Tucker's house to spend the next 4 hours. Hopefully he wouldn't mind me dropping by suddenly. I don't know if he thinks that we are that close again.
I knocked on the door, Tucker's face smiling at me as he opened it. "Hey, dude! Up on your feet?" He asked, letting me inside. I laughed. "Yep. Mom didn't want to let me out."
Tucker nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, I wouldn't either, but, whatever. My mom just got dinner ready! You wanna stay?" Tucker asked, his eyes willing me to say yes.
"Yeah, of course, dude!" I said. Tucker smiled happily. "I can invite Sam, if you want." Tucker added. "Nah, it's fine. We need some quality bro-time." I said. Tucker nodded, a big smile still on his face.
"Yeah, happy to be here!" I smiled, feeling a bit happier than I have in a while. The smile wasn't sincere, though. I was still sad.
We ate dinner and then we just did a lot of guy stuff. I told him about Stella, and he told me some surprising news.
"You and Sam what?!" I exclaimed. He flinched. "Look, we dated for like a week, but it was too weird." Tucker explained.
I started laughing, trying to picture Tucker and Sam actually dating. A part of me was super jealous that Tucker got to date Sam when I didn't, but I quieted that part of me.
We played Doom for a couple hours before I checked my watch. "I got to go, bro." I said, getting up and popping my back.
"Where are you going?" Tucker asked warily, eyeing me. "Just Frank's house. He's throwing a party." I said nonchalantly.
"You wouldn't mind if I went, would you?" Tucker asked hesitantly after a few seconds.
"Uh sure dude. I don't mind." I said. Why did he suddenly want to go to a party with me? He was typing on his phone fast as he got up and grabbed his jacket. I made a face and watched him as he tripped over his bed. "Okay let's go. Mom! I'm going out with Danny! Don't wait up!" Tucker yelled, following me out the door. "What should I expect from Frank's parties?" Tucker asked.
I shrugged. "Mostly underaged teenage drinking. He stopped bringing drugs to parties after he got busted for smoking weed in the park." I said. Tucker nodded, chuckling a bit.
"So..." I said, realizing that we didn't have anything to talk about. We walked in an awkward silence for the rest of the way.
Frank's house was lit up like a Christmas tree and people were already passed out in the front yard.
Where the hell are Frank's parents?
I shrugged it off and pulled Tucker off the sidewalk and into the house, where Frank was doing shots at the dining room table. I rolled my eyes as Tucker spotted someone. "Why is Val here? I'm going to go talk to her. Tell me if you need anything." Tucker said, walking off to talk with the girl in question. I shook my head, going to Frank.
"Hey dude!" He said, immediately handing me a shot, which I quickly poured down- my throat.
"Alright, I'm on a mission to get wasted!" I announced, and the people around me cheered.
How funny it is that people can't tell when a person is completely and utterly broken inside.
...
(Tucker's Point of View)
I searched around the party for my best friend, who I was supposed to keep an eye on to make sure that he didn't drink.
I got distracted by Valerie, who was drunk and went home, and lost him. Frank wouldn't tell me where he was and I was worried.
I used to think Danny getting drunk was a good thing, then I wanted nothing to do with him, now I just want to hug him. I never noticed how dead inside he felt, and even looked.
He looked like a lost puppy, and I felt bad for abandoning him. After I learned from Sam that he had tried to commit suicide, I cried on her shoulder for hours, because I knew some of it was my fault.
I shook the thoughts from my head and continued looking for him. He was six feet tall and had black hair and blue eyes and I still couldn't find him. I groaned, my eyes flicking towards the patio door. A smile graced my face as I saw him on the porch looking up at the stars. No doubt he was wasted but I found him.
I walked outside into the cool air and sat next to him. Sure enough, his pupils were dilated and he was swaying slightly, his mouth open as he watched the night sky.
"I wanted to be an astronaut..." He whispered, finally looking at me. I was shocked that he had said that. I knew that he wanted to be, but he told me he had moved on from that dream.
"...do you still want to be?" I asked, taking the opportunity to question him.
"Yes." He stated, pointing up to the sky. "I know every constellation up there." He slurred. I blinked. It was probably time to get him home or at least to my house so he could crash there. I don't think his parents would like it if he came home wasted.
"I don't wanna be here anymore." He said, his eyes watering up. I pulled him to his feet and exited the backyard from the gate. "I'm taking you to my house." Tucker said.
"No, I mean," he drawled, "I don't wanna be alive anymore."
I blinked, frowning.
"Danny...you have so much to live for." I whispered softly, keeping him walking down the street.
