Danny was sprawled across his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was faintly glowing with an ethereal pink aura. Another not-so-subtle reminder that being a half-ghost didn’t come with an “off” switch. Nerves made it worse. And with school starting in the morning, his nerves were working overtime.

Tucker lounged in Danny’s desk chair, feet kicked up, scrolling through his phone. Sam perched on the windowsill, arms folded, surveying the room with deadpan concern.

[color=red]“So, are you gonna just glow all night,”[/color] Tucker asked, not looking up from his screen, [color=red]“or do you want me to hit the lights for you?”[/color]

Danny shot him a weak smile. [color=pink]“Funny. If my parents come in and see this, I’m toast. Or, you know… ghost toast.”[/color]

Sam cracked a smirk. [color=darkviolet]“Relax, man. If anyone bursts in, I’ll just say you’re trying out a new nightlight aesthetic. Real cutting-edge stuff.”[/color]

Danny sighed, flexing his hands. [color=pink]“I just… what if I phase through the floor tomorrow? What if I go invisible in the middle of homeroom? What if Dom and I both glitch out and the whole school finds out?”[/color]

Tucker shrugged, still scrolling. [color=red]“Then you’ll be the coolest show-and-tell ever.”[/color]

[color=pink]“Not helping,”[/color] Danny muttered, though he looked a little less tense.

Sam’s voice softened. [color=darkviolet]“You’re not gonna mess up. And if you do, we’ll cover for you. That’s what we’re here for.”[/color]

Danny finally sat up, tucking his knees in. [color=pink]“You guys ever wish things could go back to normal?”[/color]

Sam shrugged. [color=darkviolet]“Not really. Normal’s overrated. I mean, look at me.”[/color] He said gesturing to himself. [color=darkviolet]“I gave up on being normal ages ago. Besides, you’re the only boy I know who paints his nails pink and still worries about fitting in.”[/color]

Tucker finally looked up and grinned. [color=red]“And hey, if you panic, just blame me. Teachers already expect weird stuff when I’m around.”[/color]

Danny laughed, genuine, this time. [color=pink]“You two are the worst.”[/color]

Tucker raised his phone in a mock toast. [color=red]“But we’re your worst.”[/color]

A comfortable quiet settled over the room. The glow surrounding Danny finally faded as he relaxed, knowing that, whatever happened, he wasn’t

[hr]

Danny was half-asleep over his cereal, trying to ignore the buzz of his mom’s latest invention. Dom wandered in, yawning, just as their dad burst in, the “Fenton Finder” started beeping. Danny’s heart skipped. It pointed right at him, but before things could get awkward, Jazz cut in, cool as ever.

[color=orange]“No. I will not let your insane obsession with ghosts pollute the minds of your impressionable children. Come on, Danny and Dom. I'm driving you both to school today.”[/color] Jazz announced, grabbing car keys.

Danny blinked, surprised. Jazz never drove them. As they hurried out, he could hear their parents whispering behind them, probably plotting a way to catch “the real ghost.” Danny just hoped he could get through first period without glowing.