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freshwater--mermaid · 6 years

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Ersatz Ch 30: The Draw

Jazz concealed her nerves behind a confident smile as she stood beside Casper High's principal. She held a stack of papers to her chest, careful not to bend or wrinkle a single page.

The double doors to the school opened, and Jazz's head whipped up, only to be surprised by the sight of her brother stepping into the hall. He also looked confused as he walked toward the pair.

"Jazz? What are you doing here so early?" he asked.

"We're here to greet the new counselor." Jazz answered. "And what are you doing here? School won't start for another forty minutes."

"I like the quiet." Danny shrugged, as though that answer made all the sense in the world.

With that, the shorter teen walked past them, disappearing around a corner. Jazz stared after him, before the sound of the doors opening a second time called her attention.

A tall woman came into view, a pair of small oval glasses perched on the end of her nose. Bright eyes landed on the two immediately, and a smile broke out across her pale face.

She strode forward with sure steps, holding a hand out for the principal to shake.

"Ms Ishiyama, is it? So wonderful to meet you." she said.

And then her sharp gaze settled upon Jazz, and the girl tried not be intimidated.

"And you are?" she asked, inclining her head toward Jazz.

"Jasmine Fenton." the girl replied. "I was the volunteer counselor. I have some notes I'd like to give you, if that's alright. They're on all the students I was seeing, and I thought it might be helpful if I gave you them. You know, since I don't really need them anymore."

Jazz inhaled a deep breath, and mentally berated herself. She'd just met the woman and already she was running off at the mouth.

Lips sealed tight, Jazz watched Ms Spectra as she gave a small polite laugh.

"Yes, I was told about you. I'm impressed that a girl of your age took such initiative and managed to reach out to so many fellow students."

Jazz beamed at the compliment, trailing after the adults as Principal Ishiyama talked about the school. They soon arrived at the counselor's office, and the principal opened the door, gesturing inside.

"And this will be your new office." she said. "I hope you don't feel too overwhelmed by the number of students that you'll be seeing. With the recent tragedy, well…"

"I completely understand." Spectra assured with a sympathetic look. "And don't worry, I'm sure I won't have a single problem."

Her confident expression and cheery tone were infectious, and it had Jazz feeling equal parts happy and envious.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Your first appointment won't be for another hour, so feel free to walk about the school or re-arrange your office as you see fit." Ishiyama said, giving one last smile before leaving the two alone.

Spectra entered her office, and Jazz stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching as she stood before her desk, looking down at the various objects resting upon it. She tapped a sharp nail against the tiny egg timer with a smile.

"Um, Ms Spectra?" Jazz spoke up, stepping fully into the room.

"Oh, Jasmine, I apologise." the woman turned toward her. "I forgot you were there. You can leave the papers on my desk and I'll see to them."

She pointed a long finger at the desk, turning away and standing in the centre of the room, gazing out the small window.

Jazz set the stack down, but didn't leave. Instead, she slowly walked over to Spectra, gaining her attention once more.

"Actually, I also wanted to talk to you about something." Jazz began.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Spectra held up a hand. "But I'm afraid you'll have to wait for your scheduled meeting with me like everyone else."

"Wha-no! I'm not talking about that!" Jazz protested, feeling her face warm. "I wanted to talk to you about my brother, Danny. He's the one you'll be seeing later today."

"I see." was all she got from Spectra.

"He's probably going to be your most difficult student. And I'm not just saying that as his sister. He's got a lot of issues going on right now that he just won't open up about. He's been extremely anxious lately, and I'm afraid he might be suffering from depression. There's also a lot of animosity from him toward our parents, and well, really anyone. Do you…know of any way I can get him to open up? I've tried just about everything I can think of and nothing seems to work."

If Jazz was hoping for sage advice from an expert, she was to be disappointed.

Spectra merely smiled at her, fingers lacing together as she spoke in a placating tone.

"Jasmine, I want you to not worry so much over your brother. Know that I plan on doing my utmost best to help him through whatever trials he is enduring. I think it'd be much healthier for you if you were to take a step back and focus on your own anxieties."

Jazz started, mouth snapping shut. She didn't know how to react to that statement, and Spectra took the silence as an end to the conversation. With a skip in her step, she left the office and began touring down the hall.

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Danny stood leaning against a wall, mind adrift as he enjoyed the silence. He'd walked up to the second floor and down several halls until the annoying echoes of everyone talking could no longer be heard. He really wasn't looking forward to his appointment with the new shrink, and wondered just how much trouble he'd land himself in if he skipped out on it.

A sudden, familiar sensation overcame the teen, and he opened his eyes to look up and down the long hall. He felt his mood sour as the realisation came upon him slowly. A ghost was nearby, and it was getting closer.

Remembering the two octo-ghosts, Danny stood in the middle of the hall, trying to prepare himself for another chase. What he got instead was a body colliding into his own.

