Seeing Double

Rebound - Part 2

The Fenton Phones were in his pocket, but he wouldn't call Phantom for help because

1, It would prove Paulina right and

2, He'd just been waiting for a chance to use the little blaster on his utility belt.

He thought that chance would have come with their fight with Ember, but he'd Hulked out instead.

Or, uh, Dragon'ed out. And Phantom had confiscated the amulet, afterwards.

But the blaster was filled with ectoplasm, not bullets or even lasers. Instead of freeing him it just sort of blinded Danny and splattered the inside of the locker door.

Some of it oozed out of the slates.

God, Danny thought. Some weapon.

oOo

It shouldn't be possible for a ghost to skateboard so easily, Phantom thought.

Not that Johnny was a pro. He tried a complicated jump where he kicked the board into a spin. The board landed wheels up and Johnny, when his feet connected, pinwheeled his arms and skidded with a painful scrapping of wood and concrete.

And then he fell.

He floated himself up before his chin could meet the ground, but he ripped the twin holes at the knees of his jeans wider.

"It's like you almost forgot you could fly," Phantom said.

"Fuck off, asswhipe," Johnny said. He picked his skateboard back up and glanced from it to Phantom. "Ain't you bored yet? 'M not used to a mother fucking audience."

"Is that why you come while the other skaters are at school?"

Phantom had been floating in place in what had become his favorite "sitting" position, with his legs crossed like a levitating monk, but now he tried to plant his feet on the ground.

He ended up bouncing slightly. It was like trying to stand still on a trampoline while someone else was jumping.

Johnny groaned. "It's always twenty questions with you."

"You're so good at looking human though," Phantom said. "You could hang out with the other skaters if you wanted to."

Johnny scoffed. "I got no use out of palling around with a buncha kiddos." He glared at Phantom. "One kid licking my heels is bad enough."

"How old were you when you died?" Phantom said. "I thought you were a high school kid."

"I keep sayin' it don't matter." Johnny glanced at the sky. In exasperation? Sometimes Johnny would get this look on his face, like he'd take a break from being grumpy and cool.

Was it melancholy? Phantom found that hard to believe.

"Okay, okay." Phantom gave up on trying to stand still and resumed his Zen float. "I'll leave you alone and stop asking you questions for the rest of eternity if you help me with something."

Johnny tilted his head. "Go on."

He was still standing firmly on the ground, holding his skateboard. He was glowing, but Phantom had seen him turn the glow off. He needed to know how.

But more importantly, "How do you control the floaty-ness?"

Johnny laughed. "The what now?"

To demonstrate, Phantom tried again to plant his feet on the ground. He landed so roughly that he bounced twice as high this time and was forced to do a little flip to get himself back down.