"Oh, I thought you'd have fingerless biker gloves perhaps instead.", Val suggested as Sam gave a small nod, thinking that Val was right, and it might work for her with the colors she said before.
"As your principal said, I won't try to take up your time too long, girls, do you dream of being a princess?", Dora asked as a few of the girls, mostly from the cheerleading squad gave enthusiastic cheers. Sam slumped further into her seat as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, here we go...", Sam groaned. "No.", she answered, though obviously not loud enough for the presenter to hear. "Of wearing beautiful gowns and jewelry?", Dora presented her ring.
"Nope.", Sam deadpanned. "Of charming and beguiling that special prince?", Dora asked excitedly.
"Nada.", Sam rolled her eyes as Val smirked. 'Should've said princess, lady, that might have worked.', Val thought to herself since Sam had come out to her best friends.
"I want to make sure that dream comes true for one of you sweet young ladies. That's why I'm bringing my 'Miss Teenage Happy Princess Beauty Pageant' right here to your school!", Dora pulled a rope to reveal the banner she had set up as Val and Sam looked at each other.
"Wow, that name is terrible.", Val admitted. "Sounds like they had ten seconds to come up with something and get it printed.".
Sam snorted, "And don't forget there should be a talent show for the boys...She must be the representative for the girls...Honestly, if it was me, I would have named it Equality Teenage Talent and Beauty Show."
Val nodded, "Good point, and that's actually catchy and better...Maybe the guy representative arrives later or something.", before whispering, "I hope it isn't the executioner guy...Bathroom breaks doesn't last too long.".
"A bad meal is a perfect excuse and not like they're able to prove it.", Sam pointed out. "Still, I think your hope has been shattered because I think that's exactly what's happening.".
Sam would very much be right as Dani was locked in a fierce struggle with the executioner ghost. One slice right at her and Dani had to copy herself just to avoid it.
"Two on one, why didn't we think of this sooner?", Dani Prime asked. "Didn't have much time to think to avoid the constant swiping axe!", Dani 2 snapped as the twin ghost girls moved to turn on the offensive on the headsman.
Dani Prime replied, "Touche!", as she and Dani fired at the headsman with blasts of spectral energy, and he yelped out in pain, but didn't lose his balance as he caught himself, spinning around, with his axe in a slice at the two Dani's.
Dani Prime had a fraction of a second longer to react and just managed to dive down and nearly get the top of her hair a close shave. The same could not be said for her copy next to her as the axe stuck her first and sliced her in half.
"Ow...", Dani 2 rolled her eyes upward before quickly de-materializing and reverting back to Dani Prime. Dani groaned at the 'phantom' pain of being cleaved in half. She made a mental note where she was going to train and make sure her copies could take a bit more of a beating like Vlad could do with his.
She also didn't have too much more time to react after that as the execution swung a rope that went right around her neck. Dani was just lucky she had held her arm up and had it pressed against her neck when he tightened the noose, or she would've been strangled.
She grunted, narrowing her eyes as she pushed the rope hard, hearing the executioner ghost laugh, and she spat, "You are a sicko of a bastard!", using her anger at him, her eyes glowing brighter and stronger, and then suddenly, sent out ghost rays from her eyes at his head, and he was hit hard, yelling out in pain as he became blind temporarily, losing grip of the rope, and Dani slipped out, free, and grabbed the rope, flying around the executioner fast like a tornado, tying him up before he could even react.
Of course, before she had a chance to finish tying him up and getting ready to throw him into the Fenton Thermos, his axe, like a boomerang came right back, causing her to avoid it, but getting the rope cut. And he wasn't done as he grabbed his axe and swung it once more before she could react. Only good news was that it hit her on the side, meaning she wasn't cut by the blade but more struck like a blunt instrument and caused her to start falling back towards the school below while he used the chance to escape.
Dani was quick to respond, turning around and in her sideview, saw the rooftop flagpole, and grabbed into the steel to stop her fall, and spin around to fly up under control to catch the executioner, but quickly, she realized that he was nowhere to be seen, looking around.
She checked for some minutes, flying up a bit higher to look, but nothing, and she frowned, "He ain't a coward for being cruel there...but what the heck is he doing?", wincing at the phantom pain, stunned that she was damn lucky that she was a ghost for both being cleaved in half and being nearly strangled...
She took a deep breath, "Better get back before anyone starts to notice.", and headed back down, through the school, to one of the auditorium bathrooms, the one she was using, and after checking the coast for the rest of the bathroom, changed back to human, and winced as she felt the pain of the bruises and the phantom pain...God, she really has to be smarter with that executioner...Older Danny in the other timeline was really right..
