#Danny as an adult when he sees his friend: Hey Bitch
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Prompt 170
Once again on my Ras & Danny being training rivals thanks to time travel bullshit.
Look, Danny knows about the league of Assassins, but he almost dies of laughter when he realizes it’s the modern name of the league of Shadows. He’s an adult now, has been for a while, he’s allowed to find the situation he’s found himself in amusing. Hell, his sparring buddy who is somehow still alive is laughing too.
And no one else knows what’s going on, okay? This random man walked into their secret base, completely ignored the many assassins trying to stop him, and called their illustrious leader a “Little Bitch Man” and they are now fighting?
The fighting is familiar, but why the fuck is Ras cackling and saying things like “Ayreh Feek” back. Practically saying “Fuck you,” while laughing and oh Pit, they’re Bantering this is terrifying, why has Ras not won yet, why has this man not died yet and- bodies aren’t supposed to bend like that what the fuck-
Ras on the other hand, has One friend, who is immortal like him, actually remembers the shit he complains about, is also down for saving endangered animals, and actually knows how to spar! It’s not a proper spar unless someone loses at least a hand that has to be reattached! And honestly, people nowadays should know that the proper greeting to an old friend is to instantly try to kill the other.
#dcxdp#dpxdc#prompts#Jason & Talia & the Assassins are just standing there in utter confusion#Dusan also standing there: Oh thank fuck his sparring buddy is back we kept losing operatives whenever Father decided to be affectionate#Most of the League is at least Ecto contaminated but the Al Ghuls are Liminal AF#Danny as a teen: Ur a lil bitch lmao#Ras as a teen: Well fuck you too I hope the earth swallows you where you stand#Danny as an adult when he sees his friend: Hey Bitch#Ras to everyone’s horror: Hey Fucker you’re a decade late#Danny: Had a king to kill you know how it is#Talia: Alright Jason time for you to go to Gotham I think there might be hallucinogens in the Base#Jason: No I want to see more of this this is comedy gold#Tiny Damian doing mental gymnastics: Is this Grandmother?????#No one knows how the fuck to describe their relationship- are they friends?? Rivals?? Lovers?? Just too dudes who apparently have known#each other for a Very long time????
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danny phantom season 2, episode 17-20 thoughts! finishing up season two! the finale is the THIRD 2-PARTER OF SEASON 2. that's so many! I wonder how many season 3 will have?
see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3
-UERGH WHY DOES VLAD HAVE AN AI WITH MADDIE'S FACE ON IT. SOOO CREEPY. AND MORE 'CREATIONS' waiiiit. vlad is Dr. Frankenstein! (despite his ghost design obviously referencing vampires) HE HAS 'CREATIONS' HE MAKES THEN WONT TAKE REAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR!!! this bitch.
-danny was late and his friends immediately start going off about how hes inconsiderate, and has been treating them like sidekicks??? he just overslept, my god. chill. even if he has, be nicer about talking about it with him?? he really can't help that he sometimes has to chase the ghosts, or has a secret identity to protect...
-'what kind of ghost haunts a miniature golf course' umm. me as a ghost. next question
-imagine going home and theres a tiny child on your bed claiming to be your cousin. with as many cousins I have, I would probably believe her. but the 'ran away from home' BIT....SHES 12?? SHES SO TINY. I hate that they have her belly out in her ghost form, but I like how her colors are asymmetrical. something about her design...maybe the proportions?? are weird to me...anyway danny was good to feed her, but he shouldve taken her to his parents FIRST. or, tbh, probably jazz. (JAZZ DIDNT EVEN GET TO MEET HER!!! NOOO. I mean she said she'll be BACK BUT STILL)
-ANYWAY. shes voiced by AnnaSophia Robb, the girl who was in because of winn dixie, played as violet from charlie and the chocolate factory, and was the girl from bridge to terrabithia. (the movie that made me cry hysterically when I was 12 and I never watched it again because it Broke Me!) thats super cool.
-vlad sucks: the episode, basically. what's new!! I love how he's like, I'm Not A Villain. *immediately cuts to him torturing danny to make him transform, to get mid-transformation DNA, to perfect a Clone.* *immediately shows that he doesnt give a shit about his new daughter Dani and just wants a ''more perfect clone'' and will put her in danger to get that. will let her DIE to get that*
-Dani is danny's clone and is a girl? transgenderism....one of them has to be trans. or they both are.
-dani just. leaving at the end. WHAT? SHES 12. DONT JUST. NO!!! SHE WAS PROBABLY JUST BORN, A MONTH AGO AT MOST, RIGHT?? SHE NEEDS...SOMEWHERE TO LIVE. MONEY? FOOD?? A FAMILY?? AN EDUCATION???! WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S LEAVING!!! OKAY BYE I GUESS!!! D: concern!!!
-the next ep opens with skulker chasing a ghost down. ...does skulker count as a ghost hunter in the way valerie and danny do? I mean, sure, he hunts the good guys too, but he. he hunts ghosts...also, we haven't seen his Real Form since his debut episode! tiny...
-the guys in white are back! ngl, I assumed they were a gag for that one episode. you're telling me they might actually be a threat? ok.
-valerie in her lil nasty burger uniform looks so cute!! glad shes not in that mascot uniform this time. I guess she stopped hiding that she's working there now?
-gregor having white hair, dressed in black and white...and green eyes...sam has a Type, I guess.
-danny being unnecessarily hostile about gregor. danny!!! hes been nice so far. he looks a little...tall to be 14, but. danny doesnt know anything about him! (he does Suspect, but...you cant just spy on people and be rude to them from a hunch.) also, gregor kissed her, and when she freaked out, he was like 'oh no!! sorry, we can take it slow! I understand!' which was NICE. I hate jealousy plots still tho.
-altho. umm. tucker, being concerned about danny spying on them??? SAM AND YOU WERE SPYING ON DANNY AND VALERIE A FEW EPISODES AGO!!!!! im not saying its RIGHT, but dont be a hypocrite!!! AND THEN SAM BEING MAD ABOUT IT, TOO.
-DANNY IS A 7 ON THE SCALE OF ECTOPLASMIC POWER!!! out of 10? so I want to know where the other ghosts rank...I mean it's a list from the guys in white, so, it may not even be accurate, like, they havent seen ALL of his powers, have they?
-Lancer being like 'im not cooperating with the FEDS' until they said they could access his tax records. they already did that joke with jack, but like, its still funny. kings of tax evasion.
-tucker's aggressive third-wheeling. but gregor being super into it. gregor/tucker is the real ship here. then gregor kissing danny on both cheeks after hugging him. bi poly king gregor. (he does turn out to be a liar with a phoney accent. unsurprising, BUT THE CONCEPT OF HIM BEING GENUINE AND THEM ALL DATING IS FUN)
-THE...GUYS IN WHITE THINKING GREGOR IS DANNY PHANTOM. LMAOOO. GET HIS ASS. or,, Elliot. lmfao
-sam saying tucker is part of the package because theyre friends was super sweet <3 but also 'part of the package'...polyships are obviously the solution to these dumb jealousy/love triangle plots.
-danny crashed a whole plane. the collateral damage...
-is he....
-you know....
.... (ITS NOT GAY IF YOU'RE DOING IT TO PRETEND TO BE SOMEONE YOU'RE NOT, AND LIE TO A GIRL. RIGHT? he was getting a little too into pretending to enjoy tucker's company, and the above...c'mon, guy.)
-lmao, freakshow is in actual prison. I didn't expect a follow up, or for him to show back up! in the finale of this season, too!
-THE SICK TATTOO GHOST IS NAMED LYDIA!!! more Lore On her. freakshow seemed genuinely concerned about her. also, is she mute? I don't think she talked the first time we saw her, either. and we didn't know freakshow 'envied' ghosts, either, the first time, we just knew he was controlling them. interesting!
-...they literally stole the infinity gauntlet from marvel and called it the reality gauntlet. is that legal. what the fuck. even with the gems in the lil slots, having different powers...they had freakshow in jail, but didnt check his pockets??! hes just still in his lil outfit??? what kind of ...oh, its in amity park. yeah, all of the adults are idiots, okay, sure.
-'freakshow!' 'in the anemic flesh!' dude take some iron pills then. also, sure, the red eyes could be contacts for his aesthetic, but the whites of his eyes are yellow! does he have jaundice?! he severely needs more...like, every kind of vitamin. (this is what im worried about as freakshow attacks danny with giant robots)
-again, goth circus is a sick theme, and I love his goth train.
-oh FUCK every single person saw danny transform. on a stage. including his parents via TV. oh god. the guys in white and immediately like 'youre coming in for experiments!' SCARY. at least the crowd is willing to help him to escape...perks of now being a local celeb! even the kids at school are accepting :) this is what, the third time his family has found out? its always been an alt timeline tho. and danny fully intending to just rewrite things again instead of...I dunno, trying to roll with it this time? hes really worried his family won't accept him, huh...
-'maybe our son IS THE GHOST BOY, but its not as if our family's ghostly activities have EVER PUT YOUR FAMILIES IN DANGER' maddie. mmmmmmmmmmmm. okay.
-danny 100% prepared to run away from home because of this :( oh :( and saying his parents are 'looking for him, or a scalpel to dissect him with' ouch...
-THE GUYS IN WHITE TRYING TO ARREST A 14 YEAR OLD. fuck da feds.
-side note (another one about voice actors...) freakshow's voice actor, Jon Cryer, was lex luthor in pretty much every DC tv show, which is why I recognized his voice, because my dad loves those shows so I've seen a good bit of them without seeking them out...)
-the old man saying 'hey, i still had minutes left!' and danny saying 'you gotta watch those roaming charges!' about danny destroying the people in the diner's phones so no one could report seeing him...would kids today understand these things. can you even BUY minutes anymore...I remember my first phone being a flip phone, and the fact I always had minutes when my sister ran out super fast, because I didnt have friends calling or texting me like she did...:/
-the fentons being genuinely like 'why didnt danny trust us and tell us this, we love him :(' and JAZZ LAYING INTO THEM WITH THE 'DISSECTION/MOLECULE BY MOLECULE' LINES. LITERALLLLY. they need to apologize
-technically, lydias stronger than you! -jazz lesbianism moments! when did you even learn her name!!! but also get freakshows ass. lydia is also cooler looking. looove her design sm still.
-jazz psychoanalyzing freakshow... (also, her also having ghost envy? au where jazz is a ghost!! id like to see it)
-im glad the kids still got to go to their respective vacation things, even if they cant really stick around and enjoy them much...
-furry: confirmed. (also tucker calling her hot. tucker is a furry confirmed)
-danny being mad someone at the comic con is selling comics of him without permission, lmfao. give him his royalties!
-freakshow > thanos because hes a drama clown and does use his gauntlet to be FLASHY AND DRAMATIC.
-jazz's 'USE PYSCOLOGY' to danny about freakshow LMAOO. AND THEN IT WORKING. but, oh, freakshow's ghost form sucks. I like him as a clown better tbh. good thing danny took away his ghost powers!
-his parents hugging him and saying theyre proud :"( and saying 'of course you lied to us, we never gave you a reason not to!' and saying they were in the wrong basically for always talking about hurting ghosts aaaa :""(
-then he WIPED THEIR MEMORIES AGAIN!!! FUCK. I can understand him wiping the goverments/student bodies' memories, but why his parents?? they were being accepting!! ARGHHH. season 3 couldve been them all trying to adjust to them knowing!
-I know, on a meta level the showrunners probably wanted to just reset things to the status quo of him having a secret identity. But. We've been doing that for (2) seasons, I'd love if season 3 could be like, his parents adjusting to this and trying way harder to learn more and accept it (and the shenanigans that could come from that) and for fun, if he didn't wipe the students memories, it could be him being popular for a while, then everyone slowly realizing, oh, he's still Danny. Like. he might have ghost powers but hes Just The Same Guy instead of putting him on a pedestal (and seeing them all try and help him hide it from the giw/people who don't know!!)
-fuck they didn't even explain WHY he wiped everyone except sam, tucker and jazz's memories. he just Did It right when his parents were saying they loved/accepted him!! and sam and tucker didnt question it at all!!! HELLO??? very annoyed about this turn of events.
-anyway. onto season 3! I know its shorter than the first two seasons, and is the last season... I might just do it in 2 bursts if I can... :3c depends on the episodes' content and how much I want to say about each!
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Love Me, Don’t Hug Me
Phic phight 2020
Submitted by @sailor-toni: Danny hates being touched. Paulina loves to show her affections. How will the two of them make this relationship work.
Summary: When it comes to Danny Fenton, Paulina is sure about three things: he's almost always injured, he's pretty damn mysterious for a loser, and he has this annoying habit of getting stuck in Paulina's mind. Oh, and she just might, maybe, possibly have a crush on him.
Edit: I’ve been informed this phic is too powerful for tumblr and keeps crashing the app. Here are the links to [FFN] and [AO3]
Word count: 23499
Paulina was used to boys she barely knew coming up to her and asking her out. At first, she enjoyed the attention. Constantly being told how pretty she was, getting gifts, and trinkets, and praises showered upon her. Everyone said she must have liked it, so she did.
Sometimes, it really was nice, when the boys were sincere. She teased them, and smiled at them, and led them along like lost puppies. They made her feel good.
The other boys didn't. Every day, the came to her. At lunch, at the mall, on her way home from school. They pulled her out of conversations, took her away from her friends, distracted her from whatever she actually cared about. She got everything from arrogant smirks to smarmy grins, masks of undeserved bravado. She didn't give them an inch, saying no every time.
But they were persistent. They pestered and prodded, pestering her with pick-up lines and pet names, as if all they had to do was say pretty one more time and she would finally change her mind. She still said no, and their sweet words would turn bitter.
"Fine, bitch," they would hiss, their adoring gazes turning to seething glares.
Paulina saw no difference between either stare. Whether it was full of love or hate, any unwanted gaze made her skin crawl. She knew, unabashedly, that she was pretty. Being pretty made her feel good. But their stares made her feel ugly.
Most boys gave up after the second no. Most.
Paulina stared resolutely ahead as the senior leaned against the table, chin in his hand, giving her a flirtatious grin. Usually, only boys in her grade or the next grade up asked her out. Having a senior's attention made her feel strange. Flattered, but also uncomfortable. The fact that he wouldn't take the hint set her on edge.
"Come on, babe, just give me a chance," he said, sliding onto the bench next to her.
Paulina shuffled down, closer to Star.
"Just say yes to the guy and he'll leave." Dash didn't even look up. He and Kwan were too busy flicking a piece of pizza crust back and forth, trying to break through each other's defence.
Contrary to Dash, Kwan's eyes lifted every few seconds in a nervous glance before dipping back down. Every time he looked up, Paulina thought he was going to say something. Every time he didn't, she felt like crying, or hitting him. She wasn't sure which.
"I'm sorry, I don't like older guys," Paulina said. She refused to let her voice shake, and hated that she needed to steady it at all. This should have been no different from any other boy she had to brush off this year, but he just wouldn't give up.
"Oh, yeah? You don't really know until you try."
Dash's words echoed in Paulina's head. Maybe he was right. If she said yes, the senior would go away. How bad could one date be? He was eighteen. He should know how to treat a girl. He was practically an adult, which meant he must be right. Right?
The senior's hand slid off the table, inching toward Paulina's thigh.
Before he could touch her, Star slipped an arm around Paulina's waist and pulled her back. Leaning too far over, the senior fell forward with a yelp, palm smacking against the floor as he tried to catch himself. A scruffy shoe immediately came down on his fingers.
Paulina blinked at the familiar red sneaker. Looking up, she found Fenton, scrawny, limp Fenton, standing on the senior's hand with a pissed off expression that looked so foreign on his face, but somehow fit it so well.
"Hey, that's not cool. She said no," Danny said. The senior jerked, trying to pull his hand out from under Danny's foot, but Danny didn't budge.
"What the hell. Get off me, man," the senior said. "This ain't your problem."
"You're making it my problem," Danny said. At the same time, Paulina shouted, "It is his problem!"
Both boys glanced at her, equally confused. Danny looked bewildered, like he hadn't expected to be addressed at all. The senior's eyes jumped between Paulina and Danny, uncertainty and then understanding filling his gaze.
"I can't go out with you because I have a date with Danny." Paulina grabbed Danny's hand and yanked him close, dragging him off the senior's hand. Danny stiffened, but Paulina ignored it in favour of making sweet eyes at him. "Isn't that right?"
"Uh... yes?" Danny said. Paulina nodded at him. "Yeah! Yeah. It's not cool to steal someone else's girl." He grimaced at his own words, shooting Paulina an apologetic glance.
She shrugged. She didn't like it when guys talked about girls like they owned them, but she would forgive Danny for this one slight.
"Okay, geez. You didn't have to make such a big deal about it." The senior stood, rubbing his sore fingers, and left without much fuss after that. Although he did shoot Paulina one last predatory look.
Paulina did her best to brush it off. The thought of his eyes on her made her feel gross. As soon as she got home, she was going to take a long shower. Remembering she still had Danny's wrist in her hand, she let go, wincing at the fading imprints her fingers left behind. She hadn't realized she grabbed him that hard.
"Sit down, Fenton," Star said.
Danny started. That startled look, like he didn't expect anyone to talk to him, crossed his face again. "What?"
"Sit. Down." Taking her arm from Paulina's waist, Star lightly smacked Danny's back and motioned to the now empty space on the bench.
Paulina frowned at Star, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. Star ignored her, giving Danny another insistent slap. He glanced over his shoulder, back toward his friends, shrugged helplessly, and sat down.
"Why am I still here?" he asked.
"Because that creep didn't leave the cafeteria." Star jerked her chin towards the senior, who was taking his seat a few tables down from them. "If you leave, he might figure out Paulie was lying, and come back. This is a one-time deal, got it?"
Danny nodded. "Got it."
"You okay, Paulie?"
Self-conscious, Paulina wrapped her arms around her exposed midriff. After a moment, she nodded, squeezing Star's hand. "Yeah, I'm okay. It's not like it's a first time that's happened." She waved dismissively.
"Paulina..." Kwan wrung his hands, worrying his lip. "I'm sorry. That guy, Keith, he's a friend of my brother's. And I've known him since I was little, you know? He's not a bad guy. But I should have said something."
Paulina's anger toward him waned. "Yeah, I get it. It's still not okay, though."
Dash scoffed and leaned forward. "You guys are being stupid. You should have just said yes. Probably broke his heart or something."
Danny sneered, rising to meet Dash in the middle of the table. "You know that from experience?"
"Shut up, Fenton."
"Exactly how many times did you ask my sister out even though she kept saying no?" Danny started counting off on his fingers. "Let's see, the football game, homecoming, the winter formal, yesterday."
Dash grabbed Danny's shirt and got up in his face. "What do you care, dweeb?"
"I care because you're creeping on my sister." Danny's hand hovered over Dash's wrist.
"Let it go, Dash," Paulina snapped, smacking the boys' hands. "You look like idiots."
Dash glared at her, but listened, dropping Danny's collar and sitting back with a huff. In an instant, Danny seemed to lose whatever boldness made him stand up to Dash, and he laughed nervously. Fixing his collar, he leaned back.
Paulina gave him an appraising look. They had gone to school together for years, but he never stood out to her. When they hit high school, he gave her the same heart-eyed stare all the boys did, like she was a pretty thing to be won. She intended to write him off after that. She never meant to pay attention to him, for any reason. But when he asked her to homecoming, and she saw how jealous that made Sam, Paulina couldn’t resist.
She was so tired of Sam being such a hypocrite, acting like she was so good all the time, as if she never did anything wrong. In Paulina's opinion, Sam needed to get over herself. And she deserved every bit of riling up Paulina could give her.
Homecoming night itself didn't have a strong place in Paulina's mind, most of it passing in a hazy blur. Still, something happened that night, something that changed Danny. He stopped looking at her like a trophy. He didn't stop staring at her completely, but there a new layer to his gaze after that. A sort of understanding, like he was the first person—outside Paulina's friends—to realize there was more to her than a pretty face.
He should have faded to the back of her mind. Don’t get Paulina wrong, he maybe have been better than the creeps that dogged after her, but he was still a loser. And yet, in spite of herself, she sometimes found herself staring back when Danny wasn't looking, although she never understood why.
"You know, you're alright, Fenton," Paulina said, surprising herself with her sincerity.
Danny gaped at her, mouth dropping open, eyes widening. The innocent surprise was kind of cute.
"Thanks, I guess?" he said.
"You're welcome." Paulina turned to her lunch, cafeteria pizza that had long since gone cold, and ate in peace.
—
Paulina was sore all over. Cheerleading practice had ended an hour ago, but every Tuesday she stayed on the field a little longer and got some extra exercise. Doing lunges, push-ups, and laps around the field, she liked to keep her arms and legs strong. Cheerleading required a lot of strength and control, and she had to stay in shape.
Some weeks, Star joined her, but that day she had to go home right after practice, leaving Paulina on her own. She may have gone overboard, hanging around almost half an hour longer than usual. It was easy to get lost in thought while she exercised.
Gathering her backpack from the bleachers, she wondered if she should change before going home. She definitely needed a shower. But, checking the time on her phone, she knew the gym, and therefore the changerooms, would be locked up by now. Resigned to walking home in her uniform, she headed toward the front of the school.
Just as she reached the sidewalk, the front doors burst open. Danny came trudging out, backpack dangling in his hand, sweater tied around his waist.
Paulina watched him. Two hours was a long time to hang around after school. He must have had double detention, a punishment often reserved for students who skipped class. Paulina hesitated for a moment before jogging over.
"Danny!" she called, waving.
Danny spun toward her. He made that adorable startled face again, this time with a soft blush creeping across his cheeks as he noticed her skirt and crop top. His eyes snapped up to her face and stayed there.
"Hey, Paulina. What's up?" He lifted a hand to scratch his chin, drawing Paulina's attention to a dark bruise blooming across his jaw. It hadn't been there yesterday at lunch, or even that morning when she saw him in English. Three thin scratches stretched over the bruise, cutting across his chin. She wondered what caused them.
Danny's nail caught on one of the scabs and he winced, quickly lowering his hand, tucking it into his pocket. He always seemed to be injured in some little way. A bruise here, a scratch there. Paulina remembered him limping down the hall on more than one occasion. An uncomfortable curiosity settled in her gut, a sort of sick fascination. She wanted to know what was hurting him so much.
"Uh, Paulina?" Danny reached out.
Paulina, startled, jerked away. Her cheeks burned as she realized she had been gawking at him. She quickly asked, "Are you doing anything right now?"
"No," he answered slowly, giving her a wary look. "Why?"
"I owe you a burger, for yesterday. I never actually thanked you for helping me."
"You want to thank me?" Danny frowned.
Paulina pursed her lips in annoyance. Was it really so hard to believe? Sure, she wasn't always the nicest to him, but she didn't actively antagonize him either.
Danny squinted at her, leaning forward. "Is that you, Kitty?"
Paulina bristled. "What did you just call me!"
"Sorry!" Danny scrambled back, hands raised in defence. "I didn't mean– I wasn't– there's just this ghost that likes to mess with me, okay? And she may have... overshadowed you... once..."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"It doesn't matter. Burgers?"
Paulina thought it did matter, very much, but she was willing to put it aside for now. Giving Danny a stern look, letting him know she wouldn't soon forget what he had said, she waved for him to come along and headed toward the Nasty Burger.
Silence followed them. Danny trailed a couple paces behind her, head down, so quiet that she had to glance back every few steps to make sure he was still following. The air between them felt fragile, as if whatever peace they had attained in this moment would shatter under the weight of a whisper.
Paulina, used to Star's constant chatter, detested the feeling. The next time she glanced over her shoulder, she fixed Danny with an exasperated stare. "You know, you don't have to walk behind me." She slowed her pace.
Danny's cheeks flushed again. Scurrying forward, he fell into step beside her, lengthening his stride to match Paulina's longer gait. He opened his mouth a few times, but ultimately didn't say anything, resigning himself to staring at the sidewalk.
It was obvious neither of them enjoyed the lack of conversation, feeling too awkward without it, but neither one was willing to say the first word. Paulina found a stubborn urge rising within her. If they were going to play this game, then she was determined to win. They sent each other calculating glances, measuring each other up. Paulina searched for a sign of the boy that had come to her rescue yesterday. A confident twist in his lips, a glint in his eye, anything hidden behind the nervous façade. She found nothing.
A skittering noise interrupted her thoughts. Looking down, she saw a pebble leaping down the sidewalk ahead of them. It rolled to a stop in the middle of Danny's path. When they neared it, he kicked it, sending it jumping forward again. On the third kick, it hit a crack in the sidewalk and skipped across the concrete, stopping in front of Paulina.
Before she could think about it, she hopped forward and knocked the pebble back toward Danny. He looked up, surprised, and smiled at her. Tentative, he kicked the pebble back.
Paulina didn't mind the silence so much after that. Their little game persisted—both games—all the way to the Nasty Burger as they passed the pebble back and forth, neither one uttering a word. Paulina found herself grinning as Danny booted the pebble, forcing her to sprint after it or else let it tumble off the edge of the sidewalk.
Catching it just in time, she kicked it as hard as she could. The pebble careened off the sidewalk, pinged off the metal pole of the Nasty Burger sign, and disappeared into the unkempt grass.
"Oh," Danny said, sounding as disappointed as Paulina felt.
"Yeah." Paulina searched the grass for a moment, desperately hoping to find the pebble. For a moment, she had been filled with a childish sort of joy, the same delight she felt as a little girl playing in mud puddles with her cousins. Nowadays, she preferred to stay clean and pretty, but there was something intoxicating about the untamed glee one could only get from simple games, like punting a pebble down a sidewalk.
Thinking of games, Paulina quickly backtracked. "I win." She turned a victorious grin toward Danny.
"What? No! You lost the rock. That means you lose," Danny said.
"I got the best kick; I think that means I win. But I wasn't talking about that. You spoke first."
Danny stared at her, eyes narrowing, then blowing wide as he realized what she meant. "No fair! I didn't realize that was a game, that means you can't win," he insisted.
"Oh, sure you didn't." Paulina tossed her hair over her shoulder and airily said, "You're just a sore loser." She sauntered toward Nasty Burger's front doors.
"No way. I'm actually very good at losing, you've seen me in gym class," Danny said. He jogged ahead, overtaking her, and held the door open. "Besides, I think losing the rock makes you the loser."
"Best kick!" Paulina sing-songed, ignoring Danny's excuses. He grumbled all the way up to the counter, but didn't try to defend himself again.
Ignoring the leer of the acne-riddled teen behind the counter, who had asked Paulina out on no less than four separate occasions, she nudged Danny's arm. "What do you want? I'm paying."
"You really don't need to," Danny said, already reaching for his wallet.
Paulina rounded on Danny. "Listen, Fenton. I don't like owing people. You helped me out, now let me say thanks."
Danny peered down at his wallet, eyeing the crumpled three dollars stuffed inside, and sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll just have a Meaty Melt and a Coke."
As Paulina went up to order, Danny hovered at her shoulder. She didn't pay much attention to him, too focused on ignoring the cashier's stares, but halfway through the exchange she caught Danny glaring over her shoulder. The cashier wilted and kept his eyes down after that.
"I hope you're not expecting another burger for that," Paulina said while they searched for a table.
Danny, balancing their tray on one hand, holding his soda in the other, blinked at her. "What? Why would I?"
"Huh." Paulina squinted at him. "You really don't expect anything, do you?"
"No? I actually didn't think you'd notice." His hand holding the soda jerked upward, his drink splashing against the lid.
Paulina burst out laughing as Danny flinched in surprise. "Did you– did you forget you were holding that?" she asked between giggles. Recognizing Danny's nervous habit, she assumed he had been going to rub his neck. He settled for taking a long sip of his soda instead, his face as red as his shoes.
They chose a table with a view of the road, better shaded than the booths overlooking the parking lot, which were bathed in sunlight. Danny set the tray down in front of Paulina, taking his burger for himself, leaving her sliders and fries.
Neither of them said anything for a few minutes as they started eating, things quickly turning awkward again. It was as if they suddenly remembered who they were and who they were with. Paulina and Danny, popular and loser. Their kind didn't interact much unless rude words were involved. Which was, frankly, stupid. Paulina frowned at that enlightening thought.
Determined not to let the silence persist, Paulina paused after finished her first slider and asked, "What class did you skip today?"
"What makes you think I skipped?" Danny asked.
"Double detention."
"Falluca gives double detention for anything."
"Falluca had a sub today." Paulina's lips curled into a devious grin. "I guess that tells me what class you skipped."
Danny's cheeks coloured. He seriously needed to stop doing that; it was too cute when he blushed.
"I can't believe you skipped science to get in a fight," she said casually. Picking at her fries, she carefully watched Danny's reaction. His shoulders tensed and his soda cup crinkled in his hand. He wouldn't meet her gaze, instead ducking his head and self-consciously rubbing his chin against his shoulder, as if he could wipe away the bruise.
He laughed. "Pretty bad luck, right?"
"Bad luck that you've gotten in at least one fight every week since the start of the year?" Paulina's eyebrow arched.
"What makes you say that?"
"Please, I'm not blind." I also watch you as much as you watch me, she added silently. Paulina hesitated, wondering if she should push on. That same sickly fascination from before reared its head and she couldn't help but ask, "Who hurt you?"
Danny stiffened. He met Paulina's stare, eyes wide, and stuttered, "I'm not– not one's... Look, it isn't–" He broke off and practically lunged for his soda. Staring out the window, he took a long drink, cheeks caving in, until nothing but air came up his straw. His eyes darted about, thoughts flickering across his face faster than Paulina could interpret them. He kept sucking up air until his face turned red and he let the straw go with a gasp.
Watching him crush the cup, Paulina thought he looked seconds away from bolting. She could feel his leg bouncing under the table. Taking pity on him, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Danny flinched back violently, slamming back against his seat, cradling the hand she touched against his chest. Their eyes met and, for a long, uncomfortable moment, they stared at each other in shock.
"Thanks for the burger," Danny said.
Paulina, too stunned to stop him, could only gape as Danny slid out of his seat, slapped his three dollars down on the table—which barely covered half his food—and bolted.
