Chapter Text
Sam didn't know how to feel about the move to Amity Park. She hated that it was because her dad got another prominent government job. She loved that they were moving to the creepiest town in America. Her parents weren't the most thrilled about that part. They wanted to send Sam away to some private school, but she made enough fuss about them making her move in the first place that they gave in when she put her foot down about this too. She was a goth girl after all; it fit with her aesthetic perfectly that there were ghost attacks on the regular.
Amity Park was practically a tourist spot for every ghost hunter, demonologist, and urban explorer. And the largest attraction: Phantom. Sam read everything she could get her hands on about him—and that wasn't much. He was Amity Park's most famous cryptid and yet no one knew where he came from or anything else really. He showed up whenever there was trouble and vanished as soon as it was over. People had come from all over to try and communicate with or catch him, but even the most well-known ghost hunters—the Fentons—hadn’t been able to do it, and they lived in Amity Park. Many people thought he was their own local hero, but many more thought he was the cause of all the problems they experienced.
Sam wanted to meet him more than anything. Fat chance, she knew. He didn't associate with living people, but she'd certainly love to try. As soon as she could get out from underneath her parents' overprotective thumb, that is.
Sam quickly found that, despite the ghostly nature of the town, the other high schoolers at Casper High didn't match her enthusiasm about the undead, or her aesthetic choices. She was branded an outcast almost immediately. Ah well, it wasn't exactly a new story for her. It could have been worse. She could have been Tucker Foley, who was the resident AV club-type nerd who snuck technology into every sentence no matter what the subject had been previously, or Danny Fenton. Despite the wealth that the Fentons had gathered through selling their ghost hunting gadgets, and his older sister Jazz’s general popularity, Danny was in no man's land. No one associated with him except Foley. Sam wasn't sure why until she ran into him on accident one day turning away from her locker.
"Ow, fuck!" Sam exclaimed, dropping her textbook on the floor.
"Sorry." Her breath hitched in her throat at the sound of his voice. Even though he was right in front of her, she could have sworn she heard him from over her shoulder. A shiver ran up her spine when she met his gaze. He was paler than her with dark circles under his wide, icy blue eyes to match. His black hair was thick and stuck out at odd angles and he had thick, ungroomed eyebrows.
Danny lowered himself to the ground and picked up the book, holding it up to her. Sam took it back quickly, letting out an involuntary gasp as her fingers brushed his in the process. Gods, they were freezing. To her chagrin, Danny noticed her reaction and smiled wryly, standing up slowly.
"Did I scare you?" he said lowly. Her skin crawled with invisible ants at the sound.
"No! I was...," she snapped, clutching the textbook to her chest, "surprised! Not scared. Goths don't get scared." She laughed nervously at this last part. Danny did not. He frowned as he stood, looking her over with his unnervingly pale eyes. Sam couldn't help but feel the need to retreat. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his already wide eyes expanded, and he visibly shivered before turning and sprinting away. Sam blinked and watched his back disappear around the corner. She'd heard he was strange, but that? She couldn't pretend she didn't understand why no one liked him.
Why was he like this? The one person in town who didn't know what a freak he was, and he immediately blows it. Stupid fucking ghosts didn't know when to leave well enough alone. Harassing people at his school despite the number of times Danny made it clear that the school was under his protection. HIS. And he wouldn't hesitate to stop anyone from trying to hurt his people. Who was it this time?
Danny swerved into the janitor’s closet so he could transform. The comforting chill of his core thrumming in his chest wasn't enough to calm him down this time. For once, it would have been nice to be seen as normal, even if it was just for a moment. His tail swished in agitation as he sped unseen through the halls of the building, looking for the source of the chill that he'd felt when he'd run into that new gloomy girl, Samantha. The lights flickered in his wake and more than one person shivered as he slipped past them, but no one saw him. They wouldn't unless he wanted them too.
There. Lancer's classroom. Danny phased through the door and let his feet hit the floor. Lancer sat at his desk, his eyes flicking nervously from Danny to the back of the room. Danny's head swiveled to see a large inky creature pooling over the lab tables and throwing the beakers across the room with rumbling laughter.
