Archive of Our Own ^beta

Log Entry #1

             Yeah, so Jazz thinks I should keep a journal for now. I’m not going to do anything as lame as “Dear Diary,” though. If I have to keep a journal, I’m totally going to practice leaving a log for my future space missions.

Why do I even need to keep a journal?

Good question!

I have no idea! Literally, no idea.

I woke up in the park last night. No idea what happened, no idea why I was even out there. Freaky as hell, right? If you wake up anywhere that isn’t your bed, you just know you're in trouble.

Yeah, so it was dark and scary, and I did what any kid would do in that situation, you know? Sam and Tucker are giving me crap about it, but why would I call THEM? It’s not like they have a car. I called my mom and dad. DUH. They thought I had been kidnapped by a ghost because…of course they did, but they picked me up no problem. I’m not even in trouble over it, although they are being a bit overprotective. Don’t want me to get kidnapped again. By a ghost.

That’s apparently a thing. Ghosts. Pretty sure those aren’t real? But. Everyone is acting as if they ARE sooooo…I guess I’M the one missing something?

Jazz wanted to know what had happened, but, like, I don’t remember anything. She kept asking these really weird questions like “who were you fighting” and “where is the thermos?” The fuck does a thermos have to do with anything? Why would I be fighting someone? And why at NIGHT? Her questions got really strange after that, like, she started asking about my…powers? And something about a ghost form.

Reallllly glad she waited to ask these things in my room instead in front of Mom and Dad. Questions like that could have sent them over the deep end.

Jazz got really upset. I mean, she was already upset, but she was getting REALLY upset by my confusion.

She finally asked, “What is the last thing you remember?”

And I said, “Going into Mom and Dad’s broken ghost portal.”

I have never seen Jazz panic before, and I can honestly say I don’t like it. I made her sit down on my bed and tried to talk her through it, but I could see I was just upsetting her more. She wasn’t hyperventilating or anything, but she started talking to herself. She does that sometimes when she’s stressed. I think it helps her work through things. Nothing I said helped at all, though, so I just left her to it. After waking up in the park and enduring Mom and Dad’s tests, I just wanted a shower.

That’s when I first started to understand Jazz’s concern. Just a little.

Either the mirror was broken or something really bad happened last night. I went into the portal when I was fourteen, and now I look like I’m…sixteen? Seventeen? I’m OLDER. Not, like, super old, but…what the hell.

I’m taller! I thought I was just imagining it around Mom and Jazz, but I’m at least a head taller than I used to be, and my face is harder. My cheeks aren’t as round, and I actually have a jawline! I HAVE MUSCLE! Not as much as Dash or anything, but if I curl my arm and flex, BAM, I have biceps. Fuck yes.

Anyway, it was cool to take a shower and see all the ways I changed (I have abs!!) but people don’t just age two or three years in a single night, so as cool as it was, I started getting a little upset myself. I mean, yeah, my body aging is freaky but…

But my clothes still fit. My old bodywash was gone, replaced with something minty. I didn’t know which toothbrush was mine and which one was Jazz’s. Everything was different. I felt…out of place.

Doubly so when I returned to my room and found out Jazz had called my friends over and they were arguing about something. Apparently, Jazz wouldn’t let Sam and Tucker tell me something, and Sam was really, REALLY upset about that. But they stopped talking as soon as I entered the room. Figures. 

I was a bit too freaked out to care at the time, and just…babbled about how WRONG everything was in the bathroom, and why the heck did Sam and Tucker look older too? That seemed to confirm something in their minds.

And I finally got some answers.

Sixteen. I’m sixteen years old.

I have amnesia. I haven’t forgotten who I am, but I’ve lost my memories of the past TWO YEARS.

I must have hit my head last night. Somehow. Jazz and my friends are really upset, but in a way that feels…different. I’m upset because two years is a long time, but they’re upset because I have forgotten something. I’m guessing it’s something important. Maybe even dangerous. They looked kind of scared.

They also warned me not to mention anything to Mom and Dad. That’s going to be kinda hard, but Jazz was very insistent.

Don’t let Mom and Dad run anymore tests. Don’t make them think there’s anything wrong with me. Don’t go near them if I can help it. If I have to talk to them, make sure Jazz is there with me.

Like, gees, they make it sound like Mom and Dad are dangerous. I tried to laugh it off, but Sam and Tucker were behind Jazz all the way.

Something freaky is going on.

Just what the hell are they hiding? What the hell kind of dangerous secret did I forget?

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Log Entry #2

             GHOSTS ARE FUCKING REAL!!

This is apparently normal! This is something everyone knows! Except for me! Who definitely did not!

And I learned my mistake in the worst way possible because Sam and Tucker didn’t give me a heads up about this sort of thing. It must have fallen under whatever secret Jazz wants them to keep from me, but a little, “Oh, hey, I know the amnesia thing has your brains kind of scrambled, but you should probably know ghosts are a thing and some of them want to skin you personally.”

I don’t know, it just seems like something you oughta warn a guy about.

Joy of joys, this happened during gym class too. I was already kind of reeling a bit because, um. Puberty definitely hit sometime during these past two years. Tucker had to turn me away from gawking at one of the beefy guys because. Wow. That was. That was certainly a feeling.

So yeah, I was wrestling with THAT realization (I’m bi; Tucker and Sam already know; what the hell) when this giant robot comes out of fucking nowhere and slams me to the ground. Ow. He was laughing about catching me off guard and taking my skin as a trophy, but once I started screaming, he actually flinched.

I think I hurt his feelings? Can you hurt a robot’s feelings?

Wait, do I care? No. That guy was talking about fucking skinning me. Like, screw that guy.

Sam fired some sort of green ray from her bracelet, and that knocked the robot flying. Tucker helped me up, and they were both just…so cool and calm about it? Everyone else in our class was running away screaming, but those two wouldn’t leave me behind. Sam actually stood guard over me while Tucker gave me a quick rundown for injuries.

I don’t know what I did to deserve friends like them, but…wow.

They started asking me about a thermos (again, what is up with this thermos thing?) but I had no idea what they were talking about. Duh. Amnesia. Sam looked sheepish but Tucker mostly looked disappointed. I guess he was hoping the robot would spark something in my memories.

Haha, nope.

I kinda expected my parents to show up and deal with the ghost or whatever since, you know, that’s sort of their JOB, but this OTHER ghost hunter showed up first. My classmates called her the Red Huntress, and just. Wow. She’s SO hot. I mean, I can’t see her face, but with moves like that, do I really need to?

…I’m sensing a theme. I think I’m attracted to people who can kick my ass.

