An Unexpected Trip

chapter. 4

Danny's POV

I wake up to a pounding headache and to Sam gently shaking my shoulder. I blink up at her, trying to remember what happened, when she gently lifts me up into a sitting position. She looks at me genuinely concerned and speaks up "that must have been a bad one, huh? You don't usually pass out like that" I open my mouth to speak but she holds up a finger and says "water first. Then explain" I nod and she pulls a glass off the bedside table.

I drink the water rapidly, not realizing how thirsty I was before. When I pull away the glass, a heavy breath leaves my lips. I hang my head running my fingers through my hair and pulling on it just trying to remember all the details of last night.

Sam places her hand on my shoulder and softly reassures "Jazz called last night, everyone is safe Danny" I nod, not really paying attention to it. I absently agree "yeah, I figured" I feel her hand flinch against my shoulder and I quickly look up concerned. She looks me up and down with suspicious eyes and asks "what do you mean by that?" I recount what I was told the other night "she told me before that no one was showing up, I just figured everything was okay" she seems to relax slightly.

Cautiously she asks "if that's not what triggered you, then what happened last night?" I rub my head, still nursing my pounding headache and admit "I don't know" she tries to gently push "please Danny, don't lie to m-" but I snap "I'm not lying! One moment I was fine, enjoying the cold wind and ignoring everything around me, the next I couldn't breathe sitting on the ground when a man grabbed my arm trying to help!" Everything clicks back and I freeze.

I remember his build and how big his hand felt compared to my arm. There was a weird feeling as he stared at me, it felt like my ghost sense was stuck in my throat. I couldn't breathe because of it. Who was he?

I quite literally jump out of bed dragging the blanket with me and run to my bags sitting on the floor. I quickly pull on essential clothing that I find myself lacking as Sam urgently asks "where are you going?" I bluntly answer "to find him" as I grab my shoes and leave the room.

She chases after me, asking "and how exactly do you plan on doing that, stupid?" I shrug and state "I don't know! You know I'm a magnet, it'll happen whether I'm trying or not but I need to find him again!" She angrily demands "don't you dare go out that door!" While I'm reaching for the knob. I freeze in my motion as a chill goes down my back and my breath gets caught in my throat. It gets hard to breathe like my throat is closing up and I know he's somewhere close.

I stand completely frozen for a moment, not even breathing until I literally feel him getting further away. I take in a gasp of air when I'm released from my frozen state as Sam grabs my arm. I turn to her with wide eyes and mutter "he just passed the hotel" she takes my hand and drags me back to my room, closing the door behind us and forcing me to sit down.

She tightly grasps my shoulders and says "Danny, don't go nuts on me now. I know this city does weird things to people but you need to keep it together. If this guy is having this kind of effect on you, I say we stay far away. This isn't our Amity, it isn't our problem" we both know this physically hurts me, but I bite my tongue and nod in agreement.

Not even thirty minutes later and I'm being fitted for a suit. After failing to convince the tailor that I look better in loose clothes, I end up in something extremely form fitting. Even though I'm covered in muscles, I have a small frame and look petite in the fancy black suit Sam is buying me. To finish off the well fitted white button up shirt, black dress pants with a belt, and the black vest over it, she twists a beautiful baby blue tie around my neck.

The tailor fixes up any little details as Sam starts going next. A beautiful, flowy, black, ankle length dress is made for her. It's also sparkly too so I'd compare it to the night sky. Either way, we're there for hours, just ignoring what happened this morning.

Before I even know it, 7:00 rolls around and we get ready for the party we came for. It's right as I'm braiding Sam's hair into a beautiful crown upon her head that Pamela calls "Samantha darling! Come let me do your hair!" Sam looks at me with mischief clear in her eyes as she takes my hand and leads me into the room her mother is in and says "no need, Danny's already done it" she scoffs having not looked at us yet.

She quickly begins insulting us "oh nonsense, what could that boy possibly know about hairdressing? Have you seen that rats nest on his head? He probably made you look like a porcupine-" that's when she turns around and sees our glares and Sam's gorgeous hair. I gently correct her "ma'am, my hair is unruly, always has been, always will be, I hold no control over that. But I was raised by my older sister whose taught me everything she knows, so just because I don't look like you expect me to, doesn't mean I'm uneducated" Sam takes my hand and leads me out of her mother's room.

Sam tries to tame my hair but ends up just pulling it into a short ponytail and leaving my bangs to hang. Before I can argue, she puts a little eyeliner on me and some lip gloss. She's done this to me a few times before but never for a public thing. She quickly does the minimum for herself before taking my hand and asking "you ready?" I shrug and admit "physically, yeah. Mentally, no" she nods, gripping my hand a little tighter and leads me out.

The ride is awkwardly quiet. Like painfully so. I even ended up pulling at my bangs a few times only to have my hand harshly slapped by Sam. She catches me again with a loud 'thwap' resonating through the silent car followed by my soft cry. I pout as I rub my sore hand and complain "look what you're doing to my hand. I'm pale, woman! You can't hit me that hard without me bruising" she looks at me curious and I become fearful.

She points out "you're not saying I can't hit you, just not as hard?" I continue to pout and agree slightly "I'm not saying you can't hit me, but if you're going to do it that hard, aim for a spot a little more hidden. I didn't exactly bring my concealer with me" she scoffs at me and admits "you should have, you bruise like a peach- your hand is already turning purple!" I quickly argue "that's why you aim for the ribs!" But she retaliates "you can't breathe when I aim for your ribs!" I defend "it's only for a moment or two! At least nobody can see them there!" She opens her mouth to yell back but gets cut off.

Her mother desperately asks "are you both fighting over how to hit you?!" I grumble to myself then quickly state "this is why you aim for the ribs!" Sam gets pissed and starts growling "oh Danny, I outta-" as she's balling her fists to hit me, but gets cut off by the driver "we're pulling up to the estate" she puts her finger in my face threateningly and growls "one of these days Fenton-" but I just grin proudly and comment "you're pretty when you're mad~" that only pisses her off more and I get a right hook to the gut knocking the air out of me.

I wheeze for a second before giving a struggled laugh and teasing "yeah, like that" in a raspy voice as I hold my gut. She huffs at me and turns her head before we start laughing together. She pats my shoulder and says "when we get out, let's go to the bathroom and see how badly I bruised you this time?" I nod and agree "sounds like a plan" both parents give an indignant "this time?!" Before the car stops and we're let out.

I walk with purpose as she leads me through a crowd doing the same. She drags me into a bathroom, closing the door behind us, and demands "lift your shirt" I snort and do so, revealing my already purpling stomach. The thing about fast healing for me is that it doesn't numb the pain, only pushes me through the stages faster. If anything, it makes the pain worse because I go through the stages of it too fast for it to fade.

Sam pokes the center of my bruising making me wince as she states "not bad, I can see an outline of my fist" I laugh at her proud grin. Almost in a disappointed tone she complains "too bad Tucker doesn't bruise like you do" I scoff and argue "if he did, you'd be all over him trying to turn his dark skin purple" she nods proudly as she straightens my clothes back out.