Phantomverse Stories

2. Dani Phantom

(Not my art)
The summer before my freshman year of high school, we had an end of the summer party at the Foley's house, just the three of us friends: Trenay Foley, Samuel Manson, and me, Danielle Fenton. We all chattered away about our hopes and fears for high school, about new teachers, harder classes, new students, a new school, boys, or, at least Trenay and I did, Sam just looked off into the distance, probably stewing in the darkness of the world, or whatever he says goths do.

But soon high school worries became even a little overwhelming for Trenay and I, so we decided to burn off some steam, or maybe I should stay, cool off a little, by having by far the most fun water balloon fight of all time in the Foley's backyard! Even Sam brightened up a little bit. Soon our t-shirts and shorts were splattered all over with wet marks, scraps of brightly colored water balloons clinging to our clothes and hair. After a half and hour, me and Trenay were both drenched, and giggling so hard we could barely throw a water balloon straight. Most of the time they just flew straight up into the air and landed right back on us, causing more fits of laughter. Sam, on the other hand, was barely even wet at all. I flung another water balloon at him, but he expertly dodged the attack and slid gracefully in the wet grass.

"C'mon Sam, stopped showing off!" I complained, hurling another water balloon in his direction.

Sam gave me a sly half smile and easily dodged it. "Maybe you should start throwing better then," he sneered. Trenay then caught my eye and nodded toward Sam. I quickly got the message and nodded back. Oh, he was in for it now!

Without any warning, I ran over to Sam and nimbly leapt onto his back, crossing my arms and legs over his torso so he couldn't shake me off.

"Hey get off of me!" yelled Sam, trying in vain to get me off of him amid my shrieks of laughter.

"Get me the bucket!" I commanded.

Trenay fumbled with her phone and the bucket, carefully keeping it at a safe distance from her precious device. "You do it!" she protested. "I've got to get a video!"

"Listen, I'm holding him down!" I replied. "You do it!" Trenay rolled her eyes then ran over with the bucket, which was still decently full of water balloons. Sam's eyes widened as he realized his fate. But it was too late!

I jumped down off Sam and grabbed the bucket from Trenay, then heaved it with all my strength over Sam's head before he could escape. A torrent of water and balloons rained down on Sam's head, bursting with colorful scraps of balloons flying everywhere. Sam sputtered, and when the last few droplets had been emptied on his head, he looked up at us, eyes blazing.

Trenay gave a pleased smile, tapping on her phone. "Got it!" she commented smugly. Then she fell silent as we both stared at Sam. He solemnly looked at us without smiling, then walked over toward the house. Concerned we followed him.

"Um, are you okay, Sam?" I asked worriedly. His back was towards me. When he turned around, he was holding the hose, aiming the spray nozzle straight us with a wicked grin.

"Yeah, I'm just fine!"

The last hours of daylight were spent chasing one another with more balloons, the hose, all amid squeals of laughter and failed and successful attempts of getting one another even more soaked than we already were. Later on, when the stars emerged, all three of us laid out in the dry summer grass, which prickled our bare skin on our arms, legs, and necks, but was the perfect way to view the masterpiece of the heavens.

"Do you think high school is going to be everything we're hoping for?" I say dreamily gazing upward.

"I'm not dreaming that it's going to be anything." grumbled Sam. "I know I'm just going miserable and be sucked into my inner world of darkness more than I already am."