There he was again, sitting right across from me. I was practically invisible to him as he looked over my head. I wasn't there. I mean I was but if I suddenly disappeared it wouldn't matter. Of course in Danny's world, for the current moment at least, I was as important as a blade of grass, the kind that was already cut.

Tucker and I didn't have to turn around from our lunch table to know that it was a certain teenage girl who kept his utmost attention. It was like this everyday. From 12 to 1 at the Nasty Burger you could expect the Danny Making Googly Eyes show to perform for his only audience member, Valerie Gray. Don't forget that on weekdays the show is moved to the picnic tables at Casper High. Whatever.

It wasn't like I cared. Maybe, just maybe, I had the smallest, smaller than a speck of dust kind of small, crush on Danny. I couldn't help it. I tried not to notice the way his bright blue eyes contrasted with his perfectly messy, black hair. Or how it was cute that he could roundhouse kick a ghost in the face yet still return to a clumsy teenage boy. Valerie didn't appreciate that.

Why, out of every single freakin' human being on the planet, did Danny have to fall for the only girl in Amity park who was trying to hunt Phantom? Not including his mom either, because that would just be wrong on so many levels.

"Earth to Danny," I waved my hands in front of his face. I hoped I had ended any thoughts he had that included Valerie and hand holding. Gross.

Danny's smile faltered as he focused his eyes on Tucker and I. "What?" he played innocent, shrugging off that he was just staring at Valerie for the past 10 minutes.

"Man, you gotta control yourself," Tucker sighed as he looked down at whatever new gadget he had just whipped up last night. "This staring game of yours was funny at first but now it's just sad."

Danny used to play this "staring game" with me. His obsession with Paulina definitely lessened after she became so opened about her own obsession with Phantom. I'm pretty sure he had enough experience of Paulina for both Fenton and Phantom.

I caught him giving me the same puppy dog look where his eyes enlarged enough that I could've drowned in them, yet not to the extent when he was put under a spell by Ember months ago. That was a mess.

We had a few moments where both of our eyes would meet and it felt as if we were connected. Maybe Danny didn't feel the same way, but I was certain that I would see him flush as much as I would before glancing away.

It was a short period between Paulina and Valerie where there seemed to be just me as a source of possible infatuation for his teenage brain, and by short I mean it lasted only a week if anything. Not that I was planning on using it as my chance to make a move, whether it had been a week or a year. Danny would never like me back enough, or as far as I was aware. Tucker always insisted that Danny just didn't understand his own feelings but what does he know?

I took a bite of my tofu sandwich. "Keep staring any longer and you'll go blind," I teased him. I just meant to mess with Danny, yet Tucker found someway to take it as jealousy.

"You know, Danny," Tucker lightly nudged me a couple times, "there are better things to stare at. Maybe things sitting right in front of you." I don't know how he could think he was helping me. I quickly swatted his arm away, not bothering to say something about how I didn't want Tuckers sweaty limbs on me.

I glanced over at Danny, whose complete attention was on Tucker and I now. He raised one dark eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he questioned. His cheeks were stuffed with salami sandwich, making his words come out muffled. I reached over the table and wiped off the mustard on his lower cheek before it could fall onto his white t-shirt. He could try but no ghost power would make that stain come out.

"Clueless," Tuckered laughed. I rolled my eyes and ignored it. Tucker was no genius, but of course he had to rub it in my face with any chance he got that he had figured something out before Danny had, and probably before I had as well. It's still just a dust speck of a crush.

Danny finally swallowed his food. "What do you mean?" his voice was more clear now as he repeated the same question.

"Nothing," I defended myself automatically while pretending to be more occupied with my own sandwhich. And luckily, as usual, Danny let it go. If he were to ever find out it definitely will not be by Tucker mocking us.

"Hi, Danny." I turned my head to the end of our table, in the same direction that his had snapped into place. No longer standing from a distance, now was Danny's chance to ogle Valerie up close. Her green eyes were friendly towards Danny, although in a few hours they'll be filled with hatred as she looks upon Danny Phantom.

Her orange headband held back her thick, curly hair from falling across her face. Valerie may not be as pretty as Paulina, could anyone be really, but she was still pretty in her own ways. Unlike Paulina, Valerie wasn't too hung up on her looks, so I had to give her credit for that.

