Last time: Fenton discovered Paulina's website, received a taste of the increased interest he might expect in school, and endured a phone call with Phantom that may or may not lead to them shortening the distance between them.
Chapter 21
School Trouble
"The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them." -Bernard M Baruch
Twenty-two, Fenton counted as a boy moving down the hall looked away from his girlfriend and met Fenton's eyes. With the hand the boy had draped over the girl's shoulder, he pointed Fenton's way and whispered something in her ear. The girl looked over at Fenton, calculation in her eyes. Fenton swallowed. Twenty-three.
One good thing about waiting until the bell had already rung: the other students were too busy heading to class to do more than glance at Fenton as the trio pushed their way through the halls. The couple moved on without saying a word to him. All the same, Fenton's hands tightened on his backpack straps. He moved closer to Tucker's side.
Ahead of Fenton, a girl had closed her locker, but she watched Fenton and his friends walk down the hall instead of moving on herself. Another girl approached her, also looking at Fenton. Once they were close enough, the second girl whispered in the first girl's ear.
Twenty-four. Twenty-five.
The ones who watched from the sidelines were the worst, they made Fenton's skin crawl, but the ones who did a double-take as they passed him in the hallway held a special place in Fenton's hell. After all, most of the students in Casper High didn't know him. A lot of them would only know what he looked like through that damn photo. Every startled second glance meant they were seeing him for the first time…
…and that they were seeing him as Phantom's rumored crush, the one who was outing their local superhero as gay.
Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight.
It wouldn't be a good first impression.
Fenton hadn't expected so much attention when he woke up that morning—he had simply thrown on some clothes, grabbed a hoodie that didn't smell, and made a passing attempt at taming his hair before racing downstairs to catch any news about Phantom on the kitchen TV. He hadn't even looked in the mirror.
Did he still have bags under his eyes? Was the hickey fully gone? Could they still see the yellowed edges near his collar? How was his hair? Fenton reached up and anxiously ran his fingers through it. He had been running his fingers through his hair more often as a nervous habit…was that making it look messier than normal?
There wasn't anything spectacular about him that their town hero should find attention-worthy, nothing that marked him as special now that he was fully human. He was just another slouched figure among many. He wasn't even attractive. He was sixteen, and yet Valerie was the only one who had ever seemed interested in him. Danny Fenton.
Well. Valerie and now Phantom. But. That was…
Different.
A senior Fenton only knew by reputation after she had come out as a lesbian the year before performed one of those double-takes, her eyes wide as they landed on Fenton a second time. She was walking in the opposite direction, fortunately, but she smiled at Fenton and winked before passing on.
Fenton bit his lip.
A girl's voice rose above the usual chatter in the hallway, shouting, "That's him?"
Fenton pulled his hood up.
Tucker chuckled. "The irony here…if only they knew the truth, right, Danny?"
Fenton mumbled something that could be misconstrued as an affirmative.
Sam's phone vibrated in his pouch, and Fenton stiffened, one hand dropping from his backpack strap. He slipped it into the pouch and grabbed Sam's phone. He felt the urge to see what Phantom had said, but if he looked at the phone…
He lifted his head, glancing from beneath his hood. His eyes met a brown pair staring right at him. The girl blushed, ducked her head, and hurried past them in the opposite direction.
Tucker sighed.
"What?" Fenton darted his eyes around, but no one else was staring quite so intently. If he pulled out the phone, they would just assume he was texting another human, right? After, all, ghosts didn't have cell phones.
Tucker shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it, man. It's too depressing."
"At least we know who the clueless one is," Sam said, also sighing.
Fenton frowned at his friends. "Seriously, what are you talking about?"
"Forget it," Tucker said. "You wouldn't believe us even if we told you."
Fenton waited a moment longer to see if they would elaborate—they didn't. They never did. The "clueless" thing was like some inside joke they were always tossing over his head. He rolled his eyes and pulled Sam's phone out of his pouch. He glanced around again before reading the text.
"How is the school? Is it as bad as you feared?"
Fenton blew out a breath. Phantom was only asking for a status update. He texted back, "I'm the newest freakshow in town, what do you think? No one has tried to, like, corner me and demand answers yet, but that could just be because the bell rang and they need to get to class."
He and his friends were almost to their lockers, so Fenton quickly hit send before stuffing the phone back into his pouch. He sped toward his locker, outdistancing Sam and Tucker. He shoved the books he wouldn't need for the next two periods inside, anxiously dancing on the tips of his toes, urging himself to move faster. He didn't share first period with Sam or Tucker, so he could wave goodbye and rush to class as soon as he finished. The sooner the better. If anyone were going to ambush him like they had on the bus, it would be at his locker. He was practically a sitting duck there.
He tried to comfort himself that the halls were already thinning. There was no time for someone to pull him aside. And anyway, he was only Danny Fenton. Sure, the rumors insisted he knew Danny Phantom, might even have caught the elusive ghost's attention in a romantic sense, but he was still just Fenton. An unimpressive, weird, socially outcast loser. No one would—
Starr slid between Fenton and his locker, slamming the hinge shut. Fenton yelped and stumbled back, only to crash against someone's broad chest. Starr beamed up at him, and Fenton, flustered by that smile, tried to edge around whoever stood behind him so he could put some distance between himself and the school's biggest gossip.
"Yo, Fenton!" Kwan's voice yelled just before the jock's arm caught Fenton around the shoulders. He grabbed Fenton's books with his free hand, freeing both of Fenton's. "Since we have the same period, we're going to walk you to class, is that cool, buddy?
Buddy?
"Uh…" Desperately, Fenton looked down the line of lockers toward Sam and Tucker.
Sam had crossed her arms and was leaning her shoulder against her locker as she watched the A-listers, but when her eyes met Fenton's, she shrugged. Tucker, on the other hand, grinned and gave him a thumbs up. When Fenton hesitated further, Tucker exaggerated a wink. Fenton made a face at him.
It couldn't be helped, though. They didn't share first period, and Fenton couldn't ask Sam to walk more than necessary just to defend him from the popular kids.
Reluctantly, Fenton mumbled, "I…guess…"
"Great!" Starr bounced forward and seized Fenton's arm, turning him away from Sam and Tucker. "We need to talk."
Fenton jerked his arm away from her. Unfortunately, he put too much weight behind the pull, overbalanced, and stumbled against Kwan's chest. Kwan's arm tightened around his shoulders, ensuring Fenton couldn't wiggle free of his hold as well. Fenton grimaced. Kwan was a head taller than him, and his grip pressed Fenton's left shoulder against his ribcage, uncomfortably forcing Fenton to stand closer than he preferred.
"Whoa, you okay there, bro?" Kwan asked.
"Peachy," Fenton grumbled, frustrated to realize his cheeks were growing warm. Fantastic. He was blushing, wasn't he?
Sam's phone vibrated in his pouch. Fenton sucked in a breath. He slid his hand inside the pouch and grabbed the phone, his blush worsening.
Teens darted out of Kwan's and Starr's way as the A-listers walked past. A few stopped in the hall to watch, their wide eyes on Fenton and his new escorts. Kwan and Starr had just confirmed the A-list crowd believed there was something to the rumors, and that meant—
Someone snapped a photo, and Fenton cringed. Right. So. That confirmation was going to be spread all over Paulina's website. That was exactly what those stupid rumors needed. More credibility.
Awesome…
"So," Starr sang as she and Kwan forced Fenton to walk between them, "bet you know what I want to talk to you about!"
Fenton glanced at her from beneath his hood, sullenly refusing to reply even as his cheeks burned.
She giggled. "Wow, you are moody today, aren't you?"
"Did you give my invitation to Phantom?" Kwan asked, his voice high with excitement.
Fenton shifted his shoulders, testing Kwan's grip. "No."
Tucker had.
Kwan's expression fell, but Fenton's eyes darted around, noting the increased number of people watching him. Watching. Not just looking anymore, a lot of them were watching. His skin crawled, anxiety twisting his stomach. If he thought he was in the spotlight before…
The phone in his pouch vibrated again, tickling Fenton's palm. He bit his lip and squeezed the phone, frantically trying to draw confidence from the phone and the connection to Phantom it offered.
