Hello! Thanks to my reviewers!
cutereviewgirl, Kybo, Itallia, XxFadedxMemoriesxX, vanillalilies, pharohess18, dplover101, Snea, Indigo Bluu, Raven of the Night676, Galateagirl, Fantastic Bouncy Girl x2, Karaway, AlisSilly
Now you're only ten chapters away from the big climax that will leave you hopefully screaming for more! However, since we're on chapter nine now, you have to realize that I was trying to bring most of my stories up to chapter ten…meaning when this story reaches chapter ten, I probably won't update it as much because I'll be working on the other ones. (The list is slowly narrowing)
But for now, you can enjoy a fresh new, humorous chapter. Just between Danny and Tucker—so you know you got to laugh somehow.
Chapter Nine
Lingering
If I'm not made for you than why does my heart tell me that I am?
"Danny! Hello?"
Danny snapped from the sleepy stupor he'd been in at Tucker's call and sat up straighter. His best friend raised an eyebrow.
"Got sleep?"
"Ah, I'm a little tired," he admitted, shrugging. He glanced around his room with a sigh. "Had a pretty late night last night."
"Man, Lancer was gonna kill you earlier today," Tucker said. "You usually nod off at school…I totally get that. Heck, I taught you how to do that."
"Yeah…" he groaned. "But hey, I'm awake now, right?"
"Barely." Tucker laughed. "Every time I look at you you're staring off into space. Whatcha thinking about?"
"Sam," he said without thinking. When his best friend cracked a mischievous grin, he made a face, sighing. "Not like that." He could tell Tucker didn't believe him.
"What did you and Sam do last night?" Tucker asked.
"I flew her to Tuscany and we ate Italian pasta until it started raining and we had to go back home cause it was getting late here," Danny replied, closing his eyes and resting for a moment.
"So let me get this straight," he said, with a grin. "You went all the way to Florida, then took Sam to Italy and then flew back, took her back to Florida, and then came back here? All that for her?"
"Yeah, why?" he asked, opening one eye and staring up at him questioningly.
"Because I'm just starting to wonder if you're actually hearing yourself," he replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Tucker burst into laughter, slapping his forehead. "God I love how clueless you are."
"Whatever," he grumbled.
"I'm sowrie," he said, rolling his eyes. "Look…It's just getting more obvious…I'm just going to say it cause that's how I am, kay?"
"Okay…" Danny said hesitantly, staring at him suspiciously.
"I think it's getting really obvious that you care for her more than a friend," he said. "And I'm serious. No jokes, no lies. There's something different lately. And I don't know whether it was her moving or what…but you want to know something?" Danny didn't say anything, really listening, and so he continued. "I haven't heard you mention Valerie or Paulina or any other girl that you've ever been attracted to. Isn't it kind of strange that the only person you have on your mind is Sam all of a sudden?"
"Tucker, she's my best friend," he felt himself saying. He knew what Tucker was saying was right—more than right—but there were so many things complicating it.
"And so?"
"So…You cross that line and there's no going back," he said, running a hand through his jet black hair. "And I don't want to risk messing up our friendship."
"You're afraid of that?" Tucker's eyes were wide.
"Of course I am…If I…admit any sort of feeling to Sam…things will be all hunky dory for a while and then…something will happen. I'll mess up one time and that will be it. The end of a relationship…I will not lose her because I screwed up."
"I think you've been hanging out too much with her. A really morbid outlook on the future, huh?" His teasing tone didn't work.
"I think I've seen too much in other futures that doesn't exactly make me optimistic anymore." He shifted uncomfortably on the swivel chair at his desk.
"This is different Danny and you know it. We're not talking about…We're not talking about that, okay?" Tucker pointed out. "We're talking about you and Sam. And the relationship you have now. I mean, do you love her or not?"
"I do okay," he blurted. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't have asked. See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he said.
"The fact is…" He trailed off. "The fact is, even if I do like her, it won't change anything."
"Because…?"