Danny groaned as he slowly sat up, his vision clearing. He realised that he'd ended up in an unused classroom, upturned chairs scattered around him.

A low chuckle caused him to look up, and he could see a glowing green blob smiling down at him. It was much larger than the misshapen ghosts Danny normally saw, and he swallowed back a lump of fear that tried to catch in his throat.

"Well, look what we have here." the ghost jeered. "Some little nerd haunting a school. How original."

He laughed, giving Danny a good view of his razor-edged teeth.

'Yep. This is going to be a bad day.'

With a gleefully cruel expression, the ghost dove right for him. Danny rolled out of the way, rising onto his knees. He channeled energy into his hands, but the other ghost was faster. He grabbed hold of Danny, lifting him up with ease and throwing him across the room. He slammed hard into a wall before landing in a heap. Dazed, Danny struggled to rise.

No chance. His attacker was upon him at once, catching him by a leg and dragging him across the floor. He felt his body collide with several objects, his hands scrabbling against the floor for anything he could take hold of.

'This is it.' a voice within him said. 'You're about to get eaten by a giant green blob.'

Unable to tell what was happening anymore, Danny squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for sharp, piercing teeth. But they never came.

In fact, as seconds ticked by, Danny slowly realised that he wasn't being thrown around anymore. He opened his eyes and looked about, but saw only the dark room surrounding him. He was alone.

"What…" he choked out, shakily rising to his feet.

His body throbbed all over, and he ran a hand down his torn shirt, looking for signs of injury. He was relieved to note no bite marks, but this only furthered his confusion. Just what exactly had that ghost been after?

The door bursting open caused him to jump. Lancer and two other teachers stood outside the doorway, peering in at him with faces that held varying degrees of worry and anger.

"Mr Fenton!" Lancer strode into the room, looking ready to spit fire. "What is the meaning of this!"

He looked around at the broken objects strewn across the floor. Danny tried to come up with something to say. He was spared the effort as Lancer settled a seething glare upon him, pointing a finger in his face.

"My office. Right now."

He turned and marched from the room, and Danny reluctantly followed.

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"-that you can always come talk with me, any time." Jazz said over the growing din of the crowd.

The teen glanced her way before continuing past with his friends. Jazz walked in the opposite direction, searching for more of the students she counseled. Used to counsel, she reminded herself.

Well, that didn't need to be the case, she mentally argued. Lancer had been right; if Jazz made it clear that she was still willing to be there for the students of Casper High, then surely some would prefer her familiar presence over that of a stranger, right?

Jazz's thoughts were perforated by the sounds of yelling from Lancer's office. She wondered who exactly had caught the ire of the vice principal so early in the morning. A second voice joined the man's, and though it was brief, Jazz found it too familiar to ignore.

She moved closer, peeking around the half-closed door. A head of raven hair, disheveled more than usual, caught her eye immediately. Before Jazz could think she was walking fully into the room.

Lancer stopped mid-tirade, looking toward the girl. Danny noticed the sudden silence and glanced around, quickly spotting his sister. He didn't seem relieved by her appearance, frowning and looking away.

Jazz took in the sight of him. Dust layered thickly across his clothing and skin, and bruises could be seen forming across every visible part of him.

"Danny!" Jazz exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Your brother was found trashing a classroom." Mr Lancer heatedly informed.

"What?" Jazz's voice rose several octaves.

Being hostile toward everyone and skipping class was worrying, but wrecking school property was something Jazz never expected of her brother. It was indeed alarming.

"Danny, what-" she began.

"Save the lecture." Danny sent a quick glare in her direction. "I'm really not in the mood for it, Jazz."

"I'll tell you what I'm not in the mood for," Lancer interjected. "I'm not in the mood to deal with a wrecked classroom before school even begins! And yet here we are. Now, Mr Fenton, for the third time, tell me what exactly came over you."

The veins in Lancer's forehead throbbed as he spoke, and Danny chose to stare at them rather than the man's seething eyes. He didn't know what to say to answer the question, and a faint prickling sensation in the back of Danny's mind occupied most of his thoughts.

That ghost was still nearby.

Lancer gazed down upon the boy, watching his blank expression, awaiting a reply. When none came, he sighed, rubbing at his tired eyes. It really was too early for this. He just couldn't understand what had possessed the teen to lash out so violently. By the looks of it, everything in that room was completely ruined.

Grim frown in place, Lancer reached across his desk toward the black telephone.

"Daniel, I'm going to give your parents a call, and then we can-"

"Wait!"

It wasn't Danny, but Jazz who spoke up, a hand outstretched. Danny's wide eyes flitted between her and the teacher, panic fluttering visibly across his face.

Lancer paused, phone resting in his grasp, and raised a questioning eyebrow at the red-head before him.