"Hey! I've already smashed more than enough of those!" Danny yelled, bristling as the shadow growled at him.
"Oh, Don Quixote, of course there's another one," Lancer murmured, sinking further into his chair, and watching them both with terror in his eyes. Danny disregarded him. Lancer couldn't understand what he said anyway—his ghostspeak didn't sound like much to anyone except other ghosts and speaking English in his ghost form felt like swallowing sandpaper.
The shadow expanded and reached out to grab Danny. Danny hissed, spinning out of reach and allowing a noxious green ball of ectoplasm to form around his hand before blasting a hole in the shadow's back. The shadow squealed, grabbing Danny's leg and smashing him into the floor before he could turn intangible. Danny wheezed against the impact, scrabbling at the floor to escape the grip of the shadow. The shadow extended its claws, digging them under Danny's ribs. Danny screeched against the burning pain in his chest, sinking into the floor to escape before reemerging and grappling with the shadow. They both tore at each other in a flurry of claws and ectoplasm. Fury burned in Danny’s core until he almost couldn’t see. Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over. The shadow fled, dripping ectoplasm as it went.
Danny watched it go, his chest thrumming with the satisfaction of having driven away another pest. When would they all learn? He was never, ever going to let them take his haunt from him. Danny cocked his head and peered over the desk at Lancer. The teacher flinched and cowered under his gaze but looked otherwise unharmed from the scrap. Danny, however, was not so lucky. He hissed as he pressed a hand to the deep gashes along his rib cage. That shadow wasn’t the only one leaving a trail of radioactive green. And he was supposed to be at lunch with Tucker. Today was going sooo great.
Sam stood in the lunchroom, watching the kids mill around and land amongst their peers with familiarity and ease. She’d been at Casper for a week now, but there was still no one willing to invite her to sit with them. With a defeated sigh, Sam went out to the outdoor tables to see if there were any empty tables left for her to eat in peace. Most tables were full, except one. Sam bee-lined for it before she realized there was one person already at it: Tucker Foley. He was sitting alone, tapping away at his tablet as he picked at the barely edible school lunch. Sam sighed and continued towards him with nothing left to lose. He didn’t look up until she cleared her throat. Upon seeing her, Tucker sat up straight and adjusted the red beanie he was wearing.
“Oh, hi, you’re Samantha, right?” he said, smiling brightly, “what brings you to No Man’s Land?” Sam snorted, squeezing the lunch tray in her hands.
“It’s just Sam, actually. Can I... do you mind if I sit here?” she asked, cringing a little as she said it. Tucker blinked up at her owlishly before grinning.
“Wow! Really? Yes! I mean, yeah, if you want,” he said too quickly. Sam shook her head and sat across from him, setting the tray down with a dull clang and twisting at the cap of her apple juice.
“So, you’re... Tucker, right?” she said lamely, attempting to make conversation. Tucker nodded vigorously, then shrugged.
“That’s my name, although most people call me Techer, heh,” he said, still staring at her. Sam frowned.
“What, is there something in my hair?” she asked, looking up and patting the top of her head. Tucker’s eyes widened and he ducked his head down.
“Oh no, sorry,” he replied, tapping at his tablet again. Sam nodded slowly, prodding at the pile of mushy peas on her tray. After an awkward silence, Sam pushed the tray away from her with a disgruntled sigh.
“Ugh, why does it seem like this school serves only garbage and meat?” Tucker smiled without looking back up.
“You know, there is a lot of benefits from a meat heavy diet,” he said in return. Sam rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, no. I’m an ultra-recyclo-vegetarian—I don’t eat anything that has a face,” Tucker sat up straighter and looked at her.
“You’re missing out on valuable nutrients!” he exclaimed. Sam smiled as he tried to explain all the various benefits of a carnivorous diet without pausing to catch his breath. He was nice, she didn’t see why the other students seemed to shun him. Then again, she was nice too, but no one seemed to give her the time of day. She told herself she preferred it that way, but it got lonely having no one to talk to. And Tucker talked like no one stopped to listen to him ever in his life, which was fine by her.