—
The next day at school, Paulina shoved Danny's three dollars into his locker door, tucking it behind his cheap lock. She hopped the bills didn't fall out before Danny found them. Or, worse, she hoped no one else saw the money and stole it. The easy solution would be to give him the money directly, but she thought that was a bad idea.
Paulina felt guilty. It was such a strange and foreign emotion, oozing through her. She didn't like it. Never before had she felt guilty for something, at least not this kind of guilt. Feeling bad for stealing her cousin's favourite doll when they were eight years old wasn't the same thing. She only felt bad then because she got caught.
Now, though, she wished she could pluck her words from Danny's memory. The stricken look he had given her after she touched his hand seized her heart. He looked at her like she had betrayed his trust, which was ridiculous because she was Paulina and he was Danny. There wasn't any trust between them to break. Besides, wouldn't anyone have done what Paulina did? It was only natural to ask after things you were curious about.
Except, of course, when those things pertained to someone you know being hurt by someone they knew on a daily basis. Paulina had done a lot of thinking over the last twelve hours and came to that conclusion. If Danny just liked getting in fights, surely more people would know about it? Some girls were into that kind of tough delinquent type. Contrary to Danny's sweeter nature, he did fit the mold quite well in certain ways. Messy hair, sharp eyes, always sporting a bruise and rough knuckles.
Paulina faltered, pressing her hand against Danny's locker door. Rough knuckles? They did look kind of bloody sometimes. Self-defence, maybe. Unless Paulina's original assumption was right and he did get in fights, and just didn't tell people about them.
The mental image of Danny being in some secret fight club made Paulina giggle. Danny was just a wisp. A gentle breeze could knock him over. Then again, the senior hadn't been able to make Danny budge. And when he stared Dash down, telling him off for hitting on his sister, he hadn't been fazed.
Paulina's amused smile fell into a frown. Apparently, Danny was a bigger mystery than she had first thought.
Someone tapped Paulina's shoulder. "Hey. You better not be messing with Danny's locker."
Scowling, she turned to glare at Sam Manson. "Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb, although I know you love to. What are you doing to Danny's locker?" Sam asked.
"You should work on being less hostile, maybe more people will ask you out that way," Paulina said, enjoying the way Sam bristled. Using her long nails, Paulina pinched the edges of the bills she had stuffed into the door and pulled them out. "Here." She held them out to Sam. "I was giving Danny his money back. It fell out of his wallet at the Nasty Burger last night."
Sam didn't move.
"Oh, just take them already." Paulina grabbed Sam's hand, shoving the bills into her palm.
"You were with Danny last night?" Sam asked. Her tone, wary and belligerent all at once, gave Paulina pause.
"You didn't know," she said with dawning realization. Her smile returned, this time with a devilish twist, elated at this golden opportunity. "Danny and I went on a date yesterday."
Sam narrowed her eyes, fist curling around Danny's money. Paulina could hear her gritting her teeth. "You really expect me to believe that?"
"You think I care? Just don't forget to give him his money." Paulina left Sam with a teasing wave, savouring the enraged expression she got in response.
—
Danny knew all of Sam's tells when it came to anger. She stomped and shouted when she was frustrated. Ranted when she was fuelled by righteous indignation. Got in your face when irrationally pissed off. But when she was mad, truly, rightfully mad about something beyond her control, she turned cold.
As soon as Lancer gave the word that today's history class would be a work period, Sam rose from her desk, near the front of the room thanks to alphabetical order, and strode toward Danny and Tucker seated at the back. Her expression was subdued. Danny and Tucker shared a worried glance as she approached.
"Uh, what's up?" Danny asked when she stopped by their desks. He flinched away when Sam shoved something in his face. Staring cross-eyed at her fist, he frown at the dollar bills she held.
"Paulina said you dropped these last night," Sam said.
Danny's frown twitched. "She did?" Danny plucked the bills out of Sam's hand. "But I didn't drop them. I was paying her back."
Smoothing the bills out on the corner of his desk, he inspected them, searching for any telltale sign they were his three dollars. After staring at the money for a fully ten seconds he realized how ridiculous that was. They were just dollar bills. Unless he somehow had the serial numbers for his money memorized, there was no way he could tell them apart. A second after that, he realized how even more ridiculous it was for him to check in the first place. It didn't matter if they were the same bills, what mattered was that Paulina had evidently decided to give them back.
"Anything you want to tell us about last night?" Sam said, leaning back against Tucker's desk and crossing her arms.
Danny tucked the money into his pocket before answering. "Not really? Paulina thanked me for helping her out at lunch. Sorry again that I kind of ditched you guys."
"Nah, man, you're good. You were being all heroic." Tucker's grin carried a knowing glint that Danny didn't think belonged there, because whatever Tucker thought he knew, he was definitely wrong. "I bet you could get a date out of that."
"No," Danny said.
"Yes," Sam hissed.
"What?"
"You were on a date with Paulina last night."
"You went on a date with Paulina?" Tucker's shout drew their classmates' eyes.
Stretching over the aisle, Danny slapped his hands against Tucker's mouth. "Dude, chill! I didn't go on a date with Paulina."
"That's not what she said," Sam interrupted. She pulled Danny and Tucker apart, and glared at their nearby classmates, who were still staring. "Don't you all have better stuff to do?"
"Excellent statement, Ms. Manson," Lancer droned from the front of the room. Sitting behind his desk, he gave Sam a stern look over the top of his book. "I'm sure I told all of you to use this time and work on your social movement essays. That includes you, Ms. Manson."
"Sorry, Mr. Lancer," Sam said, barely sounding sorry at all. She pointed at Danny, silently letting him know they would continue this conversation later, and returned to her seat to do her work. Around them, their classmates did the same. At least, they pretended to. Danny could hear them whispering.
"Okay, but really. Did you go on a date with Paulina? A real one? No ghosts?" Tucker asked.
Danny dropped his forehead to his desk with a thunk, wrapping his arms over his head, and groaned. "It wasn't a date."
—
Five hours later and three classrooms over, Paulina turned to Dash and said, "Yeah, it was totally a date." The art teacher shot her a dirty look for talking, but didn't make a move to stop her. Paulina rolled her eyes and tapped her pencil against her sketchbook.
"I bet he got Manson to do some voodoo shit with you to make it happen," Dash said. He hadn't even opened his sketchbook yet. Instead of starting their newest project, he was more determined to bug Paulina about the rumors he heard over lunch hour.
Apparently, Manson couldn't keep her mouth shut and had spilled the lie Paulina fed her. The rumour didn't bother her so much. Paulina was used to people whispering things about her; that happened when you were popular. She was content to brush it all off, until Dash started getting on her case.
"No voodoo. I asked him out," she said. Her plan, once she first heard the rumour, was to ignore it until it went away. Eventually people would come to their senses and realized there was no way someone as pretty and popular as her would ever go out with Danny, no matter how cute he was. Once they did, they would move on to other more interesting bits of gossip.
But then Dash opened his stupid mouth. "A loser like Fenton?" he had said. "Knew it was a lie the moment I heard it. You're one of us. We wouldn't let you go out with him. You wouldn’t let us down like that."
Who was Dash to say who Paulina could and couldn't date? That venomous jab, and every arrogant, poison word he'd spoken since made Paulina seethe. Dash wasn't better than her. He would hit on anything that moved. He hit on her sometimes, and he definitely wasn't one of the sweet, endearing boys Paulina liked to string along.
As soon as she heard those haughty, conceited words spilling out of Dash's mouth, Paulina was determined to let Dash down so far that he'd be six feet underground. Screw Dash Baxter, and screw anyone who tried to tell Paulina what she could and couldn't do.
Dash wrinkled his nose. "Ew. Why would you go out with him again?"
"Maybe I enjoyed myself at the dance, you don't know," Paulina said flippantly. Granted, not even she knew if she enjoyed herself, but chances were Dash wouldn't know either.
"Dance? What? I'm not talking about the dance."
Paulina only gave herself a second to be confused. She blinked at Dash, furrowing her brow, then shook her head and started inspecting her fingernails, the perfect image of disinterest. "Whatever. I'm done with this conversation."
She turned back to her drawing. So far, all she had was a vague skeleton of a figure, featureless and unidentifiable, but she knew exactly who it was. It annoyed her how much Danny lingered in her thoughts when she didn't want him to.
Thinking about Danny dragged Dash's offhand comment back to the forefront of her mind. She had no evidence, but she couldn't shake the idea that what he said was related to that Kitty ghost, something Paulina had completely forgot to ask Danny about last night.
She tried to push that aside for now and focus on her art, but her hand shook too much. She flipped to a fresh page and pressed her pencil down, hard, drawing a thick dark line. Over and over she wounded the page with ugly black scars until she finally managed to draw one without trembling. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.
Danny owed her an explanation.
—
As soon as the bell rang, Paulina was out of her seat. She walked briskly, hurrying down the hall, stuffing her sketchbook into her backpack along the way. Danny's locker was her destination, in the hopes that she could catch him before he left school. She didn't know if he was one of those students who kept everything in his backpack or routinely stopped between classes to switch out his books. She hoped he was the former.
He wasn't there when she arrived, so she leaned against the locker next to his, arms crossed. If he didn't show up, it wouldn't matter that much. They had English first period tomorrow, and she could always talk to him then, but she preferred to have this conversation sooner rather than later.
Five minutes passed, long enough for the first round of buses to leave the school, and Danny didn't show up. Paulina felt jilted, which wasn't fair to Danny, because he didn't know she wanted to talk to him, but that didn't stop her from feeling it. Getting stood up sucked, whether it was intentional or not.
Paulina closed her eyes and grumbled under her breath. It looked like the conversation would have to wait until tomorrow. She pushed off Danny's locker, turning in the direction of her own, and opened her eyes. Danny stood right behind her. Paulina shrieked. She leapt back, heart racing, and glared at him. "Who does that?!"
"Uh, sorry." Danny scratched the back of his neck. "I was looking for you, but I thought you left already since you weren't by your locker."
Paulina huffed. "Well, it's about time you got here. Next time, don't make me wait so long?"
"Next time?" Danny shook his head. "Whatever, that's, I'll worry about that later. Listen–"
Paulina raised a hand to cut him off. "No, you listen. I don't wait around for people, okay?"
"Paulina–"
"I could have left whenever I wanted."
"If you just–"
"But I'm not letting you off that easy because–"
"We need to talk," they said at the same time. They stilled, staring at each other. Slowly, Danny's face turned red, but it wasn't the innocent blush Paulina found so endearing. His cheeks puffed and mirth danced in his eyes. He slapped a hand over his mouth, muffled giggles slipping between his fingers.
"Stop laughing," Paulina said.
Danny shook his head.
"It's not funny!" Paulina stomped her foot.
Danny lost it. Peals of laughter echoed down the slowly emptying hall. The sound was pure and unrestrained, a sweet laugh. Paulina refused to let herself be dragged into it, but she couldn't help the smile that came to her face.
"I mean, okay. It wasn't that funny. But you throwing a tantrum? That's hilarious," Danny said.
"I did not!" Paulina gasped, offended
"Sorry for laughing," Danny said, but he was still grinning. "But you're a lot nicer to be around when you're like that."
"When I'm throwing a tantrum? Which I wasn't."
"No, when you act your age," he explained.
Paulina thought that was rich coming from someone who liked to play juvenile pranks. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Danny sighed, shaking his head as if it was such a damn shame Paulina wouldn't stoop to his level of childish antics. "Paulina, we're fourteen. You shouldn't be acting like you're already in college or something. Being in high school doesn't mean being grown up. I know you probably think it's stupid, but once you get older, and you actually have to deal with... with all kinds of stuff. Bad stuff. You'll wish you hadn't grown up so fast."
Paulina didn't like the way Danny's voice grew quite. His eyes were distant, looking through her like she was nothing but a pane of glass, seeing something that was far beyond her comprehension. Her gaze fell to his chin and the ugly bruise painting his skin. Unable to help herself, she reached out, brushing her fingers along the thin scratches, wondering if they would scar.
Danny's hand shot up, catching her wrist in a crushing grip. Light returned to his eyes as he broke out of his reverie. A flicker of emotion, too fast for Paulina to decipher, flashed across his face when he saw his hand closed around her wrist. He hastily let her go, shuffling back a few steps, and averted his eyes.
"Sorry. I don't like being touched like that. Unexpectedly, I mean. Or at all, really." Danny rubbed his cheek. To Paulina, it looked like he was wiping away the feel of her hand on his skin. He continued, "We really do need to talk."
Remembering why she went looking for Danny in the first place, Paulina nodded. "Yeah, we do. You need to tell me about Kitty."
"Whoa, wait. First, you need to tell me why everyone thinks we went on a date," Danny said.
"No way, I asked first."
"Okay, fair. But I bet you want your answer a lot more than I want mine." Danny's cheerful tone had returned, an impish grin replacing his disappointed frown.
Paulina's eyebrow twitched. How could someone turn from jubilant to pensive to infuriatingly annoying in such a short span of time? It looked exhausting. Simply being around him was exhausting. Paulina's face was warm and her heart hadn't stopped pounding. She felt like she had just finished her post-cheerleading exercises.
No, that couldn't be right. Paulina felt refreshed and energized after working out. She liked that feeling. She didn't like this. Right?
"Does this mean I win?" Danny's words ragged her out of her thoughts.
"No! You don't get your answer until I get mine!" They were at a stalemate, but Paulina had complete confidence in her stubborn nature. She always got what she wanted. Danny, grin set, eyebrow arched, looked ready to fight her on this. Until he shivered. His hand flew to his mouth and his eyes widened.
"Okay, fine, but not here. I'll text you where to meet me," he said.
"Why not here?" Paulina glanced over her shoulder down the hall. It was empty now. She had probably missed her bus, but her house was only a forty minute walk away. More importantly, it meant they were alone. "You don't even have my nu–"
Paulina cut off mid-sentence when she looked forward again. Danny was already gone.
—
Danny's stitches itched. Flexing his fingers, he resisted the urge to scratch his arm. It was just a small cut on the inside of his elbow. Jazz fixed him up in six stitches. In a few days, she would take them out, leaving his arm good as new. Or almost as good. Too bad for Danny, accelerated healing did not equal regeneration and he would probably have a scar.
Damn Box Ghost. That fact hurt Danny more than the injury did, even if his stitches pulled and stung every time he bent his arm. He had no idea how the Box Ghost managed to get his grubby little hands on a box cutter, but it was a hell of a lot more effective than cardboard. Hopefully, Boxy wouldn't go bragging to every ghost in the Zone about his "victory" over Danny. Danny could heal his body a lot faster than he could heal his pride.
His phone, resting on the café table, buzzed. Checking the notification, he saw it was just a reminder about the health quiz tomorrow. Which he had completely forgotten about.
"Damn it." Danny dropped his head onto the table, making the cups and plate shake. The iced coffee he had bought for Paulina sloshed over the rim of the glass, splashing onto the table. It wasn't so iced now, more watered down. Paulina was supposed to meet him twenty minutes ago.
Lifting his head, he sipped despondently at his milkshake, gnawing on the straw. Maybe this was a bad idea. Paulina didn't need to know about Kitty, and she definitely didn't need to waste her time hanging around Danny.
He touched his cheek, thinking about how soft Paulina's fingers had been on his bruise. The unwanted touch had his skin crawling at the time. Even now, just the thought of it made him uncomfortable, but that wasn't Paulina's fault. When nearly everyone who touched you ended up hurting you, you started to hate physical contact all together. Even Sam and Tucker, who Danny trusted and loved, could set him on edge if he didn't see the contact coming.
A sharp knock on the window beside him drew his attention. His straw fell out of his mouth when he saw Paulina. She had braided her hair loosely over her shoulder and donned an unbuttoned shirt over her crop top. Instead of her regular flats, she wore scuffed sneakers. The most striking difference, however, was her lack of makeup. Even in gym class, when everyone was sweating from exertion, he had never seen Paulina in anything but pristine makeup.
She had freckles. Not the modest smattering across her nose and cheeks like Danny had, but all over. A galaxy of dots painting constellations across her face. She had a mole, too. A small brown spot on her lip. Danny hadn't realized you could have moles on your lips. If it weren't so dark, he might have thought it was another freckle.
Paulina waved. Danny waved back. His eyes trailed after her as she entered the café, the bell over the door jingling quietly. She took her seat across from him, sinking into the plush chair, the exact reason why Danny had chosen this cafe.
"Is this for me?" Paulina asked, pointing to the iced coffee.
Danny stopped staring at her long enough to nod. "And this." He pushed the small dessert plate in the middle of the table toward her. An apple fritter dusted in powdered sugar sat on it. The few crumbs scattered beside it were the only sign of the second fritter, which Danny had consumed in a nervous fit once Paulina was five minutes late.
"What for?" she asked.
"Paying you back for the burger." Danny grinned. "You can't give this back to me. And if you don't eat it, then I guess it's just wasted."
Paulina's eyes narrowed. "Not bad, Fenton. Not bad." She took a bite of the fritter and surveyed the café.
It was an out of the way place, tucked behind a bookshop, and had to be entered around the back. Danny first found the place last month when he saved the owners, a retired couple, from one of Technus' schemes. It was small, cozy, had big armchairs and soft lighting, and served the best pastries in Amity Park.
"It took my dad a while to find this place, even with the address," Paulina said.
"Oh, your dad?" Danny remembered her dad. Big, burly, intimidating. He wasn't as tall as Danny's dad but, with arms as thick as his, was nothing to scoff at. Danny glanced around, half-expecting the man to leap out from one of the tables.
"He went to the bookstore," Paulina said.
"Good to know. Hey, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why the change in appearance?" He gestured vaguely toward his face.
Paulina finished her fritter, dusting the sugar off her fingers, and played with her braid. "You think I wear makeup all the time?"
"No, but I've just never seen you without it."
"So what?"
"So, you, uh, I've just never seen you without any." Danny stared down at his milkshake, feeling his cheeks heat up. "I like your freckles."
Paulina didn't answer. Worried he'd made her mad, he glanced up. Danny's eyes widened when he found her blushing. Paulina got a lot of compliments from a lot of boys and she always reacted with a coy smile, unless the guy was bothering her. He'd never seen her blush.
"Just tell me about Kitty," she said, clutching her iced coffee.
Danny decided to just get it over with. "She overshadowed you during spring break, but I didn't know she was overshadowing you and I thought she was just you, and so did everyone else, and we kind of dated for a few weeks, until I realized you weren't yourself and I stopped Kitty and you didn't remember anything the next day, but you seemed fine and you went on without saying anything, so I didn't mention it."
He sucked in a deep, wheezing breath and downed the rest of his milkshake in one gulp, licking whipped cream off his upper lip after he set the glass down.
Paulina stared at him, frozen.
"Ah, wait, did I say I stopped her? I meant Danny Phantom did. Yeah. The ghost boy. Not me," Danny said.
Paulina still didn't respond. She looked... Danny didn't know how she looked. Confused? Upset? Mad? She didn't say anything, didn't even blink. The seconds dragged on and Danny's worry grew.
"Paulina?" She didn't answer. Danny grabbed his hair. "I can't believe I broke Paulina Sanchez."
Paulina started. "You didn't break me!" She reached out, poised to slap his hands, but stopped at the last second. Her hand hovered for a moment, then went back to holding her drink. "We dated—for a couple weeks—and I have no memory of it."
"It was almost three weeks, actually," Danny said.
"That's not helping!"
"Right! Sorry!"
Paulina hunched over, curling an arm over her head, her eyes wide. Her parted lips moved slightly. Danny wondered if she was mouthing along with the thoughts running through her head. If so, it was oddly cute. If not... still cute.
"I think," she said after a long silence. "I think I sort of remember. Those weeks didn't disappear, but I can barely remember anything with you from them."
"Ghosts can do that when they overshadow you for a long time. Usually, the memories will just be gone, or sort of hazy. But if they stay in one person long enough, they can manipulate what you remember," Danny explained. Kitty had assured him Paulina would only lose her memories of Danny. It was oddly considerate of her, but he chose not to question it.
"You didn't tell me."
Deciding honesty was best, Danny nodded. "No, I didn't."
"What is wrong with you!" Paulina slammed her hands on the table, rattling the dishes.
Danny recoiled. "I didn't think–"
"No, you didn't! A ghost... a ghost possessed me. For three weeks. You were the only one who knew, and you didn't tell me?" Tears glistened in Paulina's eyes. Her lips curled. The soft, sweet blush from before was long gone, replaced by a face red with anger.
"They call it overshadowing," Danny corrected. He didn't know what else to say.
"I don't care what it's called! She violated me, and you didn't think I had a right to know? She could have done anything to me!" Paulina hugged herself, going pale. Shaking her head, she stood up. "I can't be around you right now."
Danny reached out, but there was nothing he could do to stop her as she stormed out of the café. He sank low in his seat, but it was nowhere near as low as he felt.
"You really screwed up, Fenton," Danny whispered.
—
Paulina avoided Danny for the rest of the week. The rumour about her and Danny dating died out without too much fuss. Dash texted Paulina a smug grin and a self-satisfied "Knew you wouldn't do it!" and everything went back to the way it was supposed to be. She hung out with her friends, went to cheerleading practice, did her homework. On the weekend, she and Star went to an old film screening at the theatre.
This was her life, as it had always been, back to normal. So why did it feel like she was missing something?
Paulina went for a walk in the park, just before sunset. Tomorrow was Monday. It had been a lot easier to ignore Danny over the weekend, when they weren't forced into the same room for classes. But it still felt hard.
She picked her way across the wet grass, drops of water clinging to her sneakers. It had stopped raining over an our ago, but the grey sky and chill air remained. Finding a bench by the duck pond, she sat down, crossing her legs on the damp wood. Her dad didn't like her being out alone so close to dark, but she needed to think somewhere no one would disturb her.
Paulina had never had a crush before. In middle school, whenever any of the other girls asked if she had one, she always pointed to whichever boy showed the least interest in her, even though she felt nothing special around them. But Danny made her feel giddy. He pulled out a childish side of her that she hadn’t realized she missed. She wanted to spend time with him, play more immature games with him, hold his hand. If that wasn't a crush, she didn't know what was.
But he had to go and ruin it by keeping something so personal from her.
"Boys are stupid," Paulina declared to the open air.
A sudden chill came over her and an echoing voice spoke. "Do dead boys count? Because I like to think I'm pretty smart."
Paulina managed not to shout in surprise, but she did flinch as Danny Phantom appeared in front of her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said. He floated on his stomach, chin propped on his hand, hovering a respectful distance away. "I saw you sitting alone and thought I'd let you know it's almost night. Ghosts get more active right around now. It'd be safer for you to head home."
Paulina pursed her lips. Danny had said Phantom helped free her from Kitty's clutches. "Why didn't you tell me I had been possessed?"
"It's called overshadowing, actually," Phantom said.
"Ugh, you Dannys are all alike." Standing up, she marched away.
Phantom rushed to catch up with her, flying around to block her path. "Hey, no, wait. I'm sorry. Let me fly you home."
Paulina lifted her chin and looked away. "No, thank you." She walked around him and started for the park entrance.
"Okay, that's fair. But at least let me fly with you? It really is dangerous."
Paulina stopped. Glancing back at Phantom, she gave him a critical look. Something about the way he said that was familiar, but she couldn't figure out what.
"Please?" he said.
"Fine." She kept walking, watching Phantom out of the corner of her eye. He floated a couple feet away, knees bent as if he was kneeling, and easily keeping pace. It was bizarre to watch, like a poorly edited video where a frozen character got dragged across the screen in lieu of actual movement.
"I'm sorry," Phantom said.
Paulina's eyes jumped forward, her shoulders stiffening as she tried to act casual. "For what?"
"The Kitty thing. Fenton's sorry, too. He talked to me about it."
"Did he now?"
"Yeah. It was... it was my idea not to tell you. Getting overshadowed isn't fun. And you were right, it is a violation. It's taking over someone's body. Taking control of them. It's not right. I only do it if I absolutely have to."
"But you still do it."
"Yeah..." Phantom at least had the mind to look ashamed of that fact. When they reached the street, he drifted closer. Paulina considered stepping away, putting that distance between them again, but he looked sincere, and she wanted to hear what he had to say. She nodded, motioning for him to continue.
"I just thought you would be happier not knowing. Kitty didn't do anything bad with you. Actually, she kind of had your personality down. No one else noticed there was something wrong."
That didn't make Paulina feel better.
"It was a dumb decision, and both Fenton and I were idiots for going along with it." Phantom's grin turned wry. "I guess you were right. Boys are stupid."
Paulina huffed, standing a little straighter. "Of course I was."
"Fenton wants to talk to you."
"Then he can tell me that himself." Paulina paused. "Wait." Reaching out, she touched Phantom's shoulder to stop him.
Phantom swerved away from her hand, turning upside-down to get out of reach. His eyes widened, a green blush rising in his cheeks. "Um. Instincts. From fighting and stuff. Sorry."
"It's fine," she said, taking her hand back. "Be honest with me. Did Danny put you up to this?"
"Uh..." Phantom laughed weakly. "Which one's better?"
Paulina didn't bother answering that question.
"He asked me to talk to you, yeah." Phantom rubbed the back of his neck. "He wanted to give you your space, and he thought you might appreciate me talking to you more. You know, because of your crush."
"What makes you think I have a crush on you?"
Phantom drifted in front of her, legs and arms crossed, hair hanging down. "You don't?"
Paulina could see why Phantom, or anyone, would think that. She had never bothered hiding her infatuation before. But, long ago, she realized that what she felt was admiration, not love.
"You're cute, for a dead boy," she said.
"I'm gonna be honest; I can't decide if I should be offended or not," Phantom said. His grin was strikingly familiar.
Paulina stared at him, contemplative, and smirked when Phantom rubbed the back of his neck. "It it's any consolation, I just realized you remind me a lot of the boy I like."
Phantom finally flipped back around, feet touching the ground, and leaned forward. "Really?"
"Yeah. Who knows, if you were still alive, you might have had a chance."
Phantom laughed. The echo in his voice made it deeper than Danny's, but it had the same charm. It was the kind of laugh that warmed the air and begged anyone within earshot to join in. Paulina indulged herself with a few soft giggles.
"Thanks for breaking my heart," Phantom said.
"Any time."
—
Monday morning, Danny arrived at school twenty minutes earlier than usual, which meant there were only ten minutes before the bell. He planted himself by the door and waited there, lurking in the shadow of the entryway.
"You look like a creep," Tucker said. He had his nose to his phone and hadn't looked up the whole time Danny had been there.
"Shut up, you don't know that," Danny said.
"No." Sam, seated on the cement wall, leaned forward and flicked Danny's bangs. "But I do. Stop being so edgy."
"I'm not being edgy! I'm waiting for a girl!"
"Okay, Mr. Brooding."
"I'm not," Danny said, brooding.
Paulina hadn't arrived at school yet. As soon as Danny got there, he flew all throughout the halls, invisible, searching for her. Anxious he might miss her, he refused to move from his spot by the door until either the bell rang, or Paulina showed up, whichever came first. He really hoped Paulina came first. If the bell rang before she arrived, if he missed his chance to talk to her now, all his confidence would wither away.
"You're being ridiculous," Sam said.
"You don't know what I'm thinking," Danny said.
"Your face is so easy to read."
"Why do you care, anyway?" Danny spun around and glared at her. "You hate Paulina, right? You looked pretty damn mad at me when you only thought we went out."
"Danny–"
"I don't want to hear it, Sam. Just go inside. I can wait on my own." Turning his back on her, he crossed his arms and went back to watching the sidewalk.
Sam clenched her jaw. "Fine," she ground out, hopping off the wall. Shoving past Danny, she headed inside.
"Dude. That was kind of harsh," Tucker said.
Danny pressed his lips together, refusing to budge. Sam didn't have any business getting annoyed at him for liking a Paulina. He could like whoever he wanted. If Sam didn't agree, that was her problem.
"Good luck, man. I hope it goes well." Tucker clapped Danny on the shoulder, exaggerating the gesture so there was lots of warning before he made contact.
"Thanks," Danny muttered. Once Tucker disappeared through the doors, Danny moved to the top step, sitting down with his arms draped over his knees. None of his peers spared him a single glance as they headed inside. For once, it was oddly calming, settling his nerves. No one would be around to see him make a fool of himself in front of the prettiest girl in school. Again.
Hopefully, this time, his pants will at least stay on.
Two minutes before the bell, Paulina finally appeared. A navy car pulled up to the curb outside the school, Paulina climbing out of the passenger door with her pink backpack over her shoulders. Danny stood and waved as the car pulled away, catching her eye. Paulina's steps faltered, and she didn't smile or wave back, but she kept walking forward, only stopping once she was on the step below him.
"I'm sorry," Danny said.
"I know." Paulina shuffled her feet, grip tightening around the straps of her backpack. "Phantom talked to me."
Danny bit his lip, trying to fight back the heat rising in his cheeks as he remembered yesterday's conversation. Learning that Paulina liked him was the last thing he expected to get out of that talk. At least he believed she liked him. Maybe he misunderstood. In fact, he probably did. Why would Paulina like him of all people? Fenton had nothing on Phantom. That was his main goal in human form, to differentiate himself from his ghost half as much as possible.
Oh, god, this was a horrible idea. He should just go inside and forget about his crush.
"The bell is gonna go in, like, less than a minute. Is there a reason you're making me stand out here?" Paulina asked. Thankfully, she sounded more amused than annoyed, but she had a point. Danny didn’t want to be late on the first day he got to school on time in months.
"Will you go out with me?" he asked. "Or at least on a date. I mean, everybody already thought we dated, so I might as well get one date out of it."
A second later, he realized how bad that sounded and rushed to correct himself. "I mean! That's not why I want to go out with you! I was trying to be funny. Sorry, that was stupid. I really like you, Paulina. You're pretty, and you're a lot smarter than people think, and I really like being around you."
He couldn't bear to look up, choosing instead to stare down at his sneakers while wringing his hands. Paulina's smaller, smoother hand edged into his vision. She didn't touch him—something he was thankful for—but flicked her finger up, silently asking him to raise his head. He did.
Paulina smiled, bittersweet, and said, "No."
Danny's heart cracked.