"Because I'm not going to risk losing our friendship. I'm not going to take that step forwards knowing that I'm only going to fall off in the end. I'm not. I'm not going to be able to face her after that," Danny said. "I won't…be able to."
"So take things slow," he suggested.
"Tuck--" he began.
"I know, I know, I'm getting annoying. But…Danny, we're best friends. I'm doing what I think is right. And I'm saying that you and Sam have a great relationship…And honestly, I don't think it will ever…ruin. And I mean that, otherwise I wouldn't have said it, so don't ask." He laughed and clapped Danny on the shoulder with his hand. "Don't you think?"
"I don't know…" He grinned, just wanting to get off the subject. "I love these little girl-to-guy chat sometimes Tuck. Your inner woman really makes me feel better."
"Dude, that was cold…and the last part didn't sound right."
Danny cracked up and they both knocked knuckles. "Ow," he said. Whatever had hit him hadn't really hurt, but his outcry was more out of shock than actual pain. "What is that?"
"Oh, this?" Tucker pulled his hand away, flexing his fingers where a silver and red ring was upon his ring finger. "Just my class ring."
"I don't get mine till next week," Danny said, nodding. "Why red? I thought you were going to get yellow."
"Well, I was," he said, biting his fingernail. "I just changed my mind." His eyes glinted in an expression he couldn't read. "You like it?"
"Oh, real cute. I wasn't even going down that gutter," he said.
Tucker burst into laughter. "Ah, loved the look on your face."
"I'm sure," he replied sarcastically. He bit his lip. "Okay…serious question and don't mess with me."
"Okay…" he said, slowly.
"On a scale…do you really think Sam and I…stand a chance?"
"Why, getting hopeful?" Tucker teased.
"Forget it," he sighed.
"Come on Danny, you know I was kidding. That's how I am, remember." He thought a moment. "And besides, I already told you my answer. You and Sam will do fine; you're too good of friends to play games with each other, so…on a scale, you're a ten."
"Ten is usually bad."
"No, one is usually bad," he began to protest before seeing Danny smile wickedly. "Dude, it's not funny when you mess with me."
"I'm sure it wouldn't be," he said, closing his eyes.
"Don't travel down that rain gutter either Danny. You know what, forget that. Your head's in a ditch. A big ditch."
"Wonder where I get it from…" he trailed off innocently.
"Your dad?" Tucker offered.
"Eating fudge, are you Danny?"
The sudden voice made them both jump and Danny turned on his bed to see Sam's familiar face pop up on his computer monitor.
"Sam!" he said, more excitedly than intended. "How are you?"
Tucker shot him a look before saying, "Hey, what's up?"
Sam grinned as they both got up and walked over to the computer. "Fine, but kind of ticked off. Just got busted for skipping out last hour yesterday. That stupid…" She trailed off, allowing both her best friends know she was thinking a very horrible curse word. "Anyway, she tattle taled on me and Daspi. So, last hour tomorrow we have detention and then we have to pick a class."
"Dang…You and Danny are having trouble in school already," Tucker said, hovering above the keyboard.
"Whatd'ya do now Danny?" she mused, grinning in the screen.
"Nearly fell asleep in class. Cause you two got in on last night." Before Danny could argue, Tucker tipped the chair he'd been sitting in over and sent him crashing to the floor. "Yeah, he told me the details."
"He did what now?" Sam's voice was clearly very confused.
"No!" Danny shouted from the floor, leaning over and grabbing Tucker's leg in retaliation, his hand turning into less than a shadow.
Tucker shouted (more or less like a girl) as he suddenly phased through the floor and his yells penetrated in echoes through the rest of the house. Danny, knowing he was most likely unharmed, sighed in victory and sat back up in the chair.
Sam was in hysterical laughter to the point where there were nearly tears coming out of her eyes. "You two are going to kill each other without me there, aren't you?"
"Well, it's kind of strange. Usually I had to play peace keeper between you two," Danny told her. "He's fine. But…what he said to you wasn't--"
"I know," she replied, cutting him off. "I didn't think you'd actually said that."