"I was S-S.." He started. I nodded. "I'll call Stella right now." I said, going to retrieve his phone from his pocket, keeping on walking on. We were about ten minutes away from my house, five from Sam's.
"No!" He exclaimed suddenly. I stopped searching for his phone. "You don't want Stella? Who do you want?" I asked.
"I want Sam." He said quietly. He was starting to look green in the face.
"Okay, five minutes. Then you'll see her." I persuaded. He nodded, walking along with me.
I sighed. My best friend was starting to cry, wiping his face every couple of seconds. I didn't know what to do, so I just pulled him along faster, hoping that Sam wasn't too angry about being woken up at twelve in the morning.
"What was your curfew Danny?" I asked. He held up ten fingers, then one. Shit.
His curfew was eleven and it was twelve.
As soon as my eyes widened, knowing he was going to be in deep shit, his phone started ringing. He fished it out and went to answer it. I knew that that would be the worst idea ever, and quickly stole the phone.
"Hello..?" I said hesitantly, already flinching away.
"Daniel Fenton! Where the hell are you?!" His mom yelled. I groaned.
"Hey this is Tucker, he's staying at my house tonight and we are staying at Sam's at the moment. He's asleep." I lied.
"Tucker, you and I both know that's not the truth because I just called Sam." She said.
Shit.
"Mrs. Fenton..." I started, but I didn't know where to go with it.
"I want to talk to my son." She said, determined.
"You really don't." I finally breathed, watching him kick the weeds that were growing in between the sidewalk cracks.
"Tucker Foley, you do not tell me what I don't and do want to do!" Mrs. Fenton scolded. I flinched.
"He's broken." I said, as the boy in question sat down on the sidewalk and cried.
"Hold on Mrs. Fenton." I sighed. "Danny why are you crying?" I said, holding the phone still to my ear. I held it out to him as he answered.
"I killed so many plants." He sobbed.
"That is why you don't want to talk to him, Mrs. F." I said, hoping hearing her son slur his words would help her get the message.
"Is he drunk?" She gasped. I nodded, but realized that she couldn't see me.
"Yeah...he's really messed up, Mrs. Fenton, and you can't tell him you know. I got him out of the party and we are on our way to Sam's house right now, and I'll deliver him in the morning, but-"
"Bring him home after Sam's. I wanna take care of my baby boy. I've known something has been wrong for a while...should I tell Stella?" She asked.
"No, that would be the worst thing you could do." I explained. I heard her sigh over the phone.
"Ok. I'll see you soon. Goodbye." And then she hung up. I put the phone in my own pocket, wanting to read his messages to Stella to see if she suspected anything. I refrained and pulled the sobbing boy up off the sidewalk, where he was apologizing to plants, and walked to Sam's house.
I knocked loudly on the front door.
"Tucker I swear to God." Sam said as she answered the door, stopping her threat as she saw Danny crying. "What...?" She asked.
Danny looked up and his face scrunched up as he launched himself into Sam's arms. "Don't leave me." He sobbed, and I swear my heart broke in a million pieces.
Sam looked shocked and hugged him back, looking at me questioningly.
"Danny, honey, are you drunk?" Sam asked gently. He nodded. "And I need to pee." Danny said glumly. Sam giggled and nodded. "Go pee, my room please." She said, and Danny walked to the stairs, swaying roughly.
"Tucker what the hell?" She demanded. "He wanted to see you!" I squeaked as she pulled me in the house by my shirt.
"Why is he drunk and with you? If he's with you, he shouldn't be drunk!" Sam said. I sighed. "I tagged along at a party and I was going to make sure he didn't do anything stupid! But then I got distracted and looked for him for two hours. I walked him here, he cried about killing plants, his mom called and now she knows he's bad, and-"
My rambling was cut off by a loud smash and a bang. Sam and I paled as we raced up the stairs to her bathroom.
"Tucker he locked the door." Sam said worriedly. "I'm going to call Mrs. Fenton." I said, panicked.
"Why the hell would you call his mother?!" Sam said, still jiggling the door knob. "Because of their Fenton Unlocker! You can get into any human locked door!" I said, the phone already pressed to my ear.
"Danny open the door!" Sam yelled. "Thank god my parents aren't home." She said as she kicked the door with her sock covered foot.
"Mrs. Fenton! Hi! Danny locked himself in Sam's bathroom and its full of sharp and pointy objects and we don't trust him and you have the Fenton Unlocker and-"
"Tucker calm down! I'm on my way." Mrs. Fenton said worriedly, hanging up. I
and tried to help Sam get Danny to open the door.