Dani moved quick until she got back right to the auditorium doors and snuck her way quietly to where Sam and Val were sitting. "Wow, terrible name.", Dani whispered to her friends as she took the empty seat they saved for her.
"That's what I said.", Sam smirked. "So yeah, she's just rambling on right now about the joys of being a princess like it's a dang fairy tale."
"And probably sounds like there's no swimsuit contest, so I suppose there's one upside because most of those contests have them for one reason only." Val added before the trio sighed. The male mind could really be so easy to read.
Dani whispered, "When do you think she will be done talking?", and Val whispered, "10 more minutes, I bet. She is certainly...excited.", and Sam rolled her eyes, "Poke me when she's done talking. I'm taking a nap.", closing her eyes into a doze.
Dani glanced at Val, "Honestly, I should have seen this coming, considering her views. You want to volunteer? Face it, you're one popular girl, Val. Believe me, I'd like to try, but you know my...", before whispering, "priorities about being too spirited in competitions.".
"Dani, girl, too spirited? You do remember I'm on the football team?", Val shook her head. "Of course, if you're referring to the other sense of spirit...". Dani glanced away. "Maybe you should try it yourself, Dani. Show yourself off a bit, you ironically are the more face in the crowd of our little trio what with my star status and Sam's pure individuality.".
"True...", Dani admitted. Val did have a point; there was a part of Dani deep down that kinda liked the idea. Maybe not the princess thing exactly but certainly beauty, showing off a bit.
Dani whispered, "Still, I can't do it because...he's still around...", and Val frowned, "Ran away again?", and Dani nodded softly.
She doesn't want to mess up the pageant if it was really her fault and the executioner guy came through swinging and destroying the pageant and scaring the kids away.
Val blinked before smiling in a whisper, "Tell you what, I'll do it for both of you...After all, in most beauty pageants, they got girls like you instead of barely having girls like me...I better represent them. And perhaps if the judges hear that I'm a football player and proving everyone wrong, well, it's a peg driving Dash down.", with a smirk.
"Not wrong about girls like you... though I think you'd be a bit more at home with some bodybuilders than models.", Dani teased as Val smiled, "Eh, give it a few years once I'm done with football and I might lose a little build...".
"Hey, have I ever complained about it?", Dani smirked as Val blushed a bit. "Now, of course, it comes to who would be the most perfect to judge!", Dora quickly got their attention again.
Dani raised an eyebrow, whispering, "Is she serious? I thought the judges would be the teachers or something...", and Val replied back, "Probably because she thinks that having other teenagers to judge the pageant and talent would help make them feel like they are participating still, just not on stage.".
"Our princess must appeal to the masses, so she shall be chosen by a commoner!", Dora explained. "Boy, she's really pushing that whole princess thing.", Val admitted.
"Backing out already?", Dani egged her on as Val gave a glaring smirk. Dozens of students were calling out, wishing to be picked for the judge; mainly most of the guys as Dani could tell that girls like Paulina and Star would practically do anything to tip the scales in their favor to win; including anything to influence the judge.
Dora looked out with a hand over her eyes, "No, we do not need nobles like you.", glancing at Paulina, "Or knights like you.", pricking her nose up at Dash, and she replied, "Come on, we need a commoner, a fairly opinionated commoner!", looking around.
"A what now...?", Sam groaned as she opened her eyes again as Dani and Val looked over... and was also the direction that Dora was looking.
Dora replied, "Yes, you all heard me, children! We need a fair judge! So, that means a fairly opinionated commoner, for commoners are the masses to the princess! And after that, our princess winner will be the judge of the talent show!".
"Wonder who the poor dolt will be to judge this thing then.", Sam smirked to her friends and closed her eyes. "Her!", Dora pointed... before everyone's attention turned right towards Sam who still had her eyes closed. Dani cleared her throat.
"Uh, Sam, I think you're the 'poor dolt'.", Dani said before Sam opened her eyes, saw Dora's excited look and slumped further into her chair. "Great...", Sam groaned.
Many girls in the trio's class gasped and grimaced and frowned at Dora's pick in Sam, and they knew they would have to go extreme to somehow convince Sam so they can win.
Val replied, "This is going to be a really weird or good day...", as Dora then explained that tomorrow on Friday afternoon, the setup for the stage and all will be ready, giving all participants time to get ready, like for the girls to make sure they fit in their dresses, practice for the few parts of the pageant, and for the boys to find and prepare and practice their talent for the talent show after the princess winner has been crowned and ready to judge the boys.
For the next few hours, Sam's life was officially hell. Practically being swarmed by her peers who were constantly asking her if there was anything that she needed or that they could be willing to do for her. Sam obviously knew that they were all trying to curry favor with her in the hopes they would be picked. Just when Sam thought many of them had reached their lowest in terms of how shallow a number of them were, they somehow reached new levels.
