#for the fanart I linked at the top I really wanna credit the OP but I think they've deactivated bc I can't see who posted it

[wastefulreverie]

i’ve been thinking about this fanart lately

The kids of Casper High knew that not all ghosts were evil. Well, most of them. A few of the students were slow on the uptake, or just too stubborn to admit that Phantom did good for the town. The most notorious defender of the Fentons’ school of thought was Valerie Gray, who vehemently protested Phantom’s praise. Another was Wes Weston, who insisted that Phantom was deceiving them all, that he was really just the Fentons’ son fishing for attention. And then the Fentons’ son, Danny, well he agreed with his parents through and through. Many had tried to change his mind, but he stayed firm with his parents’ beliefs.

“I was thinking,” Paulina posed in English class one morning, “our class should put together a memorial or appreciation event for Phantom! He’s done so much for the town and for us.”

“Yeah, that makes total sense! He never gets the appreciation he deserves!” Dash agreed.

Paulina stood from her desk. “So, if we do this, we’re all down to make it happen, right?”

Around the room, there were affirmations of agreement. Sam Manson and Tucker Foley beamed from ear to ear, and even Lancer nodded his head in agreement.

Danny Fenton scoffed. “And what does a thing like that deserve?”

Paulina’s smile wavered. “He puts his life on the line for us, every day. I’d say that warrants some recognition. Even if you don’t think he’s sentient or has feelings, doesn’t mean we don’t.”

“Well, you’re wrong.” Danny glared. “It’s just an unfeeling remnant of what was once human consciousness, slave to the whims of its obsession. If any of you cared to pick up a book or look at my parents’ research, you’d know that.”

“Well, maybe we don’t need to read to know that Phantom’s a good guy, Fenturd!” Dash snapped. “His actions tell us all we need to know, even if he does have an obsession.”

“Phantom’s a hero!” Kwan agreed.

The rest of the class chimed in agreement.

“Ugh, whatever.” Danny trained his eyes on his desk. “Just don’t get your hopes up if he doesn’t show.”

“Hmph. I’m sure he will,” Paulina dismissed. “Now, I was thinking we could hold the memorial at the park—“

Kwan found Danny Fenton staring at his reflection in the restroom. All the lights were off, and the only light in the room was from the narrow window near the ceiling. Even when Kwan moved from one side of the room to the other, Danny didn’t move.

It was strange, to say the least.

“Hey, Fenton,” Kwan said. “You good there?”

Danny broke from his stupor.

“Kwan?”

“Yeah, man. You were just staring off into space there.”

Fenton blinked. “Ah. I was just thinking.” He reached down to grab his bag. “See ya.”

Kwan surprised himself by placing his hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Wait.”

Danny turned his eyes to Kwan’s and he felt his insides freeze. In the dim light of the restroom, Danny’s eyes had almost appeared green for a moment. It must have been a trick of the light because when Kwan looked again they’d returned back to their dull blue.

“I was wondering,” he started, “why you put so much faith in your parents’ research when you’ve seen Phantom’s good deeds, just like all of us. You were there when we took back that ghost ship trapping our parents, you must have seen Phantom! Isn’t that enough?”

“What I saw then, was a ghost,” Danny said coldly. “Unlike the rest of you, I know what ghosts are. I’m not so keen to forget because some ghosts have charisma, or whatever you think Phantom has.”

“We don’t trust him because of his charisma, we trust him because he’s a good dude! He saves people."

“So? Maybe he saves people, but that doesn’t change the truth. Phantom isn’t what you think he is.” Danny threw his backpack over his shoulder and moved to leave. The sudden motion made the hairs on Kwan’s arm stand on end. “He’s a monster.”

The bathroom door shut with a resounding slam.