Just Practicing

Chapter One

Danny and Tucker were sitting outside school at a table doing their homework in the small time they had in the interval before third period started. They had finished it quickly and still had fifteen minutes to spare.

Sam had done her homework the night before so she took the time to put her bag over the table and lean her head in like a pillow and was sound asleep for twenty minutes already.

Danny looked at his sleeping friend and back to Tucker who was sitting beside her. He motioned with his hand for Tucker to check if Sam was truly sleeping. Tucker waved his hand in front of her face and she didn't move.

"She's asleep like a baby." Tucker said, giving Danny a thumb's up.

"Ok, then I'll tell you this idea I had." Danny said, lowering his voice so that he wouldn't wake Sam up.

"Go ahead, I'm listening." Tucker replied, moving closer like it was secret nobody could know.

"I was thinking since the last incident with Valerie, she had been acting like she actually likes me!" Danny said, as if it was the biggest news.

"Yeah, we covered that part, so what? Do you like her back?"

"I do like her and she likes the Danny Fenton! Paulina likes me too, but the Phantom part so - in a way - I have a chance with two very beautiful girls!" Danny was overjoyed, he just didn't scream out his happiness because he didn't want Sam to wake and hear their conversation; he knew how much she hated both girls he was interested in.

"Yes, you do." Tucker said, realizing the big opportunity for Danny to leave his unpopularity behind and with lucky drag him out, too. "But what will you do?"

"Well, maybe I'll ask Valerie out on a date first and with Paulina all I have to do is to show up in my ghost form." Danny said, proud of his clever thoughts (well, not that clever, after all…).

Before Tucker could reply their heard a soft chuckle coming from Sam. She lifted her head up, still looking sleepy, and laughed harder, covering her mouth with her hands. Danny and Tucker's faces were completely blank, waiting for her to finish and tell them what was so funny.

"I'm sorry." She said when her laughing subsided. "It's just that I woke up and heard your conversation."

Danny blushed; he had never felt so embarrassed in his life. Sam was a girl! She wouldn't like to hear about other girls, would she? What did she think was so funny about him wanting to make out with Valerie and Paulina?

"And what's so funny about it?" Danny asked, slightly offended.

"It's just that you're planning on going out with two girls, thinking you'll do fine, but…" She did her best to not laugh now that she saw he was very serious. "Oh please, you probably don't even know how to kiss!"

"Well, he got to start with someone." Tucker replied, crossing his arms. "And nobody is better than Paulina for that. I bet she's very experienced."

"Oh, Tucker, open your eyes." Sam said, exasperated. "Paulina? If Danny kisses her he'll make a fool of himself. He'll disappoint her and as revenge she'll probably tell everyone that Mr. Phantom suck at kissing."

"I hate to admit, but Sam has a point." Danny said, once again feeling like a loser. "I must start training with someone else before I go after them."

"Yeah, but who?" Tucker asked.

Sam stood up and put her bag on her back. "Well, I'll buy some chocolate before heading to class. I'll see you there." Then she walked towards school hurriedly, with her shiny black hair bouncing behind her.

"She speaks like she's the best kisser in town." Tucker complained, looking at Danny's disappointed face.

"Well, maybe she is." Danny said, picking his books.

"Hey! That's true!" Tucker said, standing up with a new fire. "You guys had two fake-out-make-out! It means you're not that inexperienced. How was she anyway?"

"I don't know, both times we just pressed lips together." Danny said very sad.

"She obviously didn't mind that." Tucker grinned, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, suspiciously.

"I mean that Sam is right, you do need to practice kissing and since she doesn't mind you should ask her to help you." Tucker said, in his mind he was congratulating himself for his idea. If Danny and Sam started 'practicing' maybe somewhere along the road it might turn the real thing and they would be happy together like he had always thought they would.

"I don't know, Tuck…" Danny sighed. "It would be weird, I mean… she's Sam! My best friend."

"That's why you can trust her with the task." Tucker picked his own books and gave Danny a friendly tap on the back. "Let's go to class, you can ask her after school."

"What if she doesn't want it?" Danny was already very disturbed by the thought.

"She'll tell you. There's nothing to worry about." And to prove his point, Tucker gave him the widest smile he could perform.