"I like you, Danny, but I don't really know you. It's not bad, it just means I'm not ready to date you right now," Paulina said.
"That hasn't stopped you from going out with guys before." Danny regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.
Paulina's eyes widened, her lips falling open. She ground her teeth, face screwing up as she leaned away from him. For a moment, he thought she was going to hit him, but she did something much worse than that. Paulina burst into tears.
"I take it back. I hate you, Danny!" she shouted, shoving him aside. Danny stumbled into the concrete rail as she stormed past him. It was just like last time, but so much worse. Why did he keep screwing things up?
Danny shook his head, pushing off the wall. This time, he wouldn’t just let her go.
"Paulina, wait!" Lurching forward, he grabbed her wrist just as she opened the door, pulling her back before she could go through. The sharp call of the warning bell rang out, but it was soon silenced as the door swung shut, leaving Danny and Paulina in silence.
"I'm sorry. That was stupid. I don't know why I said it," Danny said. He squeezed her hand. "Please don't go."
Paulina's gaze dipped to their clasped hands. Could she see the growing panic in Danny's eyes? Already, a crawling sensation was spreading up his hand. He wanted to let go. He needed to let go. But he refused to do it until he knew Paulina would hear him out.
"Why should I listen to you?" she asked.
"Because I'm an idiot. I really don't know why I said that. Well, maybe I do." Danny let her hand go. When she didn't immediately leave, he kept going. " It just... it took a lot of guts for me to ask you out, and of course that doesn’t mean you have to say yes. But you said it yourself; you like me too. Isn't the whole point of dating to get to know the person?"
"How many dates do you think I've been on?"
"Uh..." Thrown by the questioned, Danny floundered, trying to come up with a number. "At least ten."
Paulina's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, one for homecoming, the others for when I was possessed? Or overshadowed, whatever it's called."
"Yeah."
"Well, that's nine more dates then I ever remember being on." Paulina crossed her arms, glaring down at Danny. Now that they were on even footing, she was taller than him by an inch. "It looks like you don't know me that well either. You judged me because of how much I'm flirted with. I don't want to date someone who would do something like that without hearing my side of things first. No matter how much I like them."
Ashamed, Danny lowered his head. Paulina was right. He took what he saw and made a snap judgement about her without even asking her about it. He thought he was better than that, better than those guys who trailed after her. But he wasn't. He was just bad in a different way.
"You're right," he said quietly, hugging himself. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. Do you at least... could we hang out as friends, then?"
Finally, she graced him with a genuine smile.
—
Danny slunk into history class three minutes after the bell, shooting Lancer a weak grin. All he got was a head shake and a resigned smile in return, which meant Lancer was in a good mood that day. Taking his seat, Danny stuffed his backpack under his seat and settled in as Lancer started talking about the essays they drafted last week.
"So," Tucker whispered. "How'd it go?"
Danny sank down in his seat, leaning toward Tucker without looking too obvious, and whispered back, "It went okay, I think. I kind of made her cry, but then I made it better?"
"Dude. That's not how to ask out a girl."
"Shut up, I know! She didn’t say yes, anyway."
"Oh. Bummer."
Lancer started down the aisles, handing everyone's essay drafts back, which they had submitted for editing. Danny and Tucker fell silent as he passed by. Lancer handed Danny his essay while smiling approvingly. Danny's eyes widened. He glanced down at his paper, excitement filling him, and had to hold back a cry of victory when he saw his tentative grade. A solid B! If he played this right, he could get his first A in months. Today may have had a rocky start, but it was turning out pretty good.
Lancer finished handing out the essays and went to stand at the front of the classroom. He clapped his hands together. "Please get together into groups for peer editing. Your final drafts are due in three days, so use your time wisely."
Desks screeched as everyone started moving, shoving their seats together to sit by their friends. Tucker, without getting out of his desk, shuffled toward Danny, turning so they were perpendicular. Sam, coming up from the front of the classroom, took the newly vacated desk in front of Danny and turned it around to face his. Slapping her essay down on the table, she dropped into the seat, crossing her arms and legs, and glared at Danny. He glared right back.
"We're gonna hang out as friends first," Danny said to Tucker.
Tucker grinned. "Less of a bummer."
"Not worried I'll get mad if you talk about her in front of me?" Sam asked, her voice cold.
"You can do whatever you want, Sam," Danny said.
Sam's eyes hardened. "Stop being so difficult, Danny! I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt. You've seen how Paulina is. She likes to toy with people, then toss them away. I told you what she said at homecoming. She was just using you to get back at me."
"Oh, come on, grow up. This isn’t about you. This has nothing to do with you. I like her, she likes me. Just let me be happy, will you?" Danny raised his hand, rising out of his seat. "Mr. Lancer, I'm going to the bathroom."
Without waiting for an answer, he left the room. Ducking into the closest bathroom, he transformed and shot out of the school. There had to be a ghost wreaking havoc somewhere for him to vent his frustration on. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could get the Box Ghost back for injuring him last week. Just as Danny thought, the cut ended up scarring. Thankfully, the one on his face hadn't, healing with barely a trace a few days after he got it.
Danny circled the school thinking. Immediately rushing out of the room had been a little hasty, but he wanted one moment where Sam didn't rag on him for liking Paulina. If Sam was going to act like that any time he mentioned Paulina, he couldn't be around her right now.
The ridiculousness of the situation made him laugh bitterly. He never thought he would fight with Sam about a girl.
—
Sam and Tucker sat in strained silence after Danny left. Tucker, rightfully assuming Danny wouldn't come back any time soon, grabbed Danny's essay and backpack, pulling them over to his desk.
"So..." Tucker said.
Sam snatched up her own essay, busying herself by flipping through it. "I don't want to hear it."
"Are you jealous?"
"Did you not hear anything I said?" Sam asked without looking up.
Tucker rested his chin on his hand, staring at Sam. All three of them had known each other for a long time, although Tucker and Danny had been friends longer. Over the years, they'd had their spats, but that was usually just Tucker and Sam, who had a lot of conflicting opinions. Even then, they limited themselves to heated but still friendly debates. They had never really been mad at each other.
Tucker didn't think their friendship would end over something like this, but he also didn't like that they were fighting. He wanted to supported Danny, and he wanted to understand Sam, too.
"Yeah, I heard you," Tucker nodded, "and I don't actually think you're jealous."
Sam finally put her essay down. "Then why even ask?"
"To see your reaction." Tucker met Sam's glare with a bright smile. "I think whatever your problem is with Paulina, it's got nothing to do with Danny. And it's got nothing to do with principles. You're not the kind of person who would hate other girls just because they like to feel pretty. Especially not with how much you care about your own appearance."
Sam huffed but didn't argue.
"I also think that you and Paulina should work things out. Not for Danny, but for yourself."
Sam pressed her lips together in a firm line, eying Tucker blankly. After a brief pause, she shook her head and sighed. "It truly is a sad day when you're the most mature out of the three of us."
"Wow, rude."
"I'm not making any promises. I've got a right to be mad at Paulina for what she's done. But... I'll think about it. For me, not anybody else."
"That's all I ask. Now give me your essay, we're supposed to be doing group work. Danny can suffer for skipping class when he didn't need to. I'll look at his tonight."
Sam rolled her eyes. Passing her essay over, she grabbed Tucker's, then snatched Danny's off Tucker's desk. "Please. If you touch his essay, I bet his grade will go down."
"I take back all of the advice I just gave you. You don't deserve it. Give it back," Tucker said, holding his hand out and beckoning.
"Too late, I've been thoroughly advised."
"Rude."
—
Paulina prided herself in have a clean record. She got good grades, participated in school activities, and, for the most part, respected the teachers that actually deserved it. But she still ended up in detention with Wednesday afternoon. Paulina found herself alone with Danny in the library after school. Technically, there was a teacher watching over them, but Tetslaff had disappeared into the librarian's office some time ago and hadn't re-emerged. She was certainly the best teacher to get for detention.
Paulina used the chair beside her as a footrest and had her sketchbook balanced on her knees while she worked on her art project. Danny, sitting across from her, hunched over an essay. He sported a black eye and a cut lip, his hair more mussed than usual. The hoodie he wore was too long for him, but still slim.
"Is that your sister's sweater?" Paulina asked. The burgundy fabric paired with teal hoodie strings looked like something Jazz would wear.
Danny's cheeks coloured and he looked up. "Yeah. I borrowed it from her locker this morning."
Paulina giggled.
"Hey, does this count as us hanging out?" he asked, gesturing to the library at large. "I mean, it's detention, but..."
"I don't see why not."
"Cool." Danny lowered his voice, leaned forward, and gruffly asked. "What are you in for?"
"Indecent exposure. My shoulders are criminally offensive." Paulina tugged on the collar of her gym shirt, showing the spaghetti straps of her tank top underneath. "Did you get caught fighting behind the school or something?"
Danny laughed, throwing his head back. "Haven't you heard? I'm a truant, a nonattender. Ishiyama actually used those words."
"Everybody already knows that."
"First of all, ouch. Second of all, yeah. But I skipped English on Monday and I was late for school yesterday and today. Ishiyama's finally threatening me with suspension," Danny said. Essay forgotten, he folded his arms on the table and rested his cheek on the crook of his elbow. "Jazz convinced her not to go through with it, though. Something about how making me miss school won't fix my problem with missing school."
Paulina snorted. Danny burst out laughing, making her squawk with embarrassment. She clapped a hand over her mouth. "You didn't hear that!"
Danny smirked at her. "Pretty sure I did."
"No you didn't!"
"Nah, I think I did. Don't worry, it's cute."
"I swear, if you tell anyone that I snort laughed, I am going to end you, Fenton."
"You wouldn't dare. You like me too much."
"No talking!" Tetslaff's shout cut off their banter. She leaned out of the librarian's office, shooting them a stern glare, and made a zipping motion over her lips. She pointed at her eyes, pointed at them, then disappeared back through the door.
Paulina and Danny glanced at each other. The moment their eyes met, they broke down into muffled laughter, pressing their faces into their arms to try and stay quiet.
"What do you think she's doing in there?" Danny whispered.
"Push-ups. Or squats," Paulina said. "I've seen her doing them in her own office during gym class."
"I think she's got thicker arms than my dad. I'm honestly impressed. Good for her."
The sincerity in Danny's tone made Pauline smile. She always admired strong women. Even if she didn't like Tetslaff sometimes, it was hard not to be impressed by her physique. Buff and burly wasn't Paulina's thing, but anyone who could pull it off had her respect.
They spend the next few minutes working diligently on their homework. Paulina was nearly done with her sketch. If she finished today, she could submit it to her teacher for critique tomorrow. Hopefully getting feedback wouldn't take too long. She wanted to star painting it right away, already deciding to use watercolours.
Tapping her chin with her pencil, she looked away from her sketchbook and watched Danny. His black eye looked like it hurt. Red around his eye, fading to a dark, almost black purple. It was swollen, but not shut. Just enough that it looked like he was squinting.
Paulina hummed. She had a hard time picturing Danny completely free of injuries. Going back to her sketch, she made a slight adjustment.
"What are you drawing?" Danny asked. He pulled himself halfway onto the table, trying to see the sketchbook.
"Hey, no peeking before it's done!" Paulina said, holding the book to her chest.
"So you were gonna show me?"
Paulina bit her lip. "Maybe."
"Can I see it now?"
She glanced down at her sketch, then up at Danny, and down again. After a few seconds of internal debating—which was more for show than anything—she dropped her sketchbook on the table and pushed it across. Danny grabbed it and eagerly took in the drawing. Paulina wanted to hide her face as his eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
The project was to draw the future. Paulina knew Dash was going for some sci-fi world with tall, gleaming buildings and flying cars. Star chose an apocalyptic wasteland. Kwan, ever the optimist, wanted to draw a full, green world. They were great ideas, but the project had no set restrictions, so Paulina went a different route.
She drew Danny. At least, how she pictured Danny after high school, after college, when he was grown up. In space, wearing a sleek astronaut suit. She gave him a stronger chin and jawline, to age him, but kept the wondrous grin that radiated innocent delight.
Danny stared at the sketch for a long time, his smile stretching into the same grin, before passing it back. "It's really good."
Paulina, too embarrassed, to speak, nodded in thanks. She hoped he didn't notice the black eye she had added to the drawing moments prior. Eager to move the conversation along, she asked, "What are you working on?"
"History essay. It's due tomorrow, but Lancer let us hand in drafts first, so I'm just editing it now." Danny lifted his essay, showing off the red pen marks all over the page.
"Huh. He's been doing that a lot more," Paulina said. She couldn't pinpoint when it started, but Lancer let students submit drafts in almost all his courses now.
"Yeah. Would have been nice if he did that from the start, but I got lucky. I was really close to failing history before he started doing this. It's pretty great."
"You know what really helps you pass your classes? Stop skipping them and actually do your homework," Paulina deadpanned. She could never hand in an unfinished assignment, much less skip class. How Danny did it without breaking down in a nervous fit, she had no idea.
Danny offered her a strained smile. "Ha, if only." He held her gaze for a few seconds before letting his eyes fall. Ducking his head, he folded his hands over his face. He probably meant to appear occupied with his essay, but his shaky breaths ruined the façade.
Paulina frowned. Stretching across the table, she tapped his hand, a light touch to grab his attention. Danny raised his head slightly and peered at her from behind his intertwined fingers. It was hard to meet his eyes. Something pitiful lurked in his gaze, a shadow of resignation dragging him down. It startled Paulina with its frailty.
A week ago, she never would have imagined finding such a self-deprecating glint in Danny's eyes. Despite how much she watched him, she really didn't know a lot about him, not until he sent that senior, Keith, running. But even after that, she couldn't picture it. She had seen Danny angry, embarrassed, happy, nervous. Not once had it crossed her mind that Danny could be brought so low by such powerful self-doubt.
Even now, seeing it for herself, it felt so off. Like it didn't belong in his eyes, because it didn't. Danny was supposed to be the nervous, smiling boy kicking rocks down the sidewalk.
"Danny... why do you skip school so much?" she asked.
He tensed, nails digging into the back of his hands, and glanced away.
"Is it related to you getting hurt all the time?" Paulina wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, just below the bruise, but held herself back. She didn't want to make Danny uncomfortable.
"Maybe," he whispered. Leaning back, he pulled the hood of Jazz's sweater up, tugging on the strings. As the they tightened, the hood's opening cinched together, squishing Danny's hair flat. "It's not that I don't want to tell you," he continued. "It's just... personal. And I can guarantee it's not anything you think it is."
"Can you?"
"Pinky swear." Danny stretched out, extending his pinky toward her.
Paulina wasn't satisfied, but she'd take. "Pinky swear." Meeting Danny in the middle of the table, she hooked her pinky around his and they shook on it.
—
You | yesterday 4:04 pm
hey
Delete This Number | yesterday 6:22 pm
... you still have my number?
You | yesterday 6:22 pm
i've been meaning to delete it
it took you two hours to say that
Delete This Number | yesterday 6:26 pm
Sure. You've been meaning to for almost two years. And some of us aren't attached to our phones.
You | yesterday 6:27 pm
that's hilarious coming from you
Delete This Number | yesterday 6:31 pm
It's Thursday. Cheerleading practice, duh.
You | yesterday 6:31 pm
because i'm gonna remember that
Delete This Number | yesterday 6:31 pm
Whatever. What do you want?
You | yesterday 6:57 pm
we need to talk
Delete This Number | yesterday 6:58 pm
Now who's taking forever?
You | yesterday 6:58 pm
shut up
i've got better stuff to do
but constantly being mad at you is exhausting
Delete This Number | yesterday 6:58 pm
Oh, no. Poor you.
You | yesterday 6:59 pm
you know what
this was a stupid idea
whatever i don't care
Delete This Number | yesterday 7:09 pm
I'll meet you before school tomorrow.
Sam scowled at her messages, wondering if this really was a good idea. She had spent the rest of Wednesday and most of Thursday considering Tucker's words. In all that time, she couldn't think of a solid argument against his advice. She hated it. But she wasn't stubborn enough to ignore it regardless, so as soon as she got home on Thursday, she gave in and messaged Paulina.
Sam wanted to work it out through text, so they wouldn't have to talk in person. Of course Paulina, being Paulina, had to make it an awkward, horrible, definitely-going-to-go-wrong face-to-face conversation.
"'Before school.' When before school? You couldn't say a damn time?" Sam muttered. She wasn't stupid enough to think the conversation would be short and sweet, but pacing in front of the school a full hour before the first bell made her feel like an idiot. It wouldn't surprise her if Paulina didn't even show. She should have just stayed home.
"This is stupid," she said.
"And yet you're still here."
Sam—who was not startled, merely mildly surprised—whirled around, instinctively raising her arms in defence.
Paulina gave Sam's bony fists an unimpressed stare. "Oh, please."
"I could take you."
"You're not worth the time." Paulina made a show of checking her nails, humming in disinterest. "If all you wanted was to threaten me, then I'll be going now." She turned toward the school, walking up the sidewalk.
Sam squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fists. Before she could lose her nerve, she shouted, "Why did you stand me up?"
The sound of Paulina's footsteps stopped. Opening one eye to peek out, Sam saw Paulina frozen a few steps away from her. She was curled inward, fingers clenched around the fabric of her skirt. She took a deep breath, shoulders rising. As she let it out, she straightened up, raising her head and pushing her shoulders back, hands relaxing at her sides. By the time Paulina turned around to face Sam, she was perfectly composed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Paulina said.
Sam gritted her teeth. Taking a step forward, she jabbed at Paulina. "You. Stood. Me. Up. In middle school."
"Sorry, not ringing any bells," Paulina said flippantly.
"The summer Danny and Tucker went to that stupid boys camp." Sam made a dismissive gesture.
"Nope."
"Damn it, Paulina! I'm trying to have a real conversation with you here! I'm tired. I'm tired of hating you. And I am so, so tired of being heartbroken when I don't even like you anymore!" Sam scrubbed her eyes. Stupid body crying without her permission. The last thing she wanted to do in front of Paulina now was cry. "I don't even know why I'm trying."
"Why are you always like this?" Paulina shouted. Her voice was thick and watery. Looking up, Sam saw she was crying, too. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, smudging her makeup. "Why couldn't you just pretend it never happened?"
"Because I liked you!"
Paulina marched forward and grabbed Sam's wrist. "You want me to say it? Fine! I tricked you. I mislead you. I got pretty and loved and suddenly I was obligated to love everybody back. But you were supposed to be different!"
Sam ripped her hand out of Paulina's grip. "I was different!"
"Why? Because you were a girl? Newsflash, you weren't the only girl who liked me."
"Oh, poor miss popular. Thirteen years old and already boys and girls were throwing themselves at your feet. What a sad, woeful existence for you, huh?"
Paulina screamed wordlessly. Her hands shook. She turned, stomping up the path, then pivoted and came right back. "You know that's not what it was like. I told you. I told you so much."
"You told me you liked me!"
"And I lied!" Paulina bellowed.
They stood almost nose to nose, shoulders heaving, red-faced as they panted. Sam was suddenly very annoyed that Paulina had screamed first. Right now, screaming was all she wanted to do, but doing it second felt cheap.
"You, Paulina Sanchez, are a bitch," Sam spat.
"And you're pathetic."
Sam's gaze jumped all over Paulina's face, taking in her streaked mascara, her blush that was thoroughly ruined, her smudged eyeshadow. Sam probably didn't look much different, in that moment.
"I liked you. I really liked you. And you made me think you liked me, too." Sam's voice fell, going quiet at the end. She couldn't stand seeing Paulina's face. Paulina wasn't allowed to look heartbroken, not after what she did.
"That whole summer, you made me feel special." Sam struggled to keep her voice steady. "And it's so stupid, right? We were thirteen. We're barely older than that now. All of this will probably seem so stupid when we're older. Hell, it already does, considering the kind of stuff I've been through. But that doesn't stop it from hurting."
"You never told Danny or Tucker." The fight had gone out of Paulina's voice.
"No, I didn't. I didn't want to be another Sanchez reject." Sam spat the words bitterly. "But it didn't matter if they knew or not. You and I, we knew." She hugged herself. Being exposed like this was her worst nightmare. She wanted to go back to being the strong, loud, and proud Manson girl she always was. Not this heartbroken shell of someone she used to be. "Do you remember what we were supposed to do?"
Paulina worried her lip and said nothing.
"The beach. I liked it best at night, when the sand was cold and the ocean was back, and you told me you wanted to see it. I had to beg my mom to let me go out on my own so late. I waited for you for three hours." It had been the coldest, loneliest three hours in Sam's life at that point. By now, that top spot belonged to the hours waiting for Danny as he fought Pariah Dark. It made being stood up seem so trivial, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
Sam squeezed her phone. "Do you remember what your text said?"
Paulina's gaze dropped to the sidewalk. That was all the answer Sam needed.
"You said you were tired." Sam laughed. It sounded bitter and fragile, even to her ears. "You said you were tired of me following you around everywhere, and you said you didn't have time for a friend like me."
"Oh."
"Which brings me back to my original question. Why did you do it?"
Shame poured from Paulina, but it didn't fill Sam with the righteous vindication she always thought it would. It just made her sad. They could have been friends. If Paulina had just been honest with her from the start, Sam would have understood. Instead, they wasted two years hating each other, leaving their old wounds to fester and spoil, letting foolish mistakes ruin what could have been a great bond.
"I don't know," Paulina said.
"That's not a real answer."
"Like hell it isn't! I don't know, okay? I don't know why I did it. I wasn't sure how I felt about boys, I didn't even know I was allowed to like girls, and it was just too much. You were too much." Paulina toyed with her fingers, intertwining them and twisting them, an unusual display of nerves. "You were so certain about yourself, and I wasn't certain about anything. I just couldn't handle it, and the only solution I saw was to pretend it all never happened and move on."
"I want to call you a coward," Sam said. Paulina didn't protest, which was telling enough. It would be easy. Four simple words: you are a coward. But she couldn't do it. "You were a kid. And I was a kid. And we're still kids. I can't... I can't be mad at you for that. It still hurts, but I get it."
"You sound a lot like Danny, you know."
"Really?" Sam tipped her chin up. "How so?"
"He said something like that. Well, not really. But he said I was acting too grown up when I shouldn't be." Paulina wiped her face with the heel of her palm. It did nothing to improve her appearance, only smudging her makeup more.
"It's so annoying when he's right, isn't it?" Sam smiled.
Paulina smiled back. She laughed and nodded, the last few tears falling from her eyes. Hearing her laugh, Sam felt a weight lift off her. A great aching burden she had been carrying for two years suddenly disappeared, beaten back by that simple sound. She didn't like Paulina anymore, not like that, but Sam had always missed her.
She checked the time on her phone. "The first bus should get here in a couple minutes. Come on, you're a mess, and I've got some face wipes in my locker."
"Not like you look any better," Paulina pointed out.
"Maybe not. But I feel better," Sam said.
"Yeah. So do I."
They walked up the sidewalk, a yawning space between them, but it would close in time. Sam could feel it.
—
Paulina had only been to the Manson household a handful of times during the summer she and Sam almost dated. It was just as grand as she remembered. The Mansons were rich and extravagant and they liked to show it. Sam's understated style made it so easy to forget she came from money. Lots and lots of money.
"And she has a bowling alley!" Tucker said. For the past ten minutes, he had been regaling Paulina with the wonders of the house.
They sat in the plush armchairs of the Manson's basement theatre, the blank TV ahead of them. Sam and Danny were upstairs waiting for the pizza to arrive, leaving them alone. Paulina wasn't sure how she felt about that. Out of the trio of close-knit friends, Tucker was the only one she had never spent any one-on-one time with. He reminded her of Dash in too many ways, hitting on any girl within his sight.
Really, it was only the one similarity, but for Paulina, it was bad enough that she didn't like Tucker all that much. At least he had the brains to stop pursuing a girl the moment she said no. And, it seemed, he no longer had any interest in her.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few secret passages in this place. It's just that big," Tucker said.
"There are," Paulina said.
"Really?" Tucker leapt up, bracing himself on the armrest, bouncing on his knees as he grinned at her. "Wait." His smile fell and his eyes narrowed. "How would you know?"
"Sam and I had a forbidden romance in middle school that ended up breaking her heart and ruining our potential friendship forever," Paulina said.
Tucker's eyes widened. He burst out laughing. "That's a good one!"
"Isn't it?" Paulina smiled.
"But really. You guys are square or whatever?" Tucker asked. "I was really surprised when Sam suggested we all hang out."
Paulina's first instinct was to snap that it wasn't any of his business. She resisted the urge, just barely, and instead said, "We're getting there."
It was shockingly easy to stop hating Sam, although maybe that shouldn't have been surprising. The only reason she hated Sam in the first place was because Sam hated her. And Sam didn't hate her anymore, never had. It was the strangest, most liberating feeling. She couldn't believe it had been that easy. Sort of easy. The crying hadn't been fun.
"Cool." Tucker's expression turned serious "Danny's my best friend, you know. He really likes you. If you do something that hurts him, and I mean really hurts him, I can mess you up."
"You have a D in gym class."
"But I've got an A in hacking."
"That's not a class."
"Stop ruining my threat! I'm trying to be intimidating, damn it!"
"I know, and I don't want to hurt Danny. But you should remember that sometimes people can hurt each other without meaning to. The only thing you can do then is make up or move on," Paulina said.
Tucker groaned. "Ugh, you're too mature, stop it."
Perhaps Tucker wasn't as bad as Paulina thought he was.
Loud, clunking steps echoed down the stairs. Sam emerged through the door, her heavy boots pounding on the carpet, holding four plates and four cups. Danny trailed after her, carrying three pizzas boxes in one hand and two large bottles of soda under his other arm.
"Pizza!" Danny announced, hoisting the boxes over his head.
"Do you need help with that?" Paulina asked, eyeing how he balanced the pizzas on the tips of his fingers.
"Nah, I'm good," he said. He set down the pizzas and soda on a nearby table without any hassle. "So, scale of ten, how intimidating was Tucker?"
Paulina glanced at Tucker, who was making an aggressive silencing motion toward Danny. "Oh my god. You totally told them both to go upstairs so you could give me the best friend talk, didn't you?"
"Dude! How could you betray me like that?" Tucker said.
Danny's grin held no remorse. "First, I opened my mouth. And then I said words. Scale of ten?"
"If ten's the best?" Paulina hummed as she thought about her answer. "I'm gonna say three."
"Oh, come on, it was a five at least," Tucker said.
"Hey, I gave you an extra two for the hacking thing. That's at least a valid threat."
"It was gonna be one?"
Paulina ignored Tucker's lamenting wail. Getting up, she joined Danny at the table, helping him set out the pizza boxes, flipping up the lid of each one. Meat lovers, ham and pineapple, and a veggie pizza with no cheese.
"What's with this one?" Paulina asked, pointing to the last pizza.
"It's vegan," Danny explained. "For Sam. Every Saturday we order our favourite pizzas and watch bad movies."
"And who's favourite is the pineapple?"
"I think you know."
"Gross."
"It's an underrated topping! Try it, maybe you'll like it." Danny grabbed a slice and held it out.
"Ew, no thank you," Paulina said.
"Come on." Danny leaned forward, slowly bringing the slice closer to her face.
Paulina laughed, shaking her head. "No, Danny, stop!"
"Hey, lovebirds!" Sam shouted.
"We're not– oh wait. Ha. Wrong person" Danny grinned sheepishly while everyone chuckled at his expense. "Yeah, Sam?"
"Help me with the chairs?"
"Sure." Danny stuffed the pizza slice in his mouth, leaving half of it dangling out as he jogged over to the chairs.
Hovering by the tables, she marvelled at Danny, wondering why on Earth she liked him in the first place. The pizza slices in his mouth slapped against his chin, grease dripping down the crust as he bounced around Sam and Tucker. It wasn't the most attractive image, but Paulina smiled at it anyway.
Danny, making slow progress, bumped the armchairs along with his hip, putting in the absolute minimal amount of effort.
"Danny, can you hurry up?" Sam huffed, hand on her hip.
Danny flopped onto the chair he had been pushing, legs draped over the armrest. "How about no?"
Sam reached out, fingers poised to flick Danny in the forehead. But, to Paulina's surprise, all she did was flick Danny's fringe. Danny responded by swatting in the general vicinity of her hand, missing by miles.
Paulina cocked her head and watched closer.
Tucker leaned over the back of the armchair, feet in the air, balancing on his gut. He wiggled his fingers over Danny, the universal threat for an impending tickle, but in the end, he just plucked at Danny's shirt in a mildly annoying manner.
"Okay, okay, I'll do it!" Danny rolled off the armchair, landing on his hands with his face inches from the floor. He popped right back to his feet and started pushing the chair again, this time with exaggerated effort. He huffed and puffed, and made his arms tremble as his feet slipped on the carpet.
Sam and Tucker stood back and rolled their eyes.
"Wouldn't it go faster if we all helped?" Paulina asked.
Danny didn't respond, too busy pushing the second armchair closer to the first one, but Sam and Tucker shared a look. A thousand words passed between them in that second, at least that's what it looked like to Paulina. Their mouth's twitched, shoulders lifted, eyebrows quirked. Small, silent gestures that meant to little to Paulina but so much to them.
"The armchairs have built in speakers and a bunch of other stuff. It makes them really heavy," Tucker explained.
"Isn't that more of a reason for us to help?" Paulina asked.
"Uh..."
"Danny's really particular about where we put the chairs. He likes the setup to be just right. Right, Tuck?" Sam said, turning a sickly sweet smile on him.
Tucker nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Yeah. Danny knows exactly where to put the chairs for optimal viewing."
Paulina didn't believe it for a second, but she let it drop anyway. Once Danny finished with the chairs, he dragged a couch that had been leaning against the back wall forward. He lined it up beside the chairs then jumped over the back, landing in the middle. Finally, he finished devouring the pizza slice he held in his mouth. Quite a few of the pineapples had fallen off by that point, littering the floor.
Danny bounced in his seat. "Okay, let's go!"
"Pizza and soda," Sam said as she walked toward Paulina.
Danny scrambled up from the couch and bounded over. "Right."
