Telling The Truth

Name: Daniel (Danny) Fenton

Age & Grade: 17, Senior

Reason for Detention: Sluffing class AGAIN

Comments:

This is his forty-second offense, three of which are suspensions, in the past four years (twenty of which are from his freshman year). This is a problem long past needing to be dealt with. The boy refuses to learn. It is time to call his parents and work this out. William, I leave him in your capable hands.

Principal Ishiyama's blocky, cursive signature ended the slip with a note of finality. I looked up from the note to find young Mr. Fenton standing in front of my desk. His head was lowered in shame or annoyance. I could never tell with him.

I sighed. "Sit," I said gesturing at the old chairs that were place in front of my desk. Mr. Fenton did so, keeping his head down. I sighed again and tossed the paper on my desk. I followed after it, placing my elbows on the wood surface and rubbed my eyes while I debated where to start.

"Mr. Fenton," I stated as mater-of-factly as I could. I raised my head to find him still looking away. "I don't even know where to begin." I paused, crossing my arms on the desk. "Do you know why you're in here?" I asked.

The boy shrugged. "I guess Mr. Normox took personal offence to me missing his class." Daniel tried to joke. When I didn't smile he said, "I got another detention." At least he had the dignity to look ashamed.

I nodded. "Forty-two detentions, Mr. Fenton. Forty-two! That kind of number is unheard of. Any other child would have been expelled by now. Is that what you want?"

Daniel looked away again and shook his head.

"Well, it sure sounds like it is. And for what?" I asked. "Why do you constantly skip class? Why do you 'lose' so many assignments? What is it all for?"

Daniel shrugged. He pulled puke yellow stuffing out of a hole in the seat of the chair. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Ghosts."

"What was that?" I questioned.

"I said, I don't know, Mr. Lancer."

I shook my head. "Not an acceptable answer, Mr. Fenton."

He cringed and I mentally rebuked myself for being so hard on him. Daniel was the type to need guidance not a scolding.

"Daniel," I tried a softer tone and the boy looked me in the eye for the first time. He had such piercing blue eyes. They were experienced, too. Like he'd seen death and punched him in the face. Maybe that was a little too deep.

"I would love to help you," I continued. "Tell me what I can do. Do you need help after school?" He shook his head. "A tutor then?" No again. "Well, give me some inclination as to what I can do. You are such a bright boy, Daniel, I know you are. You were doing amazingly during the first half of your freshman year. What made it all go downhill? Has there been some domestic… issues?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

Daniel's eyes widened to the size of saucer plates when he understood. "No, Mr. Lancer! Not at all, my parents are great, eccentric and crazy, but great," He allowed.

I nodded. Maddie and Jack were crazy but they always mean well. At least they weren't the problem. "Well, what happened?" I pushed. I was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Daniel shook his head, finally looking away from me. "It's a secret," he said.

"Is it a big enough secret to allow this?" I asked waving the note in front of him. When the boy just shrugged I, ashamedly, lost my temper. "East of Eden, Daniel!" I slammed my hand on my desk making my computer monitor wobble. "Would you stop lying to me? I am worried about you and I want to help. Principal Ishiyama wants me to call your parents. If that happens will you finally be fore coming? I didn't think so. Now, tell me: what's the matter and what can I do to help?"

He stared at me eyes wide. I admit, it was out of my place to say such things but you can't teach a child for four years, even one with habits as poor as Daniel's, without starting to care about them. Daniel seemed to be having some form of internal debate. Finally, he sighed. "I guess I should tell you. I'd be nice to have a teacher in on in. But, Mr. Lancer, you have to promise-no, swear on all that you hold sacred that you won't tell a soul."

I was taken aback. I hadn't expected him to comply. After a moment of contemplation I warily, said, "Alright, Mr. Fenton. I promise."

"On your entire library?"

I smiled. "You drive a hard bargain, but, yes."

"On your mother's grave?"

"I will have you know that my mother is happily alive and well, thank you."

"Oh, well, forget that then." Daniel stood. He surveyed the room and asked, "Can we close the blinds?"

"Mr. Fenton, I am required by law to keep those open when I have a student in my office."

"Please, Mr. Lancer. It's only for a second."

I hesitated but his tone of voice made me change my mind. "I suppose. If it's only for a minute."

Daniel marched to the door and pulled the shade down. I reached behind me and twirled the blinds on the window partially closed.

"Alright, now, promise me you won't scream."

I warily nodded.

"Alright," Daniel repeated before closing his eyes. I watched a glowing band of energy appear at his navel. The band expanded to flow across his body. It inverted colors and changed his appearance until the teenaged ghost hunter, Danny Phantom, stood in my office. His eyes opened, revealing that his irises had changed to a glowing ectoplasmic green.

"Turn of the Screw, Fenton!" I cried as I shot to my feet. My joints screamed in protest and my chair toppled over backwards, nearly taking me with it.

The boy smiled bashfully and raised a gloved hand to rub the back of his neck. "I can explain, all of it. If you'd like to hear it of course." His voice had acquired an eerie echoing quality that raised gooseflesh on the back of my arms.

I took a deep breath to steady my rapidly beating heart and said, "Yes, I quite think I would."

A/N: First one down. I'll post more as they come to me :)

Comment what you think!

I wrote this instead of more of Hey, Daniel XD The nxt chapter will be up soon, hopefully ;)

Until next time, GeekyZelda