I can't believe I'm saying this, but I stayed at Casper High for longer than three months. Thank god, because if Dad had to be chased down by the cops again, we'd have to move to Canada. Jazz invited herself and Danny, Sam, and Tucker to my place a few times. Just to hang out, and they've met my dad. He likes them, but they don't really like him. We understand why. My friends never liked my dad…
Oh shit, I'm getting attached…
Anyway… after school one day, I decided to go out flying. And like we had been for the past three months every time I go out flying, I cross paths with Danny 'Phantom', like he wasn't hard to figure out before. How he's still able to juggle both aliases and confuse people is still beyond me. He shoots a few plasma rays at me, I shoot a few back, I make him crash into a wall, same stuff as before. However, this time, Sam and Tucker fought with him. No- they didn't have ghost powers too, but they used the Fenton's ghost weapons from the ground and shot at me a few times. Even hitting some. I know Danny hates me with a passion… at least my ghost half. But he doesn't know that. And as far as he's concerned, I don't know about his.
So Sam finally fired another ghost net at me and it caught my legs, knocked me off course, I hit a building and fell to the ground. I took a while to recover from that one, since Danny had to find where I landed anyway. Once I finally got the netting off of my legs, I stood up and looked around for him, sensing he was close by. Suddenly, something grabbed me and kept me in a headlock, keeping me from going anywhere. At the same time, a white-gloved fist kept punching me in the temple, not disorienting me at all, just pissing me off. But it was perfect. I was able to make the flames on my head larger, so I did, enough to cover his face and to force him to breathe in just enough to hallucinate a little bit. But I wasn't in the mood. He wanted me in his grip, so I held onto the arm around my neck and his waist, holding him in place. I felt his fist pounding against my shoulder and back to try and get me to let go of him. When he finally started clawing at me was when I let him go.
He gasped loudly and coughed so hard I think he threw up. I'm not sure, I teleported away before I was able to find out.
I'll be honest here. Every damn time I made this poor kid hallucinate, I never started the fight. I just wanted to fly, and this son of a bitch kept hitting me. So I hit him back. I will not start a fight, but I will not be the one to run away until it was over. And this time, it was over. Just like every other time I sit on a rooftop, watching Danny gasp for breath and begin screaming at whatever the hell he was seeing. I felt bad every time after I do it. I flew home, where I found the house empty, again. My dad was probably at work. He did find a job. He's working at the Nasty Burger where Sam, Tucker and Danny liked hanging out. I changed back to my human form.
"Oh, god, where are my hands!?" I heard outside my door. Damn, that was fast. I didn't think we were that close to my apartment. But I also didn't think Sam and Tucker were going to drag Danny to my place because of his hallucinations.
"Danny, your hands are right here. Your hands are there!" Sam's voice tried calming him.
"Oh God, Sam! Where are your eyes!?" Danny shrieked.
There was finally a knock on the door. I opened the door calmly and saw Sam and Tucker each holding one of Danny's arms. Human Danny. Danny held his head in his hands, whimpering and nearly crying. I sighed and let them in, "How many times do I have to tell him not to mess with Acid?" I asked.
"He doesn't listen well." Sam answered and sat him in the middle of the living room. "Danny, can you hear me?"
Danny hesitated to look at Sam, then cried again, "Sam, your eyes, what happened to your eyes?"
I brushed my hair back and thought for a while, "Sam, let me see him."
She nodded and moved away from Danny, who threw a fit when she moved. I knelt in front of him, "Fenton, look at me." I said, focusing into his eyes.
"H-Hazel? You're just a head!" he gasped, "W-why are you a head?"
I grabbed his hand and showed it to him.
"My hands! What happened to my hands?" he cried again.
I squeezed his palm, "Can you feel that?"
He thought for a while. His pupils were tiny, almost non-existent. As though someone was showing them an LED flashlight, but the light in the living room was medium. Darker than sunlight, but lighter than candlelight. He nodded, "Yeah, I do…" he looked back at his hand, "But it's gone, it cuts off right here…" he pointed at a spot on his wrist, seeming almost scared to touch it. "Th-the rest of it is bone and blood…" he said.
"It's there though." I said, squeezing his palm some more. Apparently I only did visual hallucinations.
"How are you doing that if you're just a head?"
"I'm not just a head." I answered and put his hand on my shoulder by the base of my neck. "My body is here. You're seeing things, Danny."
He looked at me in fear.
"Someone get a glass of water." I looked up at Sam and Tucker. I looked back down at Danny. At least I got him quiet.
"I'm not gonna die?" he asked, "There's so much blood." He looked at the ground, then he saw a pile of pillows at the side of the room, "There's your body! There it is!" he gasped, "Oh God, what happened to you!?" he cried. "Why are you so calm about this!?"
Sam rushed back and handed Danny the glass of water, "Danny, drink this."
"I'm not drinking that!" he jumped back.
"What's wrong with it?" I asked.
"It's black! And… red? What is it? That's not blood, is it!?" he backed away.