Everyone grabbed their pizza—Paulina took a slice of each—and their soda and got settled in. Sam and Tucker took the armchairs while Danny and Paulina sat on the couch, close but not quite touching.
"Okay, let's go," Danny said with a grin.
"Yeah, let's go," Tucker echoed.
"This is gonna be so bad."
"So bad."
"I can't believe they made a live-action adaptation for Doomed."
"I'm going to die."
"Come on, Sam, press play!"
"Yeah, Sam. Come on!"
"Maybe if you shut up, I will!" Sam pounced on Tucker, lunging across the space between the two chairs, and shoved him over. Snatching up a pillow from the floor, she tossed it back over her shoulder, hitting Danny in the face. Paulina ducked as the pillow hit him and flipped away, soaring over her head and landing with a soft whump.
Sam was already back in her seat and reaching for the remote by the time Paulina rose up. Paulina scrutinized the small gap between the couch and Sam's armchair, and the more sizeable distance between Sam and Tucker's chairs.
"Huh," she said.
"What?" Danny asked, glancing her way.
"Nothing, it's just..." Paulina trailed off, gaze drifting to the pillow on the floor. "It's nothing. I hope this movie is as bad as you say it is."
Danny beamed. "I hope it's worse."
The opening credits hadn't even finished before Tucker went to grab more pizza. On his way back, he snuck up on Sam, slapping his hands over her eyes. She squawked and smacked his chest in response. The next time Tucker got up, to refill his soda minutes after he'd refilled his plate, he snuck up on Danny. Although Paulina could hardly call it sneaking.
"Danny," Tucker whispered ominously from behind them. He struck the couch right beside Danny's ear, although Danny didn't even flinch, and draped himself over the back.
"Hey, hey, hey. Danny. Hey, Danny," Tucker said.
Danny rolled his eyes and looked over.
Tucker brought his arm around, swinging it wide and slow, and poked Danny in the cheek. "Boop." He grinned like an idiot. Heaving himself off the couch, he quickly scampered back to his seat and went back to watching the movie.
Paulina, on the other hand, watched Danny. He rubbed his cheek where Tucker had touched him, a soft smile on his face. Her eyes dipped to the space between them on the couch, mere centimeters. When his bumped his knee against hers, her eyes snapped back up to his face.
"You sure it's nothing?" Danny asked.
Paulina blanked. It took her a moment to remember what he was referring to, but when she did, she smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, it really is."
Danny shrugged. "Okay." He turned his attention back to the movie.
Paulina tried to do the same, but for the first half, she found herself observing Danny and his friends more. Sam and Tucker were playful and physical with each other, hitting shoulders, poking and prodding, invading each other's personal space at every whim. How they interacted with Danny was completely different. There was hardly any contact, at least not skin to skin. They would throw pillows at him, ruffle his hair, and pluck at his clothes, but not much beyond that.
If they did touch him, they telegraphed their movements to be as visible as possible, as if they were warning him. Paulina, a physically affectionate person herself, silently took note of all this as the evening wore on.
—
Sunday afternoon, the sun beat down from a cloudy sky, a cool breeze raising goosebumps along Paulina's arms. It was her favourite kind of day, when the clouds were light and wispy, casting meagre shadows that made the heat bearable. She loved to paint in her backyard on days like this. She loved it even more when her friends joined her.
"So, are you dating him or not?" Kwan asked.
Sprawled out on his stomach, he picked a dandelion from the pile before him, weaving it into the crown he was making.
Paulina took a moment to finish her brush stroke, adding the famed Fenton Works insignia to the front of Danny's spacesuit in her drawing. "Not yet," she answered.
"Oh, okay."
Star, laying down beside Kwan, rolled onto her back and rested her head on Paulina's thigh. "I can't believe Tucker got to do the best friend speech first. He stole my thunder."
"Trust me, he didn't steal anyone's thunder," Paulina said.
Dash yawned. "I just don't get why you're wasting your time with him." He flicked through the book he was supposed to be reading for English, scanning the page but hardly taking in a single word.
Paulina dropped her watercolour brush into her jar of water and glared at Dash. "Because I like him. He's nice, and funny, and cute. And you need to stop being such an ass to him all the time."
"What? I'm not an ass!" Dash dropped his book. It landed facedown, pages folding against the grass.
Star made a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat. Reaching out, she grabbed the book and smoothed the pages out. "You're totally an ass."
"Am not!"
"When was the last time you went a day without punching someone?"
"Shut up, that doesn't make me an ass!"
"It does," Star and Paulina chorused.
Dash grumbled under his breath. "Whatever. I don't care. You're the one who's wasting your time."
Paulina paused, giving Dash a considering look. They had been friends for a long time, just as long as Danny, Sam, and Tucker had been. Hanging out with Danny and his friends yesterday, Paulina realized something. Her friendship with Dash was severely lacking. Nowadays, they bickered more than they got along. Suddenly, Paulina understood the frustration Sam showed during their argument. She, too, was tired. Tired of Dash being, well, Dash.
"Maybe I am," she said. Kwan and Star gave her matching looks of surprise. "But if I'm wasting my time with anyone, it's you, Dash."
"Hey, whoa, wait. What?" Dash's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
Paulina put her painting aside, gently setting it down on the wooden deck behind her, next to her watercolour set. "I think it's really obvious what I'm talking about." She crossed her legs, resting her hands on her knees. "You're mean, Dash."
Dash sputtered. "So what? So are you."
"Yeah, you're right. But I don't want to be anymore."
"So you'd rather be a loser instead of popular?"
"Oh, come on. Are you really this dense, Dash?" Star interjected. She sat up, scooting closer to Paulina. "You think people like you? Sure, you're good at football, and so is Kwan. And Paulina and I are pretty. But no one actually likes us, because all we do is hurt the people who don't like us."
"I'm not ready for this kind of introspection," Kwan whispered.
Dash's face scrunched in confusion. "That doesn't even make sense. If we hurt the people who don't like us, then everyone has to like us. Or else we'll hurt them."
"Kwan," Paulina said.
"Please don't," he said.
"Do you really enjoy bullying people?"
Kwan pursed his lips. He focused on his dandelion crown, touching up a few flowers. Everyone watched him expectantly. After nearly a minute, he caved. "Okay fine, I don't."
Dash had the gall to look shocked, gaping at Kwan in disbelief.
"You're my best friend, Dash, and I didn't want you to stop being my best friend. I didn't want you to be mean either. It's not fun. I mean, sometimes I can get caught up in it, and it sort of feels like fun in the moment, but afterward I just feel awful." Kwan pushed himself up, toying with the crown in his lap. "I wanted to tell you. But I thought you might make fun of me."
"Kwan, I wouldn't–"
"You kicked me out when Paulina dated Danny before."
Dash fell silent.
And Paulina... she hadn't known that. She tried to think back to that week, but the only thing that came to mind were vague recollections of her classes. That memory must have been tied up in her time with Danny, and Kitty removed it. Paulina felt sick.
"That wasn't– I didn't–" Dash floundered. He couldn't defend himself. Nothing he could say to that would turn him into the good guy. "You can't talk to me like I'm the only one who's ever hurt someone! You're not better than me."
"No, we're not," Star said. "But I think..." She looked to Paulina, then Kwan, who both nodded. "We want to be. And we'll leave you behind if we have to."
Paulina would never be more grateful for Star's bluntness. Her bubbly personality and cheerful voice made her hard to argue against. If Paulina had said those things, Dash would rail and brawl against her, but as it stood, he could only stare at Star, at a loss for words.
Star grabbed Kwan's dandelion crown from his hands and stood. She dropped the crown on Kwan's head, breaking him out of his daze. Blinking, he looked up at her, and rose to join her. As they headed inside, Paulina quickly packed up her watercolours, washing her brush and slipping it back into its plastic sleeve, screwing the cap on her jar of water. Careful not to touch the wet painting, she picked up her notebook.
"It's your choice, Dash." She went inside without looking back.
—
Despite everything Danny had been through since becoming a halfa, the strangest week of his life by far was the week Dash did not touch him. No slaps on the back of the head. No body slams in the middle of the hallway. No punches, no kicks, no being stuffed into the closest open locker. Monday to Friday, Dash didn't even look at Danny. It was incredibly disorienting.
"Maybe he's sick," Danny said at lunch.
"No. He doesn't style his hair when he's sick, because it takes too much effort," Star said.
That was another thing that made this week strange. Paulina, Kwan, and Star had joined Danny and his friends for lunch every day. Up until that point, Danny and Paulina hadn't hung out much at school, and they definitely hadn't hung out with all their friends together.
"How do you even know that?" Tucker asked.
Star grinned. "I know everything."
"Dash also complains nonstop about his hair not looking good because he's too tired to style it when he's sick," Kwan said.
"You're no fun, Kwan."
"I try."
"Try harder," Sam said.
Danny grinned at the banter. Of course he did, he loved banter. But more than that, he liked seeing everyone get along. Thinking it made him feel like a grade-schooler who wanted everyone to be friends, but no one could fault him for that. He did want it. At least, he wanted his and Paulina's friends to be friends, and there was nothing wrong with that. Star and Kwan were pretty cool when they weren't being mean.
A heavy finger prodded Danny's shoulder. He arched away from the touch, grimacing, and twisted to face the source. Dash stood behind him, shuffling from foot to foot, hand outstretched.
Danny waited for the impending beating, because surely that's why Dash was there, but nothing happened. After a long, uncomfortable moment, he hesitantly said, "Hi?"
"Hey," Dash's eyes jumped from person to person as he took in everyone seated at the table. Nervously licking his lips, he glanced away, then back at Danny. "I'm not gonna wail on your or anything anymore. Don't expect me to say sorry, though."
"Um." Danny sent Paulina a questioning stare. She looked right back, smiling innocently. Which meant this whole apology-not-apology reeked of her meddling. Not that Danny was going to complain. "Okay. Fine."
"Good." Dash shuffled his feet again. "Can I..." he trailed off.
On the other side of the table, Star and Kwan scooted apart, making room for him. Dash's shoulders slumped in relief. He hurried around the table, taking the open seat across from Danny. The next minute was spent in silence. Awkward, delicate silence.
Kwan nudged Dash, who quietly hissed "What?" under his breath. Kwan jerked his chin toward Danny. Dash shook his head. Star jabbed him in the side and pointed to Paulina, then Danny. It took all of Danny's will not to laugh at Dash's expense.
"Fine." Dash groaned. "Fenton."
"Yes, Dash?" Danny smiled pleasantly.
"You guys should. Come to the game. Tonight. Or whatever," Dash said haltingly.
Danny choked back a laugh.
"Hey, I'm trying to be sincere here!"
"I know. I know, sorry, it's just." He slapped a hand over his mouth, unable to contain his giggles. "I can't believe you're shy."
"Shut up!"
—
Paulina had gone to plenty of football games. She had to, being a cheerleader and all. All night, she and the other girls stood on the sidelines, cheering the boys on, pumping up the crowd. She loved it. However, tonight was the first time she would rather be up in the stands. With Star cheerleading next to her, and Kwan and Dash out on the field, she never had any friends looking down on the game. They were all right in the action with her. But this time, Danny and his friends were here.
They had never bothered to come to games before. She understood that it didn't interest them that much, but now that they were here, she wanted to be with them. She wanted to make sure they enjoyed it as much as she always did.
Excitement fizzled through the air. Classmates and family buzzing with energy, ready to show their spirit. Drinking it all in was one of the best feelings in the world. She wanted Danny to feel the same spark.
Paulina stood on her toes, peering into the stands, trying to find Danny. There were a lot of people at the game tonight, but he said he'd be easy to find. Once, twice, three times she scanned the seats and couldn't find him.
"He's here," Star said, placing a reassuring hand on Paulina's shoulder.
"I don't see him."
Star leaned around Paulina. Her face lit up. "I do," she said. Pushing Paulina's shoulder, she turned her around.
Danny, Tucker, and Sam stood in the shadows just beyond the floodlights. Tucker had an arm around Danny's shoulder. It was the most physical contact Paulina had seen between them over these past few weeks. Sam stood opposite the boys, gesturing wildly, face red. Her hair was falling out of her ponytail, dirt smudged her cheeks, and there was a tear in her sweater.
"Damn, she looks mad," Star said.
"Yeah." Paulina frowned.
Danny threw his arm out, pointing in the general direction of the cheerleaders. Despite being so far away, she could hear his raised voice. It wasn't clear enough to make out the words, but it was loud. The argument came to an end when Sam shook her head, jabbed Danny's shoulder hard enough to make him stumble, and stomped toward the bleachers.
On her way up the steps, Sam looked down and caught Paulina's eye. Paulina didn't bother hiding that she'd been watching. To her surprise, Sam didn't turn her anger toward Paulina. She just sighed and rolled her eyes, shrugging her shoulder in a what can you do gesture.
Paulina raised an eyebrow, tilting her head toward the boys, who still stood in the shadows.
Sam mouthed, "Being idiots."
Paulina couldn't help but laugh. She waved Sam on, turning her focus back to Danny and Tucker. In the time she looked away, Tucker had taken his arm from Danny's shoulder and stepped back. He said a few quiet words, grinned, then followed Sam.
Danny searched the throng of cheerleaders, easily spotting Paulina, and started over.
Paulina's smile quickly fell when she noticed him favouring his right leg. She ran toward him, meeting him halfway. "Danny, what happened?"
"Ah, it's nothing, really," he said, rubbing his leg. "Got caught in a ghost attack on the way here. Sorry we're late."
"Danny, that's not nothing! That could be serious. You're limping."
"Jammed my leg on something. It hurts now, but it'll be fine later."
"You needed Tucker to help you with a jammed leg?" Paulina asked.
"Uh. Yes?"
"Honestly." Paulina shook her head. "I'm glad you're here. But if you do anything stupid, or if I find out you're more hurt than you say you are, I'm gonna drag you back home myself, got it?"
Danny saluted her. "Got it! Have fun cheering. Good luck." Leaning forward, he kissed her on the cheek before she could react. He scampered up the bleachers, crowing with delight. "See you at half-time!"
Paulina touched her cheek, watching him.
"Do you think he knows he just stole your first kiss?" Star asked.
"It was just a cheek kiss, it doesn't count," Paulina said.
"Spoken like someone who hasn't had her first kiss." Star patted her shoulder and walked away.
Paulina trailed after her, calling out protests as they made their way onto the field for their opening cheer. It didn't count. Not as a whole kiss, at least. Half of one. A third. One quarter!
—
As the whistle went for half-time, Paulina hopped to her feet, waving her pom-poms in the air, screaming and cheering. Casper High was winning, eighteen to six. The team was having a good game so far. She high-fived the players as they came off the field, telling each of them "Great work!" When Kwan and Dash approached, she jumped up to give each of them a hug.
Paulina peered over her shoulder, surveying the bleachers. Danny had been sitting near the top of the bleachers last she saw, but he wasn't there now. "You guys are doing great," she said to Kwan and Dash. Turning back, she found them looking at her in amusement. "What?"
"Hurry up and find your boyfriend," Dash said.
"We're not dating yet. I was very particular about that," Paulina said. "But yes. I will go find him." Her friends giggled. She flipped them off as she walked away, skipping toward the bleacher steps. Chances were, Danny had gone to the bathroom and would be right back. She could stand out of the way until then. She only had to wait a minute before a hand closed around her wrist.
"Danny, did you–" Before she could finish turning, she was yanked back. She cried out. A hand slapped over her mouth, silencing her. Something cold touched her neck, sending shivers up her spine. She struggled and kicked as she was pulled behind the bleachers.
"Hey, stop. Don't scream, okay? I just want to talk. Okay? That's it. Just a talk." Paulina recognized the voice. The hands touching her disappeared and she was shoved forward into the chain-link fence. She spun around, pressing her back against the fence, fingers curling around the metal, and stared at Keith. He held a beer bottle loosely in one hand. His face was flushed, eyes glazed, and he swayed in place.
"I've just got one question. Just one, that's it. That's all I want." He took a step forward and stumbled. Paulina flinched away from him as he careened into the fence. "Hold on, wait. Don't go. 'M sorry."
Grabbing Paulina's shoulder, he pulled her back, bracing his other arm above her head so he had her caged in.
"You said... you said you were goin' out with that scrawny kid, right? Short guy, messy hair." He stuck his hand out, trying to mime Danny's height. He went half a foot too short. "That little dude. Little guy. Tiny guy. Kinda freakishly strong though."
"What about him?" Paulina asked.
"I heard some funny things. Very funny. Very... interesting. I heard you're not dating him."
"Don't believe everything you hear." She pushed off the fence, determined to slip around him, but Keith grabbed her shoulder and shoved her back again.
"See, but the thing is, I didn't just hear it from anybody. I heard it from you. Just now."
Paulina swallowed nervously but refused to be cowed. "So what?"
"I'm just kinda heartbroken, you know? I can't believe you'd lie to me. I think you owe me a chance, don't you?" He hunched over her, rank breath warming her face. Paulina tried to turn away from him, but he grabbed her chin and forced her head up. "Just one," he whispered.
A cry of rage snatched Keith's attention away from Paulina. A small body slammed into him, ripping him away. Wind whipped past Paulina's face, throwing hair in her eyes. She scrambled to brush it aside, staring wide-eyed at Danny crouching over Keith.
"Get the hell away from her you fucking creep!" He grabbed Keith's collar, lifting him, and slammed him down into the ground.
Keith coughed and groaned. "Dude, what the hell. It was a damn kiss."
Danny was nearly half Keith's size, and he was definitely half his weight. He had thin arms, messy clothes, bags under his eyes, and youthful fat in his cheeks. But he loomed over Keith, fists curled in Keith's shirt, feet planted on either side of his waist. Danny snarled, animalistic. A strange inhuman rumbling filled the air, one Paulina didn't hear so much as she felt it in her bones. It filled her head and pressed against her skull.
Fear struck Paulina's heart. Not fear of Danny, but fear for Keith and what Danny was going to do to him. A rather vocal part of her cried out that Keith deserved it, and he absolutely would. But Danny didn't deserve whatever hell there would be to pay once all was said and done.
"Danny, let's just go," Paulina pleaded. The rumbling stopped. It made her head feel empty and disoriented, as if the whole world had suddenly gone quiet, even though she could still hear. the revelry beyond the bleachers.
Danny turned his head, inspecting her over his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Opening his fists, he dropped Keith back to the ground, abandoning him in favour of Paulina. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No." Paulina shook her head. "I'm fine." Mostly. A little shaken up. She just wanted to get out of there.
Behind them, Keith groaned. "What the hell." He rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. Head lolling, he searched the ground, locating his beer bottle, which had gone flying from his hand when Danny tackled him. It was smashed, shards of glass littering the grass, beer turning the dirt to mud. "Hey, you." Keith's voice was oddly calm, but his eyes were still dazed, a jarring combination. His gaze settled on Danny. "I'm gonna kill you."
"Run!" Danny shouted. He grabbed Paulina's hand and charged forward. Keith's arm shot out into their path. With the narrow space between the fence and bleachers, there was no way they could dodge around him without ducking into the maze of beams supporting the benches overhead. But Danny didn't stop. And Paulina didn't try to stop him. She trusted him.
"Close your eyes!" Danny called.
She did. A cool sensation washed over her, just for a moment. Unlike the cold beer bottle against her neck, which unsettled her, this feeling calmed her. Liked the chilled arms of a gentle ghost were wrapped around her. It was gone all to soon, accompanied by Danny's shout that she could open her eyes. When she did, they were clear of the bleachers and heading straight for the school.
Eyes widening in surprise, she glanced over her shoulder. Keith was behind them, swerving across the grass as he gave chase. His steps were uneven, but they were also much longer, and he was quickly gaining on them.
Turning back around, she noticed Danny was taking them toward the front doors.
"No, they're locked!" Paulina shouted, tugging Danny back. He faltered, and she took the lead instead, pulling him along the side of the building. "The gym doors!"
Danny squeezed her hand to show he heard.
"Get back here!" Keith bellowed, right behind them now. Reaching out, he grabbed Paulina's long hair.
She screamed in surprise and pain as her head snapped back and she was yanked to a stop.
"Shit, sorry," Keith mumbled. Before he could say anything else, Danny leapt at him, fist cocked, and punched him in the face. Keith went down hard, crying out and clutching his nose.
Danny shook out his fist, rubbing Keith's blood on his blue shorts, and took Paulina's hand again, helping her to her feet. They charged at the gym doors, throwing them open.
"Girls' locker room," Paulina whispered as loudly as she dared. She didn't think Keith would give chase any time soon, but she didn't want to risk it.
"But that's, that's the girl's locker room!" Danny protested.
"And I'm a girl and I'm saying it's fine!" Paulina shoved him toward the entrance, pushing him down the narrow hall until the changeroom opened up on their right. They finally stopped, panting and leaning against each other.
Paulina panted, clutching a stitch in her side. She ran often, but fleeing from a drunk, rabid senior wasn't quite the same as jogging around the football field for a light warmup. Beside her, Danny grimaced and kneaded his right thigh with his knuckles. Paulina opened her mouth to ask about it, then stopped when she realized something important. With Danny's shoulder pressed against hers, this was the most they had ever touched. She tensed, but said nothing, not wanting to break the moment.
To her disappointment, Danny broke it for her. He stepped away, putting some distance between them, and sat down on the closest bench, fingers digging into his thigh as he gripped it tight.
"Let me just check if we're alone," Paulina said.
Danny nodded.
She walked deeper into the room, peering down the rows. A few lockers were open, and some of her fellow cheerleaders' things littered the benches, but there were no girls inside. Stopping at the last row, by her own locker, she softly called out, "It's clear."
"'Kay. Give me a second."
Paulina raised her eyes brows but didn't question it. Danny wasn't as active as her, so he probably had a worse cramp. Although, now that Paulina thought about it, he hadn't seemed too winded. Rather, he had focused more on his leg. Now worried, she started forward, but Danny chose that moment to come around the corner.
He looked bad. Face pale, a sheen of sweat on his forehead, eyes turned down. He braced himself against the side of the lockers and hobbled forward, his limp far more pronounced than before.
Red spots stood out starkly against the pale colour of his shorts. Paulina thought it was Keith's blood for a moment, until she noticed the red streak on his other leg, in line with Danny's knuckles. That was Keith's blood. The rest wasn't. Paulina's breath caught in her throat.
Danny's head jerked up. He froze when he saw her staring. "Oh. You aren't. Sitting down."
"No, I'm not."
"Huh." Danny stood up straighter and took a step forward. The moment he put too much weight on his injured leg, he crumpled to the floor, hunching over.
"Danny!" Paulina darted forward, reaching out to him.
Danny's hand shot out, stopping her. "Don't touch me!" His fingers twitched. Grabbing his hand, he rubbed his palm and looked away. "Sorry. That was rude. It's just... it was too much. Give me a moment."
Lifting himself off the floor, he folded his good leg underneath him and stretched the other out. He gritted his teeth in pain.
Paulina hovered. She wanted to help, but anything she could think of meant touching him. With her limited options, she decided to give Danny his requested moment, sitting down opposite him. Extending her own legs, she bumped her shoes against his, touching without touching.
Danny shot her a weak, thankful grin and tapped her back.
Guilt curled in her gut. She should have sent him home the second she learned he was injured. No doubt that's what Sam was trying to do at the start of the game. But Sam let Danny stay, and she wasn't the kind of person to back down when it really mattered. Tucker hadn't looked worried, either. Did Danny hide how injured he was from them? It seemed to unlike him.
Her thoughts must have been written across her face, because Danny cracked a grin and said, "Note to self: don't run when you have a bad leg."
"Note to self: don't let Danny be an idiot and abstain from medical assistance," Paulina countered.
"Touché. Would you believe me if I said I really am fine? Or I will be. I would have been if it weren't for all the running. Give me a week and I'll be right back to normal."
"Danny, there's blood on your clothes. Not only do I not believe you, but I should probably be calling an ambulance or something." But she didn't reach for her phone. She didn't move to get up. Despite her words, she did believe him. It made no sense. But for the past three weeks, she had seen Danny sporting fresh bruises and cuts that all disappeared in days. For the past year, she had seen him beaten down and battered, and he always bounced back.
"I can't stop you. Literally." Danny tapped his finger against his injured leg. "But I hope you'll trust me."
Paulina rolled her eyes. Crawling forward, she moved to sit beside him, careful to keep some space between them. "Don't be stupid, of course I trust you. I probably shouldn't, but I do."
"It's my wonderful charm. You just can't help it."
"I highly doubt that's it."
"Okay, ouch. That hurts so much worse than my leg."
Paulina flicked Danny's hair. "You're tougher than that." Bringing one leg up, she rested her chin on her knee and grinned. "That was some tackle. It's going to be much harder to convince me you don't waste your time fighting behind the school."
"Well–" Danny scratched his cheek nervously "–not behind the school."
Paulina's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
"You know that secret I wasn't telling you? I kind of fight ghosts," Danny said. He curled his fingers in his pant legs, knuckles going white. "So, yeah. That's what it is."
Paulina had to wait for her brain to catch up to her ears. Danny fought ghosts. Danny fought ghosts. Danny fought. "You really are a Fenton."
"Huh?" Danny reared away, giving her the most comical look, lips pursed, eyebrows furrowed, nose scrunched.
She laughed, throwing her head back. Remembering a second later they were trying to be quiet, she pressed her mouth against her knee, cheeks puffing out. It took a minute to gather herself together, getting enough breath so she could speak without bursting into a fresh round of giggles. "You wouldn't be much of a Fenton if you didn't fight ghosts. I bet your parents are proud."
"Yeah, about that. They don't know, so you can't tell them."
"You haven't told them?"
"Have you seen my parents? They can be a bit overbearing." Paulina opened her mouth to retort, but Danny raised a finger, silencing her. He continued, "Trust me. I know you've seen them around town and everything—they're kind of hard to miss—but you haven't seen how they are when you're really face-to-face."
"I don't know if I like the sound of that," Paulina said.
"They're not bad. And they mean well. But they're really into the whole 'family ghost hunting' thing. I bet they have a matching jumpsuit stored away for me somewhere." Danny's voice strained at the end. A nervous laugh followed the statement, and Paulina was struck with the realization that Danny was a terrible liar. She was about to call him on it when Danny kept going.
"There's a little more to it. Not the parent thing, the fighting ghosts. I don't think I'm ready to tell you that yet, but I didn't want to lie, either. I hope that's okay." Danny ran a hand through his hair, looking up at Paulina with worried eyes.
"Of course it's fine," Paulina said.
He must have been more anxious than Paulina thought, because the moment she spoke, he slumped, relief washing over him. The crease in his brow smoothed out and the slight frown on his lips disappeared.
"You don't have any equipment," Paulina said, switching topics. "How do you fight?"
The grin Danny gave her was the smuggest thing she had ever seen. "I fistfight them."
Paulina gaped. "You do not!"
"I do! I swear! What, you don't think these fists–" he raised his hands into a boxing pose and jabbed the air "–could take out a full-grown ghost?"
"I don't think they could take out a butterfly."
"What about a butterfly ghost?"
"Now that's just sad."
Danny sniggered. Pain still lingered in his eyes, giving them a glassy sheen, but the colour had returned to his cheeks. His smile was wide and infectious.
Paulina knew there was a secret hidden behind that grin, but she didn't mind as much anymore. The meagre time they had spent together over the last three weeks was hardly enough to know each other deeply. But, sitting there together, long after half-time had ended, Paulina decided she didn't need to know every little thing about him.
She knew she liked him, and he liked her. That was enough for now.
—
Danny's weekend plans were simple. Wake up in bed. Stay there. Running from Keith on Friday had torn the hasty stitches Sam patched his thigh with after Skulker's attack. He knew going to the game when he needed to rest was a dumb idea, but he wanted to see Paulina cheer. Besides, none of them could have predicted Keith cornering Paulina behind the bleachers. Danny had completely forgotten about the guy after their first encounter. He wouldn't forget him again any time soon.
Thinking about last night had him gritting his teeth. Finding Paulina had been pure luck. His ghost sense had gone off before the end of the second quarter and he had to check for threats. Thankfully, it was just a couple mindless animal ghosts, but finding them took so long that the quarter was over by the time he got back. He saw Paulina and Keith when he was flying back to Sam and Tucker.
Danny rubbed his thigh. Skulker managed to cut him deep. The wound throbbed and ached, and he itched to scratch at his bandages. It would be a good few days before he could walk without a limp.
Not for the first time, Danny's stomach rumbled. He only woke up a few hours ago and hadn't bothered to go down for breakfast, or lunch. Yesterday, Jazz had been home to bring him snacks throughout the day, but today she was out with friends. It was a tossup between filling his stomach or resting his leg, and he chose to rest.
Until his phone went off with a text notification.
Stretching out of bed, Danny reached for his phone, quickly unlocking it and checking his messages. He had one from Paulina.
Parrot Potassium | today 2:33 pm
If you're okay, meet me at NB at four. Let me know!
"That's just not fair," Danny muttered. He and Paulina had plans Monday after school, but he could hardly pass up the opportunity to spend more time with her. Sitting up slowly, he grimaced at the twinge in his leg. It was bearable but still unpleasant. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. Slowly, he took a few steps across his room. His leg trembled if he put too much weight on it, but short, quick steps were okay.
Turning back to his phone, he sent Paulina a quick message.
You | today 2:35 pm
I'll see you there
—
When Danny arrived at the Nasty Burger, he found Paulina waiting for him with their food already in front of her. She had claimed the same booth they sat in during their first visit. The food was the same, too. He slid onto the bench opposite her, tapping his foot against hers under the table.
She tapped back.
"Look what I found outside." Danny dug into his pocket and pulled out a pebble, dropping it onto the table.
Paulina snorted. "I'm pretty sure that's just a random rock."
"Nah, it's clearly ours. Look, it has my eyes." Danny flicked the pebble toward her.
Paulina scrambled to catch it but missed. It tumbled over the edge of the table and landed in her lap. "I wasn't ready," she protested, tossing the pebble back to Danny.
He caught it against his chest. "Sounds like someone's a sore loser."
"I can't believe you'd say that to a girl."
"I'm an equal opportunity taunter." Danny returned the pebble to his and grabbed his soda, taking a drink. "So, what's the occasion?"
