Second Nature - Danny Phantom

Chapter One - In With the New

Amity Park. What was once a quiet town had recently been an active site of paranormal activity, with villainous ghosts appearing left and right, attacking the civilians more and more each day. It hadn't been uncommon to see them dashing through the skies and popping out of walls. However, not every ghost in Amity Park had a malicious nature. A teenager began to chase these creatures through the city, a "ghost-boy" they called him. Snow white unruly hair, a monotonous jumpsuit, and glowing green eyes distinguished this one from the rest. Some saw him as another threat, others, a hero.

What the town of Amity Park had yet to realize was that their mysterious ghost boy was none other than the king of the dorks/son of the freaks himself, Danny Fenton. Friends with Sam Manson and Tucker Foley, the three had been dubbed as the "trio of losers" at Casper High. They were constantly mocked and harassed by the A-List crowd of jocks and cheerleaders, but if they were stuck by each other and laid low they were ignored, and Danny's secret was kept safe.

Standing around Danny's locker, the three conversed as usual. Tucker and Sam were going on about the newest section of the video game DOOMED they'd unlocked the night before when Danny closed his locker door. Looking to his right, he noticed an unfamiliar face. Slumming it with the lesser-known kids at Casper made this scenario rare. Danny gave Sam a glance as if to say, "Did we miss one?" before darting his eyes to the brunette at the end of the hallway. Sam looked in her direction, seeing her with a pile of books and schedule in her hands. Glancing back at Danny, she shook her head and elbowed Tucker, gaining his attention and his silence.

The three suddenly focused their attention on her presence. She was a brunette, with only two highlighted strands of blonde hair near her face. Wearing a cream sweater and black skirt, she looked as if she would have been fitting right in with the top crew of Casper. However, there she was, struggling to carry her things and navigate the building. A book fell out of her arms and Danny shook his head before leaving the group.

"Here, let me help you out," he offered, grabbing the fallen textbook and handing it to her. As their gazes met, Sam and Tucker approached behind Danny. The girl stood silently in front of the three, eyes bouncing back and forth between them before freezing as they met the empty space between Sam and Tucker. Sam looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for an introduction. An awkward pause sat between the students before the mystery girl cleared her throat and looked away, face flushing with embarrassment as she snapped out of her odd gaze.

"Thank you," she started, voice hesitant and choppy. "I have to go," followed as she ducked to the side of the trio and down the hallway, gone before they could turn around. Six eyes gawked in her fleeted direction, the brief interaction raising loads of questions among them. Sam and Tucker exchanged wary expressions before Danny shrugged at them.

"Okay then. Must be first day jitters," Danny commented, unsure of his own words as they left his mouth.

"She seems nice," Tucker added with the same skepticism. "She is pretty cute.." he trailed off, before Sam shoved him jokingly.

"Tucker, the day I watch you interact with a girl without immediately thinking she has a chance with you," she sighed, crossing her arms as her eyes drifted back in the same direction, squinting in question. Danny gave her an equally questioning look before she scoffed. "Look, I just think she's suspicious. The way she acted, what if she's-"

"She's not a ghost Sam," Danny replied, pointing at himself. "Ghost sense? Nothing, we're fine."

"Danny, I'm just looking out for you. We don't need anyone else finding out," she replied, leaning against the row of lockers behind them.

"Relax Sam, if she doesn't talk to us, she has no chance of coming close! By the looks of how she ran off, I'd say we have pretty good odds," Tucker argued.