"Your party is so not the most important thing right now," Starr said, laughing.
Kwan sniffed. "Speak for yourself…"
"Listen, Danny." Blond hair brushed across Fenton's arm as Starr leaned close. Fenton dragged his gaze away from a group of nerds and met Starr's eyes, his heart pounding. "I don't know what's going on between you and the Ghost Boy," she whispered, "if this is some sort of stunt you're playing or if you really have somehow magically caught his eye. Honestly? It doesn't matter."
Fenton swallowed, his throat unnaturally tight. "It—it doesn't?"
"Nope! Everyone knows Phantom and Paulina are bound to end up together in the end, and if not Paulina…" Starr shrugged. "Well, it's not going to be you. You know?"
Fenton frowned. He dragged his thumb over the phone's screen. "Ah…Well…" He lowered his eyes, his frown deepening. She wasn't wrong…
"There's just two things I need to know. First," she lifted a finger, "just how did you become the Ghost Boy's friend or whatever is going on between you two? Second," she lifted another finger, "Danny Phantom is straight, right?"
Fenton stiffened. His feet froze to the floor, a new, fresh blush flooding his cheeks. Even if Fenton stopped, however, Kwan hadn't. His grip around Fenton's shoulders forced him into motion again. Fenton fought it for half a second, his feet skittering uselessly over the floor.
"Damn it!" he snapped, frustrated. "Wh-why would I—shouldn't that be something you ask him?"
Starr rolled her eyes. "If anyone could actually catch him, yeah, but he never sticks around long enough for anyone to ask about anything."
"So why are you asking me?"
"Dude!" Kwan shook Fenton by his shoulder, making him grimace. "Phantom has never lingered after a ghost fight, never mind during one! Of course we're asking you, no one else has gotten anywhere close to him!"
Starr sighed. "Sunday was the most anyone has heard from him, and even then it was like he was toying with the reporters."
Fenton snorted. Because he was.
"Heyyy," Kwan said, grinning, "remember how the news people were talking about Phantom possibly having found someone to show off to? And that's why he was acting so frisky?" He shook Fenton's shoulder again for emphasis. "Maybe even someone he's been photographed hanging around lately? Someone like Danny?"
Fenton pinched his eyes shut and tried—very hard—not to groan. Damn it, Phantom!
Starr exclaimed, "Oh!" in an excited tone, but almost immediately she cleared her throat as if to brush her reaction aside. "Oh! Well. Maybe. But we're pretty sure he was showing off for Paulina." Kwan snickered. Starr lightly smacked the arm wrapped around Fenton's shoulders. "Shut it."
They turned down another hall, and Fenton opened his eyes. There were more students crowding the hall. Fenton's gaze met another boy's in time to watch his eyes widen in recognition and his jaw drop. Because of Fenton or because of his escorts? He darted out of Starr's and Kwan's path either way, just as other students before him had done.
I guess that's one benefit to being their prisoner…
More and more eyes fell on Fenton, drawn by the A-listers. Fenton hoped it was for them that everyone was looking and not Fenton himself. After Paulina, Starr was supposed to be the prettiest, most popular girl in the school. She was bound to draw attention. It didn't have to be about Fenton.
"—him? Fenton? Fenton!" Kwan shook his shoulder.
Fenton blinked and jerked his eyes away from a group of girls glaring at him. "Huh?"
"How. Did. You. Meet. Him?" Kwan repeated, drawing out the words as if Fenton was too slow to understand. "Somehow, you've managed to catch Phantom's attention, and we want to know how."
"So we can do the same," Starr said, "preferably after you've introduced us to him."
"Like at my party!"
Starr laughed. "Exactly!"
"So you guys can…" Fenton trailed off. He tried again, "Everyone just wants to use me to get at Phantom? That's why everyone is on my case right now?"
"Well," Starr said with another little laugh, "that's why I'm interested."
"Me too!" Kwan added quickly. "Plus learning more about my hero, of course, but yeah, I want to become his friend too."
So the attention had nothing to do with Fenton personally. That was…good. Fenton's lips twitched, almost wanting to smile, but there was something else, something uneasy and resentful replacing the anxiety. He gave voice to it, laughing harshly. "Wow! Okay. Well. I punched him. And yelled at him for being an ass. And apparently that is what caught his, er, attention. So. Yeah! Good luck with that."
Kwan's fingers dug into Fenton's shoulders. "You punched him?"
"Yup. Right in the jaw."
"Why?"
"Because he was being an ass!"
With kids clearing a path for them in the hallway, Starr took the opportunity to dart ahead. She turned to face them and raised her hands as she walked backward. "Wait, wait, wait. When was this?"
Could he tell her?
…Would it matter?
Fenton bit his lip, considering, before he shrugged. "Saturday."
"Oh!" Kwan said. "Before or after that one picture outside someone's apartment?"
"Uh, before?"
"But after," Starr said, "the photo in Friday's newspaper, when Phantom was caught flying into your room."
Fenton pressed his lips together. That…might have been a good reason not to answer.
"And Paulina insists there's been something going on between you and Phantom long before this. So, punching Phantom isn't what made you two friends."
"We weren't friends," Fenton objected. "I mean, we knew each other. I guess. But we rarely, like, saw each other?" He laughed, the sound holding a slightly hysterical edge. He was talking about Phantom as if they had always been separate. It was…surreal. But the lie came easily for once, and with a little half smile, Fenton added, "When—when we did see each other, we, uh, we kind of argued. So." He coughed. "Yeah. I wouldn't say we were friends. We just…um, worked together?"
"Because of your parents?" Kwan asked, excited. "Someone pointed out Phantom's always using a Fenton…thing."
"Thermos," Fenton supplied out of reflex.
Kwan's eyes brightened.
"What I don't get," Starr said loudly, as if to brush talk about Fenton's parents' aside—their presence in Fenton's relationship with Phantom wouldn't help her any, "is why you never mentioned any of this. Like, everyone's been trying to get in contact with him, and here you were, all along sitting on a working relation with the coolest guy around for, like…how long? A year? A month?"
Fenton stiffened. There was something in her tone, something dismissive, and before he could think better of it, he snapped, "Two years."
Starr scoffed. "Two years?"
Fenton gritted his teeth. "And one month."
Two years, one month, one week, two days, and sometime in the afternoon.
Kwan laughed. "You kidding, Fenton? Phantom and the other ghosts didn't show up until November."
Fenton smiled. He didn't say anything to contradict Kwan, but his smile must have held a little too much knowledge, too smug to be anything less than secretive, because Starr gasped and stepped forward instead of back, putting her right in Fenton's face and forcing the two boys to stop in the middle of the hallway.
"You mean Phantom was here before November?" she demanded.
Fenton leaned back. "Uh…"
"And you knew and were working with him that whole time?"
"Well…"
"Oh wow," Kwan said, stunned. "He was here and no one even knew…"
"Except Danny," Starr snapped no longer sounding so peppy. Fenton tensed. Starr turned her attention to Kwan. "Do you know what this means?"
"Um." Kwan smiled sheepishly. "That Fenton is really good at keeping secrets?"
"No! It means Paulina wasn't the first person Phantom saved—she wasn't the first human to meet him." Starr's eyes returned to Fenton, curious and—to his mind—calculating. "That was you."
Fenton didn't respond right away, only watched her, wary. He didn't necessarily want Starr—and Paulina—to see him as a threat. Perhaps he should downplay his connection with Phantom. He didn't want them getting too close. There was more at stake than a simple crush that would be gone one way or another by Friday.
But…
Fenton tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What of it?"
Starr widened her eyes. They narrowed a moment later, glaring at Fenton as Starr pressed her lips into a thin, dangerous line.
"If you've known Phantom that long," Kwan said quickly, excitement lifting his voice, "do you know why he kidnapped the mayor? Why he stole all that jewelry? Do you know where he goes after a ghost fight? No one can find him! Is he going back to the ghost world? Oh shit! Do you know what was going on when our town got sucked into the ghost world? Like, what was that, right? Like, we know Phantom did something to fix it, but what did he do? Was it just another ghost he had to fight? Do you know what—"
Fenton shrank against Kwan's arm.