Anyway. She dealt with the ghost, and class resumed as normal. A lot of my classmates seemed disappointed about something. Dash especially. He kept moaning about Phantom not showing up.

(Sidenote: he shoved me against the lockers later and glared at me over his shoulder, and I felt nothing except annoyed. In your face, puberty! If I was attracted to HIM I'd have a hurl.)

But yeah, Dash wasn’t the only one. I think people are actually worried about this Phantom guy. I guess he’s always the first one on the scene, sometimes arriving even before the ghost can attack. The fact that he didn’t show up at all was really upsetting them. I thought it was a little ridiculous (it’s just one fight, right? Maybe he wasn’t feeling well, maybe he just needed a rest, like what’s the big deal?) but then, in the locker room, someone suggested one of the ghost hunters might have caught him, and I realized…

PHANTOM. Right. Phantom is a ghost. Phantom = ghost. He obviously loves puns. I thought maybe it was just an alias like The Red Huntress, but no, this guy’s name is actually Phantom.

Well. Danny Phantom.

Haha, funny, right? Almost like my name. I’m not really laughing because that feels a little bit ominous, hearing you share a name with a dead guy, but yeah.

That’s another thing. This guy is dead. He’s a GHOST. If ghosts are bad, you would think that means he’s a bad guy too, right?

The bad news is I actually opened my stupid mouth to ask that. The good news is I managed to escape with only a couple dozen insults and shoes hitting me on my way out the door. Tucker suggested I keep my mouth shut in the locker room from now on, and I figure that’s probably a solid plan.

Tucker and Sam explained it to me during lunch.

Phantom is a ghost that appeared two years ago, a few months after the “portal accident” (they did not elaborate, but I assume they mean Mom and Dad’s initial failure) during a ghost invasion. Due to a misunderstanding, my parents and the authorities think he was part of the invasion. They blame him for the invasion and for taking the former mayor hostage. They believe he is an evil ghost. Despite this, Phantom began protecting the town and the citizens against the ghosts that were attacking.

For two years, he has fought his own kind, rescued humans from accidents, and evaded every attempt to capture him. There is a million-dollar bounty on his head, put out by our own mayor, but most ghost hunters have given up and the citizens of this town by-and-large refuse to turn him in because he’s our own personal hero or something.

That all sounded really cool, and I’m kind of sorry I’ve forgotten him.

I said I wish I could see one of his fights, and Tucker whipped out his PDA. I asked if he was for real, and he was all smug as he scrolled through his videos. I was actually a little excited, which seemed to amuse him and Sam.

The fight was really intense, and it was between Phantom and that robot from earlier. They moved so fast it was hard for the camera (and Tucker) to track the fight, but sometimes the robot would slam Phantom against something and sometimes Phantom would hold still long enough to fire a green blast from his hands. I hunched over Tucker’s PDA because that fight was AWESOME. Sam reminded me to keep breathing, but she was obviously just teasing me.

Once the video was over, they asked me what I thought about it. They just…had this LOOK, like they were waiting for me to remember or catch onto something. I guess this Phantom guy is part of my past, but in what way?

After what I had discovered about myself in the past hour alone, I said the only thing that made sense to me. I said, “That guy’s hot.”

Tucker fell off his chair laughing.

Sam slammed her head down on the table.

Those weren’t exactly promising, but I pushed on with my theory. Because. Obviously, right? I’m bi, I’m attracted to people who COULD kick my ass (but not people who DO since Dash is out of the running), and Sam’s and Tucker’s behavior made it seem like there was something between me and Phantom.

So, is he my ex or something?

They didn’t go “oh hell no, he’s way out of your league, Danny,” which I appreciate because I thought it seemed a little far-fetched myself. I mean, me? Dating everyone’s hero? Get real. But Tucker howled a “no” during his laughing fit.

I asked if I had a crush on him before? It seemed more likely, but that question made Tucker laugh all the harder. I’m not sure if that’s a no…

I asked if I ran a blog on him, and that’s when Sam pulled herself together. She pulled up a picture of Phantom on her phone and made me look at it. I didn’t get a clear look at him in the video, so I guess that made sense. I stared at intense green eyes and studied his features, but my eyes kept going to his hair. It was snow white and very soft looking. I was distracted for a while. I tried to remember something, but all I felt was…something odd. It wasn’t attraction, but it had that same sharpness to it. He felt…familiar.

Sam pulled out a mirror and had me look at the mirror and the picture side-by-side. The first thing I noticed was that we had the same haircut, but then Sam pointed out his nose and mine were the same length and size. We had the same jaw, the same brow, the same shape in our eyes…

It clicked then. Aside from the glow, his white hair, green eyes, confident smirk, darker skin, and…something else I couldn’t pinpoint, we sort of looked the same.

That ghost had imprinted off me!

No wonder his name and mine are so similar. He copied me!

Tucker stopped laughing. Sam looked even more frustrated. I was more confused than ever.

I sent the picture to my phone, and I keep pausing to look at it even now because it doesn’t make any sense. Why me? Out of everyone the hero could have chosen, why had he chosen me as his anchor?

What made me so special in his eyes?

Sam and Tucker warned me not to get too fixated on any one idea until my memories start coming back, but this is kind of exciting. I want to meet him more than ever. There are so many mysteries in my life since I lost my memories, and somehow, I get the feeling he’s at the heart of it all.

The problem is finding a ghost that has evaded hunters for years.

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Log Entry #3

So, it’s been four days since I woke up in the park with amnesia. I’m starting to remember little things, like that Sam is a huge gaming nerd, Tucker is afraid of hospitals, Jazz and Sam bonded while my dad and I were away on a fishing trip, and the mayor is apparently Mom and Dad’s old college friend, Vlad.

Actually, Vlad…is unsettling. I don’t remember the full details, but even thinking about him makes me uneasy. I THINK he has a thing for Mom, and…something about me. Not the creepy ewww thing, but something that puts me on edge all the same. I know, because Dad invited him over last night, and the mayor guy kept trying to call me “son.” My dad calls me son, not this guy. Never this guy. Jazz stayed glued to my side the whole time. Vlad put his hand on my shoulder while talking about teaching me to drive, and Jazz actually slapped it away.

Jazz! Jazz, who uses her words, not her hands! Dad didn’t see anything, but Mom was completely onboard and placed her hand on the same shoulder Vlad had grabbed. She said she and Dad would teach me how to drive as part of a family thing but thanked him for the offer. I’m not exactly thrilled about this, but just because I have amnesia doesn’t mean I’m an idiot. I followed Jazz’s lead and kept my mouth shut.

Jazz didn’t explain anything after the guy left, but she did warn me to stay away from him.

Noted.

