I was inspired to write this because I tend to stay up really late...although my situation isn't nearly as dramatic as Danny's, I was still pretty tired. Tired enough to seriously have to force my eyes open! Rated for mild language(;

I don't own Danny Phantom!

Danny Fenton sat in Mr. Lancer's english class in the back of the classroom. He was writing furiously as the teacher wove his way through the desks to collect the homework. To Danny's ears, his pencil sounded as if it were repeatedly stabbing the paper resting on the desk like some sort of sloppy, enraged caveman. The homework that he hadn't finished the night before. Scratch that- he hadn't even started it. He had missed so many assignments already and did not need to add to that. His parents had threatened to ground him if any of the teachers called the house again. We are the oh-so-brilliant Fenton family after all, Danny thought with an inward sigh.

Danny would've done the homework, but he was just so busy fighting ghosts for the past few months! What did a guy have to do to get some appreciation? While he should've been mainly focusing on the page in front of him, most of his concentration was on keeping his eyelids from closing. Along with his never-ending inner turmoil, of course. If my parents ground me I can't shove those stupid ghosts back into the ghost zone and-

"Mr. Fenton?"

Danny slowly lifted his head to look at his teacher, "Yes, Mr. Lancer?" Crap.

The man's gaze rested on Danny's homework, his face clearly disappointed, "See me after class."

Danny let his eyes fall back onto his paper as he mumbled, "Yes, sir." He tried ignoring the snickering of others.

Mr. Lancer strode away, not even touching Danny's unfinished homework while his fellow classmates' papers were resting neatly in the teacher's meaty hands. Another missing assignment, thought Danny glumly, that was strike three. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. Why did his family have to be at freaking genius level? If the weren't, maybe they wouldn't freak out over a few C's... As Mr. Lancer began the class discussion, Danny could feel his sleep-deprived mind drifting away, not even noticing his body slump in the desk.

Poke.

Danny's eyes slowly found their way to where the poke had originated from. Sam. She looked at him worriedly, 'You okay?' she mouthed silently.

He gave her an unconvincing smile and nodded, still struggling to keep his eyes open. She gave him a disapproving frown and sighed, turning away.

Poke.

Danny turned to the opposite side to see Tucker, 'You look awful!' he whispered quietly.

Danny gave him a sarcastic smile, 'Thanks." He mouthed.

"Mr. Fenton!"

His head immediately snapped up to see the teacher giving him a withering glare from the front of the class, "Are you honestly talking in the middle of class after I got onto you? Trying to get on my bad side, are you?"

Of course, Mr. Lancer just had to see the one time he mouthed something. That's my life, he thought miserably. The thought just made him sink lower in his desk. He didn't know how to respond to the teacher, so Danny just remained silent and looked Mr. Lancer in the eye.

"Detention, Danny. I'll be calling your parents about this."

Danny nodded slowly, finally adverting his gaze. Mr. Lancer gave a brief look of annoyance, almost disgust, and returned to the lesson. Danny gave in to his eyes and let them close. He protected this town and its people every day. He hid his identity every day. He had to play the role of the nerd at school, and allow himself to get beat up every day. He fought ghosts every day. He got three hours of sleep at the very most every day. (Although, the night before he had gotten none at all.) He got yelled at every day; whether it's one of his teachers or his parents. Sometimes he felt like he couldn't take it all anymore. What was the point of all of it again?

Poke.

He subtly shook his head to show Tucker that he couldn't talk.

How was he supposed to go on patrol without his parents coming and checking on him? After school, Danny would always go home and tell his parents that he was going to Sam or Tuck's house to work on homework. Jazz knew what he was really going to do: fight ghosts. His two best friends helped him often, but he always made them leave around 11:00 after telling them he was done. Why bring others down with him?

"Danny?"

He looked up into his best friends' faces with no interest whatsoever.

"The bell rang, Danny." Sam said as she searched his face with concern.

Danny looked around and noticed that most of the students had already left, "Oh." He grabbed his stuff and heaved himself to his feet in exhaustion. Every step closer to the door was hard. It was as if every time he put his full weight on one leg to go forward, he would collapse. Who would've thought walking could be so hard? Danny was almost out the door when Mr. Lancer's voice stopped him, "Mr. Fenton, Come here."

He tiredly made his way over to the desk. Mr. Lancer looked at Sam and Tucker waiting for him near the door, "You two can leave. This is just between Daniel and I."

Danny could see them hesitate; their faces anxious as the teacher used his real name. He gave them a smile as if saying that he'd be okay. Sam and Tucker reluctantly left Danny alone with Mr. Lancer.

"Danny, you've failed to turn in multiple assignments. And when you have managed to, they're sloppily done or incomplete."

The boy sighed and nodded his head.

"Take a seat; you look like you're going to fall over." The man sounded nonchalant, but Danny could detect some concern in his voice.

Danny gladly took his recommendation and collapsed into one of the two seats near his desk.