Until suddenly they weren’t alone. Tucker’s mouth clamped shut when the tall, blonde boy Sam had learned was called Dash appeared next to them. He leaned against the table, leering at them in a distinctly unfriendly way.
“Hey, look everybody, Techer got himself a girlfriend!” he drawled, laughing in the general direction of some other kids that were “popular”. Tucker looked back to his tablet, but Dash grabbed it and held it above his head.
“No toys at the table, Techer, didn’t your parents’ ever teach you manners?” he guffawed. Tucker bit his lip and kept his eyes on the table. Sam’s lip curled as she stood, her hands curled into fists.
“What’s your problem?” she snapped at Dash, her voice dripping with venom. Dash turned his sneer on her.
“Ew, someone call for Huntress; there’s another ghost on school property,” he said, his eyes raking over her distastefully. Sam folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
“Wow. Points for originality. What’s next, are you going to ask me where the funeral is?” she spat, holding out a hand, “give that back.” Dash scowled, holding the tablet higher still.
“You know, you would almost be pretty if it weren’t for all that black. Figures a weirdo like you would only be able to hang out with a reject like Foley,” he said, tossing the tablet into the grass. Tucker yelped and dived for it before any more damage could happen. Sam could feel her knuckles going white.
“You’re such an asshole,” she growled, shoving him. Dash laughed, grabbing her wrist and tugging her close despite her struggling.
“What are you gonna do about it, geek?” he whispered dangerously. Tucker stood and clutched the tablet to his chest.
“Leave Sam alone,” he shouted. Dash scoffed, tossing Sam aside like a rag doll and turning on him.
“Or what? Looks like there’s no Fenton here to protect you today, Foley.”
“God, Dash, do you think you’ve ever said anything right in your life?” There was no mistaking that same, chilling voice that Sam had heard before. She shuddered as she picked herself up from the dirt to see Danny Fenton standing behind Dash, his hands tucked into a dirty black hoodie and his eyes boring holes into the back of Dash’s head. The courtyard had gone deadly quiet. He was shorter than the blonde douchebag, but he had a presence to him that would scare off a bear. Dash looked colorless as he turned to meet Danny’s intense glare.
“Ah. Fenturd,” he said, raising his hands yieldingly, “sorry for bothering your boyfriend. Have a nice day.” There was acid in his voice, but he left them alone all the same, returning to the gaggle of other popular students that were all watching them with disdain now. Danny watched him go before turning his unnerving gaze on Sam.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, frowning. Sam scowled and was about to grab her stuff when Tucker leapt forward.
“She was sitting with me. Where were you?” he asked. Danny’s head turned to look at Tucker, taking a hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck as if he was being scolded.
“Had to stay behind and talk to Mr. Lancer. You know how it is Tuck, flunking out of biology,” he said with a grin that was too wide and too sharp. Tucker shook his head and took his place back at the table.
“No, I don’t know how it is. Now if we were talking about gym class, that’d be a different story. Check this out, I found this really cool new app….” Danny sat beside Tucker without taking his other hand out of his pocket and nodded his head along with what the other boy said. Sam stood there awkwardly for a moment, before reaching for her tray to leave. Tucker looked up at the movement and paused his spiel.
“You aren’t leaving, are you?” he asked, eyes wide, “stay! Anyone who stands up to Dash isn’t safe anywhere else, after all.” Sam’s eyes slid over to Danny, who was watching her carefully. Gods, he was unsettling. Danny shifted in his seat, wincing ever so slightly.
“You stood up to Dash?” he said with a whistle, “good for you. He’s a fuckin’ dickhead with more muscle than brain.” Sam hesitated for another moment before Danny spoke again. “You should stay. He won’t bother us now.” Sam sat down slowly, brushing the dirt from her knees to avoid Danny’s too keen stare. Why did she feel like she needed his permission?
“What’s stopping him?” she grumbled, rubbing her wrist tenderly. Danny and Tucker shared a look like she’d said something funny. She watched them with narrowed eyes.
“What?” Danny tugged his hood closer to his face by the strings as he looked up at her from under his thick, black brows.