When Danny drooled over Paulina, I felt more safe since all the other guys did it so she wasn't much of "competition", not that I am competing anyways. Valerie, although she may have used to act as stuck up as Paulina had once upon a time, was now genuinely a nice person. Nice and pretty, that's what Danny wanted. Maybe the "nice" part annoyed me.

I was nice enough, in a passive aggressive way, but I was never particularly pretty. Not that I care, I'm comfortable with who I am. Goth is the right way to go. Although, goth couldn't stop me from caring every once in awhile about what Danny thought of me.

"Hey, Val," he cooly responded to her. I noticed how the girl's smile grew in response.

"Val?" I unnecessarily echoed right away. Both of them ignored me but it was okay. Just two weeks ago Tucker and I clarified with Valerie that we don't mind her, anymore. And I personally clarified with her that there was nothing going on between Danny and I. I really couldn't have another person going around knowing of my dust speck crush.

"I was wondering," Valerie twisted a long curl around her finger, "since we have next period together, if you would want to walk to history with me?" Her voice raised slightly towards the end, making her sound more of an angel than she did when she was shooting at Phantom. Also making Danny forget how just a week or so ago she said she didn't have time for a relationship. His crush on this girl was wrong in many ways.

But of course this had to happen. "Sure," Danny bolted up from his seat, forgetting his half eaten sandwich. We all had history together, but of course Tucker and I weren't invited. What did they have to talk about that was so important from their lockers to the history room? Not last night's homework, that's for sure.

"Later guys," Valerie gave a small wave and she walked towards the doors.

Cheery Tucker happily waved back at any girl, even if his best friend was her current love interest. Me not so much. "Bye Val," I said in a sickly sweet voice. She didn't hear me, not that I cared.

Danny stopped and looked down at me before he completely abandoned our table. "Are you okay, Sam?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure?" her pressed. Danny was a good guy, I knew he meant his worry.

"Totally," I quipped back, even though it sounded more sarcastic. I was okay, honestly.

He looked me in the eyes for a moment. These seconds always made the world around us seem to freeze, even if it was in the middle of a ghost battle. His extremely blue eyes were calling for me to admit something, not that I was at all ready to do that. Danny gave in and with a smile, was about to turn around and follow Valerie.

"Clueless," Tucker just had to mutter. I elbowed him but Danny's attention was completely on us again.

"Why do you guys always call me that?" he narrowed his eyes at Tucker especially. Tucker was smart enough to know that if he dared to give my secret away to Danny, there would be hell to pay. As best friends, I knew it was wrong to keep secrets, but this one wasn't even supposed to be known by Tucker. It was as if he dug it out of my brain himself.

"Call you what?" I wondered. I had to play dumb since Tucker wasn't too good at talking for himself on the spot.

"Clueless." Danny clearly didn't fall for my act. "You guys call me that all the time. I don't get what I'm clueless about."

I gave him a good ol' smile. "It's just a joke," I, myself, didn't really understand the joke behind randomly calling someone clueless.

"What am I clueless about?" he seemed somewhat annoyed now.

"Nothing, it doesn't mean anything," I was quick to respond. I waited for Danny to let it go like always, except this time he didn't seem to.

"Then why do you keep calling me that?" he pressed. "You guys just called me the same thing five minutes ago."

That was Tucker, not me. It was all Tucker.

Before I could actually respond after rolling my eyes, Danny spoke again. "Tucker," of course, just go for the weak link, "what don't I know that you two do?"

Tucker couldn't lie. He could try, but he wasn't good at it. He opened his mouth and managed to get half a syllable out, which just ended up sounded like a weird animal noise.

The school bells could be heard from inside the building. It was ten minutes until class started. At the same time we could hear Valerie call Danny's name, it sounded so sincere compared to when she spits out Phantom's name.

Danny quickly gave both of us a look that was somewhat of confusion and betrayal, even though I- I mean we- should be feeling betrayed from how easily he goes off to the girl who already said she couldn't date him. It was good that he wanted to squeeze in as much time as he could with Valerie before class started. Never thought that I would admit that.

