((Author's Note: NOTE TO KIND READER! This is a VERY short chapter! NOT ALL OF THE CHAPTERS ARE GOING TO BE THIS SHORT...I hope. This is NOT THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD...but it's a beginning, and beginning stories are the HARDEST parts in writing...well...in my opinion anyways...so PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I PROMISE IT WILL GET BETTER! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

Butch Hartman owns Danny Phantom and all related characters. HE HAS A COPYRIGHT SIGN! So don't take it... ...I can see you...

Thanks to Serenity The Fallen...though all you really did was say the beginning was good if I was desperate. huggles STF Wait...that sounded mean. It's a very gratitude...full thank-you.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW YOU KIND READER YOU!))

His face was vaguely familiar; I was almost certain that I had seen him around school before. Doubt rang through my mind, though. If I had seen him, I would have been able to clearly recall his deep, crystal blue eyes that were somewhat masked by his raven black hair. He had a small amount of muscle built beneath his shirt—that I could easily see—but he couldn't have been older than fourteen, the same age I was. His sheepish grin was slightly humorous, as if someone had just told a joke about him and he were trying as hard as he could not to smile. I lightly smiled back, trying hard not to wince as my mother grasped my shoulder from nerves, I suspected.

His father was large and bulky, yet had laugh lines spread around his mouth. He had the same raven black hair as his son, yet specks of gray were visible to the naked eye. My silent guess was that he was in his late thirties or early forties. He had on a bright orange jumpsuit, a broad grin spread across his face as he stepped forward to shake my hand. His hand was larger than both of mine together. I gave him a polite smile before rubbing my throbbing hand.

"Erm..." I said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between us. I dug my hands deep into the pockets of my skirt, a habit that I had become accustomed to due to awkward times. My mother coughed.

"Samantha," My mother began as I started to take off my dark purple backpack. "Would you like to show Danny around the house?" I gave her a skeptical look before nodding and throwing my backpack into the corner.

"Sure..." I said slowly, raising an eyebrow as I looked from her to her new boyfriend, Jack. "Why not?"

Danny, who had been staring aimlessly at a bronze tapestry on the wall that had been given to us by my grandmother, stood at attention at the sound of his name. He gave me another sheepish smile and nodded, suddenly beside me with his hands dug deep into his jeans pocket. I eyed him for a moment, wondering if this was an "awkward habit" like mine. He raised an eyebrow at my unintentional stare. I shook my head, beckoning him to follow me out of the room Just as we turned to enter the hallway, I couldn't help but look back in time to see Jack peck my mother on the lips. Beside me, Danny chuckled. I couldn't help but do the same. His laughter was so contagious.

"Do you really want a tour?" I asked him as soon as we were out of earshot. "There's not much to see."

"What else is there to do then?" Danny asked as he ruffled his hair. I chewed on the inside of my cheek and stuffed my hands into my skirt pockets.

"Erm...I dunno." A loud shriek of laughter came from the living room.

"Seems to me my dad's got the hots for your mom," Danny mused as I leaned up against the hallway wall. I snickered.

"Pam's been obsessing over your dad for weeks! I was wondering when I would get the chance to meet him." Danny laughed and sat on the ground. I slid down as well, careful to make sure that Pam and Jack wouldn't hear it through the thin walls. He brushed a strand of his dark hair out of his eye, flashing me a smile that I couldn't refuse not to send back, though it may not have been as dashing as his.

"So...Samantha--" He began.

"Sam."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Call me—call me Sam. Pam—I mean Mom—can't seem to accept the fact that I hate the name Samantha."

Danny chuckled and nodded. "Alright. Sam--" He emphasized on the name extremely hard. I slightly narrowed my eyes at him. "--how old are you?"

"I'm fourteen," I answered simply. "You?"

"Same."

I studied his face for a moment. It was slightly pale, yet, somehow he still looked like he had spent an extremely large amount of time in the sun. He wasn't looking right at me; I could see only his profile. Danny turned his head to me and raised an eyebrow once more.

"Do you go to Casper High?" I inquired. "You look sorta familiar..."

His reaction to my simple 'yes' or 'no' question was not what I had been expecting.

He pulled his eyebrows together, his expression hard and angry, taking me aback.

"No," He answered quietly, inclining his head to peek out the hallway to ensure that Pam and Jack would not come and investigate. He looked back to me, a slight glare hinting upon his face. "Why?"

"It's just that I thought I've seen you before is all," I explained. "So erm...where do you come from, then?"

"Chicago," He stated, his eyebrows swiftly pulling apart. "I think your mom was on a business trip when she met my dad...right?"

His tone was not as harsh as it had been before. I sighed to myself, grateful for the change of mood.

"Yeah...I think so." I couldn't quite remember when Pam had gone to Chicago to employ maturing chefs for a week-long session. I had a knack for suppressing memories that involved me staying with Grandma Ida Manson. He grinned.