"Are you getting enough sleep?"

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. His eyes drooped, but he kept them open. He could say that he wasn't sleeping enough, but what could he say he was doing? Playing video games? That just would make him sound irresponsible. He couldn't tell him he was out patrolling the city for ghosts, though!

Mr. Lancer quirked an eyebrow, "It's a simple question, young man. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Uh...yeah." Danny's exhausted voice sounded pitiful, even to himself.

"That was probably the worst lie I've ever heard. Have you seen yourself?"

Danny shrugged halfheartedly. "Don't really check myself out in the mirror often."

"Well, do you feel like you're getting enough sleep?"

The boy hesitated, but he slowly shook his head.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I can tell. What's causing your lack of sleep?"

Danny's throat suddenly felt dry, and he swallowed, "I can't sleep I guess..." Awful excuse, he berated himself. He closed his eyes and didn't notice that he was slipping out of the chair. Danny would have fallen to the floor if that hand hadn't stopped him. He pried his eyes open and noticed his teacher's worried gaze on him.

"I don't usually suggest this, especially due to something sleep related, but I think you should go home."

Mr. Lancer's words seemed to take a couple seconds before Danny processed what he had said, "What? No! I don't need to go home."

"Mr. Fenton, you just about fell out of your chair." His eyebrows furrowed together.

"No I didn't." Danny's eyes were half-open.

Mr. Lancer had a baffled expression on his face, "You certainly almost did. But, I won't make you go home if you don't think you need to." He studied his student to see if the boy would come to his senses. Danny didn't notice that, though.

"Okay." And with that, Danny lurched out of the chair and made his way out of the classroom with his eyes barely open.

He bumped into someone outside of the class. Tucker grabbed his shoulders and shook him, "Why didn't you go home? That was, like, a free-card! You could go home to sleep and eat!" Of course that's what he thinks of first.

"Eavesdropping, huh?" He stumbled before righting himself again, "Parents will get suspicious..." He mumbled.

"Well, they'll also get suspicious if you pass out at school." Sam told him bluntly, crossing her arms.

"I won't pass out." Tucker let go of his shoulders and Danny made his way to his locker. Or...tried to. It was as if Danny were drunk. He was still walking while leaning against the lockers. He ran into a girl who was getting her stuff out of a locker. She yelped in surprise and her papers flew from her hands as Danny tumbled to the floor.

"Danny, really. You shouldn't be at school. And it's a good thing that most students are already in class. 'Cause that was pathetically clumsy." Sam informed him while he remained on the ground. She paused, "Need a hand?" she extended her hand. He grabbed it clumsily and managed to get to his feet. Sam led Danny to his locker from behind, her hands on his shoulders. Once they were in front of it, Sam stopped. Danny didn't move, though. His eyes were closed again.

"Wow. When's the last time we've seen Mr. Uptight so relaxed?" Tucker said from behind Sam.

She sighed, "He's not relaxed, Tucker. He's half out of it. He's not all here, you know."

"Yeah," Tucker agreed, "his mind is in space where he wants to be!

"I am here, people." Danny turned around and shook their shoulders as if he were proving that he was present with them. He then turned back to his locker to open it, but his shaking hands fumbled at the lock. He tried it three times. "Dammit." he mumbled.

Sam gestured for Tucker to stand beside Danny while she unlocked it for him.

"My parents are going to be pissed at me..." He moaned as he started swaying.

Tucker caught him before he could fall, Sam looked behind her, anxious for her best friend/crush, then went back to his locker to grab what he needed for history class. Tucker laughed lightheartedly, "Aw, c'mon, man. Your parents can't get that mad. Everyone gets in trouble sometimes."

"Try getting in trouble with your teacher, parents, and multiple ghosts every day." Danny hadn't meant to say that out loud, but he ended up muttering it under his breath.

"Your parents?" Sam asked confused.

"Mmhmm."

"Because of school?" Tucker guessed.

"Yep."

Danny never revealed that much while he was completely awake. They knew this, and they were going to take advantage of it. "Danny, how much sleep are you getting?" Sam asked in a suspicious tone; her eyes narrowing.

"Uh, I'm not sure. I don't think I got any last night...or the night before...after that, I don't remember." Danny was giving more and more of his weight up; leaving Tucker to support his best friend.

"Dude, I've known you since first grade, and Sam's known you since third. We both know that you can't go very long without sleep. I'm pretty sure two days with no sleep at all isn't your best idea. What are you doing all night? Playing Doomed again?"

"I wish..." Danny whimpered. He surrendered the last of his weight and Tucker yelped.

"Sam!"

Sam whisked around, and together her and Tucker managed to keep their best friend from hitting the floor again. They carefully lowered their friend to the ground. Sam carefully removed her hand from the back of his head and pressed her hands over her face, "He has to go home, Tuck."

"Your boyfriend is a stubborn one." He said giving Sam a mischievous grin.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Her face flushed and she looked down at Danny's face. Not that she would mind that...