#plus i pass out real easily even just from getting bloodwork done

[imekitty]

“Danny! Hey! What’s your blood type, Danny?”

Danny paused in the hallway as Paulina, Dash, Kwan, and Star walked up to him.

“O negative,” said Danny. “Why?”

“Oh, really? That’s perfect!” gushed Paulina. “Did you know that you can give blood to anyone, Danny? Literally anyone with any other blood type can receive type O negative blood. You’re a universal donor!”

Paulina cheerfully held out a flyer to him. He did not take it.

“The Casper High blood drive is tomorrow. The cheerleading squad has been put in charge of advertising.” She pressed the flyer closer to his chest, but he still wouldn’t take it. “Come on, Danny. You could be a hero to everyone with your blood type!”

He hesitated a moment longer, then took the flyer. “Thanks,” he said quietly before moving to walk away as fast as he could.

“You’re gonna donate blood, right, Fenton?” taunted Dash. “You’re not gonna wuss out about this, right?”

“Um...yeah, I’ll try to make it,” muttered Danny.

“I’m gonna watch for you, Fenton,” said Dash with a tone becoming even more derisive. “And if you don’t show up, I’m just gonna assume you’re an even bigger pussy than I already know you are.”

“Yeah, and a selfish one,” said Kwan. “How could you not want to do your part to save lives, Fenton?”

Do his part. To save lives.

If only they had any idea just how large his “part” was in saving lives these past few years.

“Yeah, okay,” said Danny more firmly. “Like I said, I’ll try to make it.”

He again moved to get away, but Dash’s powerful hand clamped on his shoulder.

“I know what that really means,” he said with a cruel smirk. “It’s during school hours, so you’re gonna be here anyway, Fenton. You just don’t want to because you’re scared. Is that it, Fentonpuss?”

Danny shrugged him off easily. Dash’s expression changed momentarily to mild surprise at Danny’s unexpected show of strength.

“All right, look.” Danny carefully studied each of the A-Listers and settled on Paulina’s face, which looked the least threatening. “It’s not that I’m afraid or even that I don’t want to. I just...can’t donate blood, okay?”

He handed the flyer back to Paulina. She did not take it but instead stared at it while creasing her brow in sober confusion.

“You can’t? What do you mean?” she asked.

“Yeah, is something wrong with you, Fenton?” asked Star.

“Oh, my God,” cried Dash loudly. “I get it. I totally get it.” He whooped. “You have HIV, don’t you, Fentonfag?”

Danny’s jaw dropped, sounds coming from his throat in strained sputters.

“Of course. I should’ve guessed. Yeah, you’re right, faggot. We don’t want your blood.” Dash snatched the flyer from Danny and slapped it back on the stack in Paulina’s hands.

Several students in the hallway had halted to listen in. Danny’s whole body heated as he stepped closer to the A-List.

“I do not have HIV,” he hissed in a low voice. “Don’t you dare start spreading that rumor around.”

“Then why can’t you donate blood?” asked Dash, not lowering his voice at all. “What’s wrong with your blood, fag?”

Danny leaned back from the group, inhaling deeply.

No. He didn’t have HIV.

But what he did have running through his blood would absolutely kill whoever received it in a transfusion.

His organs, his blood, every part of his body infused with ectoplasmic properties could never be useful to anyone else. This would forever be a way he could never be a hero to anyone.

“There are plenty of reasons apart from HIV why some people can’t donate blood,” he finally said in cool monotone.

“Then tell us your reason,” challenged Dash.

Danny stayed quiet for a moment. “It’s personal.”

“Personal. Right.” Dash sneered at him. “You’re either a pussy or a faggot, Fenton. Which do you want to go with?”

Danny engaged Dash in his staredown. There was once again no winning with the jock. Whatever convincing excuse Danny came up with, Dash either wouldn’t believe him or wouldn’t care. Dash would just believe whatever he wanted to believe.

He turned his attention back to Paulina, who looked neither aggressive nor judgmental. Only very bewildered.

“Thanks for letting me know, Paulina,” he said with a kind smile. “I’m sorry I can’t help out with the blood drive.”

He turned away from the group without another word, blocking out any resulting jeers.