"Mr Lancer, I know that what Danny did was wrong, but can you please not call our parents?" she pleaded, to everyone's surprise. "Danny's going through a really tough time right now, and as much as Mom and Dad mean well, they're only going to escalate this already bad situation."

Lancer opened his mouth, but Jazz continued.

"If they really have to know, then Danny and I will tell them at home. But I really think it would do more harm than good."

"I'm right here, you know." the boy in question groused. "I'm not three years old; I can speak for myself."

"What a relief to know." Lancer said, lowering the phone back to its cradle. "Then pray, use those vocal abilities of yours to explain to me why you trashed a classroom."

"It wasn't even being used." Danny defended, crossing his arms.

"That's not the point!" Lancer's voice rose, and he sat back in his seat, visibly attempting to calm himself down once more.

Internally, Jazz felt sorry for him. He looked like a wreck, and it was clear he was having trouble sleeping. She shook herself back into the current situation, however. No need to start analysing the vice principal.

With a groan, the man hunched forward, elbows on the desk as he let his head rest in one hand.

"Mr Fenton, go see the school nurse." he said. "And then I want you in my class as soon as you are done. And after that, not a single toe out of line, am I clear? This is your final warning, Daniel. I am trying to be patient, but I cannot and will not tolerate destruction of school property."

With that, Lancer stood up, exiting the office without another word. The room remained tense in his absence, with Jazz staring at her brother and him glaring at the floor.

Danny glanced her way before he too was on his feet and out the door. Jazz stood in the doorway, watching the back of Danny's torn shirt as he disappeared quickly into the crowd. She thought about following, but decided that she could question him later. For now, Danny looked like he needed some space.

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Danny sat in a chair just inside the nurse's office, silently waiting to be called into a back room. He couldn't help but hunch his shoulders defensively, fingers gripping the sides of the chair, his eyes moving along the ceiling and walls. That ghost was still out there. It was still roaming through the school. He could feel it draw near every so often, only to flit away, beyond his senses. He wasn't sure how, but he got the distinct impression that the thing was toying with him.

"Danny." a voice called, and the teen jumped a little before standing.

"Right back here, honey." the kind voice directed, and Danny moved to join the nurse behind a white curtain.

The smiling woman gestured toward the bed, and Danny reluctantly sat on its edge, unwilling to lay back. He felt as if he would have to run at any moment, his tense muscles twitching as the nurse laid a hand on his arm.

She inhaled through her teeth, her fingers running along his icy skin. Danny's gaze fell from the walls to her worried expression, and quickly moved out of her reach.

Her eyebrows drawn together, the nurse adjusted the stethoscope draped over her shoulders, putting the buds into her ears and holding out the diaphragm toward Danny.

The teen's eyes went from her to the stethoscope to her again, and then moved over the walls before his brain finally registered what was happening. The diaphragm was pressed against his chest and the nurse was staring to the side as she tired to find a telltale beat.

With a jolt, Danny shot off the bed and moved beyond the curtain. The startled nurse watched him, confused wide eyes staring at him as he stepped back into the centre of the bright room.

"Danny?" she called, but the boy didn't answer.

His head jolted up, and he watched the far wall, hands clenching at his sides.

There. It was right there. Right behind the wall.

Danny had to get out. Had to get far away from this ghost and the nurse with her prodding eyes and hands.

With a hurried "sorry!" thrown over his shoulder, Danny turned and sped out of the office, leaving the door hanging open as his footfalls echoed in the empty hallway.

Bursting into the nearest restroom, Danny was relieved to find it empty. He walked to the mirror, taking in his disheveled appearance. He quickly went about cleaning the dust from himself. While he very much wanted to stay here in the quiet solitude, he feared being alone with that murderous spectre on the loose.

And so Danny turned off the rushing water, drying himself with paper towels. He closed his eyes, rubbing at them with the heel his hands. He wasn't sure just how much more of this marathon he could run without snapping.

Exiting the restroom, Danny walked at a slow pace down the hall, toward homeroom. His eyes drifted along the tiled floor as he went.

His gaze remained downcast as he silently entered the classroom, walking to his desk, where to his surprise he found his discarded backpack sitting in his chair. He briefly wondered who had retrieved it for him, before the dreaded sensation was back. That ghost was haunting him; it wouldn't leave him be! Danny moved his bag and sat heavily down at his desk, hands clenched together in his lap as he stared ahead. He didn't even hear the words Mr Lancer spoke, all of his attention turned toward the source of his latest grievance as it floated slowly around the school, always careful to keep just near enough for Danny to know it was there.

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"Sam, really? Come on." Tucker said.

"What?" Sam asked.

A single look from the boy told her all she needed, and she glanced back down, eyes running along the cracks that spiderwebbed across the phone's surface.

"I can still use it." she defended.