"Occasion?"
"Yeah. We were gonna see each other tomorrow anyway."
Paulina pouted. "I needed a reason?"
"Ah, no, I mean. You– um... you're joking, aren't you?" Danny wilted as Paulina's pout morphed into a satisfied smirk.
"Only by half. I actually didn't think you'd come. How's your leg?"
"A lot better today."
Drumming her fingers on the table, Paulina raised an eyebrow. "Liar." She stole Danny's soda out of his hand and sipped it. "Next time, don't strain yourself for me. And I mean it. That doesn't just mean if you're injured, either. If you're tired, if you have homework, if you're just having a bad day." She folded her hands, brushing her thumb over her knuckles.
Danny curled his fingers, digging his nails into his palms. He knew exactly what she was thinking about. It was so frustrating, hating being touched. His family was rather physical with their affection and he used to be the same, but ever since the accident, ever since he started fighting, he just couldn't stand it. One year was all it took to break the boy who loved to hug his friends and family. He had a feeling it would take much longer to fix.
"Hey," Paulina said softly.
Danny blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and met her eyes.
"You know it's okay, right?"
"It's stupid," Danny said.
"No, it's not."
"You don't even know why I'm like this.
"Do I have to?"
Danny opened his mouth, then closed it. He thought about their interacts over the past week, ever since movie night at Sam's house. As Danny's hate for contact grew, Sam and Tucker's behaviour around him changed. Both were slow processes that happened at the same time. Sam and Tucker learned about his aversion to touch at the same pace as him. They had time to adjust to it. Paulina didn't. But she had made accommodations for him anyway. Just like that, without knowing the reason, without asking for it, she changed. For him.
Under the table, Paulina knocked her foot against his. "Okay?"
"Yeah." Danny smiled.
"Good. Because there are no pity parties allowed at the Nasty Burger. This is a horrible place to have a part of any kind. Have you seen how greasy everything is?" Paulina took her phone from her pocket and started swiping through it. "And I wanted to show you this. You can see the real thing on Monday, because I have to hand it in, but I couldn't wait."
She slid her phone across the table.
Danny picked it up, taking in the picture on the screen. It was her painting of him, completed. "Hey, you changed it." He couldn't remember exactly what the original sketch looked like, but he was certain he wasn't fighting anyone in the first one. In the drawing, he held his fists up, ready to punch or defend. Across from him floated a strange green creature with too many limbs to be human.
"I had to redo it all yesterday, since I had already started painting it. But I really wanted to add that in," Paulina said.
"Am I fighting a ghost or an alien?"
"An alien ghost."
"Cool." Danny took in the rest of the painting. The watercolours were beautiful, galaxies swirling behind him and the ghost alien. Much to his amusement, Paulina had added Jazz's hoodie over his spacesuit.
"I didn't know sweaters were suitable for the vacuum of space," he said.
"It's the fashion of the future. Burgundy is very in, especially in space," Paulina explain.
Danny's grin stretched wider.
The spacesuit itself resembled a Fenton jumpsuit, at least what little he could see of it did, and his helmet was sleek, with a wide visor. Danny thought he could stare at it forever. Paulina, however, had other plans, and soon snatched her phone back.
Danny made a noise of disappointment, reaching out after her.
"I'll text you the picture," she said.
"Good." Danny paused. "You know, you could have done that from the beginning."
"Maybe, but I wanted to see your face when you saw it." Paulina, eyes on her phone, missed Danny's brilliant smile. He was okay with that, taking a moment to watch her. She didn't have much makeup on today, her freckles on full display. She had forgone her usual purple eyeshadow and move lipstick for more natural tones.
Danny didn't know much about makeup, but he thought Paulina looked beautiful no matter what. In his pocket, his phone buzzed.
"Sent!" Paulina said. She looked up and caught him staring. "What? What is it?"
Danny gave her a lopsided grin. "You're pretty."
Paulina turned crimson. "Shut up, I know."
"Good."
"Eat your burger! It's gonna go cold. And don't even think about paying my back this time."
Danny took a massive bite out of the burger, so big his cheeks puffed out as he chewed, and gave Paulina a tight-lipped smile. After swallowing, he asked, "What if I want to pay you back?"
"You can't." Paulina shook her head. "That's not how dates work."
Danny, on his way in for his second bite, froze. He stared at Paulina, who took another long swig of his soda and smiled back. A glob of sauce fell out of the bottom of his burger and landed on his jeans.
"Damn it." Danny hissed, putting his burger aside, and grabbed a napkin, patting at the stain. As he dabbed, he looked back up. "If this is a date," he smiled widely when he said date, "then shouldn't the guy be paying?"
"We can take turns." Paulina passed Danny her own napkins.
He took them, mumbling a quick thanks, and finished wiping up the stain. Crumpling the napkins, he put them aside and turned all his focus on Paulina. "What about the... thing. You know, the secret I'm still hiding?"
"You don't have to tell me, not if you don't want to. Not right now. You were right before. We're not grown up. Maybe we'll keep dating all through high school. Maybe we'll break up in a month. We don't know." Paulina's words didn't fill Danny with confidence, but he didn't interrupt. "We're barely high schoolers and we like each other. That means we're allowed to have fun. It also means we don't have to tell each other absolutely everything."
"I want to," Danny said in a rush. "I really want to." He meant it. Paulina knowing his secret wouldn't be bad. It would probably be great, actually. But not now."
"Not yet," Paulina said, finishing Danny's thought for him.
He nodded.
Swinging her legs onto her bench, Paulina twisted to lean her back against the window. She rested her elbow on the table, chin balanced on her knuckles, and met his stare. For the first time, Paulina really did look her age, wrapped in a comfortable sweater, smiling like nothing else mattered but right now. Danny wanted to stay in that moment forever.
"We're kids," Paulina said. "We've got all the time in the world."
#phic phight#phic phight 2020#danny phantom#danny phantom fanfiction#phic#danny fenton/paulina sanchez#pink astronaut#friendship#fluff#romance#lesbian sam#bi paulina#the a-listers are self-aware#tumblroneshots
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Outside chapter 17: Dinner at Home
New chapter, new plot. Plus got to see a little bit of Danny in this 'verse. :D
And plans are in motion now. What's gonna happen? Stick around to find out.
Stacy sighed as she got into the truck, undoing the professional looking bun her hair was in. Scout popped out of her bag when she set it in the passenger seat, gasping over-dramatically.
"Oh stop that. You're fine." Stacy told her, buckling herself in. She started the car, and got ready to back out of the parking spot.
"Says you! You aren't spending eight hours a day in a fucking bubble!" The puppet flopped out of the bag. "Are we going home yet?"
"No, we've gotta go grocery shopping." Scout groaned and threw one arm over her eyes.
"Aw man. I hate Walmart." She grumbled. "There's always too many kids staring at me."
"It'll be fine. We can go look at movies again before we get the food."
"Okay fine." Scout climbed up the door to look out the window. "But I want Pop Tarts this time! Real ones!"
"I think I can do that." Stacy agreed as she pulled into the parking lot. She reached over and grabbed her wallet before grabbing Scout, letting her settle into the hood of her jacket as they entered the store.
They checked movies, though there was nothing new out yet that they hadn't seen, and then went on to collect the items on Stacy's list. A quick checkout later and they were finally on their way home. It could not have come soon enough for Scout.
The way home from Walmart wasn't too long, maybe a ten minute drive on a bad day. So they got home quick enough, and Scout watched as Stacy started to juggle the many bags. She ended up having to sting them onto her prosthetic in order to get them all into the house, but did succeed in getting all the bags to the kitchen.
Will was downstairs, as he usually was at this time of day. Though, whether he was working on computers or his... hobby, was anyone's guess. Scout certainly wasn't going to go down there to check, either way. Instead she Jumped to her room, which was almost more of a closet with how small it was. But, it held a bed(in her own size!), a charging station for the Switch, and sometimes Stacy's laptop when she could be bothered to drag it in there. The walls were lined with multiple shelves with rope ladders connecting them, giving her a lot of storage space. Most of it was still empty, but she had collected a few things over the past several months.
Including clothes, apparently. Stacy had expressed concern with Scout running around with Mortimer's face on her shirt, and had enlisted Lisa to make her some new ones. Not that Scout could take her "shirt" off, of course, but she could wear other ones over it. Her favorite so far was a green one that said "eat dick and die". It was the best one, no contest, but Stacy wouldn't let her wear it outside the house.
"It's crude, and while I know you love that stuff it's not a good idea to wear that to my job. Someone could go to HR about it." Her Host had told her. Scout thought that was just stupid, but had agreed not to wear it to the workplace.
Stacy, meanwhile, worked on putting groceries away. It was good practice for her arm, especially in not crushing the groceries. She managed to mangle to bread only a little bit this time, and figured she was probably doing better than she usually did. Scout reappeared a moment later, wearing the green shirt Lisa had made her. She handed over the Pop Tarts to the puppet, who immediately tore into the box to grab one of the foil packets.
"It's almost suppertime, so don't eat too many of those." Stacy warned her, only to be met by a muffled grunt in response. She sighed, and just collected the stuff she needed; Kraft macs n cheese, premade burger patties, and some green beans for a vegetable. Maybe not the best dinner, but Will was still working and they needed some food.
As she got the stove going, a pan of water for the mac set up, and the pan for the burgers got oiled. She selected three patties and put the rest back in the freezer for another day while things heated up. The beans she dumped in a third pan on the back of the stove, adding a bit of salt for taste.
Scout watched all of this while softly crunching on the Pop Tarts. Months in the Host World, and she still didn't understand why Stacy wanted to cook. It was much easier and quicker to just grab one of the snacks laying around. Then again, maybe it had to do with that "nutrition" shit Will had told her about once.
As Stacy cooked she started typing out a message to Will on her phone, mostly to let him know dinner was done. He may have been just right in the basement, but she didn't want to go down there if she didn't have to. But as things finished cooking and she started to set the table, Will still hadn't come upstairs or even answered her text. And so, with a sigh, she covered the food and made her way downstairs.
"Will? It's time for dinner." She called as she reached the bottom of the stairs. No answer, but the muffled beat of heavy metal and the high pitched whine of a buzz-saw. She went through the door and was greeted with a mess. A wooden doll was stretched on the exam table in the middle, and Will was standing over it with the buzz-saw, shouting over the pounding music and whining noise.
"Hey, bitch! Make your boyfriend turn it down!" A red haired doll in a welded shut dog crate yelled over the music. She ignored it and instead punched a nearby gong with her metal fist. The resulting metal bang startled Will enough that he almost dropped the saw. He looked over and, once he spotted her, rushed to shut everything down.
"Yeah babe?" He asked, like he hadn't been threatening a sentient doll. The puppet in question was gagged, but sending a quite fierce death-glare at him.
"It's dinner time. Finish up here and come up, I made burgers." She told him, smiling a little as his face lit up.
"Score!" He quickly shoved the saw away before turning to take the doll off the table and put it into a cage. It swapped it's glare to her as he shoved it inside the crate, but Stacy just stared stonily back at it.
"Yeah, you keep trying that buddy. Nothing stops these two assholes. Ow!" The red headed doll sent Stacy his own death glare as she kicked his cage, knocking him over.
"Keep quiet." She growled out, not even looking at him. "Be thankful you're not tied up too."
"Yeah yeah. Go back to your favorite toy, Bitch." He huffed out. "Can't believe you keep that thing living up there with ya. If you had any kind of integrity, she'd be down here, in a cage, with the rest of us. Ow! Fuckin' shit would you stop that?!"
"Chucky, be quiet." A nearby doll in a ripped wedding dress scolded. "You know better than to antagonize her."
"What, it's true! That thing up there is just like us, but she gets to live in the lap of luxury! Hey!"
Stacy propped a foot up on the cage, tipping it onto it's edge and leaning down to glare at the toy inside. "You wanna stop talking now? Or do you want me to come back down here after dinner, Mr. Ray?"
The dolls said nothing more and Stacy righted the cage as Will finished up. The went back upstairs, locking the door behind them.
On the table was Scout, with half a burger patty in her mouth. She froze when the two Hosts walked into the room.
"Scout, seriously?" Stacy asked. "You're supposed to wait for us before you start eating."
Scout spat out the half eaten patty. "You were taking too long. I wanted to eat."
"You still should have waited. We only took a couple of minutes."
"But I didn't want to wait."
Stacy just sighed, and grabbed a bun out of the bag to squirt some ketchup onto. This was a fight just not worth getting into, especially when it wouldn't change anything.
Instead they made up their buns and sides, and were sat down to eat. Will prayed, and Stacy waited for him to be done before digging in. Scout didn't even wait, and just finished off her meat patty before digging into the macs and cheese.
The trio ate in silence, too hungry to talk at first. But eventually Stacy swallowed a bit, and decided she was sick of the quiet.
"So, you make any progress with the Gardner job?" She asked Will. Doll torturer or not, he did still have a "real" job, same as her.
"Eh, a little. Gotta ask who usually uses the computer, though. It's full of viruses from porn sites."
"Ew. Do they have a kid, or just a really stupid adult?"
"They've got a twelve year old girl, so she's the most likely suspect." Will swallowed another bite. "Miss Gardner is always away and working, like, three jobs so it's gotta be the kid or a friend she has."
"Who would go on a porn site? It's just naked sweaty Hosts, they're gross."
"Uh..." Stacy wondered how to handle this. And then wondered if Scout had ever gone on one of those sites, to know about that part. "It's... just a thing. Some people like to look at." She coughed. "Don't question it."
"Sure." Scout comped down on a green bean, and Stacy gave a soft sigh of relief. Scout was bad enough with her language already, and Stacy didn't want to risk her learning more words and terms.
Dinner ended soon after that, with Will loading the new dishwasher when everyone was done eating. He went back downstairs to finish up what he'd been doing. Stacy and Scout meanwhile went to play video-games. Well, Stacy played, while Scout watched her do quests from her lap.
"Go down that tunnel! Go! The left!" Scout pointed forcefully, waving her arms when she was ignored.
"No, that's where we came from." Stacy sighed, annoyed yet also a little amused. "Would you rather be the one playing?"
"No. I can't hold the controller." The Puppet waved her off before suddenly yelling. "You're not looting the bodies!"
"And you won't shut up." The Host muttered, looting a single body before going back to chasing the objective. "Are you sure you don't want to play?"
"How would I even fucking do that? Don't answer that."
"Okay." Stacy fought a few more Drauger. She thought about mentioning that she wouldn't really mind it, if Scout wanted to play, but decided against it. The body swap was still a sore subject, and she didn't want to ruin the good mood.
A ping from her phone, and she paused the game to answer a text from her brother. Being the nosy Puppet that she is, Scout tried to see what she was typing. "Who's that? I thought you didn't have friends."
"It's my younger brother, Danny. Doc wanted me to talk to him more, so I am."
Scout blinked. "You have a brother?" She thought back, tried to think if she'd ever seen any pictures of Stacy's family, but couldn't remember. Will she knew had a picture of his mother, but other than that neither Host talked about their families that much.
"Yeah." A couple of swipes, and she lowered the phone to show the Puppet a photo of a younger boy. He had the same reddish hair she did, but with much paler skin and brighter blue eyes. He was also wearing an absolutely atrocious looking sweater. "He's about eight or nine years younger than me, depending on who's had a birthday at that point."
"Oh..." Scout stared at the picture. "Why is he wearing headphones?"
"Those are part of his cochlear implants. He's deaf." She swiped back over to messaging to finish her text. "But he got the surgery at a young enough age that you pretty much can't tell. He's just got a little bit of a weird sounding accent."
"Oh, cool." Stacy finished her text and went back to the game, Scout watching quietly this time. "I have a brother."
Stacy fumbled an attack, but recovered quickly enough that she didn't die. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Yeah. And three sisters." She squirmed a little, playing with the hem of her shirt. "... They probably all have Hosts by now. They were a lot better at... fitting in, than I was."
"Oh." Stacy paused the game, considering. "I'm... uh, do you you wanna talk about it?"
"Nah. I just thought you should know about them." She settled back, and Stacy unpaused the game. "I doubt I'm ever going to see them again, anyways. They were all assholes."
"Sounds like it, if they were able to "fit in" over there."
-------
Canon huffed, doing her best to try and suck in air. This was the... she didn't know how many times she'd been almost torn apart by the spells Mortimer was working on. Not really, of course, but it certainly felt like it. Like there was a scalpel carefully slicing into each stitch, cutting the small threads one by one.
"Hmm, looks like things are going well. I think I'm just about done with this spell." The magician commented, ignoring how the smaller Puppet lay limply on the floor. "Yes this plan has come together splendidly! Soon your sister will be right where she ought to be."
"... Great..." She groaned, trying to force herself upright. She failed, falling back to the floor with a soft thump. "I... can't... wait..." She had to finish the rhyme, at least, no matter how much it hurt.
"Indeed." He smirked, then grabbed a phone off the wall. "Oh Riley, we're just about ready to start! All we're missing now is the star! So gather your tools and a henchman, and go warm up the car."
"Preparations have already begun!" She relayed with an excited giggle. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"
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The Rewatch, pt3
Again, I’m very open to have any discussions about anything I’ve said here! Please feel free to message me or comment anything!
Spoilers throughout for the end of season 2
Season 2, episode 1
Love starting off a new season with Jackson in a ditch, Scallison making out, and Chris shoving a gun in Scott’s face
I will always and forever ignore the whole “Stiles major crushing on Lydia” thing tbh, like I just do not enjoy their relationship being romantic at all
Scott with his head out the car window like a dog, oh my god
Isaac! My beloved! I didn’t realise he was first episode!
God I hate Harris, I wish I wrote him more often tbh. I think he’d be an interesting character to write and add importance to, maybe as an enemy at some point
Chris Argent in a black suit? Sign me up
I really need to make a season 1 rewrite where Stiles and Lydia are best friends honestly. Like one where maybe some people find Stiles annoying but he isn’t an ass like Jackson, and Lydia likes him so he’s popular. In this case he wouldn’t be friends with Scott so there’d probably be a lot of canon divergence in the beginning
Oh buddy you know I hate Gerard
Season 2, episode 2
This whole scene between Isaac and his abusive dad is so tense and uncomfortable and horrifying, good job
I really don’t understand the timeline of this season honestly, I thought Matt and the kanima bonded later on? Like when Jackson gets him to come over with his camera? But Isaac’s dad’s death suggests they’ve already bonded? Idk man idk
I can’t believe Chris and Victoria Argent straight up torture the school’s principal to get him to quit his job, like please, that’s so unnecessary, just pay him off, or pay someone higher up off or whatever
The entire lacrosse team now think Stiles is into chaining people up during sex now, don’t they
Scott can smell a werewolf in the gym locker room but has to get two centimetres from their faces to tell if they’re a werewolf? Kinda weird bro
Derek asking for help? Man, I’m proud of him
Derek and Stiles little bit flirty vibes, good for them (also Derek’s smile is so cute)
The kanima is kinda ugly but like at least it looks better than the beta shifts
Season 2, episode 3
Idk if I’ve ever mentioned this but I’ve been planning a fic for ages where Matt (or technically anyone) is into Stiles and stalking him, and when the person bonds with the kanima they use it to go after everyone close to Stiles. Don’t know if I’ll ever actually write it
Oh hey, just the Argents traumatising Allison
I wish my school had a rock climbing wall
Jackson is a really bad liar
Also yes I love Erica and Boyd and I need to write them more, I think I say this about every character, apparently I just need to write more in general
I just remembered the first time I ever watched teen wolf I didn’t understand why Sterek was so popular, because literally all I could see was Scerek, that’s so fucking funny
Season 2, episode 4
This is the episode that inspired the fic I was just talking about! Stiles at the mechanics, getting his car fixed, and the mechanic gets killed. The plan was like the mechanic harassing or flirting with Stiles, and Matt (or whoever) is waiting at the mechanic and sees it happen, and later that night gets the kanima to do it’s thing. Again, don’t know if I’ll ever actually write this so feel free to do it if it sparks inspiration
Also oh my god that murder is kinda fucked up, just not being able to do anything as a car slowly lowers onto you
God, Gerard grosses me out so much
I completely forgot how creepy young Peter is. I see his face, his fucking stare, and I just feel uncomfortable
Yessssss, more Stiles and Lydia comforting each other and being supportive and being friends!
The pool scene! I forgot all about the pool scene! Where Stiles treads on water for ages while holding a paralysed Derek up. Just a fun scene tbh
Also another inspiration for the kanima fic because it kinda feels like the kanima is following Stiles around a bit
Season 2, episode 5
I miss the Stiles/Danny/Jackson fanfic I wrote that got lost when my laptop broke, it was almost finished and the suddenly gone, I was so upset
I literally hate that Derek tips the paralytic venom down Jackson’s throat, like okay, what if it affected his lungs and he stopped breathing??
I haven’t written any Stiles/Isaac have I? I should do that
This whole scene of Lydia giving the key back to Jackson and saying “I should hate you” is so good, v well done
Also I think Erica has been called a bitch three times now and I don’t appreciate that
I kind of wish they told Lydia what was going on sooner, I mean everyone around her having secrets and knowing what happened to her has gotta be rough to go through, and probably feels isolating and scary
Season 2, episode 6
Bless those drag queens that immediately attach themselves to Stiles
Lydia with her puppy is so adorable
Listen I know I’ve already written a “Stiles turns into a cat” fic, but that one was Steter, and I kinda want to write one where Lydia takes care of transformed Stiles
Also I appreciate that the jacket that young Peter is currently wearing ends up being adult Peter’s jacket in a later season
Oh god I still cannot believe the best plan that Stiles and Scott could come up with was kidnap Jackson and steal a prison transport van, how fucking stupid can you be
Gerard (Michael Hogan) does a very good job of being creepy and making me incredibly uncomfortable any time I see him
“So long as you stay strong, we won’t have to kill a 16 year old boy” wow okay, thanks mum for blaming your daughter for you wanting to murder a kid
How many times has Scott been too busy with Allison to notice something bad happening, or almost being too late to stop something because of it? Too many times
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Triple the Losers AU - Concept Notes
i wanted there to be 27 but if i added patties and audras that made 27 but then i’d have to add kay bc i love her which would make 28 so 21 it is
so the basic concept for this is “hey guys remember how i doubled the baudelaires and made the best au with movie! and netflix!bauds well we’re doing that with book, miniseries and film losers club”
So, yeah, in this au, the book, miniseries and film Losers are all in the same universe, related, and ready to kill a clown. There is no Chapter Two because these kids bully that clown to death asap.
A friend group of 21 is pretty wild but definitely makes for a pretty great army.
Full list of Losers:
The Denbrough Boys
Isaac Denbrough - film!Bill
13
An adopted sibling, though he’s never known any family but the Denbroughs and is never considered anything other than the oldest Denbrough boy
Artist who wants to illustrate for his brothers’ books bc he loves them
Gay but in denial. Giant crush on Daniel Hanlon.
Anselm Denbrough - miniseries!Bill
12
Likes to write fantasy novels as an escape from reality
Fights with Bill about whether fantasy or horror is better which is lowkey a metaphor for them arguing about how to deal with their trauma
William “Bill” Denbrough - book!Bill
11
Writes horror stories cause he loves psychological analyzation
He prefers to face his fears rather than “escape” from them, causing tension between he and Anselm with how they deal with Georgie’s death
Georgie Denbrough - there is only one Georgie as he literally only exists for like one chapter
6
Loves his brothers
Dead as fuck, sorry
Stuttering seems to be a family trait during childhood in the Denbrough family that Anselm and Bill are afflicted with, though Bill much more than his older bother. (Isaac also starts stuttering young, which is suspected to be more psychological.) This trait skipped a generation, and thus the Denbrough parents don’t really know enough about how to deal with their sons’ disability.
They’re a very creative family, usually in terms of creative writing, though they’re also pretty skilled in the art department. Sharon Denbrough is a skilled pianist and taught Isaac until recently. The family was never very close, and Bill always had a rocky relationship with his parents, but the family fell apart after the death of Georgie. Isaac and Bill found themselves practically ignored, while Anselm was pretty much yelled at for trying to fix everything. The brothers only managed to maintain their relationship by trying to avenge Georgie by killing this fucking clown.
The Hanscom Boys
Desmond “Des” Hanscom - film!Ben
13
Would like to go into Investigative Journalism, though he’s also really into Local Histories
Tends to be afraid of the concept of death more than anything else
Has a lot of social anxiety
Auster Hanscom - miniseries!Ben
12
Super into all forms of writing but mostly poetry, which he loves and kinda obsesses over
Was most affected by not having a father figure around, as Des and Ben didn’t seem to mind
Assumed he was straight for a while but is probably demi
Benjamin “Ben” Hanscom - book!Ben
11
The Architect, and his love of blueprints and planning has made him the main strategist of the Losers Club
He really doesn’t have many psychological demons so his worst fear is just the mummy he saw in a movie too late at night
Pure baby
The Hanscoms’ father left the family when Arlene was still pregnant with Ben; while the boys never understood why, they sometimes speculate about secret missions, one or both of their parents cheating, government conspiracies, etc. Des and Ben never really minded, as Des was quite the introvert and Ben was close with their mom, but Auster really wished they could have a paternal figure, especially since the boys tend to be shunned for their genetic overweight appearance and he really wished for some kind of acceptance.
The move to Derry was recent, as Arlene managed to find a higher-paying job that could help her support her boys. Ben managed to get himself in trouble with the Bowers Gang, meaning that his brothers, defensive of him, also became targets. But they manage to find friends in the Losers Club, and with the whole gang together, nobody’s going to be able to hurt them... right?
The Marsh Girls
Karen “Karrie” Marsh - film!Bev
13
Hates her name, thinks it sounds like a middle-aged mom. Goes by Karrie which she thinks sounds cooler (and serves as another Stephen King reference)
Wants to do movie stunts as an adult, is the most daring and bold of the Losers Club, and also probably the physically strongest
Intensely protective of her sisters, especially due to their home situation
Brooke Marsh - miniseries!Bev
12
The sweetest little angel you will ever meet. Has never done anything wrong in her life
Wants to be a painter and is very artistic. Karrie has shoplifted her paint supplies before
The only one of her sisters to not smoke, as they refuse to let her near cigarettes
Beverly “Bev” Marsh - book!Bev
11
Technically the half-sister (stepsister?) of her older sisters, and can tell that her Mom doesn’t seem to care for her sisters much. She loves them, though, and won’t stand for people insulting them
Quite the fashion designer, and even though the family is poor, she’s been making sure they don’t look like shit since she could choose her own clothes
Probably the most manipulative of the Losers, though this has its advantages, such as when they need to get out of trouble.
Giant Lesbian, definitely marries Kay McCall
Karrie and Brooke have lived under the hate of their father for a while, due to the fact that he blames them for their mother’s death; Karrie brought home a virus from daycare that infected their mother, weakening her enough that labor with Brooke killed her. Karrie tends to get the most shit for this, mainly because Brooke gets along more with their stepmother, Elfrida. Elfrida married their father only a few months following their mother’s death, mainly due to the fact that Al got her pregnant. The family is quite poor, and the parents work quite a lot, meaning the sisters have gotten pretty good at fending for themselves.
Recently, the girls have started to get more fears about their father than just physical abuse- he’s been acting weird around Karrie and Bev, and while Brooke seems to avoid his eye for the time being, she has been quite hurt by his violent outbursts. Karrie’s secretly been saving up to take her sisters away before he can do anything to them, though she’s not sure how to tell Brooke and Bev, as they don’t even understand what they’re supposed to be afraid of. But while they’re in Derry, they end up finding themselves among the Losers Club, on a mission to save the children of the town by killing a monster that lives in the sewers. That won’t be much of a problem; they have much worse monsters at home.
The Kaspbrak Boys
Chase Kaspbrak - film!Eddie
13
Somehow simultaneously the most paranoid and most reckless boy in the world
He’s really into analysis and predicting events
Can and Will fight you, but he will be bitching about it the entire time
Otto Kaspbrak - miniserires!Eddie
11, Eddie’s older twin
Incredibly stubborn and snarky, but also the most loyal Loser and the most sincere
Has an interest in mechanics and repair, and when his mom’s not looking he’ll take things apart to find out how they work
Edward “Eddie” Kaspbrak - book!Eddie
11, Otto’s younger twin
Very adaptable and adventurous, though he has a lot of anxiety at times
Special Interest in cars, wants to be a driver as an adult
Able to find direction no matter where they are, and his gift of coordination has helped the Losers numerous times
There will absolutely be a car chase scene where he has to drive
Chase is the only Kaspbrak who really remembers their father, being seven when he died instead of his brothers’ five. He seems to recall them not being so sick back then, though his Mother claims otherwise, and their father being a good, playful man. But he’s not here now, and their mother, Sonia, is paranoid about everything. Her boys are very weak and sick and can’t do much, and she hates that they have such rough, rude friends that must be corrupting them somehow.
The boys, however, are much more adventurous and capable than Sonia believes- especially Chase, who has actually won more than one fight, mostly on behalf of his brothers. As the eldest, Chase believes he has to protect Otto and Eddie, whether it be from a bunch of school bullies, a killer clown in the sewers, or their own mother. Also, Chase and Eddie are gay as hell and Otto is demi-gay as fuck.
The Hanlon Boys
Daniel “Danny” Hanlon - film!Mike
14, the oldest of the Losers
He’s actually the cousin of Orel and Mike; he recently moved in with his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents in a house fire. He’s pretty traumatized from the incident
Wants more than anything to travel and explore the world, meet new people and see everything there is to see, and being stuck in boring, bigoted Derry is pretty much hell for him
He is very protective of his cousins and friends, though, and is the one who believes the most in their ability to triumph over Pennywise
Orel Hanlon - miniseries!Mike
12
Incredibly excitable and very optimistic, as well as incredibly bookish. As such, he tends to infodump whether people want to hear him or not
Super into cartography, and collects old, antique maps as well as making his own pretty much wherever they go
Really into gruesome horror stuff and doesn’t understand why it scares and/or grosses out other people.