Starr made an annoyed noise deep in her throat and stomped her foot. "Save it for lunch, Kwan. We can ask him all the details then, when Paulina and Dash are around to hear it too." Her eyes returned to Fenton and she poked his chest. "You're eating with us today."
Fenton's jaw dropped. An invitation to eat with the popular kids was basically like a golden ticket to the lower masses—Fenton even thought he heard a few students who had been listening in grumble about how lucky he was. The Danny of two years ago certainly would have been thrilled.
The Danny of last week might have been too, come to think of it. Fenton thought his disinterest in the popular crowd had been stronger than Phantom's desire for attention when they were one, but…he couldn't be sure. He knew they had said the popular kids were a waste of time, or something to that effect, but had they still felt something anyway? Fenton couldn't remember the feeling, though he was sure something had been there.
Point was Fenton didn't want the invitation. Eat with the popular kids so they could grill him over every little detail about Phantom? So, he could, what? Fend off questions that would either expose his secret or his secret? Be their little steppingstone?
He didn't want it.
"I—I, I have to eat with Valerie," he said, desperate. "The—the person I'm actually dating?"
Starr smiled, and there was something dark in her eyes, something cunning as she gazed at Fenton. "She can come too."
…That was even worse.
"There's more important matters we have to deal with right now before things go any farther." Starr poked Fenton's chest. "Maybe you are friends with Phantom, maybe you have known him the longest." She poked him again, harder. "But is it true he has misguided feelings for you? Is he straight? Bi?"
"Oh!" Kwan nodded enthusiastically. "Right. You said that punching him changed things."
"I didn't say that," Fenton objected.
"Close enough. So how are things different?"
"I—" Fenton's mouth worked uselessly for a moment, soundless, before he clamped it shut.
Kwan waited a moment, but when Fenton didn't answer, he carried on, saying, "Because, seriously, he keeps showing up around you. And that photo! He's gotta be feeling something, you know? Looking like that? And like, hey man, if he's gay, he'll get no judgment here. I'll beat down anyone who so much as looks at him funny!"
Starr brushed some of her long blond hair over her shoulder. "Same, of course, but, like, does he like you? Romantically? Because Paulina swears up and down that he would look at you like he had in that photo if he saw you as a really close friend. Someone he cares about who had just gotten hurt, no romance required. So. Does he love you?"
Fenton forced his lips into a shaky smile. "Love is a bit strong, don't you think?"
Starr laughed. "Well, yeah! It's just a phrase, Danny. There's no way he'd be, like, in love with you. No offense or anything, I just can't see it going that far. You're…well." Her eyes roved over Fenton, her lips pulling tight. Fenton shrank back, his shoulders curling inward.
"Clumsy," Kwan supplied cheerfully. "Dorky. Sarcastic. Too stupid to be a useful nerd. A loser who hangs out with other losers. A Fenton." He shuddered mockingly. "That's a risk all its own. A ghost falling for the son of ghost hunters sounds like a fun idea, but, like, for real, Danny, there's nothing about you worth risking that."
"...people will be looking for your faults, but it is in pursuit of deciding why I couldn't possibly fall for you."
"Crush. No one is saying anything about falling in love or whatever."
"No, they didn't because their knowledge is limited, but it is how I'm choosing to describe it."
Fenton flushed, embarrassed anew as Phantom's words hit harder than they had outside.
Starr made an odd noise and waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever. I just mean does Phantom, like, have a crush on you?"
Fenton opened his mouth again but hesitated. Most of the other students had left by then, parting around the immobile A-listers and their hostage without a word, but there were still a few stragglers off to the side that seemed to be listening to the conversation, waiting to hear what Fenton was about to say. One had her phone in hand as she leaned against her locker, but her eyes stared back at Fenton.
Fenton shuffled on his feet, trying once more to pull away from Kwan. "Shouldn't—shouldn't we be getting to class?"
"Sure." Kwan hefted Fenton's books and grinned down at him. "Once you answer."
Fenton scowled. "That's blackmail. You two won't get in trouble if we're late but I will!"
Starr titled her head and smiled sweetly at him. "So, answer already, Danny. What are you so afraid of? If Phantom only likes you as a friend, now is a good time to let everyone know, don't you think? Before things get any more out of hand."
Fenton grimaced. "I…"
His hand tightened around Sam's phone.
Kwan shook Fenton's shoulder. "Come on, man! There's nothing to be afraid of. We just want the truth."
Fenton forced a laugh. "The truth? If I don't say what you want to hear, you're going to stuff me in a locker and make sure I'm late to class anyway! What's going to happen if I say we're—that Phantom and I—we—well, he—I—"
Starr scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. No one is gonna care what you say. Well…Paulina might. I guess."
"And Valerie," Kwan added. "If you dump her for Phantom. She'll be pissed. But, like, who could blame you, right? It's Phantom!"
Fenton flushed, his jaw dropping. "I—I wouldn't—Valerie isn't—"
Starr hissed and shoved her hand into Fenton's chest. "If you even think about hurting Valerie like that, I really will make your life hell, Fenton!"
"I wasn't going to!"
"But it's Phantom," Kwan insisted, practically singing the ghost's name. "Valerie would understand. After a while. Might want to avoid her at first."
Starr switched her scowl to Kwan.
"I'll pass," Fenton said warily.
"Ohh," Kwan said, dragging out the sound, "is it because you don't like boys? Is that the problem? 'Cause, like, I get that, but come on. It's Phantom!"
Fenton bit down on his lower lip and wished the ground would swallow him whole.
"He's, like, the coolest guy ever," Kwan continued. "Sure, he's a little small, but he's got superpowers! And he uses them to protect us! Did you see him fighting that ghost yesterday? Like, whoa, man, right?"
Starr raised an eyebrow. "You almost sound like you have a crush on him yourself, Kwan."
"Nah," Kwan dismissed, waving the hand on Fenton's shoulder, "nothing major. But if he started making advances on me? Oh man, I would be so down! Or I would give him a chance, at least. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, you know?" He looked down at Fenton. "What about you, Fenton? He's totally all over you."
Fenton bit down harder on his lip.
Kwan shook his shoulder. "Like, gosh, man, you know? Just the way he was looking at you earlier. You can't tell me he hasn't tried making a few moves on you…Maybe he was flirting, and you never noticed? Like, no offense, dude, but you never even noticed that Goth chick was into you. So, to be honest, I'm not sure you would recognize his feelings unless he was, like, super blunt about it."
"Uh, what?" Fenton asked, his voice strained and almost a whisper. "Sam? Phantom? He wasn't—what does—"
Kwan gasped. "Oh, oh! Maybe he was! Maybe that's why you're acting so shy about this! He made some grand statement or—"
The phone in Fenton's hand vibrated and began to play a tune from Dumpty Humpty. Fenton felt blood rush to his face and then drain away, leaving his face pale. Before he could think better of it, he yanked out Sam's phone and answered the call without looking at the ID. "H-hello?"
"Hey…" Kwan whined.
"Hello, Fenton," Phantom responded. "I saw from Paulina's website you may need help? Someone posted a picture of you and your new, uh, interrogators."
A little breathless, Fenton only managed a quick, "Yes!"
Starr tilted her head and frowned suspiciously at Fenton. "Who is that?"
"Who-who—" Fenton stuttered, wincing. Shit.
"Tell them it's Sam."
"What?"
"Do it."
"Uh." Fenton tugged on the strings of his hoodie. "It's, uh, Sam?"
Starr glanced from the phone to Fenton's face, her eyes narrowed, but something in his face must have fooled her because after a moment she shrugged. "Yeah, well…it's rude to answer a phone call in the middle of a conversation."
"Ask me how my ankle is doing."
"Uh, how is your ankle?" Fenton repeated dutifully.
Starr pouted.
Kwan grimaced and made an, "Ah," sound.
"Let us hope they have compassion to spare," Phantom said lightly. "Are you almost to class?"
"No." Fenton allowed his anxiety to vent out of his voice as frustration and added petulantly, "We're just standing in the middle of the hall. Just standing here. Talking."
