Danny Fenton took a long look at the paper and sighed, but didn't complain. He hadn't complained since freshman year. It was senior year now. The end of senior year. Sam and Tuck had wide grins on their faces. They shared a look, then turned to him. The grins faded into looks of worry. He shook his head, but gave them a small smile. Sam and tucker looked back down at their own transcripts which, granted they didn't fail anything in the next month, guaranteed that they would graduate. Danny looked back at his own, particularly the red circle around his English credits. He still needed an extra half a credit. Half a credit, missing since freshman year. Freshman year had been rough on the teen, learning how to cope with his abilities and responsibilities. He had fallen into a hole in that first half, completely failing that semester and losing that half credit, and many others in various classes. In the last three years, he had managed to claw his way back up, almost out of that hole, picking up his missing credits. But still he lacked that one half credit. The only way to get that credit back would be to make a perfect 100 for the rest of the year, and even then it might not be enough. And when he was barely maintaining a B average, it was nearly impossible. He brought his weary eyes up to those of his English teacher, Mr. Lancer, who had been much kinder since sophomore year, when Danny really worked hard to make up for his failure. The teacher met his pupil's gaze with sadness. Danny simply sighed.

The bell rang. "Mr. Fenton, could you see me please?" Danny, Sam, and Tucker paused in the doorway. "Just Daniel please. You two go on to class."

The trio shared a look. "Go ahead. I'll catch up when I can."

"Are you sure man?" Tucker glanced at the teacher, unsure himself. The bald one had been kinder, but was still strict on his students.

"Yeah. Take notes for me?" Sam nodded. This was the system they had worked out late freshman year, the one that made it possible for Danny to do better. Whenever Danny had to miss for whatever reasons, his friends would take notes on the lecture for him. It worked well and really helped. With only a little reluctance, Sam and Tucker left their best friend alone with the elder adult. "Yes Mr. Lancer?"

"As I'm sure you know, you still lack half a credit of my class to graduate."

Danny sighed again. "No need to remind me sir, I'm aware." Lancer smiled sheepishly.

"However, I have some good news." Danny perked up immediately. His shoulders squared and his back straightened. Lancer was almost shocked by the sudden change. In the last three years, Danny had grown, filled in to himself. He was no longer the wimpy little weakling from ninth grade. He was taller, though still several inches shorter than Dash and the other jocks. There was some muscle visible through the baggy clothes draped over the adolescent. In truth, his current stance would utterly bewilder anyone else who looked. Mr. Lancer smiled. This was the Danny he liked, the determined, confident boy he hadn't met until they began their credit recovery sessions after school. "I have spoken with the other teachers and they all agree. It would be unfair not to give you a chance since you have been working so hard to try and graduate this year." A tentative smile touched Danny's lips. Mr. Lancer grew solemn and serious. "It won't be easy. In fact, it would be difficult, but we think we have found a way for you to recover your last half credit." Freshman Danny would have broken into a full blown grin at the mere prospect, despite the difficulty. Senior Danny was smarter, more mature. He heard the tone of his teacher's voice. He listened to the words carefully. It would be unwise to take on more than he could handle. That's what got him in this mess in the first place.

"What would I have to do?"

"An essay." Lancer held up a hand for silence when Danny was about to tell him that didn't sound too hard. "25 pages, single spaced, 12 point font, on my desk at least a week before graduation. No extensions and keep in mind, you have to keep your grades up in you other classes." Danny thought. His eyebrows scrunched in concentration. On the one hand, if he could do well on this, he would get his credit and graduate with Sam and Tucker. On the other hand, he did have other commitments outside of school, responsibilities he could not, under any circumstances, flake out on. But, graduation…

"What would the topic be?"

Mr. Lancer grinned. "I'm glad you asked." He reached into his desk and pulled out a book. It was a new book, very popular, almost flying off the shelves. Danny was surprised he teacher had managed to get a copy. The teacher saw this. "I pre-ordered." Danny nodded and studied the book. "A Ghostly Tale, written by an anonymous author under the pseudonym King Deadman." Danny nodded again. His eyebrows scrunched down again, though this time in distaste. There were many theories about the book and its author. It followed the story of a young teenager who dies in a lab accident and becomes a ghost. The ghost teen, known as Spector, goes on to stay in his hometown and protect it from other ghosts. Most people believe the book is secretly Danny Phantom's autobiography. Danny is disturbed by the story and its accuracies inter-spaced with complete fiction. He did not write that book. "Your task is to use this book and any other necessary resources to debate whether or not it was written by Phantom, or if it is in any way accurate to his life." Once more, Danny nodded. He could do that. It should be easy. But the risk. Four years now, for four years he had kept his secret. It hadn't been easy and the Disasteriod incident had almost destroyed it, but he had managed. But one wrong word in this essay and POOF! No more secret identity. Danny was torn. His parents still didn't trust Phantom, despite him having saved their son in the ghost-zone during the disasteroid. He didn't think they would ever accept his alter-ego. But still, graduation was important to him. He had discovered that if he could maintain his grade and graduate, Amity Park Community College would accept him and he could start working towards a degree in aerospace engineering. The furrow dissolved from his brow and Mr. Lancer looked expectantly at him.

"I'll do it." Mr. Lancer smiled warmly at him and gave him the book.

"Wonderful! I expect you'll do fine. You're a good student Danny and," Danny stared at the book while Lancer wrote him a late note to class. Some small voice nagged in the back of his mind, saying 'This is a really bad idea.' Danny found himself suddenly filled with a chilling sense of dread. Shivers travelled up his spine thinking about it. A blue wisp of breathe escaped his parted lips as, wait. What? That's not normal dread. That's his ghost sense! "I expect great things from you Mr. Fenton." Mr. Lancer looked up at the empty room. "Danny?"

Author's Note: MY FIRST DANNY PHANTOM FANFIC! So, what do ya'll think? I really need to know cause I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this. :/ Anyway, leave a comment please!

In other news, I am aware I need to update my Black Butler stuff. I'm trying, okay? I kind of lost my inspiration on them and I don't want to end it with Sh**** stuff.