Michael “Mike” Hanlon - book!Mike
11
Incredibly watchful and steadfast, and the Loser with perhaps the most emotional stability
He’s a lil Historian whose greatest desire is to work for the library and get to read as many books as he wants
Just. really fucking loves his dog
Orel and Mike don’t go into town much, mainly staying on their farm with their loving parents and spending their time with the farm animals; Mike is closest to their watchdog, but Orel loves being among the sheep. In the last few months, their cousin Danny moved in with them, and their relationship is... a bit awkward. Orel is too blunt and Mike is too curious, and they don’t know how to carefully approach the subject of his parents burning to death in front of him without making him feel worse.
It doesn’t help that Danny hates Derry; it’s bigoted, it’s tiny, it’s in the middle of nowhere, and people are dying left and right. However, once his cousins convince him to come hang out with their friends, he ends up bonding with the other Losers of the town, even though they’re all a bunch of weird white kids. And though the Hanlons don’t deal much with town business, they’re ready to join in the fight to stop Pennywise from killing anyone else.
The Tozier Triplets
Reynard “Reynie” Tozier - film!Richie
12, the firstborn of the triplets
Loudmouthed, rude, impulsive and very crass, mainly to hide his crippling self-doubt and fears of being ostracized
Super good at video games and says he wants to be a professional gamer, though honestly he’s just really interested in stand-up comedy
Gay as all fuck
Roderick “Rod” Tozier - minseries!Richie
12, the middle of the triplets
While he’s just as hyperactive as his triplets, he’s a bit more controlled and actually the least raunchy, meaning Reynie and Richie joke that he’s not using his name correctly
Wants to be a voice actor for cartoons like Looney Tunes, and is actually getting decent at impersonating the RoadRunner.
Richard “Richie” Tozier - book!Richie
12, the youngest of the triplets
Pretty wild and uncontrollable, energized as all hell, and makes off-color jokes to piss people off and get attention, though he does have a true heart for his friends
Wants to have his own radio show in the future. Was the first to befriend the Marsh girls, because he and Bev would share cigarettes during recess
Bi as all fuck
The Tozier triplets are a trio of ADHD disasters and nobody in Derry can or will ever forget it. Reynie and Rod tend to “big brother” Richie, meaning they tend to end up slapping him upside the head for saying something insensitive, though sometimes Reynie says something a bit too impulsively as well. They used to do different voices to entertain each other, meaning it’s a bit of an interest for all of them. While Reynie tends to lean more towards comedy, though, Rod wants to be a voice actor for cartoons like Looney Tunes, and Richie hopes to be some kind of radio personality.
Their parents mean well but are often at work, and even at home they don’t quite understand their boys, so the triplets are pretty used to relying on each other. Reynie kinda has the least parental affection, as Rod and Richie tend to get into even more shit than he does, so he kinda falls to the wayside. His isolation tends to manifest in fears of abandonment and loneliness- and a public outing resulting in such, starting when he started to realize that he maybe didn’t like girls as much as he said he did. Rod and Richie, meanwhile, also have vague fears of outing, though Pennywise represents their bisexuality as werewolfism- always transforming in painful and terrifying ways.
The Uris Boys
Mason Uris - film!Stan
13
Very cautious, but definitely not the Mom friend; he will inform you how shitty your idea is, but will not stop you, and in fact will grab popcorn to watch
Loves studying art history and different art forms, though he doesn’t want to create them himself, just catalogue them. He likes to entertain Isaac and Brooke by “critiquing” their “fabulous” artwork
The only one of his siblings who doesn’t get along with their parents
Peter Uris - miniseries!Stan
12, almost 13
Incredibly logical and has the most anxiety. Is the last one to believe in the clown just because it doesn’t fit into his worldview
While all the boys love birdwatching, he’s the one who’d like to go into it as a profession; he loves ornithology and wants to study birds for the rest of his life
Stanley “Stan” Uris - book!Stan
11
Loves to have things in order, and doesn’t really know how to interact with people socially, because people don’t act in predictable ways.
Super good at mathematics and hopes to be an engineer or accountant
Has the weirdest sense of humor, which means he is the best
The Urises are one of the few Jewish families in town, and in a bigoted town like Derry, that means they were pretty much outcasted from the getgo. They are all relatively close with each other, in that they’ll argue nonstop but also would die for each other without question. Peter and Stan probably get along the best, as they’ll sit and talk about birds until they pass out, while Mason likes to sit in his room and read his books on famous artists. Mason also has a bit more of a strained relationship with his parents, while his brothers get along with them much better.
The boys refused to believe in Pennywise for the longest time, as they’re all very logical and orderly and “magic alien clown eating kids by turning into their fears” doesn’t exactly fit into their normal worldview. But they’re going to stick by their friends and do their best to protect themselves and the town... and, well, if the way to kill the clown is by bullying him to death, they have a shitton of insults they’ve been saving for a special occasion.
#it#it 2017#it 2019#it chapter one#it chapter two#it book#it 1990#triple the losers au#mine#losers club au#it au
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66. When the Kids Get Into A Fight
Pein
You were summoned to the school around lunchtime. You had no idea why, so you quickly made your way there. Once you were there, you were led to the room where Elliot was. He was in there with two other students. They were introduced as Daniel and your son's crush, Scarlet.
Once you got closer to Elliot and Daniel, you could see that both of them had busted lips and bruised knuckles. It was obvious that something had happened between the two of them. While Scarlet just was watching Elliot with fear in her eyes, like she didn't want him to get into any type of trouble.
“Now, your son attacked Daniel because he was being nice to Scarlet. It was completely uncalled for.” The teacher explained to you once you sat down next to Elliot. You looked at your son and questioned him.
“Is that true, Elliot?” You were going to be very disappointed if that was the case.
“No! Daniel was flirting with Scarlet when he knows that she and I are in love! I was just defending my precious girlfriend!” Elliot cried out as tears began to fill his eyes. He was desperate for you to understand the situation.
“I see, well still, you shouldn't attack people like that. It isn't fair to anyone, just calmly explain the situation to Daniel, and then maybe he would have backed off.”
“No I wouldn't have, I want Scarlet too!” Daniel yapped immediately with a bratty attitude. You instantly looked to him and glared at him. He jumped in his seat as you smiled at him.
“I'm sure you're sorry for trying to mess up their relationship, right, Daniel?” There was a hint of threat in your voice as the kid began to nod his head hastily.
“Either way, we do not want to see Elliot here at school for three days. He is suspended, along with Daniel, for fighting at school.” The teacher spoke up after you were done talking, well threatening Daniel.
“Understandable, and do not worry, Elliot will not fight with Daniel any longer.” You stood up and pulled Elliot out of the room. You watched as he waved to Scarlet as you left the room. You weren't sure what to say to your child. You were proud that he stood up for himself and his relationship, but you weren't happy that he fought with someone. So, you decided to wait to lecture him until you were at home and gathered your thoughts better.
Zetsu
You bought some pudding for your family. They all seemed to like it a whole lot, as Danny and Sammy ate theirs up almost immediately. You left the room to tell the others about the pudding when you heard yelling from the kitchen. Once you got back in there, you saw a horrible scene. Danny and Sammy were on the floor, covered in pudding and punching and kicking at each other as they screamed at one another.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you two doing!?” You yelled out, louder than them to catch their attention. The two stopped fighting and looked up at you. They got to their feet and began telling their story immediately.
“He wanted the last pudding cup, but I wanted it more!” Danny cried out as he shoved his brother away from him, knocking him back onto the floor. Sammy bounced back up and attacked his brother, screaming at him as he did so.
“I wanted that pudding cup more than you!” Sammy began to smack at his brother and then when that wasn't working, he went to begin biting him. You could only watch for a moment before stepping in and breaking up the fight.
“Boys, that's enough!” You pulled the pudding covered boys apart and sat the down on the floor for a talk. “Now, you two can't be fighting over something as trivial as pudding. It is ridiculous. You two are brothers and your bond should be more important than anything else in this world, haven't I told you that before?!”
“But the pudding!” Danny mumbled out as he looked down at his body. He lifted his arm up and licked the pudding on it. Sammy had watched him and decided to do the same. You watched both boys begin to clean themselves up before you snapped at them again.
“Enough! You don't deserve to eat the pudding off of yourselves! Go take a bath! Now!” You were both angry and disappointed in your children for their actions today. You hoped that they would learn their lesson and not do that again. However, they were boys and they were your boys, meaning that they probably would get into trivial fights over and over again for the rest of their lives. You just hoped that you could handle them and control them to a point to make sure they never kill each other.
Sasori
You took your two children to the park on a good weather day. Tara and Dahlia were excited, but as soon as they got there, something changed. They were no longer happy and you followed their eyes to a boy about their age, maybe older.
“Who is that boy?” You asked your children, you just watched them shake their heads and run off to play. You watched as they played at the swings for a bit before that boy came over and shoved Dahlia off of the swing. You were already on your feet and were making your way to them, but could only watch as Tara jumped into action.
Tara just began to scream and dived at the boy and tackled him, knocking him to the ground. The boy began to punch at her and kick but Tara just fought back. Dahlia, also screaming, got into the mix as well and now both girls were being punched and kicked by the boy. As soon as you could, you pulled both your children up off the boy. The girls stopped screaming and just glared at the boy on the ground now.
“What in the world was that?!” You yelled as your children. The boy instantly ran off, not wanting to be caught by you as well.
“Joey is a jerk! He shoved Dahlia off the swing and was going to hurt her even more if I didn't stop him!” Tara yelled out as she was catching her breath. Dahlia began to cry now, finally realizing that she had scratched both her hands due to her fall off the swing.
“I saw, but you should tell an adult and not attack him. Now, let's get out of here before Joey brings a parent back with him. We have to have a long talk about your actions today.” You let your children down and took their hands and began to quickly walk out of the park. As soon as you were out of the park, the three of you hurried home. Once home, you let them wash up as you thought about the lecture that you were going to give them. You weren't sure if you should wait for Sasori to get home to do it, or if you should do it yourself. You couldn't help but be proud though, Tara and dahlia did defend themselves against the boy who was bigger than them.
Itachi
You and Serenity were out shopping for the day. Everything was going quite well until you saw Serenity stiffen up and begin to glare at someone. You followed her eyes and saw a young girl about her age. She had this air about her that showed she was probably a bully. You could just tell and so you didn't tell Serenity to go say hello. However, the girl saw Serenity and instantly came over to here.
“Hey Serenity, how are you? Is that your parent?” The girl questioned as she looked up at you. She gave you this disgusted look and then looked back to Serenity and gave a more disgusted look.
“Yes, Jessie.” Serenity said the bare minimum and her voice was filled with something similar to fear. Serenity took a step back away from her and looked up to you.
“What a loser! You're out shopping with your parent when you could be with friends? Oh wait, you have no friends!” Jessie began to laugh at Serenity when your daughter snapped and lunged at the girl. She knocked her to the ground and began to slam her head against the ground.
“You're the loser, you bitch!” You were shocked and horrified at your child's actions and instantly pulled her off of the other girl. You then ran away with Serenity in your arms before anyone else could get involved. You made your way out of the store and hurried away from it. As soon as you were far enough away, you sat Serenity down on a bench and sat with her.
“What was that all about? I get why you attacked her, but has this been going on for very long?” You demanded to know from your child. Serenity began to cry as she told you the story.
“She's been bullying me all the time at school. She calls me a freak and tells me that no one will ever love me. She's always so mean to me and gets her friends to be mean to me as well. There is no escape from her!”
“Don't worry Serenity, I'll have a talk with your teacher and ensure that she never says anything to you again, and if they don't take care of it, then your father and I will.”
“Thank you.” Serenity began to wipe away her tears as she hugged you tightly. You held her back and reassured her that everything would be okay soon. You would definitely make sure of it.
Deidara
Nova was always a kind child, so when you saw her come home with bruises and busted knuckles. She tried to avoid you so you wouldn't see, but you caught her and forced her to explain. So, you sat her down and began to speak to her.
“Nova, You explain to me right now what you have done! You are covered in bruises and you have clearly been in some type of fight.” You demanded her to tell. You weren't angry with her, but you were worried sick. She'd never been so injured before.
“I'm so sorry!” Nova began to cry immediately. “There's this boy, Antonio, he's a bully and only picks on girls. He's picked on me before, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle. However, when I left school today, I saw him picking on my crush, Lila. She was crying and he was going to physically hurt her. So I stepped in and attacked him. I shoved him to the ground and began to attack him, but he fought back. I did everything I could, but he didn't stop. After a few minutes of fighting, Lila helped me fight Antonio off and we ran away and now here I am.”
“I see. Well, I'm proud of you, Nova. You protected the girl you love and yourself from a bully. I just wish you would have told a teacher instead of getting yourself hurt.” You were sad that your daughter had gotten hurt, but you were very proud of her for her actions. “I will make sure that no one ever bullies you or Lila again.”
“What will you do? The teachers don't care.” Nova stated before continuing. “I already told them a few times, but no one will listen to me.” You frowned at hearing this but instantly thought of a plan.
“Well, I'll make sure they listen to me. I'll tell them all about it, and if they don't listen to me, then I'm sure they'll listen to your father blowing up the place.” That made Nova gasp out loud.
“You'd have dad do that for me?” Nova seemed genuinely shocked at that. You just nodded your head and smiled at your daughter.
“Your father and I would do anything for you. As long as you are safe, we're happy.” You were happy to see Nova smile at that. You knew she could tell that you were serious. You would have Deidara do anything and everything if it meant that Nova would be safe.
Hidan
You had taken the children out to catch some people to do a ritual. It was going well, and you found a few people who looked good enough to sacrifice. However, Sarah and Justin then got distracted by something. You looked around to see what they were looking at and realized that they were seeing classmates of theirs. You watched as they went off to talk to them. You followed slowly but kept yourself hidden.
“Hey there Lilac, how are you?” Sarah questioned when she walked up the girl. The girl named Lilac just glared at Justin, completely ignoring Sarah.
“Hey freak, how's everything with your whore mother and bastard father?” It was Lilac when she'd finally decided to speak. You jolted when you heard a child speak those words, and watched as both your children jolted as well.
“Don't talk about our parents like that!” Sarah yelled out. Lilac just ignored her and shoved Sarah away. You watched as your daughter fell to the ground. She instantly got back up and jumped onto Lilac. The two girls instantly began to roll around and scream at each other as they pulled the other's hair.
“Hey! Stop your sister from hurting my sister, you freak!” The brother to Lilac yelled out at Justin.
“You stop Lilac, Aspen!” Justin yelled out to the other boy. The boy called Aspen just shoved Justin towards the girls, but Justin shoved him back and the two boys then began to fight amongst each other. You knew that you needed to now get involved and stop them all from fighting. So, you came out of hiding, grabbed your children and ran back into hiding, leaving the other two confused.
“What was that all about?!” You demanded as soon as you had figured you were in a safe location and that no one was following you. You set your children down and glared at them.
“They started it with what they were saying about you and father!” Sarah cried out as she brushed off the dust she'd collected. You could understand what she meant, you were upset about what was said as well, but you knew that violence wasn't the answer.
“We should have sacrificed them!” Justin yelled out at you. You shook your head at them both. You wanted to tell them that you shouldn't fight with people, but the words didn't come out and you found yourself just heading back home. You'd find more people another day.
Kakuzu
You were visiting Kristina at school one day. She had forgotten her lunch money and you had to take it to her. As soon as you gave it to her, she ran off to go buy lunch. However, you watched as she was stopped by another student. You then watched as that student led Kristina away and out of the lunchroom. You quickly followed and saw a horrible scene in front of you. Kristina was standing above the other girl and was choking her.
“Kristina! What the hell is going on here!?” You demanded as you pulled your daughter off of the other girl. The girl instantly got up and dropped the money in her hands and then ran off. You and Kristina watched as the girl disappeared from sight. You then looked to your child and questioned her again. “What the hell was that?!” She just looked at you for a moment and glared. She clearly had to catch her breath before she spoke, but after a moment she was ready to speak, well yell at you.
“Alexa brought me over here and stole my lunch money! I had to defend myself and get my money back!” Kristina yelled out at you as she broke free of your grasp to grab her lunch money off of the floor. She put it in her pocket and then turned to you.
“You should not fight with someone, not like that, under any circumstances.” You informed the young girl. You were extremely disappointed in her actions. You couldn't believe that she could do something like that.
“But why? Dad kills people all of the time, for any little thing. Why shouldn't I hurt someone if they took something of mine?” Kristina didn't get it, so you had to explain it to her further. It was lecture time, and you took a moment to prepare what you were going to say.
“Listen, Kristina, just because someone does something to you, doesn't mean that you have to hurt them. You should tell an adult and then let them take care of the situation. If that doesn't work, then you should tell your father, and he will kill them for you.” You explained simply. The girl just nodded her head and left the area you were in. she clearly was heading to go get food, so you decided to just head out and go back home.
Tobi
Dexter had a little friend over, Polly. Since there was a friend over, Obito was being Tobi currently. He was watching the children for a little while, while you had to make the children a snack. However, when you came back, Tobi was nowhere to be seen and Dexter was shaking with something you thought might be anger. You were about to question him when Dexter began to scream at Polly.
“How dare you say something like that about my dad?! He's an amazing father, you shouldn't say something so cruel to him! You upset him and made him run away!” Dexter was yelling at the girl, who just stood up from her seat and shoved Dexter away. You were shocked and was about to interfere when she began to yell at him.
“Your father is a creep and a freak! He is a terrible father to you! I can't believe that you have a father like that! I feel so bad for you!” Polly kept yelling the same things over and over again, causing Dexter to flip out and lunge at her. The two children were knocked to the ground and began to roll around and scream at each other.
“Hey, stop that, now!” You began to yell at them, horrified and confused to how things got so bad so quickly. You set the tray of food down and immediately moved to break the two up. You pulled them apart and set them on their feet. “What has gotten into you two?! I thought you were friends!”
“I thought so too!” Dexter cried out as tears began to form in his eyes. Polly just glared at the two of you and chose to not speak up. “She began to tell me all about how dad is a terrible father and even made him run off because of how upset he became!” Dexter began to cry as Polly just stuck her tongue out at him.
“He is a terrible father, so I wasn't telling a lie or anything,” Polly growled out in an arrogant tone. You shook your head and grabbed Polly by the arm.
“I think it's time for you to go.” You then guided/dragged the young girl out of the place and pushed her away from your home. “Go home and never return.” You told the girl as she began to walk away.
“I don't plan on ever returning!” The girl yelled back at you. You just shook your head and closed the door. You were shocked that there was someone in your child's life that could be such a brat. You made a mental note to never let Dexter bring home a friend for a little while, and to have him make sure that they were a real friend before doing so.
Kisame
You, Kisame and Alexander all went grocery shopping on a day off. It was a nice little trip. You all got everything that you needed until Kisame wanted to get something specific. He wanted to get some type of fish, so he went off in search of it, leaving you and Alexander to yourselves. After a few minutes of just chatting, someone approached the two of you.
“Hey, Alexander! How are you?” You two turned around to see a boy about Alexander's age. He just stood there for a moment before your child responded to him.
“Hey there Aaron. I'm doing good, how are you?” Alexander responded with a smile on his face. He seemed excited to see the other boy.
“Did you see that weird blue guy over in the fish aisle? He's such a freak. I can't believe they let people like him walk around, what a monster, you know?” Hearing those words from Aaron seemed to shock both you and your son. You weren't sure what to say for a moment. So, you just let Alexander react for you.
“That's my father.” Alexander simply stated, with a frown on his face. Aaron seemed to not like that and frowned as well. He then opened his mouth and shut it a few times before he finally responded.
“Well, that makes you a freak and a monster as well, doesn't it?” Aaron then turned to walk away, when Alexander moved into action. Your son then shoved Aaron and Aaron retaliated by turning around and punching Alexander right in the face. The two boys then began to throw punches and kick at each other. You were shocked at first, but then quickly pulled the two boys apart.
“You two shouldn't fight here! We are in public and it isn't right to fight amongst friends!” You yelled at the two boys, causing them to stop their struggling. They just took to glaring at each other. “Now, Aaron, apologize, you shouldn't talk about my husband like that. It isn't fair to judge anyone based on their appearances.”
“No! He's a freak!” Aaron struggled out of your grasp and ran away, leaving you and Alexander confused and a little upset. You just shook your head and turned to look at your child.
“Now you, you shouldn't just attack people like that, but thank you for defending your father. He isn't a monster and more people need to know that.” You spoke to your son, causing Alexander to smile. You just hoped that next time, Alexander would fight with words, not fists.
Madara
You and your children were all out in the front yard playing. The weather was nice and everything was going well until the neighborhood bully appeared. Her name was Abby. She was about 5 years older than your girls were, so you were nervous when she appeared before them. You knew that something bad was about to go down.
“Hey, loser! You and your lesbian whore getting along?” Abby yelled out to Arcadia. Instantly your youngest daughter froze up and became angry.
“Don't call Serena a whore!” Arcadia cried out angry and disgusted with the older girl. Abby just laughed and walked over to shove Arcadia. Immediately, Eclipse was there and on Abby. Both girls were thrown to the ground as Eclipse began to yank at the other girl's hair. However, Abby was bigger and stronger, meaning Eclipse was instantly thrown on her back and Abby began punching the younger girl.
“Don't mess with us!” Adrien yelled out as she tackled Abby to the ground. Abby punched Adrien right in the face, but another punch was stopped by Arcadia jumping in the mix and landing on Abby as well. The four girls rolled around on the ground, screaming, punching and kicking each other. At first, you just watched to see what was going to happen, but as things got more serious, you realized that you needed to step in.
“Girls, girls! Stop that at this moment!” You instantly pulled Eclipse off of Abby and shoved her aside. Then, you pulled off Adrien followed by Arcadia. You then held your three girls back as they tried to get at Abby some more. Abby just got up and glared at the four of you.
“You'll pay for attacking me! You'll regret that!” She then ran off screaming about something or other. You didn't pay much attention to it, as you were more concerned with your children. You checked each child over to make sure nothing was seriously injured.
“Are you three okay?” You questioned, slightly horrified at what all had just happened.
“We're okay. Aren't you mad at us?” Eclipse questioned but you could see the same question on all of your children's faces.
“No, I'm not mad at any of you. I'm proud of you. You all stood up for the people you loved. That is something to be proud of, not mad at.” You just smiled at your children and led them back inside. You weren't sure if anyone saw what happened, but you knew that there was enough time outside for one day. You also knew that if Abby ever came back around, then Madara would handle it. So, you weren't worried about your children.
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The Summer of Del'goxoth part 3
It was a Friday afternoon, the last day of school for Danny, Sam, and Tucker. To celebrate the freedom, they all railed at the Nasty Burger to hanging out. Where many of the customers in the fast-food joint took one good look at Danny and jumped the boat to have a chance to talk to him.
"So Sam, what are you doing for this Summer?" Tucker mindless asked if he hadn't even seen the stars coming their way. Finally, their food arrived, something Danny was grateful for.
"I don't really know Tucker, I heard there's going to be a poetry jam at a cafe in the mid-summer," Sam shrugged, a bit annoyed by all the attention.
"What about you, Danny? Any grand plans you got for the summer?" Tucker then takes a bite out of an extra-large cheeseburger, not caring if it spilled a bit.
"I'm hoping that I don't have to catch too many ghosts this summer, I just want to relax for three months with no school," said Danny, sighing. He was continuously exhausted from school and the people, not to overload with the ghosts.
"Got any ideas about the increase of ghosts around here, Danny?" Sam is genuinely curious, tilting her head at the question.
"Nope, I haven't had the slightest clue for the increase of ghosts, I search about every part of Amity Park for a portal to the ghost world that letting ghost into our world so far there was none to be found,"
"That sucks Danny, as for my summer plans involves paperwork, cutting a ribbon to a new store in the mall, and other mayor duties luckily. Today is one of my days off," said Tucker finishing up his burger.
"I'm surprised that you didn't quit being mayor after one year, Tucker," Danny teased.
"Yeah, me neither, if I had your powers Danny I would so go invisible every time my secretary got some boring mayor work for me to do," The group of friends laughed.
Then three girls came walking directly to Danny's table. It was Paulina, a pretty redhead girl, and a tall blonde girl. Paulina had been determined to make Danny fall in love with her ever since he and Sam broke up.
"Hey, Danny, how's it going?" Paulina leaned in, giving Danny a flirtatious smile.
Sam frowns; she thought to herself, "Great, what this bitch wants?"
"Oh, hi, Paulina, what do you want?" Danny forced out. He didn't want to spend his energy on this of all things. Why can't he just have a beautiful day?
"Me and my friends here are going to this party at Dash's place, where there's no adults and plenty of beers, what you say, Danny?" She pushed her chest slightly, her eyes roaming his face.
"That sounds fun Paulina, but I- uh, um. . . hero business to do tonight, I'm sorry," Danny was telling half the truth, as he does have ghost patrol for the night he also really doesn't want to go anywhere with Paulina.
"It's fine, Danny, unlike your ex here," Paulina motion her head toward Sam. "I could do anything you want, just say the word, Danny, anyway goodbye ghost boy."
Paulina and two other girls walk out of Nasty burger, but just before Paulina leaves the place, she blows a kiss to Danny she walks out.
"Wow, can you believe Paulina, you guys?" Danny half-joked to his friends.
"I can't believe that bitch really thinks she can have you," said Sam in disbelief.
"How long do you think Paulina is going to keep trying to get into your pants, Danny?" Tucker questioned.
"As long as I'm still single, she'll never stop sending me photos of her in revealing clothing," said Danny, a migraine already throbbing at his side of his head.
"Most ex-girlfriend wouldn't say this to their ex-boyfriend Danny, but I hope you find someone way better than Paulina," said Sam
"Thanks, Sam," said Danny
After hanging out with his friends, Danny ended up signing autographs and taking selfies with his fans as Danny went home. But before he got there, two men and two women, all wearing blue clothing, stopped him, they all had weird grins on their faces.
"Hello are you, Danny Fenton?" said one of the guys in blue
"Who's asking?" said Danny, cautiously taking a step back. He could take them, but that doesn't mean he wants to fight civilians.
"Don't worry about who we are Danny, we just got something extraordinary for you," said one of the girls in blue
"And that is?"
The second man stepped forward and declared, "We have an object that can turn you into a god of this world with all the subjects at your feet!"
"Great, I just walked some into nut jobs," Danny thought, "Yeah, no thanks, I'll stick to be a nongod."
"Child, you can't refuse this offer," The first man insisted.
Danny steps back away from the people in blue, already thinking if escape plans, "Freedom to choose, this is, after all, America!"
The woman who hasn't spoken throughout sighed in disappointment, "Very well then, Seth go get one of the unchosen."
Danny looked to see one of the guys, ran into an alleyway where a white moving truck waited. The guy opens the back of the truck to reveal a ghost fisherman! With its right arm, a mutated lobster arm and the other arm is a sharp hook.
Danny turn into his ghost form quickly, covering his view, he thought, "what the heck, how did they get some pet ghost fisherman?"
The ghost fisherman flies out of the moving truck, as he tackles Danny to the ground, he pins Danny, he tries to stab him with his hook arm. Danny dodges the ghost fisherman attacks, just as Danny blasts the ghost fisherman off of him, trying to regain his balance, the group of people was circling him all pointing their silver guns at him.
"Don't kill him; we need him alive!" The girl hissed at the men beside her.
"Why are they trying to make me into some sort of god? Don't they have better things to do?" Danny thought.
Danny quickly shoots the guns out of people's hands, just in time for the lobster monster to roar in defiance and strike him. Danny, the swings the monster to the side, into a light pole knocking him out. Danny hears the police cars wailing coming closer; he turns to see the people in blue are out of sight, and so is the white moving truck.
"Who were those guys?" Danny thought
Unnoticed by Danny, a camera crew was down on their luck when they were struggling to get a story. But, oh lord, did they have a story.
A cameraman and a news reporter took the whole fight on film.
"This is so going to be top news tomorrow!" The news reporter almost excitedly spun around. No more sleeping on the couch!
The next morning in Gravity falls, Wendy is spending her morning watching the news on a small TV, which she bought from a garage sale in the Mystery Shack. Little to no customers and boredom is causing her to listen to the news talk about a missing actor mindlessly.
"Logan Hall, an actor that is well known for his attitude and wild parties, has been gone missing for the last five days. After getting into a conflict with his director for the upcoming movie Killer snakes, nobody hasn't heard and seen Logan Hall."
Suddenly the little bell on the door rang; it was one of Wendy's friends Tambry comes in the Mystery Shack. All boredom disappears as Wendy smiled at her.
"How's that TV doing for you, Wendy?" Tambry teased her, already hearing the news of her buy.
"Great, best twenty-five bucks I spent," Wendy played along, and the two laughed.
Tambry looked at the news, the news still going on about the actor, "Man, I can't believe no one knows where Logan Hall is."
"Yeah, but that movie he's working sound like it's going to suck."
Suddenly, the news switches from the Logan Hall story to Danny Phantom fighting the ghost fisherman. The story was on a loop, with more information being gathered from eye-witness and police.
"God, I would kill to be with that guy, whatcha think about Danny Phantom?" said Tambry
Wendy paused, looking at the figure fighting off a ghost. Not really the strangest thing she saw.
"I think he's cute."
Wendy is kind of a fan of Danny Phantom for being so cool and brave for fighting ghosts. Not many had the guts to do that, so kudos to the guy for taking a stand on what he believes in.
"Cute? More like hot," Tambry took a look at her phone to see the time, sighing in disappointment, "I gotta go, I have to meet my mom. I'll see you later?" She looked at her with an apology in her eyes.
"It's cool, be safe!"
As she leaves, Wendy keeps on watching Tv, wondering when the fun is going to start.
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Ice Cold Assistance
“Who is that?”
“Is that...Danny?”
The Avengers stood around in confusion, looking up at the ceiling as a baby Danny cooed and made spit bubbles. It didn’t seem to bother him that he was on the ceiling instead of the floor, but it had taken them twenty minutes and a Russian lullaby from Natasha to calm the screaming child down when his transformation light scarred him.
“Who did this to him?” Bruce asked as he pushed up his glasses.
“I don’t know, but I am not changing his diapers,” Tony replied. Danny blinked his big green eyes at them and giggled, not even realizing that the ceiling probably shouldn’t be the best place to roll around on.