Starr rolled her eyes and groaned, but she stepped aside. Fenton stepped forward, trying to pull Kwan into motion again. The jock didn't budge at first, his hand on Fenton's shoulder keeping Fenton from going far. Kwan only resumed walking when Starr did. Fenton breathed out a quiet sigh of relief as all three of them began walking toward class again.
"I take it that sigh means we got them moving again?" Phantom asked, his voice amused. "My, what power Sam holds."
They're probably afraid to start a fight with her, Fenton thought, unable to speak it aloud. Sam may not have been very high on the social ladder (mostly thanks to Fenton, Tucker, and her own rebellion against it) but she had her own pull on the upper tiers. A fight with Sam was one that had to be entered into carefully.
"Yes," Fenton agreed aloud, but then, after running the words through his head a few times to make sure there wasn't any message Kwan or Starr might pick up, he asked, "I don't understand, Sam."
"What?"
Fenton tried again, hoping Phantom would catch on without Kwan and Starr doing the same. "Why, Sam?"
"Oh! About why we are pretending Sam is the one calling you?"
Fenton sighed in relief. "Yes." He glanced at Starr. She was staring at him—well, frowning really—but she looked more annoyed than suspicious.
"We are simply muddying the waters a little bit," Phantom answered, his tone almost gleeful. Mischievous. "Adding a third variable in order to confuse things."
Fenton frowned at the floor. "Can you, uh, explain that?"
"Later, perhaps. If Sam and Tucker don't. More immediately, though, are you still wearing your hood?"
Fenton's hand rose, fingers touching the rim of his hood. "Yes?"
"You may want to remove it…"
"Why?"
"Perhaps I am unfairly biased," Phantom began slowly, "but you are creating a mysterious aura for those who don't know you, especially the way your eyes are peering from beneath the shadows. It is…oddly attractive."
Fenton opened his mouth, though of course Phantom wasn't there to hear his protest—or see the way his face flushed.
"It seems I have a weakness for blue eyes…"
Fenton choked, making an odd noise in his throat.
Starr's eyes narrowed.
"You are looking attractive and mysterious, Fenton. People will buy into the rumor if you keep that up. They will ask, 'how could Phantom be interested in Danny Fenton?' and then go 'oh duh! Just look at him!'"
"Okay!" Fenton spluttered. He threw back his hood, freeing his hair in all its messy glory. "Hood off! I got it! Gees!"
"You are blushing, aren't you? Don't hide it, let them see."
"What?"
Starr abandoned Fenton's right side to walk on Kwan's left. She stood on her tiptoes and braced her hand on Kwan's shoulder, pulling him down. She was shorter than Fenton, and Kwan had to lean down in order for Starr to whisper in his ear.
The arm around Fenton's shoulder loosened as a result.
"Wish I could see it," Phantom continued wistfully, unaware of the opportunity his trick had just given Fenton. "It must be impressive."
"Hold on," Fenton whispered.
He ducked his head beneath Kwan's arm and darted behind his back. Kwan's arm was twisted behind his back, and with a yelp, Kwan let go. Fenton circled around Kwan and Starr, putting Starr between them. Kwan lunged at him and crashed against Starr—she squealed in protest—and Fenton sprinted down the hall. The few kids lingering in the hall yelped and scrambled out of his way.
"Hey!" Kwan shouted after him. "Fenton, you little weasel, get back here!"
"Kwan!" Starr shrieked.
Laughing, Fenton continued to run.
"What?" Phantom asked. Fenton hadn't lowered the phone from his ear, and his laugh seemed to be energizing Phantom, going by the excitement lifting his voice. "What happened?"
"I escaped while they were distracted," Fenton explained, breathless because of the run. He darted in and around other students, making them gasp and hurl insults after him—he lifted his middle finger to them and kept running. "Was that your plan all along? To distract them?"
"Not exactly, but I'm glad it worked out that way."
"What was your plan?" Fenton's classroom came into view and he slowed his steps.
"It may take too long to explain. Are you almost to class?"
"Yes. I just made it to the door. I guess I'll talk to you later?"
"Alright."
Fenton stopped beside the door and an awkward moment passed between them as the call lingered. "Uh," Fenton finally said, uncertain, "bye?"
"Ah. Yes. Bye, Fenton."
The call disconnected. Fenton breathed out a sigh of relief and tucked the phone into his pouch again. One of his hands rose and grabbed his hood. His classmates would know who he was with or without the hood. He wasn't sure if he believed Phantom—why would wearing a hood make him attractive?—and he wasn't sure if he cared. It was the comfort he was after. It was embarrassing to hear Phantom saying all those things, but Fenton didn't particularly care if some random classmate thought the same.
Fenton grimaced. I'm thinking about this too much. He flipped up his hood and entered the classroom. He kept his head down, only peering upward to find a free seat, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. Ongoing conversations were interrupted as a few voices shouted at Fenton, but he ignored them. The bell rang before his classmates could shout any follow-ups.
With a little victorious smile, Fenton dropped into his seat as the teacher called for quiet.
A few seconds later, Starr and Kwan arrived. They stared back at him, expressions frustrated and annoyed, but they couldn't do anything now that class had started. Their algebra teacher, Mrs. Carol, ordered them to take their seats, and the popular kids reluctantly moved into the room. There was, unfortunately, one seat in front of Fenton still available, and Starr and Kwan silently pushed each other, fighting over who would take it.
Fenton's smile vanished.
Sam's phone vibrated again. Fenton crossed his arms over the desk and slipped the phone into the crook of his elbow.
"Did you tell Starr and Kwan about my crush? It would have been the perfect time to show you weren't hiding anything."
Fenton bit his lip. Right. That had been the plan, hadn't it? Fenton was supposed to admit the truth like it was nothing, like it was no big deal. The more casual he was about it, the less people would believe him. The more reluctant he appeared, the more they would believe the rumors were true because it would look like he was actively trying to hide something. It was just…
He texted Phantom, "No. It's not that easy."
Kwan won the seat, and Fenton grimaced. Dodging around Kwan after class ended was going to be tricky. Perhaps if Fenton left early for a bathroom break…? The teachers had all but given up on stopping him. There may not be a ghost, but it was still for a good cause.
Namely, protecting himself.
"Oh," Phantom sent. "I suppose you HAD struggled to admit it even when you were only speaking to me outside. A semi-hostile environment would have made things harder."
Kwan slammed Fenton's books onto Fenton's desk and leaned down to hiss, "Not cool, man."
Fenton stuck his tongue out at him.
The phone vibrated in his hand, and Fenton lowered his gaze, surprised Phantom had sent another text so soon.
"Are you ashamed? Because of my feelings for you? I understand I'm causing us a lot of problems, but I can't help how I feel."
Oh.
Smothering a groan, Fenton closed his eyes and lightly knocked the phone against his forehead. He was supposed to be the insecure one, not Phantom.
"Who are you texting?" Kwan asked.
"Sam," Fenton muttered.
Kwan made an "ah" sound.
Quickly, Fenton texted Phantom, "Not exactly."
Mrs. Carol began to take rollcall, and Kwan hurriedly sat in his seat.
"Then why?" Phantom asked. "Why are you always struggling to admit how I feel or what we must do or anything pertaining to the feelings between us? If it's not exactly shame, what is it? What makes you trip over the words? Disgust?"
Fenton chewed on his cheek. He just felt…
It was…
Fenton furrowed his brow.
"I don't know," he wrote. "I guess I'm just—" he wrote out the word afraid before erasing it. He bit his lip and stared down at the phone. He wasn't afraid. What was there to be afraid of? "—confused."
"Confused? About what specifically?"
"Can we not talk about it, please?"
"Will you be able to admit I have a crush on you to others if we do not?"
"Bastard," Fenton muttered under his breath, frustrated Phantom had a point. He closed his eyes and tapped the phone lightly against his head a few times, thinking. The teacher ended rollcall and began the lesson, but she rarely cared about whether her class paid attention or not, so Fenton felt safe ignoring the lecture. He had bigger worries.
Finally, he texted, "I'm just confused about how I'm supposed to feel, alright?"
"Oh? My having a crush on you has confused your feelings? How curious…"
"This," Fenton whispered, a blush beginning to taint his cheeks, "is why I don't want to talk to you about it." He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his right eye. Why must Phantom always find the most embarrassing angle?