Speaking of Mom and Dad, they don’t suspect anything. I thought it would actually be hard to keep this amnesia thing secret from them, but nope. They’re happy to answer any questions I have and never seem to wonder why I’m asking in the first place. Yes, of course the ham hides the button to the OP Center, it’s so your father won’t forget where it’s at. Have you changed the ecto-filtrator recently? You do it every month. Walk you through it? Sure, Danny-boy! Why, remember when—

—Some story about Dad beating up a ghost in the lab seconds before the portal blew up. Don’t remember it, but sure, Dad. I’ll change it every month.

I don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed they haven’t caught on yet…

My classmates and some of my teachers couldn’t care less, but Mr. Lancer is onto me, I think. The little memories are helping me to remember we are reading Macbeth in literature class, but they aren’t returning fast enough for me to remember what we read BEFORE Macbeth, or that I have detention with Mr. Lancer every Wednesday, or WHY I have weekly detention with Mr. Lancer. He keeps giving me this look, so I’m pretty sure he suspects something is up.

Sam and Tucker are helping me keep up in classes, and Jazz pulls me aside as soon as we get home to help me with my homework. It’s super annoying, but I kind of need the help. I wouldn’t just be falling behind on classes without them, I would be completely lost. I don’t even remember my schedule or what classes I’m taking, and I’m supposed to remember what chapter we’re on in Biology? Who discovered the DNA helix and who stole the credit for the discovery? Not a chance in hell.

What I don’t understand is why we don’t just TELL them I have amnesia?

Why am I relying on two sixteen-year-olds and one wannabe psychologist? Like, no offense to them, they’re clearly on top of just about everything, but if I just told Mom and Dad, I could actually see a doctor about all this. They’re bound to know more about this stuff than we do, right? And then they could give me a note to give to the school, and then my teachers would go easier on me about the homework.

My grades were already close to failing before I lost my memories, I really don’t need to make my situation WORSE, you know?

But it’s like these three are allergic to seeking adult help for some reason. I mean, I understand it from Sam, but Jazz has always encouraged me to use whatever resources are available to me when it comes to school. Why is she now holding me back? Why won’t they let me seek help outside of our little group?

I can’t even reach out to anyone else about these things because one of them is always at my side, and if they think I might say something that might give up the secret about my amnesia, they’ll pull me away. At the same time they’re keeping everyone else in the dark, they’re also keeping ME in the dark. They’re keeping secrets from me, always whispering to each other when they think I’m not looking, and it’s like I’m…I mean, I’m not really a prisoner, of course, but they have the key, and they won’t let me out.

What are they hiding from me?

It’s only been four days, but I can’t stand it anymore.

As much as my little group of three hover over my shoulder at nearly all hours of the day, there are two people even Jazz can’t keep me from 24/7 if I pretend to go to sleep and wait for her to do her two checks on me before going to bed herself. I can then sneak down to the lab where Mom and Dad are working. Easy.

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Log Entry #3: Update

Not so easy. Jazz heard the tiny creak of the second top step and came running. What the fuck, Jazz?

I had to pretend I was getting a glass of water, but she didn’t believe me. She followed me all the way down to the kitchen and all the way up to my room again. I sarcastically asked if she wanted to tuck me in and kiss my forehead goodnight too. Instead of giving me the fight I wanted, she tried to ease my frustration by explaining she’s doing this for my own good and that I would understand once I got my memories back.

I shut the door in her face.

There’s only so much overbearing protection I can take, and “protecting” me from my own parents is taking things a step too far.

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Log Entry #4

Six days since my amnesia started, and things have not improved.

During lunch today, Tucker suggested throwing me off the OP Center to jog my memories. Sam laughed and suggested they try a taller building so I would have more time to figure things out on the way down. Tucker suggested the clock tower. They both laughed.

I didn’t. I don’t know, something about murder doesn’t really sit well with me.

Tucker tried to assure me Phantom would save me before I hit the ground, but that just set them off again. Obviously, this is an inside joke I can’t join in on because I forgot the past two years. And if I have to be fair, they’re probably only making these jokes because they are really, really stressed out about my amnesia.

But so am I! And making me feel like an outsider isn’t helping!

I stormed away from the lunch table. Sam tried to catch up and apologize, but I went inside the boy’s bathroom to get a little space. She waited outside, of course. She would wait out there for as long as it took. I couldn’t snap the leash they had on me, why was I even trying?

But inside the bathroom I had other troubles. Dash and Kwan were having their own private conversation by the sinks. I winced, but it was too late. Dash was on me in a flash, demanding to know what I had heard about Phantom.

I wanted to say, “Hey, thanks for letting me know exactly who you two were talking about because I had no idea until you said that,” but I have a sense of self-preservation still. I honestly heard nothing, and that’s what I told him.

He didn’t believe me. Go figure.

I don’t know why I wasn’t more afraid of him. My eyes were level with his chin now, but he was still built like an athlete and perfectly willing to use those muscles on those weaker than him. Namely me. Baiting Dash was a suicidal plan that would get me a black eye if I wasn’t careful, and as I said, I still held onto a sense of preservation.

Which is why I said, “Oh yeah, something about keeping Phantom locked in your basement? Is that why no one has seen him?”

…I have a SENSE of self-preservation. Like a pinch of it. Easily eclipsed by my need to take a stab at my personal bully.

I didn’t think I was anywhere close to the mark, anyway. I mean, the hero has managed to evade capture for two years, right? I thought for sure DASH wouldn’t stand a chance of finding him, let alone catching him.

But either Dash was insulted by my suggestion he would hold Phantom captive in his basement, or I struck closer to the nerve than I realized.

Strangest.

Thing.

Happened.

He pulled back his arm and—

I caught his fist.

I don’t mean I knocked it aside or anything, I mean I CAUGHT it! Midair, midstrike, center of my palm, complete STOP. He was shocked, Kwan was shocked, and hell, I was shocked!

Dash tried to pull his fist back, but he couldn’t! My fingers were like iron!

Coolest. Moment. Of. My. LIFE.

Or least as much of it as I can remember.

Didn’t stop Dash and Kwan from dragging me over to the toilets for a swirly, which kind of diminished the accomplishment, but you got to take the little victories, right?

I tried to explain that to Sam after I limped out of the bathroom with my hair dripping toilet bowl water down my (recently washed) face, but I don’t think she understood. Tucker would give me a high-five later on when I told him, so at least one of my friends gets it.

Sam finally explained a little bit on the walk back to our table, though. Not much, just. An explanation for why they can’t tell me anything.

Jazz insists they have to let my memories come back on their own. If they try to tell me this important thing that I’ve forgotten, I won’t remember who I really am, I’ll just be assuming an identity that isn’t truly MINE without my memories. Sam and Tucker don’t like it, and they’ve tried giving me hints to try to jog my memory, but I just keep getting things wrong.