Lunch was the worst as Sam had to literally ask Dani to turn them invisible and intangible for them to eat in the girls' section of the gym lockers after a fly.
Val replied, "At least I knew where Coach Calhoun stashes the backup key to lock the door just in case, through the weird thing is that I didn't expect it to be a beauty pageant and talent show thing, as I was more...".
"Expecting in case if the school finds out about my special secret?", Dani replied, and Val nodded, "Yeah...I know that's kind of breaking into the coach's office in a way, but...well...", shrugging.
"Girls, I'm sorry, but I just needed to get away from there!", Sam snapped. "Stupid contest, making me the judge...", she grumbled as she took a bite of her meal.
"Can't you just simply go up to that Dora lady and ask her to pick someone else?", Val asked as Dani shook her head. "We tried. We can't seem to find her right now; she may have already gone back to where she's staying while she's here in town.", Dani explained.
"Any chance of you going and finding out where she's staying? Heck, Dani, go and possess her too! Just get me out of this stupid thing!", Sam argued.
Dani winced, "Even if I ask the principal, she would be suspicious, and if the other kids find out that I'm there or Val...Well, no wonder why it feels...weird to be popular all of a sudden...Now I have an idea of how things would be putting my family in danger if everybody knew my secret and all..", before taking another bite of her lunch.
Val scoffed, "It's one thing being celebrated and respected by a crowd after a football game, but god, asking me or you for stuff when we're Sam's best friends...It's getting ridiculous, I admit...".
Sam sighed, "I guess I'm stuck then...", and Val pointed out, "Hey, it's only a couple of days, and then everything goes back to normal, right? Well, our sort of normal, more or less, and if we're careful, heck, we got safe places at our homes, well, not yours, Sam, but still, mine and Dani's!", before taking a bite of lunch herself.
"Yeah, you're right... a few days.", Sam rubbed her temples. "You know, the thought did occur to me to milk this sort of thing for what it's worth.".
"Oh?", Dani raised an eyebrow. "You mean making all the girls jump through so many hoops for you in the hopes that you pick them? I'm honestly surprised by some of the offers. Star was straight up willing to do all your schoolwork for the rest of high school!".
Sam smirked, "Oh, I know, but honestly, even an idiot can tell the difference between my handwriting and Star's. And the teachers aren't stupid. Heck, can you imagine her writing a totally good essay in history like I do? Her vocabulary is totally more...subpar to mine.".
Val chuckled with a grin, "True, as she has been hanging out with the 'popular' kids for two years...", and Dani snickered, laughing, "Oh, gods! Especially hanging out with Paulina and Dash...".
"So, yeah, that's why I kinda didn't take the chance there. Still, the issue is that obviously none of them will take no for a true answer because they all think there's something that will get me to finally break and give it to them.", Sam sighed.
"Is now a bad time to mention that I'm planning on being a part of this?", Val spoke up as Sam looked to her. "Hey, before you say anything, don't feel like you have to pick me just so we can keep our friendship!".
Sam exhaled, "I know what you mean, Val, and you're one of my best friends, I ain't angry at you for that...After all, it's your choice, and besides, being you, representing the black girls, that's almost like me, standing up for vegetarians and all.", with a chuckle.
Val chuckled, "That, and show everyone else that I ain't just a special football player. I'm a budding woman for Gosh's sake!", with a sharp nod.
Dani smiled wryly with a blush, "You'd make a great princess, not that you're already a princess as princesses can be badass too! I mean, look at Susan and Lucy who became queens in that Narnia movie and book, and even if Colette from Ratatouille isn't a real princess, she's awesome as a chef in a man's world!", recounting the movies in theaters that came out this year of 2006 which the trio saw earlier in the summer.
Sam chuckled, "And don't forget Helen and Violet Parr of the Incredibles family either, and Edna is pretty cool too as I love her sass and dressing in black, and she takes her individuality as a short woman excellently.", with a grin.
The trio all had little laughs at their nerd out before Sam took a deep breath. "Alright, I just needed a breather, Dani, just get us back there without drawing attention and I-", Sam wasn't able to finish as Dani's breath gave out the sign that there was a ghost nearby.
"Ugh, can he just give me a break?", Dani groaned as Val motioned her head, "Go on and get'em then. We'll sneak back the normal way.".
Sam replied, "You want us to save dessert for ya?", seeing Dani's tray almost empty, leaving the chocolate fudge cake. It's one thing for Jack who is totally obsessed with fudge, but Dani and Danny are perhaps in the middle, being chocolate lovers.