"Fenton, are you struggling to admit I have a crush on you because you are embarrassed by my crush? Or is it because you can't decide if you are happy about it? Or, perhaps, it's both and that is what is causing the confusion?"
Fenton swore under his breath again. A little frantic, his heart beginning to beat faster, he texted, "I don't want to talk about this."
"Alright. You ought to talk about it at some point, but perhaps I'm not the best choice…"
Fenton made a face. Who else was he supposed to talk about it? Phantom was the only one who knew the full story.
"Good luck with school," Phantom added. "Let me know how it goes."
"Alright. Thanks. For before."
"Any time."
Fenton stared at the screen a moment. Sam had set Phantom's form as the icon image, and though Fenton knew it wasn't him—not exactly—he still stared at it. He shoved Sam's phone into his pouch and hid his head in his arms, his heart and mind racing. He just needed a few minutes calm himself. Find his footing again. Just a few minutes.
Phantom landed in front of the Nasty Burger's entrance and took a deep breath. In his hand he held a five-dollar bill he had found completely by chance on an empty sidewalk. He might have ignored the money—he had no need to eat and there wasn't anything he wanted to buy that was under five dollars—but Noah, the man Phantom had healed that morning, had mentioned he worked at the Nasty Burger, Phantom and Fenton's favorite junk food joint.
And, while Phantom had no need to eat, he realized he wanted a milkshake.
Perhaps it was a comfort thing…
He pushed the doors open and stepped inside, the bell above the door tinkling at his entrance. He looked around, apprehensive, but the dining area seemed empty. For the time being. There were two employees, one in the kitchen and one at the counter. The woman in the kitchen looked up at Phantom's entrance but the man at the counter continued to stare at his phone, looking distressed.
The woman's eyes widened.
Usually, positive attention from the human population made Phantom feel like all the fighting he and Fenton had done in the past was worth something, it often made him feel warm despite his cold temperature, but Phantom felt the urge to back out of the fast food restaurant as an excited look came over the woman's expression. He didn't feel like showing off or charming an audience at the moment; he just wanted a milkshake.
"Justin!" the woman snapped at her coworker.
Rolling his eyes, the man set his phone aside and looked up.
And then his jaw dropped.
Phantom almost turned around, but "Justin" was the name of Noah's crush, the one he had said traded shifts with him in order to party last night. Personally, Phantom didn't see why Noah bothered, but Fenton and Valerie were setting high standards in him.
"Good morning," Phantom called out politely as he approached the counter. "I was hoping to order a strawberry milkshake?"
Justin fumbled with his jaw a moment, struggling to form words. Finally, he managed in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, "What size?"
"Small, please."
Justin nodded jerkily. He started ringing it up but stopped as the woman approached the counter and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That won't be necessary, Justin." She smiled at Phantom. "It's on the house."
Phantom slowed to a stop in front of the counter. "I can pay," he assured her, holding up the five he had found.
She tilted her head and eyed him curiously a moment, and for some reason, Phantom thought he was being pitied. She looked to be in her late twenties, but her expression made him feel even younger than he was in that moment. Like a child that had wandered in off the street.
"Hun," she said gently, "is that all the money you have?"
Phantom frowned. He had no access to his allowance, no lunch money, no way to earn cash, so… "Yes," he admitted hesitantly, "but I don't need for anything. I'm a ghost. I'm…dead."
Sort of.
"Of course you don't need it, what kid needs money?" She shook her head. "For someone your age, it isn't about needing money, it's about using it for fun things."
"Like milkshakes?" Phantom asked pointedly.
"Like playing games at the arcade or—" she winked at him "—taking a pretty girl on a date."
Unbidden, a smile pulled at Phantom's lips.
"Pretty boy," Justin said quickly. The smile faded. Phantom and the woman looked at Justin, and the young man's pale cheeks turned red at the attention. "He's—it's—the Fenton kid!" He held up his phone. "Everyone is saying it! That you have on the Fentons' son!"
"Oh, Justin," the woman scolded, "internet rumors aren't reliable, we've been over this."
Justin's shoulders rose and he appeared to deflate a little. Phantom, partly out of sympathy, partly because it felt good to acknowledge he was attracted to another boy, said, "I do. A small one. He is dating someone else, though, so taking him on a date is out."
Justin's face lit up, his eyes opening wide and his grin stretching ear to ear. His mouth opened but he didn't manage to actually say anything for all that he looked as though he was about to explode with questions.
The woman gave Phantom an odd look. "You prefer boys then?"
Phantom shrugged. "Both."
Justin squeaked, "Oh my gosh, you're bi."
The woman chuckled. "You just made his whole day."
Phantom crooked a smile. "He would have found out from Noah eventually. We talked about boys to keep him distracted and awake while I healed him." The knot in his stomach tightened briefly. "I…" he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about…"
"None of that!" The woman grabbed one of the small milkshake cups and turned away from the counter. "We're the ones who should be thanking you, and that's why you're getting a free milkshake. Strawberry, was it?"
Phantom levitated an inch off the floor, buoyed by relief. "Yes. Please."
"And you can save that fiver for your boy crush. Should he ever realize what a catch you are, you should bring him here."
Phantom chuckled weakly. "Uh, yeah. Sure…"
The doubt in his voice made Justin lean forward, eyes bright. "Does he know?"
Phantom raised an eyebrow. Coming from one who, according to Noah, was blind to Noah's affections going back for the past several months, the question was more than a little ironic. "Given the rumors, it would be hard for him not to, don't you think?"
"Yeah, true, I guess," Justin said, not catching the wariness in Phantom's tone, "but what about before?"
Phantom shrugged. "I never hid my feelings from him." Doing so would have been incredibly difficult with their minds merged, and the emotion had been too new and raw, too exciting and too frightening for him to try. He still wasn't sure how Fenton had managed—assuming Phantom was right about Fenton's feelings for him.
Before Justin could press him further, his coworker came back with Phantom's milkshake. Seeing the pink 'shake, Phantom beamed and eagerly reached for it. He hadn't had ice cream or anything sweet in…days. A week. However long it had been. He pulled the straw into his mouth and swallowed a mouthful, humming happily as the flavor hit his tongue.
"Is that your favorite ice cream flavor?" Justin asked eagerly. "Strawberry? Or is it just your favorite milkshake? No one has seen you having one before, is this your first time drinking a milkshake?"
"Justin…" his coworker chided.
Phantom released the straw and asked the woman, "I'm sorry, I haven't gotten your name yet."
"Mary." She pointed to her badge. "I'm the scheduling manager here."
Phantom hummed. He swallowed another mouthful before saying, a little hesitantly, "Danny Fenton is…the one Justin mentioned. The one I have a crush on. He is dating one of your employees. Valerie Gray."
Mary's mouth formed an "o."
"So if you could keep my crush between the three of us—four, once Noah is released from the hospital, I suppose—I would appreciate it. I don't want to cause any problems between them."
Mary nodded, her expression clearing and then, oddly, settling into something like sympathy. "She isn't fond of ghosts, as I recall."
"Danny Fenton probably isn't either," Justin said, his voice more excited than sympathetic. "I mean, his parents are the Fentons! They're the local ghost hunters! Like, they're not as skilled as that Huntress chick, but they're pretty famous for wanting to, er…"
"Rip me apart?" Phantom supplied.
Justin winced.
Phantom sighed. "The crush isn't going anywhere. Seeing it spread and talked about like it is nothing more than juicy gossip is…a little painful.
"We won't say anything," Mary promised.
When Justin hesitated too long, she elbowed his side and he squeaked out a, "Right!"
Phantom smiled his appreciation. It may not be necessary. Fenton might manage to admit part of the truth to the gossips as they had planned, allowing it to get out anyway on their own terms, but it would keep Justin from talking about it in front of Valerie, at least.
"You can drink that here," Mary said, nodding at his milkshake. "These are our quiet hours, not many people show up here for breakfast. Go ahead and sit at one of the tables.