“Seeing you like this isn’t easy for us either,” she said.

I could have said something snarky back, but she was making an effort, so it’s only fair that I try to be nice too, right?

I said it was fine so long as they stop making inside jokes. She joked that would be a little hard since this is hilarious and terrifying all rolled into a one big pile of bullshit.

At least I think she was joking. I get the hilarious part, but why is it so terrifying? What are they so afraid of? Why do they act like watchdogs? Like, seriously. A ghost attacks the school, and they throw themselves in front of me like a shield. To be fair, ghosts DO target me more than any other student in the building, but it’s still a little much. And they always seem annoyed that I didn’t warn them because apparently, I’m supposed to be able to tell when an invisible ghost is near.

We got back to our table, Sam explained the jokes deal, I explained what happened with Dash, got my high-five, and then I asked them where they thought Phantom was. It had been six days since anyone had seen him, and even I was getting worried about him.

I hoped he wasn’t ACTUALLY trapped in Dash’s basement…

Tucker snickered and said, “No idea, Danny.”

It wasn’t much of a joke, or at least I didn’t get it, but Sam still elbowed him.

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Log Entry #5

             I set my alarm for 4am. I didn’t think it would work because I’ve always been a pretty deep sleeper, and my alarm doesn’t usually go off until six, but I woke up no problem. Which means there’s nothing stopping me.

There’s no way Jazz is awake right now. Mom and Dad probably aren’t either, but I don’t think they would mind if I woke them for this. It isn’t exactly an emergency, but I need to see a doctor about my amnesia or I’m going to break under all this pressure. Struggling to keep up with school is one thing, but I hate keeping this secret from everyone except my sister and friends. It’s too much. Their fear is suffocating, it’s stressing me out like crazy. I just need some help. Some ACTUAL help.

Once Mom and Dad know, they’ll take me to the hospital, and things will, hopefully, get easier.

I thought this through last night, but now that it’s actually here, I’m…hesitating. What if there’s an actual real reason Jazz didn’t want me to tell Mom and Dad? What if I’m just going to make everything worse?

But they’re my PARENTS. How dangerous could my own parents be?

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Log Entry #5: Update

In hindsight…

Jazz may have been onto something. Maybe I should have just asked HER to take me to the hospital. She’s eighteen, she’s listed as my emergency contact, and she can drive, so that’s possible, right? We could have skipped over the whole “let’s strap our son to an examination table and see if there’s a ghost involved” thing Mom and Dad jumped to, right?

It wasn’t even a nice examination table like they have at the hospital! It was literally just a metal slab.

Wait.

Is that the table they use for dissection?

Oh my god, holy shit, I’m going to be sick…

Anyway, I have found out some things about my parents and my parents have found out some things about me. No one is happy about what they’ve discovered.

I’m not happy to find out “Hey, Mom, I need to go the hospital” triggers a hidden mad scientist switch in my parents. Getting poked, prodded, hooked up to machines, and scanned like I’m some sort of lab rat is just not what I signed up for. I don’t know what I was expecting. They weren’t this bad when I was fourteen, but…I think the whole ghost discovery has made them stop looking at their subjects as…well, people. Ghosts are people too, right? I mean, look at Phantom.

Now that the ghosts are here, the scientists are UNLEASHED and they want to know everything! Everything!

What my parents discovered is even more uncomfortable, though.

My memories stopped two years ago, right before I went into their broken portal and activated it for them. This is the “portal accident” Sam and Tucker referenced that I didn’t understand before. It was an accident because I got blasted with some serious ectoplasm, or something like that, and it was a big deal. I wasn’t hurt as far as Mom and Dad could tell. The same thing had happened to Vlad in their college years, and I actually withstood the blast better than he had since I wasn’t DYING from “ecto-acne” or anything.

They took me to a hospital just to be sure, so I KNOW they know where the hospital is! This is also where Tucker’s fear of hospitals got worse and why Sam is so familiar with that fear. They were there during the accident and insisted on going with me to the hospital. The doctors didn’t find anything wrong with my heart and I didn’t appear to have any electricity burns, so I was discharged, and Mom and Dad were free to play with their portal without any guilt about what it had taken to make it work.

Why is this important? Well, first of all, I don’t remember any of it. My last memory, in fact, ends right before that accident. Secondly, I began leaking ghost energy that day. All their ghost equipment insisted I was a ghost from then on, but because I had been drenched in ectoplasm during the accident, Mom and Dad dismissed it as a side-effect of the radiation I was exposed to.

(Sidenote: if ectoplasm is radioactive, why is it IN MY HOUSE? Why is it my chore to clean the ecto-filtrator and why am I not wearing a hazmat suit when I do it??)

After the accident, I also became moody, withdrawn, distant, angry, depressed, and kind of a jerk? Again, this was dismissed because they figured I was just being a teenager. My grades started dropping and I started breaking curfew. Jazz was all over it those first few months, but then she began insisting they needed to let me have my space.

The problem is…I am no longer radiating that ghost energy Mom and Dad’s inventions used to detect. My dad even pointed the “Fenton Finder” in my face because it has ALWAYS insisted I was a ghost and they were just morons.

The first thing I ever heard that creepy machine say is, “NO GHOST DETECTED. YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME SORT OF MORON TO BELIEVE THERE IS A GHOST HERE.”

Sooooo…

Two years ago, the portal started working. Two years ago, their equipment started responding to me as if I was a ghost. And two years ago, my memories just…stop. Combine that with my mood swing…

Yeah…

They think a ghost overshadowed me two years ago when the portal was first ripped open. Overshadowing is basically just a kid-friendly way to say a ghost possessed me which is SO NOT NICE TO THINK ABOUT. When they leave the body, the host is disoriented and sometimes can’t remember anything about what happened. That’s why I don’t remember anything. The ghost must have gotten tired and ditched my body that night in the park, and now I’m left trying to fix the mess they made of my life.

It makes sense. It makes horrible sense.

But that means my parents allowed a ghost to overshadow me for two years without suspecting a thing. They had noticed my erratic behavior, my grades slipping, but they had thought it was just because I was a teenager. I still acted like myself. I still knew them.

They hadn’t listened to their equipment, and that led to me being trapped in my own mind for two years while a ghost masqueraded as me.

My parents are ghost hunters! How could they not have known?! How could they let it go on for so long?

I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them. They already hate themselves enough as it is. Dad actually started crying. Mom hugged me after removing the straps, and I think she was crying too, but it was hard to tell with her hood pulled up. (Those red goggles are really creepy, by the way.)

