You're Still A Fruitloop Though.

13. Bday

Danny notices, slowly but surely he is growing and maturing. Perhaps not as quickly as his friends, seeing as they're both taller than him, but at this point he takes what he can get. For a while he realy was afraid he'd be stuck in a fourteen years old body for eternity. Now he's reaching his sweet sixteen. He's grown a couple of inches last year, bulked up on muscles, though he's still lean, and is finally growing a stubble. In his mind thats enough of an excuse to celebrate.

His human self isn't the only one that has grown. Phantom has some significant changes about him as well. When he gets angry the green glow takes over his eyes completely. His teeth have grown sharp canines. His hair is more flowy as if in a constant breeze. And most notecibly, when he loses focus, his skin turns blue and his ears grow out like elf ears. Overall he looks more ghostly and a lot stronger.

~

Vlad looks at Danny as if he's bauched duplicating again and grown multiple heads.

"You want to fill my manor with ghosts."

Danny for his part tries his best impression of a pleading puppy. Big watery eyes and jumping around exidedly included.

"Only a couple! Like Ember, Jonny and Kitty, Dora-"

"You want to put a dragon in my home."

"No need to be so dramatic." The teenager pouts.

~

Danny calls up the mystery twins to invite them. "I can pick you guys up with the spectral speeder. Its not too long a trip through the ghost zone."

"If its not too much tro-" "ROAD TRIP!"

~

Phantom flies through the ghost zone, trying to find as many of his friends, allies and frenemies as he can.

"Hey guys! Its my birthday and you're all invited! As long as you don't try to kill me." He stresses the last part.

"Its not Christmas whelp. I can hunt you if I want."

"Oh lay off, how many times can you say a ghost celebrates their Bday!"

"Its the kings sweet sixteen. Thats huge!"

"PARTY!"

~

"Jazz! you made it!" Danny runs up to his sister and gives her a huge hug.

"Ofcourse. I wouldn't miss your sweet sixteen for the world." She strokes her fingers through his hair.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too Danny."

In the morning he's in a restaurant with his family eating waffles with way too much wipped cream and syrup. Its a good time, even when his parents tangent off into a story about a haunted waffle iron. When his mom asks what his other plans are for today he has to catch himself from spilling about the party planned for tonight.

"Oh yknow, just hanging out with a couple of friends, watch a movie, eat too much junk food. Nothing special."

~

The party is in full swing. Ember plays music on a makeshift stage. Tucker is geeking out with Technus. Wulf is making a nest/fort with pillows and blankets he's borrowing from various rooms. Jonny and Kitty are flirting next to the drinks as shadow makes a full glass of soda fall and stain the floor. Sam, while reluctant to go anywhere near Vlad, sucks it up for Dannys Bday, and is now having a good time chatting with Jazz, Dora and Desiree.

Dipper is making awkward smalltalk with Pointdexter. Mabel, being very exited to make friends with all the ghosts, has latched herself on to Skulker wich she proclaimed to be the coolest ghost there as he tries futily to pry her off his armor.

Joungblood flies around pranking everyone. Much to Vlads dismay as he is stressing like crazy trying to rescue his home from unruely ghosts kids before something expensive breaks.

Boxghost and Lunchlady have flown off to a secluded spot to flirt.

Danny is zipping from one friend to the other, decked out in his birthday merch, having the time of his life.

Clockwork has given him a cloak that looks like its made from stars. ("Its not every day the king of ghosts celebrates an important milestone birthday.")
Frostbite an armored gauntlet designed to repell evil. ("With the promise of more to come! I will craft you an armor worth your title great one!")
Tucker a star/nasa hoodie. ("Ive seen you making goo goo eyes at this thing every time we hit up the mall. Happy sixteenth dude.")

Vlads gift, a very expensive telescope, ("An investment in your future Daniel.")
and Sams, the new gamercube 3000 ("So I can kick your ass in the new doomed game.") are safely tucked away in his room.

~

Midnight hits far too soon.

The party dwindles down to an end as the ghosts one by one make their way back through the portal.

~

Danny sneaks down into Vlads wine cellar and nabs a case of high end beers.

He, Sam and Tucker then sneak off out of the mansion together.

They make their way up to one of Dannys favorite roofs and gaze at the stars.

They share the beers as they remenis over the last year. "Bottoms up!"

"Cheers!" They clink the bottles together before taking a sip. All tree of them crinkle their noses at the taste.

"Bleh. why does anyone drink this stuff?" Sam complains as she takes another swig.

This is the first time any of them drink alcohol.

"Honestly, this is what every adult is so obsessed with?" Tucker agrees, sipping his drink.

Danny agrees. "Next time, I'll nab some wine, maybe that'll taste better."

His friends hum noncommitally.

~

"-and then I wen pow! boem!" Danny makes poses to show his friends. Spinning in a circle as he does so.

"ahaha Danny are you, are you drunk? You had one beer!" Sam laughs.

"No! I'm not, I'm not!"

"It would actually make sense, since you're partially made of ectoplasm you can't filter out toxins very well."

"Omg Tuck I'm not drunk. Just a bit tipsy maybe."

"Uhu. Sure."

"Do y'wanna hear the end of the story or not?"

"Oh please, continue with you're totally accurate demonstration." Sam says laughing.

~

A day of good friends, too much junk food and staying up way too late.

All in all an unforgettable sweet sixteen.

Even when the next morning Vlad makes him clean up most of the mess by himself for stealing and underage drinking.

Worth it.