This Is Home [Danny/Dash]

Chapter Two: What Leads To Glowing Eyes

As I washed out the shampoo from my hair, I raised my head to face the showerhead. Closing my eyes, I let the water flow over me. In a way it felt like it was cleansing me, relieving me of all of my stress. Being a hero all the time can not only take a toll on your body but your mental state as well.

"What am I even doing?" I whispered to myself. A sense of nihilism welled up inside of me. Every ghost I ever catch will just show back up again. My efforts are pointless. Why do I bother? I sighed aloud and turned off the shower. Now wasn't the time to think about my own mortality or lack thereof. I just have to dry off and get ready for my next class. Having the late night that I did, what with catching the box ghost for the ninth time this week, I had put off doing my homework in favor of sleep.

The free period I had after gym has saved me countless times from a failing grade. I was always able to finish just enough homework to make it look like I at least tried.

Grabbing a towel, I dried myself off. I ran my fingers through my hair and noticed how long it was getting to be. Maybe I should get it cut soon? I grabbed my clothes and began to dress. Leaving the showers, I headed for my locker and opened the door to grab my unfinished work. I crammed my dirty clothes into my school bag. They definitely needed a trip through the washer.

After sitting down on the locker room bench for a good half hour, I came to the conclusion that I would never understand what the quadratic equation was or how to use it. And fine by me! I don't need math to fight ghosts. How ridiculous would that be? I laughed to myself at the idea of having some sort of math battle with Skulker to see who could solve a problem faster. Just stupid...

With the bell about to ring, I packed up my things and swung my backpack over my shoulder. I peeked out the door to make sure the coast was clear of any unwanted attention and continued on when I saw that I was safe. It was nice to be able to walk down the school hallways without being elbowed by the sea of teenagers rushing to their next class.

I started to hum again as I walked. It was a soft and rather random tune, but I didn't mind. It was relaxing to allow whatever notes I wanted into existence.

Blinking slowly, I turned at a corner in the hall. My relaxed state of mind was disrupted when I saw Dash standing at his locker. We had our last period in the same room, so it wasn't too surprising to see him there. However, since I already had a rough morning and had barely enough energy for school, a limited number of run-ins with Dash would be preferable. I pulled out my phone and pretended to message someone as I crept by.

This didn't seem to go over as well as I had hoped. As I peaked to see if he saw me, we made eye contact. But that was only for a second before Dash slammed his locker shut, making me jump. He glared at me. I froze in my place, shifting unconsciously. He took two steps towards me. I moved back.

I felt a bead of sweat starting to form on my forehead. What the hell does he want now? Did I do something to piss him off? Questions raced through my mind. My shoulders tensed and I locked my knees. My breath hitched as Dash reached out his hand.

Just as Dash was about to say something, the bell rang through the halls, releasing clusters of students from their classes and into the halls. The sudden influx of people allowed me to merge with the crowd, camouflaging myself from Dash. There is no way I was going to stick around for him to use as a punching bag.

I ducked into the classroom I had been heading to before. By breathing in and out slowly I was able to calm my heart rate. It looked to me like I was the first one in the classroom. Good.

Walking a few rows back from the front I sat down at my desk. Putting my seat in the middle of the classroom must have been some sort of way for my teacher to get back at me. I constantly felt like there were eyes on me that I couldn't escape from. It was suffocating. 

As I began settling into my spot, I felt eyes on me and looked up to see Dash. He stood in the doorway and continued to stare me down even after I looked away.

Dash's eyes fixated on me, like some sort of animal watching their prey. I felt my hands become clammy and my body became stiff. Boy was I in for it. He stomped over to my table and slammed his palms down on the wooden surface, knocking my notebook and pencil to the ground. I looked back up at him hesitantly

"Meet me after class. Back of the school. Don't be late." He seemed frustrated, but not in his usual cocky and generally pissed off way. This set me off, but I still nodded quickly. I swallowed loudly. Dash held our eye contact a few seconds longer. He broke it with a rather droopy expression. Something was definitely wrong here.

After calming down, I saw that more students were coming into the room. I sighed out of relief, being grateful that nobody was there to witness the strange interaction Dash and I just had. Soon enough, the instructor entered the room and the room fell quiet.

"Alright class, let's begin. Please turn to chapter three in your textbooks." The teacher said as his students followed the instructions. I pulled out my book and tried to look like I was paying attention.

The entire period I could feel Dash's eyes on me. I would glance over my shoulder and we would meet each other's gaze. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, but I just had to put up with it for a little longer.

Our instructor droned on about slope-intercept form and how y = mx + b while I fidgeted with the edges of my sleeves. The bell was getting dangerously close to ringing. The anxiety building up was going to reach its peak soon. I pulled out my phone under the desk and opened the messaging app.

Danno: Hey I'm gonna be late to walk with you guys today

Trucker: Get detention or just suck at alge-bro?

Danno: Algebro?

Trucker: Like Algebra and bro...

Trucker: together...

Trucker: I thought it was funny!

Samonella: I mean I guess you tried

Danno: I'll tell you guys later

Danno: It's too much to message

Samonella: Fair

Trucker: But I NEED the drama!!

Samonella: Patience little nerd

Trucker changed Truckers name to BIG LARGE nerd

Samonella: Wow I'm so impressed.

I smiled fondly at my phone. No matter how silly they can be, Sam and Tucker will always be my best friends. They know just how to cheer me up, so whatever happens, today will be okay.

Just as I finished that thought, the bell loudly rang, interrupting our teacher's sentence. Students grabbed their bags and ran out of the door. Crap why didn't I get everything together quicker. I heard heavy footsteps coming up from behind me and my muscles tensed.

A large hand thumped on my desk and a pair of glaring eyes met mine. Eyes that said if I didn't come I was dead meat. I sunk further into my seat and averted my gaze. I grabbed my notebook and pens and shoved them messily into my backpack. I swung it around my shoulder and stood up.

"Ready?" Dash said in a low voice that resonated through the room. The remaining students in the room hushed and glanced over. I hated all the attention.

I slowly nodded and kept my eyes on the ground. I lagged behind about three paces from Dash to avoid drawing any more wandering eyes. My legs felt heavy and my hands turned clammy. My heart rate was rising and I felt like the hallway was twisting and turning.

"Hurry up." He blandly said with only impatience in his voice. He held open the door leading to the courtyard. I crept towards the exit and shivered as I walked past Dash. I walked to a more secluded area figuring that he would follow me so he could beat me up or spit on me or whatever he wanted to do. I knew I would be able to find a way out of it.

I halted once I reached a point I thought was secluded enough.

"So lay it on me Dash, what's got your boxers in a knot?" I said with whatever confidence I could feign.