When Mom and Dad told Jazz later that morning, she screamed into a pillow. It was kind of funny.

She doesn’t believe it, though, and she keeps insisting it's only a theory until Mom and Dad can prove it. She quieted down when Mom and Dad showed her that I wasn’t ghost-radioactive anymore. 

Like, she got REALLY quiet. She finally said that still might not prove anything, but she was upset about something.

And. This is kind of out there, but…Jazz and my friends have been hiding something about my past all week. What if they knew? What if they knew there was a ghost overshadowing me and they just…kept it secret from everybody? I don’t think they would do that, and it doesn’t really add up to how worried they’ve been about my amnesia, but they knew SOMETHING. They had to know. Someone had to know I was being overshadowed.

The ghost couldn’t have fooled EVERYONE that much, right? Someone HAD to know it wasn’t ME!

…Okay, I’m not going there.

I’m not going to think about that.

I’m at the hospital now. Mom and Dad might have cracked the code, but I need to see a doctor so I can fix things at school.

Jazz gave me a nasty look for that. Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t approve of me going behind her back JUSSSSST to get out of doing my homework, but I don’t approve of playing catch-up after my brain got fried by a ghost parasite either. I’m doing the best I can here.

--------

Log Entry #6

The doctors couldn’t find anything that might have caused my amnesia. No tumors, no strokes, no head injury. My doctor’s best guess is that it might have been caused by some sort of emotional trauma. And I probably have dissociative amnesia, or something like that. She’s surprised I’ve only forgotten the past two years of my life instead of, say, all of it, but amnesia is difficult to predict.

When asked if I should stay home from school until I regained my memories, she said no, the best thing to do is follow the same routines I performed prior to my amnesia because that will be the most effective way to spark a total recall. Booooooo! She did agree I could be exempted from homework, and I should receive special tutoring until my memories came back, though, so. Yay?

(She also warned my parents that patients with dissociative amnesia might latch onto a new identity, and to keep an eye on me because I’m especially susceptible to influence right now, but I don’t think I was supposed to hear that.)

Unfortunately, she couldn’t disprove Mom and Dad’s theory about the overshadowing thing and actually seemed to AGREE it was possible. She had had patients with the same problem before, only in their cases they had forgotten a couple hours or at most a few days. They only knew they had been overshadowed at all because Phantom would be there when they woke up, capturing the ghost that had overshadowed them.

That’s nice for them, but where was Phantom when I was being overshadowed FOR TWO YEARS?!

It was a long day, and it wasn’t over yet. I had a few hours of peace in my room, and then Sam and Tucker came over. Jazz told them about Mom and Dad’s theory, and all three of them cornered me in my room without giving me a chance to defend myself.

They really dislike the idea. 

Wait, no, it’s more like they’re OFFENDED by it. I didn’t even have to accuse them, they KNEW I would think they let it happen. If nothing else, their reaction does prove to me that they never once thought I was being overshadowed. But then what ARE they keeping secret and what DID happen after the accident?

Sam tried to tell me again, and that led to a fight with Jazz. Tucker helped me sneak out of the room, and we hid out in the backyard. I blew up at him. Well, not AT him. I shouted and complained into the air. He just listened, sipped his soda, and encouraged me to keep going. It felt great to let it all out. All that confusion and fear was really messing me up, and Tucker somehow knew I needed to vent my frustration. After I had finished, he told me a joke that had me laughing like crazy.

I said I love him, and that made HIM laugh. He told me the story about how he and Sam had found out I was bi. At the time, I had been awake for thirty-six hours trying to get caught up on homework, I was high on pain-meds and apparently recovering from some sort of fight (probably with Dash). Tucker was bandaging me up, and I guess that must have clicked something in me. I professed I loved him and kissed him on the lips.

Hearing this I cringed, and Tucker admitted he hit me over the head with his pillow because he only sees me as a brother, but we both laughed over it. It’s now just a funny story between us, something that brought us closer. We share everything together, after all. (His face got a little pinched after he said that, but I’m not sure why. Was that his first kiss? Was that MY first kiss? That’s a little more sharing than either of us want, I bet.)

I made up with Sam and Jazz afterward too. I explained I needed to blow off steam, and I guess they needed to do the same. We still don’t know what caused the amnesia, and Jazz is still winning the fight that they can’t tell me about the portal accident—which is apparently what started everything.

I don’t know how much longer this can go on. They obviously WANT to tell me, and I would like to hear an alternative to the overshadowing thing, but we’re at something of a standstill. Something is going to have to give soon. I just wonder what will cause it to come crashing down.

-----

Log Entry #7

             PHANTOM’S BACK!

He rescued me from a ghost attack! It was really cool. Ten out of ten rescue, would totally put myself in danger again for a repeat.

Wait, wait, wait, this isn’t a journal, this is supposed to be a log about my amnesia, get it together, Fenton.

Right. So. School. The ghost attack kind of eclipsed everything else, so I’m a little excited.

Mr. Lancer accepted the amnesia note no problem and actually seemed pleased by it. That man is weird. He gave me a paper to give to each of my teachers which I guess is meant to explain the situation to them and absolve me of homework and any negative impact on my grades until things change. He also assigned me some tutors which…isn’t so great, but I can’t complain. I need to fix these grades if I want any hope of getting into NASA. I don’t remember all the tutors he listed, but Star(!) is going to help me with algebra and Mikey is going to help me with biology. That first one is awesome, the second I would rather pass on.

He’s literally, like, a single step above me on the social ladder but he still likes to lord it over me!

Whatever.

The news got around that I have amnesia, because this is high school, and privacy is nonexistent. I received some sympathy (PAULINA GAVE ME A HUG?!?!?! Sam rolled her eyes and said it was all for show; Tucker gave me a high-five) but mostly I got teased and picked on. Everyone seems to accept a ghost must have done it. The strangest thing is that Dash didn’t say anything. We sort of have a bully & favorite victim thing going on, so the lack of any taunting or cheap shots was particularly noteworthy if you ask me.

I’m sure other things happened that day at school, it’s just…the FIGHT!

It happened right at the end of school, right? We had just escaped the building, and then BOOM this ghost monster appears out of nowhere and snatches me up before Sam and Tucker could push me out of the way. I’m screaming (of course) as this monster is dragging me towards its mouth, but then the whole arm gets frozen in place.

This is where Phantom shows up.

And BOY, the kids on the ground went absolutely insane.

I was a little tied up, trying to wiggle my way out of a frozen hand. Phantom blasted the arm, and all the ice just shattered. I start screaming because I’m falling. Again. Phantom swoops past all the ice and catches me no problem. It was the first time I had been lifted into the air by a ghost that didn’t want to kill me, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand I don’t think I’m a fan of this whole rescuing thing placing me in the role of “damsel in distress,” but on the other hand I am definitely gay. Very gay.