Sam and Tucker looked at each other.
"Danny, it's water."
"Hazel, there's bugs everywhere!" Danny stared at the floor.
Sam flinched and even picked up her foot. She glared at me after I told Danny that I wouldn't be surprised.
I honestly wished I knew what Danny was seeing. I sighed and stood up, "I'm going to go grab a pillow and a blanket." I said and started upstairs.
"You're going to bed? With Danny like this?" Sam asked.
"It's not for me." I snapped and kept walking. I tucked a pillow under one arm, and draped the blanket over the other shoulder. I started walking downstairs. "Danny, close your eyes."
He went to cover his eyes, but only screamed in horror at the sight of his apparently-missing hands.
Sam went behind him and covered his eyes. Normally, that would've been a bad idea. Sam just learned that the hard way. Danny freaked out and actually hit her in the face. Tucker had to grab both arms to keep him contained.
"Danny! Calm down!" I barked, "I have neighbors, you know. Just close your eyes." I commanded again.
Danny looked at me in terror, his eyes were watering, but he forced them shut. I'd honestly never seen anyone so terrified.
"Lie down." I said and flopped the pillow behind him. I looked at Sam and Tucker, "He'll spend the night here. He can't go home like this."
"But-"
"Do you want to explain to them that he was fighting a ghost and got blasted in the face with hallucinogenic gas? Or do you want to tell them that he overdosed on some sort of drug?" I asked. "Tell them that we went out to the arcade, pulled and all-nighter, and my place was closer than his so he spent the night here. They'd believe that, right?"
Sam and Tucker nodded.
"Good." I noticed Danny had laid down and covered his head with his arm. I draped the blanket over him, "I think the best thing to do now is to let him sleep it off." I said.
"Won't your dad mind?" Sam asked.
"No, he wouldn't care. He'll just be happy that I have friends." I said.
The two looked at each other. "Your dad seems to be doing better than you said he does." Tucker pointed out.
I thought for a while, "Yeah… It's freaking me out a little." I started for the kitchen, "Hungry?" I called out to them, starting to pull out a few ramen packets.
"Uh- no. No thank you." Sam said.
"We should be heading home anyways…" Tucker added.
I scoffed and went back to the living room, "Fine." I walked out, "I'll walk you out, at least." I offered.
After I let Sam and Tucker out of the apartment and bid them good night, I turned around to look at Danny, "You want something to eat?" I offered.
"Lost my appetite…" he said, still covering his head and avoiding eye contact.
I nodded, I figured anyway. Dad never wanted to eat anything either after his hallucinations. I grabbed a wet rag and a warm bowl of water instead of some food and knelt by Danny. "I'll make some tea later…" I mumbled to myself.
"What?" Danny asked.
"Nothing, ignore me." I said and moved his arm, replacing it with the wet rag.
"What's this supposed to do?" he asked.
"My dad's had a run-in with Acid." I explained, "Just doing what I had to do for him." I said, "I heard it's supposed to help. That's what I read anyway…" I dipped my hand in the warm water and wiped the back of his neck.
"This is really awkward…"
"I know." I said, "But it should help."
"The worst part about it is that I'm enjoying it." He mumbled.
I scoffed. "Don't enjoy it too much- as far as people are concerned: you're straight."
"You're not?"
"No- I am." I said, "Do you think people would believe me though? I look like a girl for fuck's sake." I said, wiped more war water on the back of his neck.
He was silent for a while. I honestly thought he fell asleep. But I guess he was just thinking, "Do you have a girlfriend? Or have you ever had one?"
I sighed… no… I never had. "I never stayed in one place long enough…" I said, "I always moved around a lot, and I was never the popular type, or the type someone would go up and talk to. Unlike what Sam did. That was weird for me." I explained, "So… you know- everyone avoided me because they didn't think I'd be pleasant to be around." I furrowed my eyebrows, "Honestly, I still wonder why you, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz still hang out with me. I know Jazz is worried about my self-esteem and how I think about myself, but…" I got quiet.
Danny moved the rag from his head and squinted at me, "But what?" he asked.
I didn't want to answer that. What I wanted to say- would've only proven Jazz's point. Why worry about me? What's the point? I'm not gonna stick around much longer anyways, why get anchored to something so temporary like my stay in Amity Park? Or… even this world?
I'd considered it several times, and even attempted it. Thank god Jazz has never seen my stomach. She's already seen my wrists. That's why I'm a concern to her anyway. I just need the cops to chase my dad again and then I could make my own escape. That way, no one would even know…
"Hazel…" Danny called again. He'd been calling while I was thinking, I just ignored him, "See- this is why my sister's worried about you. Why I'm worried about you. Everyone is." He said, "Trust me, I've had moments where I felt the same." He claimed. "I'll have a fight with Sam and Tucker and family drama going on at home, and I'll have that quick thought:" he snapped his fingers, "I won't be missed."
I looked at him. He didn't look the type. But considering what he does, it made some sense.