Phantom had intended to buy his milkshake and go, but he hesitated at the offer. He hadn't been welcomed anywhere in a while. Somewhere to simply rest where he didn't have to worry about being chased out sounded…luxurious. He only had a milkshake, it wasn't as thought he was eating, but if they were willing to accept his presence…
"Alright," he said, floating a couple inches from the counter. He scanned the tables. He usually sat at the booths when he was merged with Fenton and eating with their friends, but by himself? Perhaps one of the pedestal tables by the windows. He had an urge to perch. He pointed to one out of immediate sight of the doors. "I'll just be over there."
Justin released another excited squeak, but Mary grabbed his arm and dragged him into the kitchen for what Phantom assumed was about to be an employee conference. Phantom floated to his chosen table and a chair. As soon as he sat down, his legs fused into a tail and wrapped contentedly down a chair leg.
From the kitchen, he heard another squeaking sound.
Phantom ignored it. He set his milkshake on the table and unzipped a pouch on his utility belt. He pulled out his and Fenton's phone and stuffed the five-dollar bill in its place before zipping the pouch shut again. For once, he would be able to scroll through Paulina's website and text Fenton in comfort without worrying about accidentally dropping the phone, flying into anything, or encountering a fight.
Luxury.
Unfortunately, Fenton had yet to send a text. It was a little disappointing; second period would start soon. Fenton must have caught up to Sam and Tucker between classes, so perhaps he was only distracted, but his next class, economics, was more demanding than algebra. He would not be able to text Phantom that whole time.
Sighing, Phantom returned to Paulina's website instead. Although he refreshed the home page occasionally to check for any new threads, he tried to stick to the thread about himself and Fenton, wanting to stay on top of the rumors and any reports of what was happening at the school in case something went wrong.
So far, the thread was largely dominated by Starr's report about what Fenton had said during her interrogation. Fenton hadn't confirmed anything about Phantom's feelings or, apparently, his sexuality, but he had let slip that they had "known" each other for two years, something Phantom found particularly interesting.
Perhaps Fenton had only meant it in relation to their unified existence, but more and more Phantom felt like he had known Fenton for those two years as well. They hadn't spoken or even acknowledged each other, obviously, but it was as though Fenton had always been there, beside Phantom.
Phantom's lips twitched into a wry smile. Or me beside him, he thought.
There had been a few responses to Starr after that, but Phantom expected there to be more given the break between classes. Starr had yet to even bring up Sam's "call" to Fenton, which was sure to spark more debates. He refreshed the page, absently sucking on his milkshake.
Justin slid into the seat opposite him.
Phantom warily looked up from his phone.
"So," Justin said, beaming, "you can eat? Can you sleep too? How different are ghosts to humans? Are you really, like, for real dead?"
"Should you not be working…?"
"I'm taking my break."
"Ah." Phantom looked down at his phone again. He frowned, realizing there were a lot more responses than he would have expected over such a short break. Were they all responding to Starr's interrogation? "Yes, yes, depends on the ghost, and it's complicated."
"Uh…haha, can you elaborate on that?"
Instead of answering, Phantom asked, "How is Noah?"
Justin's expression crumpled. "Oh. He's—he's doing great. They just discharged him from the hospital. He's pretty stoked because the city is footing the bill for all his tests and his classes are giving him an extension. He says he's going to sleep for the next twelve hours, though.
Phantom smiled, more tension leaving his stomach. "That's a relief. I had never healed someone so hurt before. I was worried I had…"
Messed up.
Made things worse.
Missed something.
He shook his head. "Never mind." He scrolled up on his phone, trying to find the last post he had read. There were several posts written in all caps. Something must have happened at the school. Phantom scrolled faster.
Justin leaned over the table and peered at Phantom's screen. "Oh! You get on that website too?"
"I only found out about it yesterday," Phantom admitted. "I want to see what they're saying about Fenton."
Justin settled in his seat again and cupped his chin in his hand. Phantom glanced up and saw the older boy smiling at him. "You really care about him, huh?"
Phantom looked back down at his phone. "Yes." There was no point denying it, but he didn't offer anything more. He reached the last post he remembered and blew out a breath. This was going to be a long read.
From his peripheral vision, he saw Justin pulling out his own phone. Likely to check the website himself, but so long as it distracted him and kept him from asking Phantom too many questions, Phantom didn't mind.
The first three posts were in relation to Starr's interrogation, mostly speculating about Fenton's past with Phantom and how it might intersect with how often he had been seen running away seconds before the ghosts even showed up—Phantom hadn't realized anyone noticed—but then…
Inviso_Billy: HOLY SHIT FENTON JUST THREW DASH TO THE GROUND!
Yes-I-am-a-Star: That's what you're focusing on? The fight? Not the part where Danny admitted Phantom FUCKING KISSED HIM?
Inviso_Billy: You have your priorities and I have mine.
Moon_ghost_goddess: Wait a second, what do you mean he kissed him?
Ghostbutt69420: I heard it too! Dash pounced on Danny as soon as he entered the classroom and tried threatening him into admitting none of it was real, but then Danny shouted Phantom had been the one who kissed HIM.
Moon_ghost_goddess: Excuse me, WHAT?!
"Uh…Phantom?" Justin said, excitement making his voice pitch higher. "Did you really kiss—"
He looked up, but Phantom and his milkshake were gone.
The screech of indignant rage escaped Paulina's throat before she could control herself. Her teacher and, worse, her classmates turned widened eyes toward her, but she ignored them and typed a frantic message back to Starr. Mrs. Harris didn't warn her in words to lower her phone, but she cleared her throat pointedly.
In flawless Spanish, Paulina snapped at her Spanish teacher to mind her own business. The woman flushed and turned huffy, but Paulina finished her message to Starr and pressed send without acknowledging Mrs. Harris' wounded pride.
Valerie continued tapping her pen lazily against the table and stared out the window, the only one in the classroom who had ignored Paulina's outrage. Her apathy irritated Paulina, not least because it was Valerie's boyfriend who was ruining everything. Paulina was half tempted to shove Starr's message in her face, but no, Starr would send a message to Valerie any minute, and then Valerie wouldn't be so calm and thoughtful.
Paulina's phone dinged and she looked down.
"That's what Danny said! He said, 'Phantom was the one who kissed ME' and then something about taking it up with Phantom and leaving Danny out of it, but do you realize what this means?"
Paulina scowled, her nose wrinkling in distaste. She texted, "That Danny is a filthy liar?"
"No! Paulina, what if he really is telling the truth?"
"Why would the Ghost Boy be interested in HIM? He's such a loser!"
"Oh please, you think he's cute too."
"I DO NOT!"
"And, anyway, you've seen the picture. I was onboard your idea that he looks worried because he really cares about Danny as like a friend or maybe a brother, but if Danny's saying he kissed him, that puts a different spin on things, right? If Phantom has finally opened himself up to the idea of dating a human, this could be our chance!"
Paulina dropped her phone on the table and pressed her fingers to her temples. Frustrated. Irritated. She picked up her phone again and texted Starr, "Did Danny say if he kissed Phantom back?"
"No. Dash went all macho and tried to punch him before we got the chance to ask. That's another thing, though. You should have seen it. Twiggy Danny actually flipped Dash over his back!"
Paulina snorted derisively. "Serves him right. There's more important things going on than Dash's pride or whatever his issue is."
"He's jealous. You know he has wanted to be Phantom's friend ever since that adventure he says they had. But for real, Danny actually looked cool for a second there."
Paulina rolled her eyes and set her phone down again. Who cared? Danny had been taunting Dash since freshman year, so what if he managed to finally beat Dash at his own game for once? Dash would retaliate later, and the cycle would repeat itself. School yard drama was hardly going to interest a guy like Phantom.
So, what had? It just didn't make sense for a great hero like Phantom to choose Danny, especially when Paulina had made her feelings abundantly clear. It had been two years since she first met him under City Hall, and if he had yet to ask her out, that could only mean one thing: he didn't want to endanger her. His enemies would hurt her if they found out. Of course that was why, it was a classic hero struggle.
And that meant Phantom wouldn't date any human—least of all Danny.
So, Danny was lying. He had to be.