That was certainly an emotion I felt…

Of course, then Phantom dropped me into Dash’s arms instead of setting me down on the ground. That could have been its own problems because Dash just CAUGHT me in his arms like it was nothing. But then he dropped me as soon as Phantom’s back was turned.

Dick.

Kwan helped me stand because ONE of them is actually nice.

After that I finally got to watch one of Phantom’s fights in person. Way cooler than watching him through a tiny screen. Fortunately (or not), the ghost monster was really big but not very strong. It didn’t take Phantom long to defeat him, and then he was holding out a cannister thing. It sucked the ghost up in a whirlwind. I was shocked, but everyone else cheered. Phantom slapped the lid on, smiled and waved down at us.

And that was it!

In Tucker’s videos, that would be the end. Phantom always flew away after the ghost had been defeated, but not this time. He landed on the ground in front of Dash and Kwan. I didn’t hear what he said (the cheering was really loud) but he grinned and held up the cannister -

THERMOS! It’s a thermos! That’s the word.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the thermos Sam and Tucker are always asking about. That would make sense. They were really anxious to find it, even dragging me back to the park so we could search for it. I guess Phantom found it first.

Anyway, the crowd swarmed Phantom, and since I was already pretty close to Dash and Kwan at the time, I got shoved forward too. I crashed into Phantom and almost fell, but he caught my arm. I thought, okay NOW he’s going to leave, but instead he turned his smile on the rest of the crowd. They asked him a lot of questions. A lot of guys patted his back, some girls grabbed his arm, and I was like hello? But Phantom didn’t seem to care. He seemed to be soaking it up. One girl even kissed his cheek, and he winked at her.

For some reason, I just didn’t think he would be that interested in the glory? I don’t know why. It diminished him a little in my eyes because I always felt a hero was someone who acted because it was the right thing to do, not for the attention, and that was one of the things I admired in Tucker’s videos. That fight was really cool, though, and he HAD just saved my life, so at the time I was a little too starstruck. It’s only now that I’m thinking how weird it was.

Speaking of Tucker, he and Sam were completely, like, shocked or something. When Phantom finally started to float upward and I had gotten back to them, they looked between me and Phantom, like, five times. And then they started waving at Phantom like they thought he would fly down to them personally. He didn’t. His eyes passed right over them.

Sam has been seething ever since. Tucker is confused, and he keeps looking at me like I’M supposed to know what’s going on. I don’t even know what their problem is. Phantom is back! That’s a good thing!

So, why do Tucker and Sam look like they are going to be sick?

-----

Log Entry #8

             Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are convinced Phantom has amnesia.

Why? Because I have amnesia, and apparently if one Danny in Amity Park has amnesia then EVERY Danny in Amity Park must have amnesia! It’s ridiculous if you ask me, but they’re convinced, and there is one thing that backs it up. They know Phantom. They didn’t tell ME this when I was wondering if he was okay or not, but yeah. They’re friends with him? Annnd he doesn’t seem to remember them at all.

Or at least, every time they try to get close to him, he treats them like every other fan. They tried chasing him down that first day, and when that didn’t work, they tried using some of Mom and Dad’s ghost hunting tech. At one point they threw a boomerang, and it flew all the way to Phantom’s location. Led them right to him. Turns out, he was showing off to the A-listers. The boomerang struck the back of his head and almost knocked him to the ground.

He’s avoiding Sam and Tucker now. I don’t really blame him.

I’ve had more success (if you can call it that) because ghosts continue to target me, and Phantom saves me on a semi-regular basis. It’s only been three days, so I don’t know if he’s picked up a pattern or not, but he did give me an odd look the last time, like “Oh it’s you again? Why is it always you?”

Same thought, you and me.

Not that I’m complaining…too much. It’s kind of exciting because it’s fun and scary at the same time, but I think I would be happier seeing him from a distance. I’m sure he would rather be saving someone like Paulina too.

The reason I bring it up is because I’ve noticed something Sam and the others haven’t.

Phantom has changed.

I don’t mean in the way he sticks around for the praise and seems a little more conceited than I thought he would be, I mean physically. I think the others are so used to seeing him as they remember him that they just haven’t noticed yet. And, to be fair, I’m in his arms at least once a day, so I’m bound to notice he’s getting bulkier, right? Because he is. He used to be lean like me, but he’s gaining more muscle, and it’s not fitting into the wiry form he and I are supposed to share. His hair isn’t as long either, or as wild. He could just be smoothing it back, everyone likes a different hairstyle now and then, but then there’s also his face. His jaw is becoming squarer, and his cheekbones aren’t standing out as much.

I hate to say it (like, I really hate to say it) but he’s starting to look less like me and more like DASH.

I tried pointing it out to the others, but they said that was crazy as if there was some reason Phantom HAD to look like me. It had to be all in my head, they said.

But it’s not! And I think I know what’s going on.

Let’s say Phantom DOES have amnesia. Since he disappeared some time after I woke up with my own amnesia, I’ll go a step farther and say my friends are right that his amnesia and mine are somehow connected. So, let’s also say that he lost his memories the same night and the same way I had. He wakes up in the park alone, but unlike me he doesn’t have anyone to turn to. He only arrived in our world two years ago, so the human world would for sure be strange and new to him. He might not realize he’s the town hero or anything that connects him to our city. So, he hides and tries to understand the world he’s in. A couple days go by without Phantom protecting the city, and people start looking for him.

Dash finds him first.

It HAS to be Dash. Dash almost blew up on me in the bathroom because he thought I had heard him talking about Phantom. Dash is a total asshole, but he looks up to Phantom, and if he found his hero lost and confused, vulnerable because of his amnesia, he would try to protect him from me, the son of two ghost hunters. Mom and Dad are especially dangerous to Phantom right now, and it’s not like Dash and I have a trusting relationship. Or any kind of relationship really. He’s an ass.

So, Dash (and probably Kwan) help Phantom in secret, trying to help him remaster his powers and remember who he is supposed to be, all the while keeping him safe from anyone who would take advantage of him in this condition. (Which is probably why Dash was uneasy about finding out I have amnesia too; two cases of amnesia so close together? Talk about a coincidence.) Once Phantom is ready, he saves me the day my own amnesia became known and returns as the hero everyone remembers…aside from behaving and looking a little different.

The doctor and Jazz warned dissociative amnesia can cause someone to assume an identity that isn’t theirs, and that I am particularly vulnerable to influence right now, and that means Phantom would be too. Before our amnesia, he looked like me for one reason or another. But now Phantom doesn’t remember me or our friends, he only has Dash to rely on, so he’s picking up personality traits and physical features that belong to DASH.