Tucker shook his head at her. Sam's sleek, expensive phone now wore a marred screen, which it got when Sam had angrily thrown it across her house in what seemed like another life.

"It's not like they can't afford a new one." Tucker argued further.

Sam elected to ignore him, her eyes moving up and settling on the friend sitting across from her.

Danny sat hunched down, elbows digging into the wooden table, his gaze held off to the side. His expression was one caught between fear and annoyance.

"Danny?" Sam called. "Hey, Danny. Danny!"

Finally, he turned toward her, as if just noticing her presence.

"Huh? What?"

"What's up with you?" she asked. "First we hear that you trashed a classroom, then you don't say a word in Biology, and now you're still completely ignoring us. What gives?"

Danny only met her eyes for a moment, before his were drawn away, scanning the high walls of the school.

"There's a weird ghost roaming around." he remarked plainly.

"What!" Tucker immediately became alarmed, looking around himself.

"Is it attacking anybody?" Sam asked.

"I…I don't think so." Danny said slowly, his focus on the conversation waning as he felt the spectre draw near. "I think it's messing with me."

"How do you know?" Sam asked, and then a realisation hit her. "Is this why you wrecked that room?"

Danny didn't respond. Instead, he stood up from the table suddenly, backing away toward the wide grassy field.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say there were two ghosts now. They were so near to each other that it made it difficult to be sure. And they were moving dangerously close. Danny stared wide-eyed at the cafeteria doors, expecting twin monstrosities to come bursting from them any moment. He startled when he felt a hesitant touch on his shoulder.

Tucker lowered his hand, concern set in his features as he looked from Danny back toward the school.

"Should we just ditch?" Sam suggested. She hated the thought of going back into the building with a malicious spirit haunting it.

"I can't." Danny groaned, his expression darkening. "If I slip up, even once, Lancer threatened to call my parents. I'm barely out of the deep end with my mom as it is."

"But dude! What if it attacks you during a class or something?" Tucker wondered aloud.

Once more the two were met with silence. Danny glared ahead at the far brick wall, mouth set in a firm line.

Distantly, the bell rang, and Danny was the first to take a step forward. He grabbed his bag, slinging it over a shoulder and led the way back into the building. His frown remained as he walked resolutely toward the main hall, the flood of teens still dispersing from the large room.

Though his head stayed rigid upon his shoulders, pointed straight ahead, his blue eyes darted this way and that, looking for any sign of the elusive phantoms. They had fled just before lunch ended, and he now wished they would draw in closer. Sensing their every movement was better than not knowing where they were.

And indeed, as the day progressed, Danny no longer felt the oppressive presence of the ghost dogging him. But that alone did not keep him from staring off into empty space, trying to find a hint. He just couldn't believe that a ghost would go through the trouble of attacking him, pestering him for hours, and then suddenly go on its way.

No, this was definitely not over. And Danny found himself unable to relax even as the school day ended and he found himself walking down the front steps. His shoulders remained tense, hands digging into the straps of his backpack. He nearly walked out in front of traffic a few times, eyes unseeing as he cast out around him. He dreaded the idea of the ghost following him, though the mental image of siccing his parents on it if it followed him home thoroughly amused Danny.

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It was indeed a bad day for young Daniel Fenton.

Though he was no longer pursued by a violent ghost, he was now being followed by a rather persistent older sister.

He was resolutely ignoring her every word as he stomped up the stairs and into his bedroom. Flinging his bag onto his bed, Danny swung his (thankfully brand new) door closed. Or, he would have. Instead, Jazz stopped it and held it open. She frowned at him, leaning against her hand as she looked into the room at him.

"Just tell me why, Danny." Jazz insisted. "Wrecking a classroom is completely unlike you, I just-"

"Jazz." Danny glared at her. "I'm only going to say this one more time; leave me alone."

Gripping the door, the angry teen shoved it closed. He locked it in one swift motion before turning away. Out in the hall, Jazz stumbled back from the unexpected force. She stared at the door in silence, cradling her stinging wrist, which had borne the brunt of Danny's surprising strength.

Several responses turned about in Jazz's head. From shouting through the door at her brother, to going downstairs to tell her parents about the trashed classroom. After several minutes of contemplation, Jazz settled for walking to the bathroom, where she assessed her wrist. It didn't appear injured, but was certainly sore. When she'd leaned all her weight against his door, she really hadn't expected Danny to try and close it, much less be successful. Her brother had never been known for his physical strength.

Jazz's face held a thoughtful frown for the rest of the day. From when she took an early shower, to when she went downstairs for dinner, to when Danny refused to join them, to when she lay in bed, listening to the sounds of her brother pacing quietly around in his room, well into the night.

#in honor of me finally getting ch 32 out heres ch 30 for yall #ersatz au #danny phantom #jazz fenton #spectra

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