“He’s scared of me,” he whispered with a wicked grin that made Sam’s body quiver for the umpteenth time that day. Then, as if nothing had happened, he laid his arm out on the table and rested his head, closing his eyes with a deep sigh. Tucker frowned at him and poked him in the cheek.
“Hey, I wasn’t done telling you about this, you know! Don’t fall asleep on me again,” he whined. Danny smiled without opening his eyes.
“I’m still listening.”
Sam stayed for the rest of the lunch period. She hated to admit it, but both Tucker and Danny were pretty funny guys. Danny told terrible puns that Tucker matched with stinging commentary. It took her a moment to let herself relax in Danny’s presence, but he really wasn’t all that bad. More than anything, he seemed exhausted, sickly even. Tucker didn’t seem all that worried though, which only served to make Sam all the more curious about them. When the bell rang announcing the end of the lunch, the three of them stood up to go back to class. Danny’s face looked strained as he stood.
“Are you alright?” Sam couldn’t help but ask. Danny gave her a crooked, tight-lipped smile.
“Ah, yeah, I’m not feeling too good, actually. I think I’m gonna head home. You two have a good day though—don’t pick any more fights. It was nice to meet you, Sam,” he answered, giving her an intense look before turning and heading towards the office. Tucker slung his bag over his shoulder and looked at Sam expectantly.
“You coming? I think we have the same English class,” he said. Sam pried her eyes away from Danny’s retreating form and gave a quick smile.
“Yeah, sure.” She followed after him quietly for a few minutes, but she had so many questions burning holes in her tongue that she couldn’t stay that way for long. In the noisy crowded hallway outside their fifth period English class, Sam couldn’t take it any longer.
“Can I ask you something?” she said, the words spilling out like marbles. Tucker looked at her with surprise, clearly not used to someone other than Danny wanting to hear his thoughts.
“Uh, sure, shoot.”
“You and Danny… is he your boyfriend?” Tucker snorted and laughed in her face.
“No, believe me, Danny and I are both very much into the ladies,” he gasped through the giggles, waggling his brow at her in a way that made her roll her eyes, “Dash only says that because he’s still close-minded enough to think being called gay is an insult.” Sam shrugged.
“Right. I suppose that makes sense. You two do seem very close though.” Tucker nodded understandingly.
“Sure, I’ve known him since the second grade. We’ve been friends most of our lives. I like to think we know everything about each other.”
“Like to?” Tucker’s smile faded a little at this and he leaned against the wall, looking around as if expecting someone to be listening in on their conversation.
“Listen, if I tell you something, do you swear not to tell anyone else?”
“Who am I gonna tell, I mean, really?”
“I mean it! Swear it.”
“Alright. I swear,” Sam said, frowning at the sudden seriousness. Tucker sighed and gestured for Sam to keep listening as they walked into the classroom.
“Danny had an accident a couple years back when we were freshmen. You know who his parents are, right?” Sam nodded, “Yeah, well, he used to help them run their experiments but when they were building their ghost portal that, you know, changed everything, Danny got hurt. He nearly died in that portal. He hasn’t really been the same since. He got colder.” Tucker shuddered a little as he said it. They sat at adjoining desks and Tucker continued as the rest of the students file in.
“He didn’t always use to be like that. I know you know what I’m talking about. Everyone knows. But that accident changed him. Now he ditches class and disappears all the time on me. He’s sicker than he pretends he is. People used to bully both of us incessantly, but ever since that day, bad things started happening to people who bothered him. Everyone thinks Danny has something to do with that. He won’t admit it, even to me. Jazz knows there’s something up too, but she insists he hasn’t told her anything either. It’s starting to make me feel like he doesn’t trust me anymore.” Sam listened carefully to what Tucker said, feeling a little sorry for him. Danny clearly meant a lot to him.
“Have you asked him about it?” she whispered as Lancer came into the room looking slightly peakier than normal. Tucker sighed and rested his chin on the desk.
“I’ve tried to, but he blows me off every time. Just keeps insisting that I stop worrying about him. It’s okay though, he’ll tell me when it’s important, I know he will.”