He’s beginning to imprint on Dash!

And that’s sooo not right. Dash is a bully, a coward, and a complete jerk. He shouldn’t be influencing Phantom; Phantom should be influencing HIM. This is all wrong. Like, no wonder Phantom is reveling in the cheering crowd—that’s exactly what Dash does when he wins a football game! Is it going to get worse? Like, is Phantom going to turn into a bully too? Is he going to start looking down on people who aren’t as “cool” as him? He’s already hanging out with the A-list crowd! What’s next? Ghostly wedgies? Losers like me getting our pants pulled down by invisible hands so everyone can laugh at us? That’s the kind of bullying Dash would do if he had ghost powers, so why not?

And okay, maybe I’m a little bit jealous.

Excuse you, that was my ghost! He was imprinting on ME! Go get your own!

And, I don’t know, I guess it was sort of cool that a ghost imprinting off ME could create a hero like that. Like, if I had powers like his, could I have been a hero too? Would I be saving people instead of being the one that needs saving? But that isn’t being fair to Phantom, I’m sure he adds something to the mix too. And if he wants to (ugh) befriend and anchor himself to (UGH) Dash, that’s his choice to make.

He could do way better, though. Just saying.

The only thing my theory can’t explain is the whole overshadowing thing.

Mom and Dad are convinced that’s what happened. Jazz and the others keep insisting it isn’t. I don’t know what to believe anymore.

Because the only ghost that could have overshadowed me is—

 —----------------------------------------

“Sorry!” the Fenton boy whispered loudly from the doorway. Phantom jerked his head up, a sheepish blush cooling his cheeks. “It took me a while to remember how this thing empties itself. I think I must have emptied the thermos for you in the past, because it suddenly started clicking, and…”

Phantom tried to turn the notebook in his hands invisible, but it was too late.

Danny’s blue eyes widened, a blush of his own flushing his face red. “Oh—shi—Hey!” He charged forward and tried to grab the journal, but Phantom floated higher and held it above his head. “That’s private!”

Phantom fused his legs into a spectral tail so Danny couldn’t grab his ankles and pull him down. He glanced at the notebook in his hands. There had been something compelling about the handwriting, something familiar that drew his eyes and kept him reading longer than he intended. 

Phantom looked down at Danny again. His room, his handwriting, his face …it all felt so familiar. “Who are you?” he demanded.

Danny allowed his hand to fall, rocked back on his heels, and scowled up at Phantom. “Better question: who the hell are you?”

There weren’t many humans who used that dry, accusatory tone with Phantom, and he suddenly understood why Dash disliked this guy. “I didn’t overshadow you.”

“Then why do you look like me?” Danny demanded.

Phantom clenched his jaw and tried to think of an alternative explanation, one that didn’t turn his stomach and make him feel ill. Unfortunately, until a few minutes ago, Phantom hadn’t even known there were that many similarities between them. He hadn’t thought of Danny at all except to wonder why ghosts kept attacking him and whether or not he could use all the times he had saved Danny as leverage in order to get the thermos cleared.

“And if it wasn’t you,” Danny persisted, “then why didn’t you save me like you saved the others?”

“I don’t know because I can’t remember anything either!” Phantom shot back. “Maybe the human gets amnesia after being overshadowed, but the ghost shouldn’t, right?”

“Sure, unless something happened that gave you amnesia, like a blow to your head during one of your fights or something, and you forgetting everything is what stopped you from overshadowing me. My amnesia could be the result of you overshadowing me, but yours could be anything.”

Phantom’s stomach twisted, and he pulled back his lips in a grimace. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Danny crossed his arms. “Oh yeah? Well, what’s your idea then?”

“That’s—” Phantom shook his head. “That’s not fair, I only just heard about this. You’ve had days to think about it!”

“Yeah, and days to try to find some other explanation! I’m not happy about this either, you know! I wanted it to be some awful ghost I could hate, not…not the guy who protects everyone and…and probably became this town’s hero because he was overshadowing me.” Danny ducked his head, his hair hiding his face. “Like. Fine. I was locked away for two years, but the guy who took over saved my home, my friends, my family, my whole town . How am I supposed to hate you for that? How am I supposed to wish we never crossed paths when you’ve done so much more good than I ever could on my own?” Danny pushed a hand into his black hair. “It sucks! ”

“I can’t say I’m pleased with it either,” Phantom admitted. “It feels wrong to steal someone’s life like that. I mean, what was I thinking ?”

“ If I’m right,” Danny said softly.

“If you’re right,” Phantom repeated, the tense set of his shoulders relaxing.

Danny sighed. He lifted his head from his hand and looked up at Phantom with wide, pleading eyes. “Do you remember anything? About us? About that night?”

Phantom closed his eyes, but he didn’t bother trying to remember. There was nothing there. “The only thing I remember about my past is a bright flash.”

“That’s it? That’s all?”

“I had a few dreams at the beginning,” Phantom admitted. “But they didn’t make sense. Purple doors and flowing ectoplasm. A white version of my jumpsuit. A green crown. That’s all.”

“Wow, you’re even worse off than me. No wonder you attached yourself to Dash.” Danny paused. “Wait, it was Dash, right? He’s the one that found you?”

“Yeah.” Phantom thought about elaborating, especially when he opened his eyes and saw Danny grimacing.

Danny clearly had a poor opinion of Dash, and it made Phantom uncomfortable. Dash had been a wonderful friend, eager to help but equally willing to give Phantom his space. Phantom liked him. He was funny. He got really emotional about romance shows, had a cute dog, and he thought Phantom was super cool, even when Phantom himself couldn’t remember anything. Phantom wanted to defend him. What Danny described in his logbook didn’t add up to the person Phantom knew.

And yet…

“What is a swirly?” Phantom asked.

“It’s where someone shoves your head inside the toilet bowl and flushes it,” Danny answered, his eyes narrowing. “The water swirls around your head and goes up your nose if you’re not careful. It feels like drowning. Just how much did you read?”

“Enough to know you have a crush on me.”

Danny stiffened, and that old blush returned to his cheeks. “I didn’t say anything about—just because I admire you doesn’t mean I like you!”

Phantom smirked. “You said I was hot.”

“I also said you were conceited! And, fuck, that was private!”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Phantom said, his grin widening, “I know many girls who agree I'm hot.”

“Wow. Yeah. Thanks. I feel all warm and toasty inside now.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You didn’t flirt back, did you? You have a lot of influence over them because of, you know, being a hero. They'll bend over backwards just for a smile or a kind word. You shouldn’t string them along if you don’t mean anything by it, and I’m pretty sure having multiple girlfriends is kind of a dick move.”