There was just no way Phantom was interested in Danny. Danny was just so…ordinary. Sure, his wide eyes and perky nose were a little adorable, and there was something unfairly enchanting about the combined effect of ice blue eyes and black hair, but he may as well be invisible next to Paulina's beauty and talents. She was a star athlete; he played video games. She could backflip off the top of a pyramid; he tripped over his shoelaces. She was the most desired girl in the whole school; he was the school loser.
There wasn't any comparison to be made. What could possibly be so special about Danny that it had caught Phantom's eye? Paulina had been trying to do so for years, but while Phantom seemed receptive, he never lingered after he saved her. He never stuck around long enough to talk, and he frequently pretended he didn't even know her name.
He never forgot Danny Fenton's name, though, she recalled, pouting. He kept trying to set me up with him. Maybe if I had taken him up on the offer, I could have gotten closer to Phantom because they're obviously friends. I could have used Danny to reach him. It seemed to do the trick for Sam…
If anyone had been her rival for Phantom, Paulina would have thought it would be Sam, especially after the newspaper compared the two of them as rivals for "Inviso-Bill's" affections. Sam was often seen fighting ghosts alongside Phantom, sometimes even talking to him. Paulina had even begun to wonder if Sam wasn't really the Red Huntress. She had only dismissed the idea when she realized Sam's body was too skinny. It lacked the curves that made Kwan and Dash drool over the Red Huntress' image.
But that still left the Red Huntress as a rival as well. She was obviously hot. She could fly and she fought ghost, so there was no risk in Phantom dating her like there was for Paulina. She even teamed up with Phantom sometimes. The only obstacle between her and Phantom would be her ghost hunting, but Phantom wasn't just a ghost, he was a hero. The Huntress could set aside her antagonism at any time and realize how amazing Phantom was, and then that would be it. Paulina didn't know how attractive the Huntress was under that mask, but even she knew she couldn't compete against someone like that, not if the Huntress ever lowered her guard and let Phantom in. Paulina knew how emotionally charged enemies falling in love could be.
So, in Paulina's mind, there had been three of them. Sam, because she appeared to have some sort of in as Danny's friend; the Red Huntress, because she was an amazing ghost fighter who, luckily, hated ghosts; and Paulina herself. She was beautiful. She was popular. She was a princess just waiting to be swept off her feet by the hero. Paulina knew boys, she knew which one appealed to them the most, so she wasn't too worried.
But now?
Danny?
Where the fuck had he come from?
She hadn't planned for him. If she had planned for Phantom liking boys at all, she might have expected Dash, but Danny Fenton? Twiggy, clumsy, weird Danny Fenton? If he meant anything to Phantom, it was only supposed to be as his friend, his source of information and ghost tech, not his boyfriend. Phantom wasn't supposed to have feelings for him. He wasn't supposed to kiss Danny.
Paulina felt another outraged shriek building and hurriedly tamped it down. It was already bad enough her classmates had seen her lose control the first time. Now wasn't the time to express her anger. It would only make her look weak against Danny's claim. Now was the time for dignity. Poise. Danny's lie would fall apart, as all lies must. She just needed to hold it together and wait it out.
Valerie shifted in her seat. If Paulina hadn't been so keen on catching her reaction, she might have missed Valerie slipping her phone onto her thigh. Rather than look at the phone as well, Paulina stared at Valerie's expression. Either Danny was telling the truth and another man (a town hero) was making the moves on Valerie's boyfriend, or Danny was spreading a lie about being kissed without any care for how it would reflect on his girlfriend.
Either way, Paulina knew how she would react, and she stared at Valerie, awaiting the moment of explosive fury.
Valerie's brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. Her lips pulled away from her teeth, and she hissed out a furious whisper, "What?" Paulina waited, breathless for more, but then Valerie closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she glanced at Paulina. "What? I take it you heard too?"
Paulina sniffed. Although Valerie was whispering, Paulina thought she could still hear anger in her voice. "About your boyfriend being a dirty liar? Of course."
Valerie frowned. "I'm not sure he is lying."
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
Against all sense, Valerie actually seemed to be relaxing. She had been tense and wound up all morning, but upon hearing her boyfriend was, apparently, the recipient of Danny Phantom's affections, she was relaxing?
Paulina scowled at her. "What's the matter with you? You should be furious!"
"Like you?" Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Worried Danny's going to steal your man, Paulina?"
Paulina seethed, her face flushing with heat. She wanted to explain all the ways Danny was most likely lying, no matter what Valerie thought, but that would just make it sound like she was in denial. She finally burst out, "Why aren't you?"
"Because, unlike some people, there's more going on in my life than romance." Valerie set her chin in her hand again and looked out the window. "I've had cheating boyfriends in the past. I thought Danny was different, but…" She sighed, and the last of the tension left her shoulders. "I think I would actually prefer this."
Paulina clawed her fingers over the table. She really, really wanted to tear something. Maybe even Valerie's notebook, if she could have snuck it past Valerie's lightning-fast reflexes. "That's a completely different tune to the one you were singing yesterday. What happened to 'Danny isn't like that?'"
"Whatever, Paulina." Valerie began tapping her pencil again. "Find your drama outlet elsewhere. I will take Danny being a cheater over the alternative any day…"
Paulina clenched her teeth and seethed.
Phantom tucked himself against the bulwark of the Nasty Burger's roof and tapped his fingers against his milkshake as he listened to the phone ring in his ears. And ring. And ring. It reached the voicemail, and Phantom sighed before terminating the call. He sent a text instead, asking Fenton to call him as soon as he had the chance and then returned to Paulina's website as he waited.
What other choice did he have? Sam didn't have her phone and Tucker would be in the middle of class.
Unfortunately, those fans able to talk on the internet seemed more interested in the kiss Fenton had mentioned than in the fight that had occurred between Fenton and Dash after. The fight Fenton had, somehow, won. Without ghost powers.
Phantom tapped his fingers against his milkshake a couple more times before he took another drink—partly to distract himself. He wanted to fly to the school. If Fenton and Dash had fought, Fenton had likely been hurt at some point, which meant Phantom might need to heal him.
He needed to know how the fight went.
Why were the fans so determined to gossip about some kiss Fenton hadn't even wanted when Fenton had apparently launched Dash over his shoulder just minutes ago?
Finally driven by desperation, Phantom texted Tucker, "Tucker, hi, I need answers."
He switched back to the website, not really expecting a reply, but half a minute later, Tucker sent back, "DUDE, YOUR HUMAN HALF THREW DASH LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!"
Phantom sat up straight. Quickly, he texted, "Oh! Excellent, that is what I wanted to know. Give me the details."
"Alright, well, first, it was a little weird because Danny shouted that you had kissed him. Honestly, he sounded so frustrated I almost believed him too, but he was probably just trying to make Dash back down."
Phantom half smiled. "Probably."
"Well, it was a stupid idea because it just made him angrier. He had been holding onto Danny's shirt and he was about to punch Danny when Danny just, like, grabbed the arm Dash was holding him with, spun around, and made him flip over his back. Dash slammed into the ground so hard he couldn't even catch his breath. It was awesome!"
It was difficult to imagine, and doing so made Phantom feel a little lightheaded, a little turned on, something Fenton wouldn't appreciate, so Phantom brushed it and his imagination aside. "But Dash is huge, and Fenton doesn't have ghost powers anymore."
"That didn't seem to matter. I looked it up a little bit ago. Apparently, it's a Judo move, but it's supposed to be really tricky to get it right. He basically used his shoulder like a fulcrum! I didn't know you knew how to do that!"
Phantom raised an eyebrow. "I don't. Fenton must have learned the move yesterday during training."
"After a single day of training?"
"He is the fighter," Phantom said quietly to himself. To Tucker, he texted, "I guess so."
"Yeah, well, Kwan grabbed Danny's shoulder after that, and Danny kind of, like, forced him to let go by twisting into the hold and slipping under his arm. Kwan and Dash chased him into the classroom, and Danny tripped Kwan with a chair. He probably could have gotten away if people from the hallway hadn't crowded inside to watch.
"Wow…" After sending the one-word text, Phantom closed his eyes and leaned the back of his head on the bulwark. The sun warmed his face and his arched throat, the only exposed skin thanks to his jumpsuit. Wind tugged at his hair, brushing it over his forehead. After a moment, he opened his eyes and added another text, "I wish I had seen it. Fenton is…" he smiled wryly, "full of surprises."