“Hey Tony,” Clint said, finishing off his hot dog, “Maybe you could make like, play area on the ceiling for him. Like hoops and stuff, maybe one of those little hot wheels things too.”
“Clint, that’s a great idea, but I think we should focus more on getting Danny back to normal,” Sam said.
“We can’t do that unless we know what did this to him,” Steve pointed out. He kind of wanted to see Tony build stuff on the ceiling. He also wanted to turn Danny back, though.
While they were going back and forth, Wanda and Natasha were the only ones to notice when Danny hit is head and started crying. The lights came again, and he sank like a rock, his powers being taken away by the transformation. Wanda caught him with her powers before gently setting him in Natasha’s arms. Out of all of them she was probably the best with kids.
“Why don’t we go into the Zone and see what happened?” Natasha said, making Danny laugh again by bouncing him on her hip. She gave him a rare smile and booped his nose before turning half her attention back to the group of adults who were kind of at a loss of what to do.
“But who could help him?” Tony asked.
“Well, there’s Clockwork, Frostbite, Dora, maybe Pandora, maybe Ghost Writer. Any number of ghosts Danny’s made friends with could help him,” Natasha replied smoothly.
I’ll go with you,” Tony said. “I’ve made a special armor I haven’t gotten to try out yet that’s built to go into the Zone.”
“I’ll go too,” Clint said, leaning against Sam’s shoulder.
“You ain’t getting me to go in there even if I had a whole Asgardian army on my side. One time was enough for me,” Sam sated, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “Besides, he has as many enemies in there as he does friends. You’re probably going to want a small team for this.”
“Then I will join you on this quest,” Thor said, fingering the strap on his hammer that was attached to his hip. “I will protect the infant Daniel against the Draugers that seek to harm him.”
“This is probably big enough,” Tony said, running his hands through his hair that was actually clean for once. The others nodded in agreement.
“Let’s do this.”
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They had all seen the Ghost Zone plenty of times, whether they were helping Daniel or just ended up getting stuck in there on accident. Most times they were in there, they weren’t really prepared enough for the trip, but they made sure to be extra ready this time.
Natasha was equipped with several small ectorays and one large one strapped to her back, and Clint had a Spector Deflector and ecto-arrows. Iron Man’s whole armor, which was white with a glowing green trim, was completely ghost proof, and could shoot ecto energy as well as arc reactor energy. Thor, being a demigod, didn’t really need any special protection. He had his hammer. Clint knocked an arrow, but held it loosely just in case.
“God, I don’t see why he finds this place so appealing,” Iron Man said. Widow rolled her eyes and took a strand of her hair out of Danny’s tiny grip.
“Maybe because he’s part ghost?” She said. “I’m sure once you get used to it it’s not so bad.”
“It’s like thirty degrees cooler in here,” Iron Man pointed out.
“Dude, ghosts are cold,” Clint pointed out. “Danny’s normal body temperature is like seventy-seven degrees or something. Quit bitching about the obvious.”
“I’m not complaining, I was sating a fact. If we’re here I might as well do a little bit of research.”
“Look, friends,” Thor was quick to interrupt them as he pointed with Mjolnier. “‘Tis the Far Frozen, land of the snow draugers.”
“That’s where Frostbit lives. But we can’t go there, we’ll freeze to death,” Clint stated.
“Me and Thor can go. We can take Danny with us,” Iron Man said. “My armor protects me, and he’s Thor. It won;t hurt Danny because of his ice core.”
“We’ll be waiting,” Natasha said as she handed Danny over to Thor. He nodded, bringing the boy in close before taking to the air and flying down to the icy kingdom with Iron Man.
Iron Man had heard Danny’s stories of the Far Frozen, and had more than prepared for the terrain should the occasion have risen prior to this. He was nice and toasty on the inside, and the outside of his armor was automatically heated so nothing would freeze over and get stuck. According to the clock in his helmet, they had been in the Zone for maybe an hour and a half, but time in the Zone was insignificant.
He stopped paying attention to the clock and started paying attention to which mountain was which, just in case they needed to back track.
Out of nowhere, there was a bright flash of light, but this time Danny didn’t scare himself. But he did allow himself to float out of Thor’s arms. He went airborne too, just in case.
“Danny, come here,” He said. He was bad at talking to babies, but that wasn’t going to stop him from trying to mimic the tone Pepper used whenever she saw babies. Danny happily floated over, zooming around his head. He seemed to be loving the sub zero temperatures. He laughed and spun around to follow Danny.
“Halt!” Iron man did, but Danny kept going, around and around his head. Thor floated up and caught the kid, bringing his fingers up to his lips to make him quiet.
“Who are you?” A big Yeti thing came out of the white haze. He had a huge weapon, and one of his arms was completely made of ice. Didn’t Danny say something about that?
When Danny saw who it was, he zoomed over and gave the beast a giant hug, babbling nonsense as he zipped around the ghost’s head.
“Great One?” He asked.
“If you mean Danny then yeah, that’s him,” Tony said. “You’re Frostbite?” The yeti nodded. “Cool. We need your help. We don’t know who did this, and we don’t know how to fix it. Any ideas?”
“Come with me,” Frostbite said, laughing as Danny attached himself to his ice arm. He licked it and his tongue got momentarily stuck. “We have much to talk about.”
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“It seems to be...Magic. Dark magic,” Frostbite said as he examined Danny. They were back in some cave, where there were drawings on the walls of someone who vaguely depicted Danny beating some evil ghost. Thor was very intrigued by them.
“I knew Daniel was powerful, but I never realized how much,” he told Frostbite, still examining the wall.
“It was a surprise to all of us, Odinson,” he said proudly. “After all, he’s but a halfa. And a child. He defeated Pariah Dark when he was new to his powers. In your human years I believe he said he was fourteen. Quite young for a warrior, but he was the only one who could have done it. He has come quite a long way.”
“Pariah Dark?” Iron Man questioned. Danny had never told this story. It sounded interesting.
“he old Ghost King,” Frostbite said, taking ingredients off of the cave walls. Despite having a conversation about his pupil he was still entirely focused on the task at hand. “The Great One locked him back into his sarcophagus. Because he won the battle, he will become the new king. But only when he becomes full ghost.”
“You mean, to rule over the ghost dimension he needs to die again?” Tony asked, bewildered. He had seriously underestimated Danny.
“Precisely. But he already knows where he will go when he does. It could be next week, it could be from old age, but his human half will go away eventually. It happens with all halfas.
It is a shame, however. He speaks highly of you all. Your mortal team gives him a type of fulfillment you probably wouldn’t understand.”
“What do you mean?” Thor asked. Frostbite pointed to a large stick behind him, and Thor handed it to him. Frostbite started stirring something in a large cauldron, mixing some of the ingredients in it.
“His Obsession. All ghosts have one. Young Daniel’s here is protecting those who cannot protect themselves. He fights to protect. That is his goal, whether it be a cat from a tree or your mortal world from an alien invasion. To go against your reason for being could be...Catastrophic. He’s been wanting to thank you for giving him the chance to do just that for a while now, but he hasn’t figured out what he wants to do yet.”
He walked over to Danny and cut off a small lock of hair before putting it in the cauldron. It changed from a purple liquid to a swirling blue and green. He placed it in a small cup and somehow coaxed Danny to drink it.
“It will take time for the potion to work, but the dark magic inside of him has been reversed. Now, is there anything else you need?” Frostbite looked at Danny, smiling to himself as the toddler became tired. He yawned and leaned into the soft fur of Frostbite’s real arm, burrowing his face into it.
“Do you have any other stories?” Tony asked. “Of Danny, I mean.”
“Quite a few, actually,” Frostbite said. “But we should wait until your friends come. I sent some guards to retrieve them.”
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“-And that is how he successfully pulled a practical joke on Walker,” Frostbite laughed. The others four were laughing too. Even Natasha cracked a smile.
Danny had grown in the past couple of hours they had been sitting there, back into a fully grown nineteen year old. He was still asleep though.
“You two seem to be really close,” Natasha observed.
“He is my student, and a dear friend. I helped him when he first discovered his ice powers. He comes back occasionally to train or to have tea. He is like family, and fits in well with the rest of the Far Frozen.” Frostbite said fondly.
“We shall praise his victories in the halls of Valhalla,” Thor promised.
“I always though it was quite funny,” Frostbite said after he gave Thor a thankful nod. “Despite not liking the spotlight, his actions force him to be front and center. Daniel ha never needed recognition for the work he does because he knows that if he saves lives it is reward enough. That is a trait I have always admired in the boy.”
“Mmm, what boy?”
All heads turned to Danny as he sat up and yawned. He stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before looking around, confused.
“Why are we in the Far Frozen? What happened?” He asked with tired green eyes. Clint slapped him on the back and ruffled his hair.
“Aw, don;t worry about it, kid. Let’s just get you home, yeah?” Danny numbly nodded, and gave a quick goodbye to Frostbite.
“So, Great One! Are you still coming for training next week?” He asked. Danny smiled as he walked away with the Avengers that had helped rescue him.
“A promise is a promise, right?”
“Aye. Now, go, and behave!” Frostbite laughed. Danny laughed to.
“Now that, I know I won’t be able to promise.”
He gave Frostbite one last wave and flew off, out of sight.
“Ah, he’s definitely going to forget.”
#danny phantom#danny fenton#frostbite#dp#marvel#natasha romanoff#black widow#clint barton#hawkeye#iron man#tony stark#thor#avengers#drabble#writing#crossover
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In Conversation with Danny Trejo: From Character Actor to Taco Mogul
The actor talked to Fortune about his adventures in Hollywood and with Trejo’s Tacos.
Nothing about Danny Trejo is what you might expect, including his secret to success.
“Everything good that’s happened to me is a direct result of me helping other people,” says Trejo, 75, whose surprisingly compact 5-foot-6 frame—clad in all black, his long dark hair hanging loose alongside a silver cross necklace—is tucked inside a booth at the Hollywood hub of his booming taco business, Trejo’s Cantina.
His soft-spoken reflectiveness and fondness for high-fives belie a life that could have gone very differently: Born to Mexican-American parents in Los Angeles, Trejo spent most of his young-adult life in and out of California prisons for drugs and robberies. It was during that time and since then that he honed his boxing talents (a helpful skill in venues like San Quentin), got sober at 25, became a prolific character actor, and, from working as a youth drug counselor and motivational speaker, discovered how much he loves giving back.
Danny Trejo inside the kitchen at Trejo’s Tacos on July 11, 2019. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
Today, Trejo’s iconic craggy visage fronts eight Trejo’s Tacos locations across Los Angeles, and the eats are a hit: The Los Angeles Times named the rainbow cauliflower tacos on its 2017 list of 10 favorite recipes; the Cantina location serves around 500 diners a day on weekends; and there’s talk of expanding the business, which now includes a doughnut shop, outside California. (He’s also recently launched Trejo’s Cerveza, currently for sale at L.A.-area Whole Foods and Total Wine.) Somehow Trejo also still has time for acting: He’ll soon add 20-plus roles to his nearly 300-credit film and TV résumé, including a second Machete sequel and August’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, in which he voices a monkey named Boots, a role Trejo says proudly “will give me a whole new audience.”
Fortune chatted with Trejo in early July about his food-mogul renaissance, his adventures in Hollywood, and how he learned to channel a misspent youth into a force for good.
Fortune: Trejo’s Tacos feels like an L.A. institution, yet it’s only three years old. What inspired you to get into the restaurant business?
Trejo: My mom was a gourmet cook. When I around 12, I’d say, “We should start a restaurant,” but my dad was like a Mexican Archie Bunker. “Hey, we’ve got a kitchen right there!” [Laughs] Seven years ago I did a low-budget movie called Bad Ass, and one of the producers, Ash Shah, noticed that I didn’t like junk food. I am pretty picky! A few movies later, Ash says, “Danny, you should start a restaurant.” He created a business plan for Trejo’s Tacos. My team said, “If nobody’s asking you to front 50 grand, seems like a good idea!” We opened, and it totally blew up. Two years ago we opened the doughnut shop, and we sell out by 2 p.m. every day.
Anthony Bourdain raved about your tacos when he filmed Parts Unknown here in 2017. What was that day like for you?
Amazing. He joked, “You’re Mexican and you have a cauliflower taco?” He loved it. At around five or six o’clock at night, you’ll see a lot families coming in here. One woman told me, “Thank God for this place.” The kids can be gluten-free, mom can be vegetarian, and Dad can have cow!
Trejo’s Tacos offers gluten free and vegetarian taco options. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
What’s your favorite thing on the menu?
I love the nachos with steak and two eggs on top for breakfast.
Your latest incarnation as a restaurateur is another twist in an already surreal career. To what do you attribute your staying power?
I have good people around me. The same agent for 25 years. I met my assistant Mario at San Quentin when I made a movie there, and he was a prisoner. He’s been with me for 15 years.
You were discovered while working as a boxing coach on the set of the 1985 Jon Voight movie Runaway Train. But it wasn’t until you were cast as the knife-throwing Navajas in your cousin Robert Rodriguez’s 1995 film Desperado that you started to play substantial roles. Is it true you didn’t know you were related until shooting began?
We first met when I auditioned in L.A. He said, “You remind me of the bad guys in my high school.” I said, “I am the bad guys from your high school!” Then we filmed in Acuña, Mexico. My family from San Antonio visited the set. My Uncle Rudy says, “Who’s that?” I say, “Robert Rodriguez, the director.” He whistles at Robert, “Hey! Say hello to your second cousin Danny!” I was like, “What’s up, cousin? Make my role bigger!” But he didn’t. He said, “Danny, you can do more with your face than most actors can with dialogue.” I’m walking around with no shirt, all these tattoos, people asking for my autograph. Robert says, “They think you’re the star.” I said, “You mean I’m not?” Nobody really knew [lead actor] Antonio Banderas at the time. He was quiet—unlike me. [Laughs]
Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee merchandise on display for purchase. Two years ago, Trejo opened a doughnut shop that sells out by 2 p.m. every day. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
Robert went on to create the vigilante-hero character Machete for you. How did he evolve from a minor character in the Spy Kids franchise to fronting two, soon-to-be three features?
After he put Uncle Machete in Spy Kids, Robert did the Grindhouse movies [with director Quentin Tarantino], and they needed fake movie trailers. One was for a Machete movie. At the premiere, everybody was like, “You have to do that movie.” Machete was the first Mexican superhero. I was almost in tears when I saw 8-year-old kids dressed like him on Halloween.
Of all the people you’ve worked with, when have you felt the most starstruck?
With Robert De Niro, when we did Heat. Then Robert [Rodriguez] somehow got him to do Machete! I see him on the set and he says, “Well, well, well, number one on the call sheet now, eh?” I was like, “Can I get you some coffee, Mr. De Niro?” [Laughs]
For what roles are you most often recognized when you’re out in the world? Seeing your severed head on a turtle in season two of Breaking Bad left quite an impression with fans.
Spy Kids. Machete. Anchorman. Bubble Boy. And every Mexican I know loves Blood In, Blood Out. For Breaking Bad, I remember my agent saying, “Danny, you’re going to have a Hollywood first: You’re going to go across the desert on a turtle.” I’m thinking it’s a cartoon, or a really big turtle? “Actually, no. It’s just your head.” [Laughs]
A lot of your roles lean campy, but you’ve also acted in serious films like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Sherrybaby about a mother who’s a drug-addicted ex-con. When did you think to yourself, “Wait, I can actually act?”
I’m a drug counselor at a place called Western Pacific Rehab. A few years ago, my son Gilbert cast me in a drug-themed movie he wrote called From a Son. There’s a scene where I break down and cry. I’d never had to do that in a movie. I was thinking I’d do a John Wayne, tough-guy thing, but my son…shit, he’s so brilliant. He reminded me of stuff from when he was young. He showed me a picture of us from 1985, when he was a little baby. Then, I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t even cry at my parents’ funerals.
Trejo’s silver cross necklace and watch. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
Did you surprise yourself in that moment?
Completely. I thought, “Wow, okay, this must be acting.”
Your son is named after your Uncle Gilbert, who you’ve said led you down a path of crime when you were a teenager. What do you remember about that time?
My dad came from a family of 11, and Gilbert was the youngest. He was only six years older than me. I had no siblings, so he was like my older brother. Unfortunately, he was also an armed robber and a drug addict. He showed me how to rob when I was 14. He gave me a sawed-off shotgun and put me in front of a mirror to practice. “Give me your money, bitch. I’ll slap you!”
Your first acting job.
[Laughs] Yes. We robbed an Asian grocery store together called Far East Market in Burbank. We had a revolver, but you had to hold it just so or it would fall apart. I go, “Give me the money! Give me the money!” The woman gives me $8 from the cash register. I grabbed it, and we ran down Lankershim as this guy comes out of the back, screaming, with a hatchet!
How do you feel now about the crimes you committed?
I feel regret. I’ve never been mean, but I’ve also never let anybody take advantage of me. In prison you’re predator or prey. My friend Cookie and I had a protection ring for young kids coming in, including for gay couples who’d been married on the streets. When I got out of the pen, I’d get cards from kids we protected. Their parents also said thank you.
Did your own parents live to see your success?
My mom did. My dad saw me get sober but never saw me get into acting. He would have laughed. Even my mom was like, “Get a job, mijo,” even after I’d worked with Robert De Niro in Heat! She did get excited when I was on The Young and the Restless in 2008. She had four of her friends over to watch, and they were like, “Oh, my God.” That was it. I’d made it.
Over the years you’ve appeared in dozens of commercials and ads—selling products from Snickers to AARP—and you’re now a spokesman for the erectile dysfunction product Giddy. What appealed to you about tackling that taboo subject?
We don’t talk anything in our society—condoms in high school, birth control. We definitely don’t talk about erectile dysfunction, especially in the Hispanic community. I don’t know a man who hasn’t experienced it. I think it’s like everything I do—teaching people to neuter their dogs, warning kids about drugs, you need to show them you’re cool. You need a face like this to get through to them. Not so much as “Danny Trejo” but the guy from Spy Kids, the guy from Heat, the guy from Desperado. People think, “Okay, I want to hear what this guy has to say.”
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—Woodstock 50 lives on for now. But here’s how it all unraveled
—‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ debut overperforms—but can its spell last?
—Amazon’s TV bosses want to remind you (again) why they’re not Netflix
—A taste of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s new mezcal
—Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily
Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.
Credit: Source link
The post In Conversation with Danny Trejo: From Character Actor to Taco Mogul appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.
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In Conversation with Danny Trejo: From Character Actor to Taco Mogul
The actor talked to Fortune about his adventures in Hollywood and with Trejo’s Tacos.
Nothing about Danny Trejo is what you might expect, including his secret to success.
“Everything good that’s happened to me is a direct result of me helping other people,” says Trejo, 75, whose surprisingly compact 5-foot-6 frame—clad in all black, his long dark hair hanging loose alongside a silver cross necklace—is tucked inside a booth at the Hollywood hub of his booming taco business, Trejo’s Cantina.
His soft-spoken reflectiveness and fondness for high-fives belie a life that could have gone very differently: Born to Mexican-American parents in Los Angeles, Trejo spent most of his young-adult life in and out of California prisons for drugs and robberies. It was during that time and since then that he honed his boxing talents (a helpful skill in venues like San Quentin), got sober at 25, became a prolific character actor, and, from working as a youth drug counselor and motivational speaker, discovered how much he loves giving back.
Danny Trejo inside the kitchen at Trejo’s Tacos on July 11, 2019. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
Today, Trejo’s iconic craggy visage fronts eight Trejo’s Tacos locations across Los Angeles, and the eats are a hit: The Los Angeles Times named the rainbow cauliflower tacos on its 2017 list of 10 favorite recipes; the Cantina location serves around 500 diners a day on weekends; and there’s talk of expanding the business, which now includes a doughnut shop, outside California. (He’s also recently launched Trejo’s Cerveza, currently for sale at L.A.-area Whole Foods and Total Wine.) Somehow Trejo also still has time for acting: He’ll soon add 20-plus roles to his nearly 300-credit film and TV résumé, including a second Machete sequel and August’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, in which he voices a monkey named Boots, a role Trejo says proudly “will give me a whole new audience.”
Fortune chatted with Trejo in early July about his food-mogul renaissance, his adventures in Hollywood, and how he learned to channel a misspent youth into a force for good.
Fortune: Trejo’s Tacos feels like an L.A. institution, yet it’s only three years old. What inspired you to get into the restaurant business?
Trejo: My mom was a gourmet cook. When I around 12, I’d say, “We should start a restaurant,” but my dad was like a Mexican Archie Bunker. “Hey, we’ve got a kitchen right there!” [Laughs] Seven years ago I did a low-budget movie called Bad Ass, and one of the producers, Ash Shah, noticed that I didn’t like junk food. I am pretty picky! A few movies later, Ash says, “Danny, you should start a restaurant.” He created a business plan for Trejo’s Tacos. My team said, “If nobody’s asking you to front 50 grand, seems like a good idea!” We opened, and it totally blew up. Two years ago we opened the doughnut shop, and we sell out by 2 p.m. every day.
Anthony Bourdain raved about your tacos when he filmed Parts Unknown here in 2017. What was that day like for you?
Amazing. He joked, “You’re Mexican and you have a cauliflower taco?” He loved it. At around five or six o’clock at night, you’ll see a lot families coming in here. One woman told me, “Thank God for this place.” The kids can be gluten-free, mom can be vegetarian, and Dad can have cow!
Trejo’s Tacos offers gluten free and vegetarian taco options. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
What’s your favorite thing on the menu?
I love the nachos with steak and two eggs on top for breakfast.
Your latest incarnation as a restaurateur is another twist in an already surreal career. To what do you attribute your staying power?
I have good people around me. The same agent for 25 years. I met my assistant Mario at San Quentin when I made a movie there, and he was a prisoner. He’s been with me for 15 years.
You were discovered while working as a boxing coach on the set of the 1985 Jon Voight movie Runaway Train. But it wasn’t until you were cast as the knife-throwing Navajas in your cousin Robert Rodriguez’s 1995 film Desperado that you started to play substantial roles. Is it true you didn’t know you were related until shooting began?
We first met when I auditioned in L.A. He said, “You remind me of the bad guys in my high school.” I said, “I am the bad guys from your high school!” Then we filmed in Acuña, Mexico. My family from San Antonio visited the set. My Uncle Rudy says, “Who’s that?” I say, “Robert Rodriguez, the director.” He whistles at Robert, “Hey! Say hello to your second cousin Danny!” I was like, “What’s up, cousin? Make my role bigger!” But he didn’t. He said, “Danny, you can do more with your face than most actors can with dialogue.” I’m walking around with no shirt, all these tattoos, people asking for my autograph. Robert says, “They think you’re the star.” I said, “You mean I’m not?” Nobody really knew [lead actor] Antonio Banderas at the time. He was quiet—unlike me. [Laughs]
Trejo’s Tacos and Trejo’s Coffee merchandise on display for purchase. Two years ago, Trejo opened a doughnut shop that sells out by 2 p.m. every day. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
Robert went on to create the vigilante-hero character Machete for you. How did he evolve from a minor character in the Spy Kids franchise to fronting two, soon-to-be three features?
After he put Uncle Machete in Spy Kids, Robert did the Grindhouse movies [with director Quentin Tarantino], and they needed fake movie trailers. One was for a Machete movie. At the premiere, everybody was like, “You have to do that movie.” Machete was the first Mexican superhero. I was almost in tears when I saw 8-year-old kids dressed like him on Halloween.
Of all the people you’ve worked with, when have you felt the most starstruck?
With Robert De Niro, when we did Heat. Then Robert [Rodriguez] somehow got him to do Machete! I see him on the set and he says, “Well, well, well, number one on the call sheet now, eh?” I was like, “Can I get you some coffee, Mr. De Niro?” [Laughs]
For what roles are you most often recognized when you’re out in the world? Seeing your severed head on a turtle in season two of Breaking Bad left quite an impression with fans.
Spy Kids. Machete. Anchorman. Bubble Boy. And every Mexican I know loves Blood In, Blood Out. For Breaking Bad, I remember my agent saying, “Danny, you’re going to have a Hollywood first: You’re going to go across the desert on a turtle.” I’m thinking it’s a cartoon, or a really big turtle? “Actually, no. It’s just your head.” [Laughs]
A lot of your roles lean campy, but you’ve also acted in serious films like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Sherrybaby about a mother who’s a drug-addicted ex-con. When did you think to yourself, “Wait, I can actually act?”
I’m a drug counselor at a place called Western Pacific Rehab. A few years ago, my son Gilbert cast me in a drug-themed movie he wrote called From a Son. There’s a scene where I break down and cry. I’d never had to do that in a movie. I was thinking I’d do a John Wayne, tough-guy thing, but my son…shit, he’s so brilliant. He reminded me of stuff from when he was young. He showed me a picture of us from 1985, when he was a little baby. Then, I couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t even cry at my parents’ funerals.
Trejo’s silver cross necklace and watch. Photograph by Joe Toreno for Fortune
Did you surprise yourself in that moment?
Completely. I thought, “Wow, okay, this must be acting.”
Your son is named after your Uncle Gilbert, who you’ve said led you down a path of crime when you were a teenager. What do you remember about that time?
My dad came from a family of 11, and Gilbert was the youngest. He was only six years older than me. I had no siblings, so he was like my older brother. Unfortunately, he was also an armed robber and a drug addict. He showed me how to rob when I was 14. He gave me a sawed-off shotgun and put me in front of a mirror to practice. “Give me your money, bitch. I’ll slap you!”
Your first acting job.
[Laughs] Yes. We robbed an Asian grocery store together called Far East Market in Burbank. We had a revolver, but you had to hold it just so or it would fall apart. I go, “Give me the money! Give me the money!” The woman gives me $8 from the cash register. I grabbed it, and we ran down Lankershim as this guy comes out of the back, screaming, with a hatchet!
How do you feel now about the crimes you committed?
I feel regret. I’ve never been mean, but I’ve also never let anybody take advantage of me. In prison you’re predator or prey. My friend Cookie and I had a protection ring for young kids coming in, including for gay couples who’d been married on the streets. When I got out of the pen, I’d get cards from kids we protected. Their parents also said thank you.
Did your own parents live to see your success?
My mom did. My dad saw me get sober but never saw me get into acting. He would have laughed. Even my mom was like, “Get a job, mijo,” even after I’d worked with Robert De Niro in Heat! She did get excited when I was on The Young and the Restless in 2008. She had four of her friends over to watch, and they were like, “Oh, my God.” That was it. I’d made it.
Over the years you’ve appeared in dozens of commercials and ads—selling products from Snickers to AARP—and you’re now a spokesman for the erectile dysfunction product Giddy. What appealed to you about tackling that taboo subject?
We don’t talk anything in our society—condoms in high school, birth control. We definitely don’t talk about erectile dysfunction, especially in the Hispanic community. I don’t know a man who hasn’t experienced it. I think it’s like everything I do—teaching people to neuter their dogs, warning kids about drugs, you need to show them you’re cool. You need a face like this to get through to them. Not so much as “Danny Trejo” but the guy from Spy Kids, the guy from Heat, the guy from Desperado. People think, “Okay, I want to hear what this guy has to say.”
More must-read stories from Fortune:
—Woodstock 50 lives on for now. But here’s how it all unraveled
—‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ debut overperforms—but can its spell last?
—Amazon’s TV bosses want to remind you (again) why they’re not Netflix
—A taste of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s new mezcal
—Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily
Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.
Credit: Source link
The post In Conversation with Danny Trejo: From Character Actor to Taco Mogul appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.
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Kitty Boy 2 (Bianca x Adore)- Squeaky
AU where people are born with cat ears, which they lose when have sex. Those who no longer have animal features are differentiated by society as “adults”.
OR: The story of how Danny loses his ears.
Danny sometimes pretends to be a girl. He’s got a baby face and penchant for wearing skirts. With his hair up in pigtails and his soft ears, Danny easily passes as female on the streets of Azusa. It’s just easier that way. No one questions a seventeen year old girl, who’s still got her ears. Not the way they hiss and jeer at a ‘pussy boy.’
He feels disjointed from his body. Danny watches the cute boys at school, tail curling at the edges, but they never look back. One of his friends trips him down the stairs in front of his crush, and he turns into a red tomato. Fuck, he’s going to be a virgin forever, isn’t he?
It feels like there’s two version of him: there’s pathetic Danny, and there’s big voice Danny. That version is stronger and more powerful. So when he fails to get all the way on American Idol, it’s a huge blow to his already struggling self esteem.
After that, Danny spends too much time in the shower, trying to escape the world by singing songs to himself. Only there, away from everything, can he relax. But Danny can’t hide behind a tattered skirt or his shower forever. He still wants to share his voice with the world. He still wants to become something more than just another gay boy, who hasn’t lost his ears.
Danny smooths his black shirt as he waits for his number to be called. This time he’s older and…no, not wiser. Just a little less naive. He counts to ten and then pushes the door open.
“I remember you,” Paula Abdul says as he strides in. Danny’s tail curls around his jeans as he stands before the judges, sizing them up as they size him up. Simon Cowell bites his pen and stares straight at him. Shit.
Randy Jackson snaps his fingers: “Danny, wassup?”
“Nothing much,” he says even as his ears twitch. “Just trying to keep my nerves down.”
“What do you think happened last time?” Paula questions as she scribbles something down on her notepad.
“Uh, a lot. Bad song choice- one. And my nerves just…” Danny trails off as he widens his eyes and gesticulates wildly.
Him? Nervous? It’s more likely than you think.
Then he just throws his head back and sings ‘Proud Mary.’ His tail swings to the beat, and he feels every note. In his lungs. In the snap of his fingers. In the curl of his toes. It’s like Danny’s back in the shower, and all his anxiety is vanishing to the hot smoke.
Danny takes a final breath and waits for the judges to speak. His tail curls around his legs again as he comes down from the high.
“I can’t believe the voice that comes out of this body,” Paula says as Randy Jackson laughs. He flushes as he waits for Simon to say something, anything.
“You’ve got a very good voice, Danny.”
“Thank you very much, Simon.”