Phantom’s mood sank again, and something uneasy slid into his chest. He had flirted with them. It had seemed harmless, and Dash and Kwan had teased him about it as if it was all in good fun, complaining that he needed to save some for the rest of them. Phantom hadn’t felt there was anything wrong, but now…

…It was like what Danny had mentioned in his journal. Dash and Danny were two very different people, and Phantom could swing either way. Phantom liked Dash, but Danny…

Dash looked the part, but Danny seemed to understand what it meant to be a hero better.

“Is that something Dash would do?” Phantom asked softly. “String girls along and date more than one?”

“He probably wishes he could,” Danny grumbled. “He used to try when we were fourteen. I don’t know if he’s still that bad, though. That was apparently two years ago.”

Phantom nodded slowly.

Danny smirked, the almost cocky expression making Phantom narrow his eyes. “Starting to doubt the person you’re allowing to influence you?”

“He’s my friend ,” Phantom snapped.

“Yeah, well your ‘ friend ’ is a jerk to everyone else. He’s just as bad as the ghosts you fight.”

Phantom rolled his eyes.

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“You know,” Phantom said slowly, “I can see why Dash doesn’t like you.”

“It’s mutual,” Danny deadpanned.

“Sure. I’ll remember not to drop you into his arms next time.”

“Thanks,” Danny said dryly.

“I’ll drop you into Kwan’s instead.” Danny groaned, and Phantom winked at him. “I have to help you get over me somehow, right?”

“That was private !”

“Diaries and journals are private,” Phantom said, “ logs are meant to be read. That’s why space and ocean sailors write them.”

Danny scowled. “Don’t go turning my own coping thing against me. You still didn’t have permission.”

“Why is it such a big deal? It’s not like you’re the first human who has professed their love for me.”

“First of all!” Danny began, bristling. “There is no love, okay? At most , I said you were hot, and that was only because you kick ass. It has nothing to do with me being, like, attracted to you, alright?”

“Alright,” Phantom agreed, smiling.

“Secondly, maybe I didn’t want Dash 2.0 telling the real Dash I’m attracted to guys, ever thought of that? He’ll shove me into my locker more often because he doesn’t want me staring at his muscles or something! He'll make my life hell at school. No one knows except Sam, Tucker, and Jazz!”

“And now me,” Phantom said thoughtfully. “Assuming I didn’t know before our amnesia.”

“It was private ,” Danny stressed again, something tight in his voice.

“I guess…” Phantom glanced at the notebook, finally feeling slightly guilty for having read it. “I owe you something in return.”

“An apology would be a nice start,” Danny muttered. “Followed by you giving it back.”

“I was actually thinking about telling you a secret of my own,” Phantom offered. “A secret for a secret.”

“Okay, but you don’t remember anything, so what kind of secrets could you have?”

“A sexuality secret.”

Danny widened his eyes. The tight set of his shoulders slowly eased back down. “You’re gay? Or, um, bi? Since you flirted with those girls, I mean.”

“I think so.” Phantom sank lower in the air and held the notebook out to Danny. He didn’t add that he hadn’t thought about guys that way until he read the words in Danny’s journal, partly because he didn’t want Danny to think it was just another imprinting thing, and partly because he didn’t want Danny to get the wrong idea if he noticed the green tint spreading over Phantom’s cheeks. “Sorry about, uh. Prying.”

Danny hesitated. He appeared to struggle with himself before he finally sighed and uncrossed his arms. “I would probably have done the same if I was in your shoes and I found some guy’s notebook titled ‘Amnesia Log.’” He held the thermos out to Phantom. “Trade?”

They swapped items, and Phantom immediately swung the thermos’ strap around his shoulder, feeling better as its familiar weight settled against his back. It had been his one clue to his past since he woke up in the park. Only Dash’s warning about the family the “F” stood for had kept him from seeking his answers sooner. If he had known Danny Fenton could help him remember who he was…

Phantom smiled. No, Danny wasn’t the answer. Danny was the key to his past, but he was as in the dark as Phantom. They were both trying to find themselves.

Danny was more clever than he looked, that was certain. Dash hadn’t suspected Danny posed a threat, only his ghost-hating parents, but Phantom understood the concern and had intended to avoid him and his friends all the same. Dash insisted they were losers anyway, weirdos that didn’t care about what anyone else thought of them.

The only reason Phantom had ventured into Danny’s room in the middle of the night at all was because the filled thermos didn’t leave him with any other option.

It was strange how one decision could change everything.

“Where do we go from here?” he asked.

Danny titled his head. “What?”

“Will your friends give us answers now that we…” Phantom hesitated, trying to find a word to describe it, “know each other? I want to know what secret they’re keeping. It sounds like our answer to everything.”

“You could probably just let them catch you and see what happens.”

Phantom grimaced. “No thanks.”

“Eh, they’ll probably just grill you with a bunch of questions anyway…” Danny tipped his head further to the side, closed his eyes, and thought for a few seconds. “Maybe we could try to figure this out on our own? I mean, now that we know we played a big part in each other’s lives, maybe I’m the piece you’ve been missing and vice versa. If we hang out, something’s bound to start clicking.”

“For someone who doesn’t have a crush on me,” Phantom said, raising an eyebrow, “that sounds an awful lot like an invitation to get to know you better.”

Danny’s eyes snapped open, his blush returning. “Y-yeah, but not like that! Just—just to, uh, see what happens?”

Phantom’s eyebrow rose higher.

Danny’s blush darkened. “Um. Memory-wise. Spark some old memories. Together, but not together together. Not that I’m…uh… against …it if…”

Phantom held up a hand to stop him. “I get it. Tomorrow night?”

Danny’s blush didn’t recede at all, but he nodded jerkily. “Yeah. Sure. Have you ever stargazed?”

“Not that I remember.”

“We should start with that then.” Danny brightened a little. “I want to be an astronaut, so it’s a good place to start.”

“Sounds good.” Phantom adjusted the strap on his shoulder and began floating backward, toward the outer wall of Danny’s bedroom. “We’ll keep this a secret? I won’t tell Dash, and you won’t tell your friends?”

“I guess that’s fair.” Danny didn’t sound happy about it, but he also didn’t sound displeased. “They’re not that bad, you know. I think they’re just worried about you.”

“Dash isn’t that bad either,” Phantom said pointedly.

Danny snorted.

“Agree to disagree.” Phantom gave Danny a quick wave. “See ya.”

Danny opened his mouth, closed it, forced a smile, and waved back. Phantom spun around and flew through the wall. As soon as the night air struck his face, he sucked in a deep, refreshing breath and shot up into the skies.

He had a lot to think about…