In the middle of Mr. Lancer's class, Danny passed Sam a note asking her to wait for him in the classroom because he had something really important to ask. He had never been so nervous in his entire life, not even when he asked Paulina to the ball. When the bell rang he thought he was going to die in anxiety.

What if Sam said no? Well, it would be okay, but if she said yes it would be terrifying! They weren't going to 'fake-out' a make out this time; it would be a real make out! A friendly one, but still real.

Sam sat on the table and rested her feet on the chair, her chin on her hand and her elbows on her knees. They waited for all the students to leave, just staring at each other. Tucker was the last one to go away, he winked at Danny before closing the door.

"What is it?" Sam asked, smiling with those full glossy lips. Since when Danny had started thinking about her lips?

"I was thinking about what you said before class." He managed to say, very carefully and not mixing the words.

"About the kiss?" She asked, simply, as if it was not a big deal. Her attitude just made it even harder for him to speak. He realized he was sweating and that the classroom seemed smaller than he had imagined.

"Yes." Danny said, panting.

"Are you okay, Danny? You're sweating." She asked, putting a hand on his forehead. Her touch was burning his skin. She was so warm. He gently pushed her hands away.

"I'm fine. So… would you help me?" He asked, biting his tongue, nervously.

"Help you with what?" She asked. If she was playing dumb, she was very good at it and it wasn't funny because she was torturing him.

"Practice kissing." He finally said. Would her kiss be a paralyzing one? Would he feel embarrassed afterwards? She stopped, like she had been frozen in time. She looked at him in deep thought.

"Why do you think I can help you?" She asked.

"Well, when we were in those 'fake-out-make-out' you really looked like you knew what you were doing…" Danny started. "And since we're friends you wouldn't mind… would you? It's a favor. As friends." He insisted. Now he sounded pathetic. He was begging her!

"Okay." She said simply.

Danny blinked once.

Twice.

Did she just agree in help him practice kissing?

"Okay." Danny repeated. "When can we start?" He asked, not really knowing what he was saying. His brain was swimming in joy.

"Now, if you want." She said, looking around and making sure they were alone.

He didn't remember eating live butterflies, but there were about a thousand flapping their wings around his stomach by the time she had finished her sentence. She looked at him, waiting for him to make up his mind. He stood up, sighing nervously, and walked closer to her, being careful to not brush his hands to hers. He couldn't bear touching her at the moment so he just closed his eyes tightly and bent down kissing her quickly and backing off again. The whole kiss didn't last more than a second.

He opened one eye, then he opened the other. She stared at him blankly. Then, her expression started changing. She looked like she was forcing back a laugh.

"That was pathetic." She said, finally. Danny looked ready to die on the spot. "Why are you so nervous, anyway?" She tried to be gentle, grabbing his hand and making him sit down by her side, smiling at him.

"I don't know I think I was born to be a loser." Danny said, helplessly.

"Don't be like that, you just need practice." She smiled. "First you must realize that it's just me, same old Sam, I won't be mad if you do it wrong." Danny finally looked more cheerful. "Most importantly, you must know that a kiss is not just a peck."

"I can barely 'peck' right." Danny shrugged.

"Now, cheer up." She said, standing up. "A classroom is not exactly a good place to practice." She picked up her books and Danny picked his. "Let's go somewhere else."

"Now?" Danny seemed scared again.

"Well, if you want to do it another day…" She suggested, slightly disappointed.

"Tomorrow would be fine." Danny said, quickly. "After school."

"Fine. Where?" She asked.

"The park?" He tried.

"Too public." She replied. "Somewhere we can be alone."

"My house." Danny said. "Tomorrow my parents will take Jazz to this Genius Camp. They will be out the whole afternoon."

"Perfect." They walked together through the corridors, keeping their thoughts to themselves. "Do you think Tucker is waiting for us at the Nasty Burger?"

"I don't know. Let's go there." Danny said smiling. Sam smiled back and in a moment they were back being the friends they always had been before that kiss. Maybe it would be okay to kiss her and not ruin the friendship.

Ok, so I hope you enjoy this fic. Next chapter will be posted soon. Please review and tell me what you think.