“You’re more confident, if that’s possible, this year.”
“I’m just trying to be myself more,” Danny explains. “Last year I was so not myself.”
Randy Jackson interrupts him: “But I thought it was a really good audition. One of the best I’ve seen all day. I was like, woah, what!”
“It’s just not expected to have that kinda voice to come out of you,” Paula repeats, and if Danny wasn’t beaming, he might have wondered what she meant by that. Unexpected because of his age? Or because he still had his ears? But then he realizes that’s three ‘yes’s, and he dosen’t care.
“I’m going to Hollywood, baby!” Danny screams, black shirt riding up, as he runs out the room with the golden ticket above his head. For once in his life, he’s not self conscious of his ears or his tail. He feels whole and ready to take on the world.
“This is what I needed,” Danny tells the camera with a wink as he waves his ticket. “A second chance.”
——-
So then why do they treat him like he’s some sort of comedy act?
The PR people tell him straight to his face “don’t lose your ears while you’re on the show.” That’s not a problem- there’s no boy in boot camp crawling up into his bunk. Still, their words sting a little. Is that his only appeal? He’s innocent like a Jonas Brother? Should also he start wearing a purity ring around his tail to appeal to middle America?
“This is bullshit,” Danny rants to his mother on the phone.
“Just butch it up baby, so they don’t make fun of me.”
“But…I just want to be me!”
“So be yourself. Just…” his mother sighs. “Just try to have fun?”
“I’ll try,” he sighs and holds the phone to his chest, heart twisting.
Once more, Danny is a stranger inside his own skin. When he’s practicing his songs, he tugs on his ears. Simon, aside from his first audition, doesn’t take too kindly to him. He calls him ‘grotesque’ and ‘useless,’ and all that does wonders for Danny’s self-esteem.
When he’s eliminated, Danny is more relieved than heartbroken.
“Our next guest is one of the most popular contestants on this year’s American Idol,” Ellen Degeneres announces.
When Danny walks onto the stage of the Ellen show, his heart sinks as he sees himself on the TV monitors. Oh god, they dressed him up like a preacher’s daughter. His cat ears are sleek and perky on top of his fringe, and he’s got a white collared shirt like a pilgrim. They might as well just have written ‘Chasity Kink’ over his chest.
“Hey, Danny.”
“Hey, Ellen,” he grins, tucking his fingertips under his jeans. His tail has curled itself around his ridiculous shirt, as if to hide him from the eyes of the crowd.
“I think you’re great, and I love your voice. What do you think went wrong on American Idol? And do you have any regrets?”
“I don’t have any r-” He cuts himself off with a laugh. “Yeah, I do. I regret my first song choice. I would have put more thought into it. The one that Simon called ‘grotesque.’ I mean I liked my other two…I was having fun with it…I was being myself?”
“That’s what I love about you. You’re yourself,” Ellen says empathetically, and Danny’s heart twists in his chest even as he nods.
His tail nervously twitches, but he keeps smiling as Ellen continues to call him “un-apologetically” himself. If only he was.
Danny’s relieved when Ellen asks him to sing. Only then does his tail relax. He sways to the sweet rhythm, closes his eyes, and tries to forget everything but the words and the melody.
——-
Angel Baby is his first escape. His ears are hidden beneath a thick, black wig. His tail is strapped to his padded thighs, tucked away just like his cock. He loves to make videos on Youtube pretending to be his “chola” persona. Then comes Violet Valentine for when he’s working the club scene. Valentine is sexy and free, in every way that Danny isn’t.
But Adore is his perfect escape.
He created her to leave Danny behind, and Adore lets him do just that. It’s not the same as the early days when he used to dress up as a girl because Adore is a queen not some little girl. She’s an illusion that everyone chooses to believe in. It’s less about gender or sexuality, although it’s that too, and more of a home. Yes, when Danny is Adore, he finally feels like he’s at ease inside himself.
So when he gets the call to be on Drag Race, Danny screams even louder than he did when he got the Hollywood ticket. Here’s the chance to show the world, really show them, who he is. Everything is a flurry of panic and heels and sparkles as he struggles to fill up a suitcase.
Before she knows it, Adore’s strutting into the workroom with a “I’m hooome”. She feels fishy and fresh in her green wig and tight, red dress.
“I’m so excited I could pee,” Adore giggles as she throws her coat over her shoulder and totters over to the one of the chairs. She’s not wearing any underwear, but she has her tail tucked away. Priorities.
Then there’s a commotion as Bendla “Terminally Delightful” Creme flutters in, Gia lands like fresh tilapia, and Laganja death drops. Adore’s known Laganja ever since she was in her first club, so to see her here? It’s nice to have a friend.
Then some other bitches arrive, whose names Adore can’t remember cause they leave five minutes later. The Rumail siren sounds, and she falls off her chair. Classic. Adore isn’t the queen of math, but she’s counts seven instead of fourteen queens.
More than anything though, she’s nervous for the first challenge. Adore ends up jumping off a platform looking like a crazy person. As she stumbles away and takes off her wig, Adore can hear audible gasps from the other girls. Oh right, she has ears.
“I still can’t believe you have them,” Laganja, of all the queens, remarks.
Adore flushes: “I’m not a prude, I’m just waiting for the right guy to show up, you know what I mean?”
“Aw, I think it’s sweet,” Bendela chimes in.
“Very purr-e. Get it…like pure?” Gia jokes and makes a clawing motion. No one laughs.
While Gia is stacked with a wardrobe of glam gowns, Adore has like…four gowns. Her tail wraps around her as she stares at all the glittering gowns that the other queens produce from their suitcases. Suddenly, her clothes from Azusa don’t seem as dazzling.
Laganja her, uh, “sister” wins the mini-challenge and gives her a box full of crap to work with. Adore may or may not have hot glued the fabric to her mannequin. Everyone’s ready, and Adore’s still trying to de-tatter her pile of tatters to form a dress. Basically, she’s a hot mess, minus the ‘hot’ part.
Somehow, Adore manages to escape the bottom two, and Kelly-What’s-Her-Face leaves. It’ll be a whole week until she sees the other seven queens.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she confesses to Laganja as they load up into the cars. The other girl just kinda squeezes her shoulder, and Adore’s heart sinks. So much for friends.
But Adore has more to worry about then Langaja’s betrayal. Like seven new queens. There’s Courtney Act AKA drop dead gorgeous with a voice to match Adore’s. Then there’s Miss.Pack-Your-Bags-Del-Rio.
She doesn’t like Bianca from the moment she meets her. Bianca’s quick and sharp tongued, while Adore’s tripping over her tongue like she’s still learning to read. Adore can sense competition, and this bitch is fierce. But she’s also…a bitch.
Adore takes off her wig for the first time in front of her, ears wiggling free, and Bianca gives the camera a look. How can she read Adore with nothing but her eyes alone? It makes Adore’s stomach twist into a small, insecure knot, and her tail twists with it.
When she’s alone in her hotel room, worrying about everything she could have done better, Adore remembers that look. Bianca’s twisting face haunts her as she tosses and turns.
So when Bendela asks “if there’s anyone on the other team that you just wouldn’t want to work with,” Adore’s honest as fuck.
“Probably Bianca. I feel like she’s just ‘competition, competition, competition.’”
Adore, tugging on the strands of her red wig, can sense the drama stirring as the other team comes back in. Speak of the devil and Bianca will appear.
“So…what were you saying?” Bianca asks as she perches, like a black crow, across from Adore. She can hear the whirr of the cameras eagerly zoom in on her face. Fuck, Adore’s done reality TV but never like this.
“They asked me who I wouldn’t work with, and I said you, Bianca.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t?”
“The energy I get from you is very competition-”
“Well, isn’t that what we’re here for?”
“I just feel like you have a really strong personality, and our personalities would clash, and if I was the team leader, you’d sell me up the river.”
“Oh, I…what’s your name again?” Bianca quips.
Even if she’s joking, Adore doesn’t laugh like the other girls. In every dark joke, there’s a glimmer of truth. Bianca doesn’t think Adore’s serious competition.
While the cameras and conversation drift away, Adore hasn’t forgotten.
Later that night, Danny dreams that Bianca’s pulling at his tail, hard. When he tries to get away, the queen just holds him down and forcibly strokes his ears, humiliating him in front of the hungry glint of the cameras.
Danny wakes up in a cold sweat, and he’s hot with arousal. He groans as he rolls in his hotel bed, trying to ignore his flushed cock. Finally, humiliated, he shoves his hand down into his boxers. Bianca’s harsh face melts away into Roy’s.
Fuck, what is this competition doing to me? Danny thinks as he bites his bottom lip. He pants and strokes himself, tail desperately curling around his thigh. It’s not enough. Danny hates how much his stomach twists with arousal as he imagines Roy holding him down, petting him, and whispering taunting words into his ear.
Danny bites his pillow as he cums. Pathetic. Why is he thirsting over this bitch? Maybe it’s like prison where people start to look more attractive than they are. Maybe.
——–
He feels trapped by the judges expectations. Usually, he’s free to be his punk rock self. Now, Danny has to worry about cinching up Adore for Visage and being glam for Ru Paul. The more they push, the more he wants to push back. It feels like he’s just came back from singing in front of Simon Cowell and been told that his song’s grotesque.
The last human being on earth he expects to come to his rescue is Roy.
“You’ve just got to breathe,” Roy whispers in the hallway, hand resting against Danny’s shoulder. He leans into his touch.
“Easy for you to say, you’ve got this competition on lock.”
“Do you want to borrow one of my corsets? Here, I’ll help you,” Roy says, and his whole body language has changed. He seems so human and real. It’s nothing like the competition-hungry beast in Danny’s head.
Danny nods, takes a deep breathe, and feels…ok.
Not perfect but ok.
True to his word, Roy helps him with his body shape. Maybe, just maybe, Roy might not be as evil or as cunty as he wants everyone to believe.
“You can do this,” Bianca whispers before the run way.
“Why are you being so nice to me? Are you ok?“
“I…you’re a good kid,” Bianca replies, but Adore wonders if there’s anything else. Adore can’t stay a moment longer, has to go out on stage to strut, but Adore wants to look closer, wants to know if there’s more.
——–
Bianca wins the crown, but Adore, cliche as it may sound, feels like she’s won something better. Even when she’s not in drag, Adore has a different energy to her. Everything is open with possibility and adventure. Suddenly, the world is her stage, but she’s not listening to the ‘judges.’ She’s playing her own rules.
“Look pretty happy for a loser,” Bianca teases.
Adore only laughs. Before she might have taken the comment to heart, but outside of the competition, she can see that it is just a joke. What’s this strange glow? Confidence?
“Bitch, you know Ru’s taking half that money through taxes anyways.”
“That’s the government,” Bianca corrects with a wink as they walk back to their Uber. Adore bites her red lip as they squeeze inside. Bianca is pressed up so close to her, and Adore’s tail, strapped to her, twitches. Oh god, how is that just one touch sets her off like this?
“Whatever, I’m going to earn my money through tax free stripping and singing,” Adore giggles. She feels drunk off the LA night. The city is rushing by them, but she’s safe here, pressed up against Bianca’s side.
Adore strips off into Danny, one lash at a time. His ears twitch as he shakes off his wig and curls up into Roy’s bed. It’s so soft and warm, and it has Roy’s familiar scent. Then Roy squeaks down onto the bed and messes up his hair, hands running over his ears. Danny can’t help but purr at the sensation.
“I think you’re driving Reddit crazy looking like that,” Roy says, and his hand rests on Danny’s head. Danny looks up at him with a yawn, nose twitching, as he leans into his touch.
“Like what?”
“Like that,” Roy grumbles as he flops down next to him and then tugs at his ears. “With these.”
“Is this still Reddit we’re talking about? Or you?” Danny asks, dipping his voice lower. He scoots closer, so their thighs are touching again. Roy’s in nothing but sweats. There’s just a hint of aftershave and strong perfume, and Danny wants to bury his face into his shoulder. So he does.
“What are you doing?” Roy grumbles, but his hand betrays him as it wraps up into Danny’s hair and starts to stroke his ears. Danny’s cock twitches in his boxers at the same time as his tail. Stomach twisting, Danny starts to purr a little bit louder.
Roy’s face is just inches from his: “Feel good, hm?”
Danny, feeling bold, leans closer. Roy tastes like a shot of vodka, and he shivers. When Roy pushes him back and pins him to the bed, Danny’s sure he could drunk just from the taste of him. He can feel Roy’s bulge against his thigh. So thick and nice. When the older man pulls back, Danny whimpers with need.
“Why’d you stop?”
“Because I…” Roy flushes. “I don’t want to take anyone's ears. I….”
“Who said anything about taking them?”
Roy stiffens even as Danny crawls closer, tail wagging behind him.
“I’m giving them to you,” he purrs.
Danny wraps his legs around Roy’s waist, so he’s straddling him, and he runs his hand down his bare chest. Just the gentle brush of his fingertips made Roy moan. Danny leaned down for another kiss as he ground his hips down, his couch twitched under him.
Roy is so gentle. Nothing like he thought he would be. He’s sweet and takes his time covering his fingers with lube. By the time he’s pressing one inside of Danny, he’s hard with anticipation.
“I’m a virgin not a fucking baby; you can be a little rougher,” Danny whines.
“Calm down,” Roy whispers in his ear. “I want this to feel good for you and your virginal ass.”
“Is that your idea of sexy talk?”
Roy just kisses him quite, and Danny’s giggling against his lips. He’d never thought sex would be this normal. He’d always thought it’d be fucking wild and life changing, but this feels so perfect and natural. Danny bites back a groan as Roy squeezes in another finger inside of him. They fit so perfectly. Big and nice.
“Any slower and we’d be going backwards,” Danny complains only because he loves the way it makes Roy’s fingers twitch in annoyance. They curve inside him and rub against that spot.
“Shut up,” Roy groans.
“Make me, how ‘bout that?”
Three fingers now, and Danny’s starting to feel the pain. It only turns him on more. His cock is leaking precum. His tail and toes curl in need. He feels like he’s been stretched open, and Danny loves it.
Then Roy instructs him to get on all fours and rubs his cock against the curve of Danny’s ass. Danny whimpers at the loss of fingers, but he’s excited for more. The change of positions makes him squirm. He can’t believe this is finally happening.
“There we go,” Roy breathes as he presses the tip of his cock inside and reaches forward to rub Danny’s ears. The stimulation is everything. Oh, god, he needs to be filled up now. He wants Roy to just-
“F-fuck me,” Danny moans as Roy does just that.
Roy’s running his hands over his ears as he fucks him, and the pressure of his cock against his prostate combined with his fingers in his hair? It’s heaven. Danny’s eyes roll back from the pleasure. His cock twitches, ignored.
“Feeling it now, baby?” Roy teases.
“O-oh, yeah,” Danny laughs and then it turns into a groan.
Roy’s speeding up his pace, and the foreign feeling of being filled up is so fucking nice. Danny just wants Roy to stay inside him. Fuck him. Take him.
It’s the feeling of Roy pulling on his ears as he slams into his prostate that pushes him over the edge. Danny cums with a groan, spilling all over the sheets. Roy grunts as he pulls out and cums all over his back.
“Messy,” Danny whines as he curls up on Roy’s chest, eyes fluttering shut. He yawns.
“Exhausted after only one round? And I’m the old one?”
“You really gonna judge me if I fall asleep?”
Roy presses a soft kiss to his cheek: “Fuck, no. I’m sleeping too.”
You know what? For once in his goddamned life Danny doesn’t feel judged. He just feels…happy. He isn’t sure why he thought the ears were a big of a deal. In the morning, they’re gone, but he has something better- Roy.
#au#kitty verse#kitty boy#adore delano#bianca del rio#biadore#squeaky#rpdr fanfiction#submission#m/m au
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Paradise City Stories: Sunday Drive
[EXT. Apartment 3c - 6:59 AM]
The sun has just come up, Birds are chirping, and the wave crashes can be heard.
Virginia [V.O.]
“Ah my life in Paradise City, what a shitshow that was.”
[INT. Apartment 3c]
Danny and Virginia were asleep.
The Radio Alarm Clock turned to 7 AM and Morning Train by Sheena Easton played.
Virginia turn the alarm off but the song still plays as she walks to the bathroom
[EXT. Shower]
Virginia
(Singing)
“My baby takes the morning train
He works from 9 to 5 and then”
Virginia [V.O.]
“This is me, of course younger, and some may say Hotter, but personally I think I’m like a Fine Wine. With me is my Boyfriend Danny, he’s a little Argumentative, and sure we get into fights. But we will work it out before things get really bad.”
Virginia
(Singing)
“My baby takes the morning train
He works from 9 to 5 and then
He takes another home again
To find me waiting for him”
Andrew [O.S.]
Kicks door open.
(Shouting)
“Danny you idiot!”
Music Stops.
Virginia
Got out of the shower.
Danny [O.S.]
(Dazed)
“Andrew what’s going-”
A Wack cut Danny off, followed by shouting from Danny
Virginia
Quickly grab a towel and ran out of the bathroom.
[INT. Studio Apartment]
Andrew had Danny in a corner.
Virginia
Grabs the gun from the Dresser and aim at Andrew
(Angry)
“Andrew, get off of him!”
Andrew
(Goes from Angry to Smooth)
Backs off from Danny and put the baseball bat down.
“Virginia, why I didn’t expect you to be here.”
Virginia [V.O.]
“God I fucking hate Andrew. Andrew has a crush on me, sure it’s cute sometimes, but when shit like this happens it’s always annoying, watching him trying to be so smooth with me. But what he doesn’t realize is he isn’t the first guy to act like this to me.”
Virginia
“Quit the act Andrew I heard what you were doing to my Danny.”
Andrew
“I would never, I was just having a chat with Danny.”
Sits down on the bed
Danny
(In Pain)
“No he wasn’t.”
Virginia
“Yeah Danny I can see that from the bat and the blood on his jacket.”
Andrew
Looks down at the blood on his brown blazer.
“Oh come on! This was my favorite Blazer!”
Takes his Blazer and Shirt off.
Virginia
“Jesus Christ, put your shirt back on!”
Andrew
“Why? I thought you wouldn’t mind the show.”
Shows off his skinny body.
Virginia
(Chuckles)
“That’s cute, get some muscle and then you might have a chance.”
Andrew
“Very funny V’.”
Danny
Got up.
“First all that’s my Nickname for her and second it wasn’t my fault.”
Virginia
(Confused)
“Wait what’s going on?”
Andrew
“Okay, so your “so good Boyfriend” went to a Dixie Mob owned Strip Club last night.”
Danny
“Daryl took me there.”
Andrew
“Whatever. And he got handsy-”
Danny
“Daryl got into a fight with some Yuppies, I beat the living shit out of the Guards there and we stole that Rattler parked next to your car.”
Andrew
(Annoyed)
“Are you done? Because the mature adults are trying to speak here Danny!”
Danny
(Annoyed)
“Maybe if you didn’t beat me with that bat I would let you finish!”
Virginia [V.O.]
(Annoyed)
“This was the bullshit I had to deal on a near daily basis. Andrew trying and failing to be smooth and Danny fighting over stupid bullshit.”
Virginia
(Shouting)
“Boys!”
Danny and Andrew stop fighting.
Virginia
(Calm)
“Do we have any ideas on how to fix this?”
The Boys went silent for a second.
Andrew
“I guess we’re going to need to fight or flight.”
Danny
“I’m not running. You can’t run away in this business.”
Andrew
“Yeah but these guys are insane I mean they’re the Dixie Mob.”
Virginia [V.O.]
“Okay History Time. Paradise City was run by 7 major gangs.”
[EXT. Trailer Park - Night]
Merle kicks opens the door to a Trailer.
Virginia [V.O.]
“At the bottom of the Totem Pole is the Dixie Mob. They terrorize the countryside for over 50 years now. Merle Doucet runs this gang, drunkenly.”
Gunshots light the dark trailer.
[INT. Alley - Night]
Dale walks up to a man in the shadows.
Virginia [V.O.]
“Next is Dale Scumty, now this guy is fucking nuts, he had a ichy trigger finger and a taste for blood.”
Dale shot the guy in his neck, the blood spray all over Dale’s face.
[EXT. Trailer - Noon]
Phil was sitting in a lard chair, drinking beer.
Virginia [V.O.]
“And finally there is Phil. He doesn't do much. These assholes mainly deal with narcotics, arms trafficking, and ‘shine even though it's a dying industry.”
[INT. Studio Apartment]
Virginia
“Hell here’s an idea, instead of crying and being a little bitch, we should kick their ass and take their business for ourselves. They’re the Dixie Mob, they’re the least Respect Gang in this city. It shouldn’t be hard.”
Andrew
“Sorry sweetie but that is a terrible idea.”
Danny
“First don’t ever call her sweetie again. And I second that idea.”
Andrew
(Shouting)
“It’s a terrible idea!”
Danny
“Better than your idea of running away.”
Virginia
“So yeah we all agree to kick some ass?”
Andrew
“Um… No.”
Virginia
(Shouting)
“Your vote doesn’t matter Andrew.”
Puts the gun down.
“Okay now get out and talk to Daryl about the plan. I got to get dressed and do my hair.”
[EXT Apartment Parking Lot. 10 AM]
Broken Wings by Mr Mister playing.
Daryl was leaning on the wall Smoking a Cigarette, Katrina was tapping her foot, Danny was leaning on the rail, and Andrew now with his shirt and blazer back on was preparing what he was going to say to Virginia.
Virginia (V.O.)
“Might as well tell you about my relationship with these guys. You already know me and Danny are dating. Andrew is a fucking creep, always trying to get in my pants, but he’s our Boss and he have his ways of keeping us out of jail. Katrina is my best friend, sure she only cares about shopping, I personally think there are some daddy issues she has that might factor in to her habits, but I don’t know the full story. But she's cool. And finally there is Daryl, he’s my best boy friend, you know, a friend that so happens to be a dude but you’re not dating. Yeah anyways me and Daryl love to hang out with each other, go out for drinks, hit up the town, and go to the shooting range. Stuff me and Danny can’t do for X reasons.”
Andrew
“Look Virginia I know I fucked up… Nah too cheesy.”
Danny
(Annoyed)
“Mate, can you like not want to fuck my girlfriend.”
Andrew
“Oh Danny, you’re so young and immature, sooner or later she will come to me.”
Daryl
“And sooner or later Danny will blast your dick off with a 9 mm.”
Flicks Cigarette butt at Andrew.
Andrew
“Very funny Daryl. At least I have Class.”
Daryl
“You can shove your class up your own ass, Andrew.”
Katrina
(Smooth)
“Can you two like shut up.”
Andrew
“I wouldn’t be talking in I was you, you have spent 2 grand on clothes alone.”
Katrina
“So?"
Andrew
“You’re a trail Katrina.”
Daryl
“And you’re Wimp Andrew.”
Andrew
(Pissed)
“Oh and you’re Mr Big Shot, without me you would’ve been dead within a week Daryl. And don’t think you’re in the clear Danny, knowing you, you will get into trouble with the Feds within a Month.”
Danny
(Angry)
“Fuck you Andrew. I had to kill a man, you know what it is like to do that!”
Andrew
(Mocking)
“Oh Boo Hoo you had to kill someone, get used to it, in this business you’re going to be doing that a lot.”
Virginia
Finally comes out with her hair done and in her red leather jacket.
“Andrew shut up!”
The gang turns their heads to Virginia.
“Okay now get into my car, they’re probably looking for Danny’s Rattler, and a brand new Thunder V8 isn’t really normal for a trailer park.”
Daryl
“We could take my truck.”
Virginia
“Daryl you can barely fit 4 people in that thing.”
Daryl
“True.”
Virginia
“Okay now let’s Scope out these bastard’s territory.”
Daryl, Katrina and Andrew got into the rear of Virginia’s 1975 Spirit Heart 450, Danny got into the passenger seat, and Virginia is driving.
The music stopped as the Heart pulled out of the parking lot and went to the Highway.
[EXT. Underpass Rd - 1 PM]
The Heart drives down the empty Strip, passing by old buildings that are falling apart, and abandoned cars.
Virginia (V.O.)
“Underpass is a strip along the Paradise Reservoir, full of Strip Clubs, Bars, Shady Used Car Dealership, Drug Deans, Brothels, and abandoned factories. Across the Reservoir is Gatorvile, a Ghost Town that has been overtaken by Mother Nature after a Hurricane 20 years ago. It's now just a Place Teens go to get keep trills, and Drug Deals go on, that if you’re lucky enough to not get eaten by an alligator.”
[INT. Dashview of the gang]
Virginia
“Here we are, now keep your eyes open for guys with Confederate Flags on their jackets standing in front of stores, those are places they own.”
Katrina
“Like can these guys get some better fashion, jez, it’s all denim, like get some better clothes.”
Andrew
“Jesus Christ you’re dumb, Katrina they’re white trash!”
Katrina
“So they could still dress up.”
Andrew
“They can’t afford it! Plus look are you boyfriend!”
Katrina
“Don’t you bring him into this.”
Danny
(Shouting)
“Enough!”
The Two went silent
[INT. Rear Passenger seat of the Heart, pointing to The Rat’s Nest Strip Club.]
Daryl
“Hey Danny check it out it’s the Strip Club we went to last night.”
[INT. Dashview of the gang.]
Danny
“Yeah nice… Wait what happened to Damon?”
Daryl
“Oh yeah. So I took him to my room to get Katrina to work on him. But I bumped into Ace, he told me to leave Damon with him. And I’m not the kind of man to question a gift, so I accepted his demand and went to bed. After a Beer of course.”
Danny
(Angry)
“Great my best friend is dead.”
Virginia
“Danny you know Ace isn’t like that.”
Danny
“Oh, so him mentally torturing me for the last month is all fine and Dandy!”
Virginia
“Danny you’re being Argumentative.”
Danny
“Ace has tried to kill me pretty much every other week!”
Virginia
“He’s just Over Predictive.”
Danny
“Oh that just makes it all better doesn’t it!”
Andrew
“You know Virginia, me and Ace get along-”
Danny and Virginia
(Angry)
“Shut up Andrew!”
Andrew
“Okay. Just wanted to say how I get along with your family more than Danny does.”
Daryl
Knocks Andrew out with a punch to the face.
“Fix the problem.”
Virginia
“Thank you Daryl.”
Danny
“Yeah thanks man.”
Katrina
“You always know how to fix things Darry.”
Danny
Stutters at that pet name.
[EXT. Sunnyvale Trailer Park - 2 PM]
The Heart stops in front of the gates to the Trailer Park
[INT. Spirit Heart]
Virginia
“Here we are. Now keep your eyes open for Business to attack and or take over.”
Virginia drove the car onto the Dirt Road and slowly drove through the Trailer Park.
Everyone stares at the Heart as it slowly drives around.
Katrina
“I’m telling you this is a bad idea V’.”
Daryl
“Don’t worry, I grew up with people like this. I’m like one of them.”
[EXT. Sunnyvale]
A dirty faded blue 1968 Carson Asesino Sedan with a confederate flag on it’s doors pulls out of a driveway of a trailer, a cloud of dust follows the Carson.
[INT. Spirit Heart]
Virginia
Virginia floors it as the Asesino comes at her.
“Playing it that way?”
[EXT. Spirit Heart]
The Heart drifts around the dirt corners, blowing dust and rocks at the trailers.
The Asesino runs into mailboxes, trash, lard chairs, frences, and all kinds of light junk in the front yards of the trailers.
The Heart drives into the backyard of some trailers, Virginia then makes a U turn and head to the Asesino.
The Asesino swerves out of the way, crashing into a parked rusty green 1961 Bullet Nugent Station Wagon, pushing it 5 feet, the Asesino was done for.
A engineless Matt Black 1968 Bullet Nugent Coupe was pushed in the way to be a roadblock.
The Heart stops inches away from the Roadblock.
A dirty Teal 1973 Hunter Coupe Salvaje speeds to the Heart.
The Heart does a reverse J-Turn to get out of the way of the Salvaje.
The Salvaje smashes into the Nugent Coupe, destroying both of them and pushing the roadblock out of the way.
[EXT. Sunnyvale.]
Virginia speeds out of Sunnyvale.
[EXT. Underplace Rd.]
A Rusty Green 1970 BMC Countyroad 1500 with a Confederate Flag on it’s doors made a U-Turn and went up to the driver side of the Heart. A Mullet Raccoon from the BMC grabbed onto the door of the Heart and opened it.
Virginia pulls away from the BMC as the driver side door burst open.
The Raccoon fell off of the Heart.
The BMC sideswipes the Heart, breaking the driver side door off and causing the Heart to spinout in the dirt.
Virginia (O.S.)
(Pissed)
“Motherfucker!”
The BMC made a U-Turn and went towards them.
Virginia puts it in reverse and speeds off and makes a sharp left turn into a Alley.
The BMC flipped over while following the Heart.
[INT. Spirit Heart.]
Virginia stops the Heart.
“Danny, get the gun!”
Danny
(Shocked)
“What?”
Virginia
(Shouting)
“Get the gun!”
Daryl
Get his Sawed Off Shotgun from his Leg Holster and hand it to Virginia.
“Here.”
Virginia
“Thanks.”
Virginia took the shotgun and went up to the flipped truck.
[EXT. Flipped Truck]
The windshield of the truck popped out and shattered all over the payment, the driver was on the ground bleeding.
Virginia
Taps on the driver with the shotgun.
“Hey wake up.”
The driver doesn’t respawn
(Shouting)
“Wake up!”
Kicks the driver
Driver
The Driver coughed out some blood.
“What do you want?”
Virginia
Grabs him by his collar
“This is our town now.”
Throw him back into the truck.
She walks for a bit and then quickly shot both barrels at the truck.
Driver
(Screaming)
“You fucking bitch!”
Virginia
Stops and went back to the cab.
She bent over, picked up a shell from the truck, loaded the gun and finished the guy.
[INT. Dashview]
Danny, and Katrina were shocked.
Virginia
Virginia got back into the car.
“So who wants some lunch? I know a place not too far from here!”
Daryl
(Excited)
“Is it the Crab Trap?!”
Virginia
“You know it!”
The Gang rides off as Edge of a Broken Heart by Vixen plays.
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