This Is Home [Danny/Dash]

Chapter Ten: Game Day

It would seem like any anxieties I had about my parents discovering I wasn't home were unnecessary. Their ridiculous looking van was missing and a note on the kitchen table was left to inform Jazz and me that they would be gone for the next few days on some special ghost hunting mission.

I let a wave of irritation wash over me and quickly let it go. They never let us know what their plans are and never bother to communicate, but it still ended up working in my favor. Oh well.

Dragging myself up the stairs and into my room, I collapsed on my bed with a groan. You would think that after finally getting a full night's sleep I would be feeling much more awake. But even with whatever boost my ghost powers gave my healing process, I was still exhausted. I tossed around trying to get more comfortable.

My parents aren't home and from what it sounds like neither is Jazz. She probably already left for school. If I don't show up, I can delete any voice messages the school leaves for my parents on the home phone. Might as well take the opportunity to sleep more and recover. Although, just sleeping won't fix all my problems.

Closing my eyes, I tried to release the tension that had built up in my body from this morning's excitement. Sure Dash had patched me up and let me stay at his place overnight without telling anyone, but it all just seemed too good to be true. The Dash, king douche and asshole to the student body, was being nicer. To me in particular. Something just doesn't make sense about all of it.

But maybe Sam was right. Maybe believing in whatever change he was trying to make would be for the best. Its still hard to wrap my mind around but... he bandaged my wounds. He took care of me when he could have left me. Whether or not it was for malicious purposes, I still owed him.

I turned onto my back and immediately was reminded of the large bruise I had sustained. After bracing at the sudden shock of pain that rushed to my back, I eased myself back into a relaxed position. Raising my hand over my face, I began to study the bandages wrapped around it. Dash was so careful, not to mention that his first aid skills were better than mine even though I am sure I have had to treat far more wounds than him. I wonder where he got that skill.

Thinking back on the various interactions I'd had with Dash over the past few days somehow lulled me into a calm that finally gave way to sleep.

It was noon when I woke up. The combination of not eating anything for breakfast and the unease leftover from a nightmare I couldn't remember was enough to prevent me from falling back to sleep. After realizing that it would be better to make an appearance at school, lest Jazz realize I was never there, I rolled out of bed.

The pain was more bearable to say the least. Several of the scratches I sustained had nearly disappeared from my skin's surface and I could move around more comfortably compared to before. Lasting the rest of the school day shouldn't be the hardest thing in this condition.

Getting dressed and eating breakfast took more time than I would like to admit, but at least I would be getting to school right as lunch was ending. Walking on to campus would be more inconspicuous that way, though only now did I bother to think that I should have texted Sam and Tucker.

Pulling out my phone and grimacing at the amount of missed messages, I opted to keep my explanation short and let them know I would be filling them in after class. I'm sure that they will both have a lot to say, Sam especially, but I hoped that at least they would go easy on me for why I had not told them I would be missing classes. They both worry too much.

Finally grabbing my bag, I decided it would be best to conserve my energy and walk to school instead of flying. I opened the front door and was on my way.