"But it's all temporary and some of it's on me, so I go out and fix it." He said.
"Danny, this bullshit with my dad, has gone on my entire life." I said, "None of it had been in my control. None of it was my choice. In fact, I'm amazed I've lived through some of the shit that's happened to me. If my dad lets one of his drug-dealing so-called 'friends' kidnap me and hold a gun to my head again, I'll fucking let them do it." I said. I stared at nothing… not him, not the bowl, or the rag, just stared blankly, internally fuming.
But I knew he was horrified.
He saw I was serious.
"That's why I avoid people. Why I try not making any friends… because when I'm gone, I don't want to leave anyone behind. Just saving them the trouble."
He was quiet for a while. "That's it?" he asked, "You'll just- die and have nobody remember who the heck you were? Once you make the headlines, people will keep asking, 'who is he? Who is he? Just some kid, he was a wallflower'?" Danny asked.
"I'd rather that and have no pain, than to have everyone know and be upset over it."
"What about your dad?" he asked.
I shrugged, "I don't think he'd blame me."
He got quiet, "Hey- why are you telling me this?" he asked.
"You asked me a question and I ran with it, okay?" I grabbed some water and splashed his face. I sighed, "I've… never told anyone about any of that…" I said, "Not even my dad."
He finished rubbing his eyes, "Well—I'm surprised you're telling me this…" he said. I caught that when he asked why I was telling him. "Do you still…?" he trailed off, but I knew what he was talking about.
"I still think about it…" I confessed, "But… honestly, you, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are making it difficult to go through with it." I shook my head, "What do you see now?" I asked him.
"A suicidal hermaphrodite?" he rose an eyebrow, but I slapped him upside the head. I wasn't expecting that type of answer.
"Smartass, I mean your hallucinations." I snapped.
He looked around, "I still see bugs everywhere… they're just… small. And I'm still seeing blood."
"You're awfully calm about it." I said, "You have your hands?"
He quickly looked at his hands, "My hands are there, but it looks like something chewed off my fingers…" he put his hand back under him, he looked back at me. "You got the rest of your body back while you were talking."
I nodded, "But they've calmed down, right?"
He shrugged, "Sort of…" he said, "I calmed down, since it's happened so many times and the fact that it's not real."
"How has it happened so many times?" I asked, I just wanted to hear his bullshit story.
"Well- I ghost-hunt with my parents."
I nodded, "Yeah- you guys have quite the ghost-infestation here, don't you. I've never seen so many ghosts in one place." I said, "I mostly see that… Phantom kid." I watched him carefully.
Danny nodded, I was watched his tone change. "Yeah… he's not against anyone though…" he said, "Yet everyone hates him, just because he's another ghost haunting Amity Park."
"He's always fighting Acid, too, I noticed…" I added, "Are they… lifetime rivals or something?"
"Not really- Acid just showed up. A little bit after you did, actually." He pointed out. "Acid always wins though, with those gas flames. Then Phantom can't fight anymore."
I nodded, "You know… those only work on someone who can breathe." I said, taking the rag and putting it in the bowl.
"How do you know?" Danny asked.
"It's only common sense, for one to hallucinate, they'd have to breathe in the fumes and have it go through their blood stream and go to their head." I explained, "It's like smoking weed, it's inhaled in order for the drug to take effect." I looked at him, "Solid ghosts don't need to breathe." I pointed out.
I saw him getting nervous. I had him cornered.
"Every time you don't come in to school, is usually the day after Phantom and Acid fight." I said. "You're half-ghost, aren't you?"
He inched away from me, "Don't tell my parents…" was all he said.
"I won't." I said, "Promise me you won't tell Jazz about what I told you."
He nodded just as my dad walked in the door. He looked at Danny, then back to me, "Evening, boys."
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey Mr. Richards." Danny greeted.
"Just call me Kurt, Danny." Again: at this point, Danny and the others have already met my dad. My dad doesn't really care that they don't like him. Like I said, he understands. He's just worried about me having friends. My dad looked at me, "Is he spending the night?" he asked.
"Yeah, Acid got him again." I nodded.
"Oh, wow." Dad nodded.
"How was work?" I asked.
He shrugged, "Work." He started for the kitchen, "What do we have to eat?" he asked.
"Ra-"
"Besides ramen?"
I scoffed, "Nothing."
My dad groaned from the kitchen. I knew Danny was uncomfortable. I sighed, "If Acid gets to you again, have the others come get me." I said.
**This one went along as I typed. This one I may have had Danny act a little out of character for. Whatever,I think it worked. I watched a Batman movie, I can't remember which one, but the one with Bane… with the hallucinations where they just make the victims scream. That's kinda what I had in mind. If you look up Pokemon From Hell on DA, that's where some of this inspiration came from for this fic. If this story doesn't change your view on this part of your childhood, then the DA page will. And don't worry, I'll have Hazel realize his own hallucinations soon enough. Stay awesome, people!**