"Yeah...Dad's a horrible cook you know. We always eat take-out or make peanut-butter sandwiches." I smirked.

"Well...there's a pro about our parents being together. Pam's awesome at cooking. You're dad...well apparently...I guess he's not so hot." Danny laughed.

We sat in silence for a moment. I drummed my fingers on the faded blue carpet. Danny, whistling softly to himself, occasionally would peek through the opening from the hallway to the living room. I could hear Pam and Jack talking quietly, Pam's exaggerated laughter seeping through to the hallway.

"Oh...I s'pose I outta give you that tour now, huh?" I said quietly as I stood up, just for the sake of the awkwardness to end. "Seems to me that you're gonna spend some time here." Danny smirked.

"Yep..." He said, somewhat reluctantly, and stood up as well. I led him down the narrow hallway, slightly angry with myself for deciding to give a tour of our run-down and messy house. Danny didn't seem to notice, though. He nodded politely as I idly opened the doors, biting my lip at the fear of the mess we would be greeted with.

We approached the last door—the door to my room.

"And...that's my room," I said lamely, pointing to my door. Danny chuckled.

"What? Am I not allowed to see it?" Danny prompted, his hand on the doorknob.

"No." I grabbed his arm. My room was the only place where I could keep things the way I wished—messy and disorganized. I wouldn't allow any human being to step foot into my sanctuary.

Danny grinned at the challenge. He dropped his hand, allowing my arm to fall to my side.

"All right," He said lamely, raising an eyebrow. "I won't go in there..." He murmured something to himself in such a low voice that I couldn't hear. I ignored that and sighed.

"So erm...yeah...we should probably go now." His break in the silence was slightly comforting. I nodded and we trotted back to the living room.

Jack was showing Pam something from his wallet. Pam squealed excitedly and giggled at Danny's entrance. Danny pointedly looked away from every one in the room. I smirked as I stood on the tips of my toes to see a four year old bushy, jet black haired boy with his shirt off, cowering behind his father beside a pool. I snickered, enabling Danny to send death glares my way.

"Finished, kids?" Pam asked. I nodded and chewed on the side of my cheek. She smiled at Danny and me.

"Well, we probably should leave, now, Pam." Jack's large voice was something I was sure I would not be able to get used to. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you said that--" Jack cut him off with a massive coughing fit.

"You alright, dear?" Pam asked him, lightly patting his back. Jack stood upright and nodded.

"Perfectly fine...let's go Danny." Out of the corner of my eye I could see Danny give me a slight smirk when he thought I wasn't looking.

"Bye, Danny!" Pam announced, waving her hand frantically as Danny departed out the front door. "It was nice meeting you!"

Jack pecked Pam on the lips, leaving Danny to stand awkwardly outside. We both made it a point to look away from the revolting scene.

"Bye Mrs. Manson!" Danny said. "See you later, Saman—I mean Sam."

I never liked saying good-byes. I merely gave a hasty wave and waited until the door closed behind them to retrieve my backpack from beside the door. Behind me, Pam heaved a deep sigh and sprawled herself on the couch. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and turned around to find her with a dazed expression sitting upon her face. I rolled my eyes and began to depart for my room.

"Isn't he dreamy?" My mother asked softly—so softly that I thought that she was speaking to herself. I stood stiff for a moment before turning around to face her.

"Who?"

Pam snorted.

"Who do you think, Samantha?" A lively grin was dancing on her face. "Jack..." She spoke his name as if she were in a trance; her voice was slurred...her eyes half closed.

"I dunno," I answered dully, tossing my backpack onto the couch. "He seems...fine." Pam sat up, patting the cushion of the torn couch beside her. I smiled at her awkwardly, deciding to play dumb and linger beside the opening to the hallway. She didn't seem to mind that much.

"Does Danny seem like a nice boy?" She asked conversationally.

"Yeah. Easygoing." I kept the fact that asking him simple questions were way out out of proportion to myself.

"Good..." Pam said lightly. "Good."

A sudden silence lapsed between us. I took this advantage to dart to the hallway, leaving a dazed Pam behind.

((Author's Note: CURE ME FOR MY INAVAILABILITY TO MAKE FIRST CHAPPYS LONGER! hits self upside head Ow. Grrr...Okay so this is like...four pages by the time I'm done editing it should be five... cough I promise...no...I SWEAR that the next few chapters will be longer. gets on knees and clasps hands together PLEASE REVIEW KIND READER! kisses reader's foot I BEG OF YOU! This didn't turn out as well as I planned did I plan it at ALL...?. But PLEASE underlines, bolds, italisizes please keep reading! PLEASE review! I'll give you a cookie! OHMYGOSHYOUGETTHREECOOKIES! But if you don't review they turn poisonous! runs away

FS))