"…Hey, man, I know it's impressive, but you don't have to feel jealous or anything. You're the one with ghost powers, remember?"
Phantom frowned at the screen of his phone. "Jealous?" He scrolled up and reread some of their conversation, trying to see it from Tucker's perspective. "Oh, I see. I am not jealous. Quite the opposite, really."
"What's the opposite of jealousy?"
Phantom smiled. "Admiration."
"Isn't that a little weird? To admire yourself?"
Phantom rolled his eyes, allowing his smile to fade. "No more weird than being jealous of myself would have been."
"Oh. Ah. Point taken." A moment later, Tucker asked, "Hey, uh, did you really kiss him?"
Phantom hummed uncomfortably. He may have exposed too much. It was too soon after Fenton's confession for Tucker to miss undertones the way he might have before, but, fortunately, sarcasm could disguise a great deal…
"Oh yes, of course, Tuck. I just couldn't resist kissing him."
"Haha, okay, okay, I get it, stupid question."
Phantom snickered, but his next question quieted his humor. "Is Fenton hurt at all?"
"Nope! The teacher arrived right when Dash caught Danny. He sent all three to the office. Dash was the only one hurt in that fight."
Phantom blew out a sigh of relief, the anxious knot in his shoulders easing. "Good. Thanks, Tuck."
"No problem."
Phantom switched back to Paulina's website, finally able to relax and focus on the fallout of Fenton admitting Phantom had kissed him. Phantom had told Fenton he could in order to make the idea Phantom had a crush on him more believable, but he hadn't expected Fenton to actually do it, especially not when admitting there was a crush at all had flustered Fenton so much.
It wasn't how Phantom would have liked the information to get out, either. Hopefully, it could be spun into Fenton trying to either antagonize Dash or Fenton trying to deflect Dash's attention away from himself. It didn't seem likely, given the eyewitness accounts on the website insisting Fenton had sounded as though the words had been ripped from him, but there was still a slim chance they could play it off…
Assuming they wanted it to be…
Another text popped up on the screen. Eager to hear from Fenton, Phantom clicked on it and—
Valerie.
Phantom sucked in a breath through his teeth. Of course. She was texting Fenton. Or who she thought was Fenton.
Or rather, Danny, their unified self.
It was a brief message. "We need to talk."
Phantom blew out a breath. "Never a good sign," he whispered to himself. She must have heard about Fenton's confession. And now she wants to warn him about me, probably. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back. What should he say? He suspected his response would be too flirty for her, Fenton's would be too aggressive, and…he couldn't remember how they would respond as one.
In the end, he chose the safe route. "When? Lunch?"
"So everyone can listen in? No thanks. We can talk on the way to your house or after your parents' training."
"Alright. See you then."
Phantom waited, half wondering if he should tack on an "I love you" or not. That was a thing couples did, but he didn't think Valerie would appreciate it just then. He wasn't sure if it really suited their relationship just yet anyway. It was still so young, and they were keeping so many secrets from each other.
He waited, but Valerie didn't text back.
Blowing out a sigh, he switched back to the website. It surprised him a little Valerie hadn't asked about the kiss, given how much it seemed to be blowing up, but perhaps she was choosing to find out the truth in person.
Mrs_Phantom: Urgh, PLEASE, Danny is obviously lying to get attention, would you losers calm down?
Moon_ghost_goddess: I hate to say it, but I'm siding with Paulina on this. There's just no WAY Phantom would kiss Danny. I mean…come on. He's. Guys. He's like. So weird. He's not even that cute.
Phantom snorted and half smiled. He had thought the same, allowing others' view of Fenton's appearance to influence his own, but then he saw Fenton after their latest separation, and… Perhaps during kissing and in response to a few physical reactions, he might have expected to feel attracted to him, but Fenton hadn't done anything except look up at him on Monday, and Phantom had felt his thoughts shatter like a dropped plate. From Valerie or Paulina, he might have expected to feel like his soul had just been stolen, but from Fenton?
He had been blindsided.
Phantom scrolled past a few more similar posts that accused Fenton of being lame and unattractive. He shook his head. He wasn't especially inclined to confront them as Fenton might have done, but if he had had an account, he might have. They were trying to speak for him, putting their views forward as if that would make a difference at all, as if Ashley from Chemistry seeing Danny Fenton as an ugly, clumsy oaf held more weight than Fenton falling asleep in Phantom's arms during the meteor shower, as if Fenton inviting Phantom to rest on the bed beside him wasn't an act of hard-won trust that still made Phantom's stomach flutter whenever he remembered how that day ended.
It simply didn't matter what they thought about Fenton.
And anyway. The ones saying Fenton was unattractive and lame also said Phantom was too hot for him. If Fenton and Phantom had still been whole, it would have been all sorts of ironic.
Then the conversation began to swing away from Fenton's looks and moved into a more uncomfortable direction.
They became supportive.
Phantom put the phone to sleep and pressed the edge of the phone case against his forehead, closing his eyes. He took a shaky breath. It was everything he needed, everything he wanted to hear, but they didn't understand. They couldn't know the history between him and Fenton. He wanted to read their support, let it soothe the raw edges of his feelings, but he couldn't.
The phone began to sing.
Phantom sighed in relief and shoved the confusion aside. Finally. He answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear. "Fenton—"
"I told Dash you kissed me!" Fenton blurted, the words spilling out in a rush for all that they were slightly hushed.
Phantom smiled and hugged a knee to his chest, the wind blowing his hair over his forehead again. He couldn't help it. Fenton was adorable when flustered. "Perhaps start at the beginning…?"
Alright, so, this chapter? AHHHHHHHH
If you want a little behind the scenes breakdown of how this chapter was made, I had originally planned for most of it to take the form of text logs between Fenton and Phantom/the chat logs on Paulina's website/Tucker and Phantom, that sort of thing. I sent an early draft of that to Kris, my cowriter for Lost at Sea and beta reader for this fic (she's amazing and incredibly patient, like oh my god, you'll see). She didn't have anything baaad to say about it, but she didn't have anything good either lol. The problem with text logs is that it tells a story without showing anything, and that it was too jarring a theme change for this fic, so I had to write-out the scenes instead, and I started with Dash's fight with Fenton. Wow, where did that go? YEAH, THAT'S THE THING. Right so, I finished that scene and Paulina's scene and texts between Fenton/Phantom, Phantom/Tucker, and sent it to Kris again as like a half formed chapter, and it was okay, but the beginning was all wrong, so I added the stuff with Sam, Tucker, and Fenton walking into the school because if Fenton was going to freak out about going into the school in the previous chapter, I wanted to show he wasn't freaking out over nothing. It's important for his character. I added Starr and Kwan's interrogation later down the line, but I couldn't get it to match up with Dash's fight. I figured I would fix that in the rewrite, but then Kris pointed out that what we were seeing in Dash's scene was basically what Tucker/Phantom and Fenton/Phantom were talking about so it was just repeating what we already knew. Same with Starr and Kwan's interrogation.
...AHHHHHHH
So, uh, I had to make the call that the conversations were more important than the fight, so I removed the fight scene (setting it aside for possible later use) but that left a huge gap in the chapter, and I started thinking about adding Phantom's POV and setting up something I had planned for a future chapter and that's how Phantom's trip to the Nasty Burger came to be. (This, for context, was around October/November/early December). Writing it took a long time, and then I still had to fix the interrogation, which took even longer because revising something you're attached too kinda hurts but I think it flows way better and doesn't have some of the more unrealistic elements the previous version had. Kris, meanwhile, has read, like, six versions of this same chapter, oh my god, pls give her a round of applause.
Adding to how long it took, due to the pandemic, my work has been making me work overtime almost all year, so finding time to work on this was, sadly, not easy. I started waking up an hour early to write just because I'm so bone tired when I get home I only shower, eat, watch a show, and crash. It hasn't been a good year, ugh.
That said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took a lot of effort lol. There will be a little more school drama next chapter because how people see Fenton is a big part of his self-identity, but we're working through it.
Please stay safe, and let me know what you think!