"Good," he sighed. "How are you?"
"Fine since the last time you asked me," she joked.
"Right," he said.
"How are things there…Do I dare ask?"
"Fairly normal. Classes are dull as usual; it's hot as hades up here and…well, Mr. C still manages to scare me," he answered.
"Hmm…what now?" she wondered.
"Well, today we played another game…Thank heavens it wasn't truth or dare…" Sam snorted in the background. "But we made up this story sort of. Someone would start the story, say a few sentences and the next person would finish it. It started out as a football star biography and ended up a sci-fi novel." They both laughed.
"Doesn't sound so bad," she said.
"He just seems to know all this about me. Today he guessed what my middle name was and I've never even told him."
"Um…" She couldn't hold back a laugh. "That might be because they have it on the class rosters…"
He blinked several times. "W-what?"
"They have them on the class rosters. You didn't know that?"
"No…no…" He felt his cheeks heat up. "No, I didn't."
"Ha ha…That's hilarious."
"What are you doing tonight?" he asked, wishing to get off the subject.
"Dude, I'm so gonna have a bruise." Tucker managed to get back up the stairs, but looked very disgruntled.
Danny laughed and Sam's echoed in through the speakers. Smacking his best friend on the head, Tucker pulled up a chair beside him.
"Hey, actually that reminds me. Daspi wanted to know if you could "zoom" over here and go out to a club tonight," Sam said.
Tucker agreed automatically. "Heck yeah."
"Sure," he said, nodding. "What time?"
"Umm…Seven, Florida time?"
"That's eight here, so yeah," Tucker said, looking at his watch. "Two hours down. I'll start getting ready now."
"Kind of pointless to fix yourself up too much," Danny called after him as he started standing up.
"Oh…damn, that's right. We should get a head start there so I have a chance to get ready there then."
"No, take your time, really. Danny's been far enough for a few days," she said. "I didn't even think about that till now. Are your powers up to it?"
"What? Of course they are," he assured her. "I'm fine."
"Who's Daspi?" Tucker asked, pushing far up into the screen.
"A new friend of mine," she said. "She's really cool actually."
"Oh, so it's a double date then, sweet!"
Danny shot Tucker a look and then shoved his head out of the way as both he and Sam said, "No."
"I was just…oh, never mind," he said. "I give up."
"So, see you at seven?"
"Yep," Danny agreed.
"Is Daspi still hot?" Tucker wondered.
Sound was heard in the background of Sam's web view and she made a face, clearly irritated. "I gotta go. The parentals need a chat. See you guys later tonight!"
"Bye," they called together.
The screen flashed off and Danny spun around the chair. "We won't need to leave for another hour. It's only three thirty. I can get there in like three hours, maybe less, so."
"Carrying me?"
"Yeah…you're not that heavy. Geeze Tuck, calling yourself fat?" He grinned as his best friend threw a hackey sack his direction.
"I'm hungry. I need sometime to settle my stomach before flying," he said, rubbing his hand over his stomach at the same time.
"That's fine with me," Danny said.
"You gonna eat something?"
"Yeah…" He switched off his monitor screen, but his eyes lingered on her name before it shriveled away to darkness.
"Whatcha thinking about now?" Tucker wondered, noticing.
"Hmm…oh, nothing." He snapped back into reality, figuring if he'd say "Sam" they'd only get into another discussion. With a lot of questions…
That he didn't even know the answers to.
The first "double date" (I'm calling it that to shorten it) you will not see. However, you will hear details, and there will be another one in chapter eighteen, except this time…well, I can't tell you much because that would spoil some things.
Please R&R! Here's your sneak peek!
Chapter Ten: Evil Princesses
"They think they own the school," Daspi muttered, rolling her eyes. "To them, we're just ghosts. Invisible ghosts."
Sam glanced back at her. "Nice…comparison I guess."
"What? Don't you believe in ghosts? Amity Park's rumored to be full of 'um, isn't it?" She grinned at Sam's expression. "What? I do watch the news."
Lateraina Wolf