Danny and Valerie disappeared into the building. Hopefully Valerie would occupy Danny's mind enough so he would forget about Tucker and I. Again, never thought that I would admit that.

I turned over to Tucker and narrowed my eyes at him. "What was that about?" I almost growled at him.

Tucker crossed his arms, gripping his PDA tightly in his hand. He was nervous I might destroy it, so in a way he recognized he did something wrong that deserves revenge. I wouldn't hurt one of his little toys out of annoyance though. I'm intimidating, but not actually mean. I want to save the polar bears for crying out loud.

"You call him the same thing all the time," he tilted his nose up to seem as if he was looking down at me. He couldn't be intimidating to me though, this is Tucker we are talking about. Even the Box Ghost would make me shake in my boots before Tucker did.

"Not all the time," I huffed, "just when he's being a real dork."

We both stood up and began to pile up our trash, and Danny's who left us to be his garbage men.

Tucker rolled his eyes. "You call him that when he talks about Valerie or girls in general." Tucker smirked, "You want him to know you like him."

"Not so loud," I shushed Tucker. "And no." In no way, shape, or form, including ghost, did I want Danny to know that I like him. I was just a friend to him, it would be too weird.

Tucker frowned at me. "You call him 'Clueless' 'cause you want him to realize that he likes you just as equally, maybe even more back. But then you all of a sudden get in denial about it even though it's obvious he has a major boy crush on you."

Did he really just say "boy crush?" I shook my head, trying to get rid of the hopeless thoughts of Danny liking me. Not that it even mattered if he did or did not because we will always be just friends. "I'm not in denial," I looked both ways for anyone who might be nearby. I couldn't have anyone listening in on our conversation and getting the wrong idea. Another rumor was not needed. "He likes Valerie and that's all there is to it. I'm not trying to make him realize anything."

We walked inside through the cafeteria. I dumped my lunch in the trash and tossed my tray onto an already formed pile. The lunch lady glared at me and muttered something about teenagers. I couldn't help adding to her pile of dishes. At least she got paid to be here.

"Oh please," Tucker rolled his eyes at me. "You might as well write 'I'm Sam Manson and I like you, Danny, and you need to realize that so we can just go out' on your forehead."

"That would never fit on my forehead," I huffed.

There were five minutes until class started. I decided to spend those five minutes ignoring Tucker so that this conversation could be over.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was that Danny and Valerie were on opposite ends of the room. Neither looked angry so they couldn't be in a fight. Conveniently, Danny saved two seats next to him in the way back. So he was still thinking of us.

"Hey guys," he chirped at us. As expected, he easily forgot about what had annoyed him during lunch. He seemed relaxed once again.

I sat on one side and Tucker on the other.

"How'd your date with Valerie go?" Tucker teased.

"It wasn't a date," Danny and I said at the same time. My cheeks flushed before he even looked back at me to give me a questioning look. Tucker wiggled his eyebrows at me from behind Danny. I paid no mind to him, he's an idiot.

I shrugged and casually leaned back, pretending to be interested in the teacher's introduction to the class for the day. History wasn't hard, it was just memorizing a bunch of random facts.

Both Danny and Tucker seized to talk, hopefully not from my awkwardness though. I didn't want whatever I say to linger on Danny's mind.

Halfway through the class I notice Danny and Tucker passing notes back and forth. As I was peering at Danny scribbling on the folded up notebook paper, he glanced over at me but quickly ducked his head again when he noticed that I was watching him. Was he writing about me?

A couple minutes later I get a note on fresh paper.

Why am I clueless?

I wonder why he couldn't just let it go. Did Tucker and I really call him that that much? Only a few times during the week at most.

I wrote him back.

You aren't clueless. I don't know what Tucker was talking about.

Much quicker than when I had responded, the note came back to my desk.

You call me the same thing.

Danny's handwriting was messy. I felt like an elementary teacher trying to read a ten year old's first essay. The letters were small and slanted, compared to mine which were nicely rounded.

I didn't respond to the letter and just allowed for him and Tucker talk back and forth, hoping that they would share with me after class what exactly they had so much to write about. And if Tucker gives up anything that's supposed to remain unsaid, and unwritten, then I might have to rethink about not plummeting his PDA at the wall.