"Danny please open the door!" Sam pleaded. We heard a muffled 'no' and some more rummaging.
"What are you looking for?" Sam asked quietly.
"Something sharp." Danny's sad voice said. Sam and I looked at each other worriedly and tried to talk him out of it.
"Why couldn't he be a happy drunk?" I groaned.
"Tucker that's not even funny." Sam scolded.
"Tucker? Sam?" We heard Danny's mom yell, footsteps racing up the stairs.
"Up here!" We called, still banging on the door. Danny had gone quiet and we hoped that he hadn't found anything.
"I got the Fenton Unlocker right here." Mrs. Fenton said quietly, looking worriedly at the door.
She held the device to the door knob and slightly pressed it against it. There was a shrill beep sound and the sound of the doors tumblers shifting.
"That should have done it." Mrs. Fenton said, holding her breath as she turned the knob. Sure enough, it opened and Danny was placing a fifth cut into his pale skin. There was blood everywhere and Danny was just watching it pour from his veins. "Danny!" We all yelled.
Sam rushed forward, slapping the razor out of his hand. His eyes snapped up into her own and they held their gaze.
Mrs. Fenton and I watched as they had a silent conversation. Danny's blank face was crumbling, his eyes watering over. Mrs. Fenton placed a hand over her mouth and stepped forward.
Sam went to grab his wrist when he shoved away from her, collapsing to the floor in a sheer panic. "Danny, calm down."
"No! You don't understand why I have to do this! You don't understand why I have to put these cuts on my body. Dash told me to kill myself, that I'd do the world a favor, and maybe I would. One less screw up in the world right? One less mess to clean up? Well I'm done with living a life that doesn't want me to live." Danny cried, his words slurred and upset.
Sam just threw her arms around his body and hugged him. Mrs. Fenton was crying, so I went and put my arm around her shoulder.
"He should stay here tonight. I don't want him to know I know." Mrs. Fenton said. I nodded.
"The less he knows about tonight the better. We may want to inform Stella." I said.
"No! She'll take away the solution to my problems!" Danny cried. Sam shushed him. "Tucker, I'm going to put him to bed. I'll see you soon, Mrs. Fenton." Sam whispered, grabbing Danny and pulling him through her house. Mrs. Fenton left shortly after.
...
(Danny's Point of View)
I opened my eyes. I blinked and let the pounding of my head rule over my senses for a minute or two. I breathed, and I was still alive. Black hair, blue eyed and alive. I sighed, knowing I had made a mistake, seeing that I was in Sam's room. I tried to remember what I had done last night.
I was at Tucker's, then we went to a party. Crap, my curfew!
I jumped out of bed, immediately collapsing to the floor. Oh my god, that was a really bad idea. I swallowed around the bile in my throat and stood again, leaning against the wall. Tucker and Sam were in the hallway, sitting by the bedroom door. I gulped again, preparing myself. When I leaned against the wall with my hand, I felt a flash of pain rush through my wrist. I brought it to my face and saw the bandage on it.
What the hell had I done last night? Did Stella know? Why was I at Sam's when the most plausible place for me to go would have been Tuckers? I took one more deep breath and dragged myself into the hallway, sitting next to Sam.
"Sorry." I muttered. Sam shrugged. "It's nothing you haven't done before." She said, disappointed. "Oh hell no." I said, standing up again.
"You do not get to do this to me again! The last time you ditched me because I made a stupid mistake, I got worse! I'm trying to get better Sam!" I shouted, ignoring the pain in my head.
"You aren't trying hard enough, Danny!" Sam scowled, growling from the back of her throat. "Sam!" Tucker gasped.
"I'm trying pretty damn hard." I narrowed my eyes. Sam shook her head.
"Not hard enough that even when you are drunk of your ass, you still want to die. Do you really think that low of yourself? Are you so selfish that you would die and leave the rest of your friends and family here to suffer? Are you that pathetic?" She hissed angrily.
I let her words sink in. They hurt, I'll give her that, but not as much as the newfound rage that took hold in my chest.
"Sam…" Tucker whispered, his jaw dropped to the floor. I felt my eyes fill up with unshed tears. I blinked, looking away. I'm done crying when people say stuff that I probably deserve.
"You know what Sam?" I spat. "Fuck you."
I turned on my heel and transformed, flinging myself in the air as Tucker screamed at me to come back.
No, I'm not coming back. I'm not letting Sam hurt me anymore.
But somehow, I knew she already had.
…
Sorry for such a late update! Already working on chapter 8.
Don't worry,