The rest of the day basically went like this: in between classes Danny would pester us about what he was clueless about and send notes in class. I was thankful, for once in my life, that Danny wasn't in two of my afternoon classes.

By last period I had began to feel sorry for him. He was under the impression that Tucker and I had some big secret from him. I hadn't thought of it before, but technically Tucker and I did have a secret that we were choosing not to let Danny in on. Both of them were my best friends, but I was aware that Danny had an even closer friendship with Tucker. They shared a guy bond that I couldn't really ever understand. I was making Tucker somewhat break that, but it was harmless, right? We weren't keeping secrets to hurt anyone.

Danny ambushed me at my locker. It was the end of the day and I wasn't exactly planning on hiding from him since we already made plans to hang out like every other day.

"Sam," he said my name in almost a desperate tone.

I didn't even have to listen to him to know what he was asking.

"You guys are killing me here, why am I clueless?"

I was proud of Tucker, he lasted all classes with Danny and didn't give in.

I smiled at Danny. He didn't return it, which I couldn't blame him. Danny was trying not to get distracted. He wanted answers and I felt as if I had to get him one. I couldn't just say anything, I had to say something that would make sense for Tucker and I to make such a point of not telling him.

"Just tell me Sam," Danny yanked on the side of his hair, not too hard though. "You guys are gonna drive me insane. Tucker wouldn't crack at all."

I sighed, seeming cool on the outside even though in my mind I was quickly going over ideas in for a story I could make up. I didn't want to lie, but Danny wouldn't shut up and there was no way he was going to know of my crush. My dust speck of a crush.

I blurted something, which in retrospect was not a good idea at all. I could've said anything, literally anything, yet I had to say the most disgusting thing I could have ever imagined. "Tucker and I are dating."

Danny halted. His eyes widened slightly, I was expecting him to be angry for a moment. He wasn't. He was just frozen. It was off putting. I stared at him as he gazed off into the distance.

"You're- Wait- What?" Danny fumbled over his words, trying to think of a way to respond.

You and I are in the same boat buddy.

I almost threw up in my mouth. Never have I ever thought of Tucker and I together like that. This was as bad as the time when I had accidentally wished Danny and I to have never being friends and Tucker tried to hit on my when we first "met." That haunted my nightmares.

"Yep," I weakly said, my voice breaking. I tried to think of a way to take it back, to make up another story but if I did that then Danny would forsure know that everything was a lie until I actually came clear about my dust speck crush and we couldn't have that happening now could we.

Danny still didn't seem mad. A small part of me was hoping that maybe he was. Not mad about his best friends hiding something big but maybe mad about me having a boyfriend. I know, I'm a stupid girl. I mean I'm smart, but things I do can just be really stupid.

Danny looked down at the ground. "I'll see you later," he mumbled and quickly left me behind.

Of course he was upset. His best friends were keeping a secret from him, and I just told him a lie. He didn't know it was a lie though. What was better: him thinking I was dating Tucker or him knowing that I liked him more than just a friend? Trick question, both of them were horrible.

I quickly shoved my stuff in and closed my locker. Thankfully no one heard my small, completely false lie. I really couldn't have that rumor floating around school.

Assuming that this was where Danny went, I had to find Tucker before a certain ghost boy did. I couldn't just phase through walls and hunt him down in two seconds.

His locker was deserted and Danny wasn't around it either. At least I didn't stumble upon them talking, but I still had to be certain that Tucker wasn't hiding off somewhere with Danny.

I eventually found him sitting outside on the front steps, alone. His blue backpack was discarded off to the side by his feet. His red beret stuck out from behind a group of girls walking towards the buses. As I approached him, I noticed how his glasses were perched high on his nose. Tucker was typing away furiously on a gameboy of some sorts.

Tucker's look of extreme anguish told me that he was about to win when I took the device from his hands. Before he could protest I dragged him off to the side of the school.

"Have you seen Danny yet?" I quickly asked him.

"I was a little busy there," he narrowed his eyes at me. I returned the look, causing Tucker to swallow any insults and answer me. "No, which is weird cause he said we'd meet at the steps."

I bit my bottom lip and glanced back towards the steps, Danny still wasn't there and it had been ten minutes since I've seen him at my own locker. "I kinda told him something," my voice was unusually high and nervous.

Tucker's face lit up. "You told him?" Tucker would've been happy if I told Danny that I liked him, which is still just a tiny dust speck of a crush, right?

"Not exactly," I played with my words. I really didn't want Tucker to make a stupid remark of how much of a stud he was. Other girls can think of him as that, not that any of them have, but I never will. "I did something bad."

Tucker furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "It can't be that bad."

You have no idea.

I glanced at the steps again, still no Danny. I messed up bad. I didn't lie to Danny before and now that I had, it blew up in my face, or at least it's going to.

"I told Danny," I was certain to speak slowly, dreading what I was about to say, "that he was clueless to us dating." I clenched my eyes shut, not wanting to see a horrified face.

A few seconds later I heard laughter. It was Tucker. I opened my eyes to see him leaning against a tree, crying. He was uncontrollably laughing.

I frowned at him, waiting for him to finish up whatever he found funny that I clearly did not.

Tucker straightened up, breathing heavily while wiping the tears from his eyes. "There is no way you told him that, Sam," Tucker shook his head in amusement. "Really, what did you tell him?"

I didn't respond, waiting for him to catch on that I wasn't lying.

After a moment, he scrunched up his face. "You told him that?"

I pressed my lips tighter together. I nodded my head while glancing off to the side, it was embarrassing.

Tucker began to speak again, "As much of a stud"- I knew it- "that I know I am, that just isn't true. I like you as a friend and hope we can remain that way."

I glared at him for making up antics at a time like this. "Yeah I know that moron," I retorted. "I just couldn't think up of anything else on the spot. You were probably on the verge of caving if he asked you anymore-"

"I was."

"-and I couldn't let him know."

Tucker sighed as if he was the wiser one of us, which for the moment he might be. "I don't see why it is such a big deal to keep it a secret. He likes you and you like him."

I didn't bother denying that I liked Danny at the moment. "He likes Valerie," I had to point out. I continued to speak before Tucker would again insist on Danny liking me, that was just crazy. "I don't know what to do."

I noticed how Tucker looked over my shoulder, ignoring my cry for advice. I turned around and saw someone that made my stomach drop. It was once again Danny with Valerie, both chatting it up as happy as ever. Danny never hung out with Valerie after school since she said she didn't want a boyfriend, so why now?

His eyes glanced at Tucker and I. He quickly averted his gaze as if he had stumbled upon something he shouldn't have seen. It occurred to me almost instantly that he figured he saw Tucker and I standing together as a couple.

We watching the two walk away off to who knows where. Probably a date.

"Pretending to be a couple won't kill us."

I turned back to Tucker, surprised by his suggestion. "What?" I was at a lost for words. He wasn't freaking out like I was.

"We don't have to actually do any of the gross stuff, just say that we are when around Danny."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What would that accomplish?" I couldn't imagine Danny getting jealous over Tucker and I.

Tucker scoffed. "What wouldn't it?" Don't you dare talk to me like I'm dumb Foley. "You get time to come to terms with your lovesick feelings, Danny can get all jealous, and in the end you will tell him the truth and all is well."

I wasn't convinced. "It's not that easy."

"It could be." Tucker nodded his head in the direction Danny and Valerie disappeared to, "He's already jealous."

I gaped at Tucker. "Jealous?" I saw Danny flirting it up with "Val," not me. "He just walked off with another girl that wasn't me. I don't think he cares if I get married tomorrow." I realized it was a bad choice of words when Tucker smirked.

"You don't get guys," Tucker stated matter of fact. "Danny did that to prove that he isn't jealous, obviously." Yeah, obvious. "He's trying to distract himself. It's like what you tried to do with that Gregor- I mean Elliot- guy before."

That was recent. I never told Tucker that I was using Gregor to move on. Was I that easy to read? It didn't work out and I ended up getting mad at Danny when he tried to eavesdrop on us. "Is that really what he's doing?" I wondered, completely unsure of what to think.

Tucker grinned at me. "Come on Mrs. Foley," he made his eyebrows do the wave while giving some weird look. I think this was him flirting.

I felt like I was going to vomit.