You know, the only reason I'm writing so much today is that I managed to convince my mom to let me bring her laptop in the car with me while we drop my brother off at boy scout camp. A whole week with only 2/3 of my brothers! YES!
Disclaimer: My brother owns DP, but since he's going to be gone for a week, I guess I don't own DP. So stop bugging me! Also, there are some OCs that I do own, but please refrain from asking which is which. Or I'll add you to my list of people to mercilessly tickle.
The Eternal Slumber Party
Valerie collapsed on the overturned couch, grinning and laughing and trying not to barf from happiness. The couch tipped back into it's normal position and Valerie felt the world tip too before she slid off onto a pile of throw pillows. She didn't feel it. She was too busy sniggering. A small, chilly body plopped on top of her, shaking with giggles. Danielle. Valerie lifted her head, glancing at the glowing girl. Dani looked right back at her, smirking.
"Did you see when- and he- with the-" Dani began several sentences before finally collapsing back over Valerie's legs. The sight of Dani's face as it slowly became redder and redder was enough to send Valerie into hysterics. Dani choked on her own chuckles and began to cough. She twitched, and Valerie watched as two gloved hands scooped her up.
Phantom held Dani tightly and tucked her over his shoulder. He thumped her hard on the back a couple times and Dani hiccuped before sighing and ceasing to cough. Phantom gave Valerie a glare that reminded her of her father.
"See what happens when I let her play with other kids?" He griped, acting like a father. A slight smirk that he couldn't fully conceal clued Valerie into the fact that he was joking. "I leave her alone for five minutes and what does she do? She finds a fruitloop and eggs him!" Phantom casually gave Dani a noogie. "Maybe we really are related."
Valerie giggled, not because it was funny, but because her laugh track was broken and she would have giggled at anything. Ember glanced up from the couch, listening intently, and Valerie remembered the bet. Ember was probably hoping that Phantom would reveal his real relationship to the ghost girl. I wonder if I want to know too, Valerie thought. Do I really want to learn the truth?
Valerie was spared having to answer her own question when Phantom asked one of his own. "Ok, so, now what?"
Youngblood grinned. "Now we watch a movie while Vlad picks up, so we have something to do before we can make a mess."
Valerie rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, he'll pick up just so we can trash the place again."
Ember smiled. "Ah, but that's where the adult syndrome kicks in."
"Adult syndrome?" Valerie said. For a moment, she thought her voice was echoing, but then she noticed that Phantom and Dani had asked the same question, at the same time.
"Jinx!" Dani yelped. Phantom scowled. Valerie just rolled her eyes.
Ember continued. "Yeah, adult syndrome. All adults assume that they're smarter than children, even ghosts, and because of this, they let their guard down."
Youngblood continued. "That means that if we all slump down in front of a TV, Vlad'll think we're stupid enough to stay in there all evening."
Dani nodded. "Like Vlad thought I was stupid enough to keep fighting with Danny."
Phantom grinned. "Ha! You said my name! I can talk now!"
Dani pouted, then brightened. "Oh, well, it's not like. . . uh, she can talk yet." She said, nodding toward's Valerie. Valerie became annoyed and tried to speak, only to find Youngblood's hand in front of her mouth.
"You gotta follow the Jinx rules, Red!" He managed to smirk while talking.
Valerie just licked his hand, causing him to pull back with a yelp.
"Hey!"
Valerie smiled sweetly. "Thank you for saying my name." Youngblood fumed.
"So what're we watching?" Dani asked. Then she jumped out of Phantom's arms and began bouncing up and down on the couch. "Oh! Oh! How about Doctor Who?"
Valerie glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "Doctor Who?"
Dani nodded. "Doctor Who! It's cool, but creepy."
"So said the ghost girl to the ghosthunter."
"Good point."
Ember interrupted. "We can't choose yet. We're the only ones here."
"That's the point!" Youngblood announced.
Ember sighed. "Last time we chose the movie without the others, Deluge trashed the television, Static killed the remote, and Klemper accidentally froze half of the kids."
"So? that was fun!"
"Yeah, because you weren't the one frozen!"
"Who cares? We got you out!"
"By stacking us on top of the stove!"
"What's wrong with that?"
"My feet were on fire for five minutes before the rest of the ice melted, that's what, dipstick!"
There was a quiet cough, and Ember turned around, hair flaring five feet high. She finally seemed to notice that there was a large group of child ghosts watching her.
"Ok, we can choose what to watch now."
Valerie glanced around, realizing that she only knew a fraction of the ghosts there. One unrecognizable ghost seemed to reach the same conclusion, and he decided to voice it. "Ok, sure, but first of all, who's the girl who's still alive?"
Ember apparently decided that Valerie couldn't answer for herself, so she answered for her. "This is the Red Huntress."
The ghost guy blinked. "Really? Last I saw, she was still in that red rubber monstrosity with no breathing holes."
"I upgraded." Valerie said, beating Ember to it.
The guy's mouth twitched into a smile. Valerie took some time to study his features. He had blonde hair that stuck up like gravity had reversed on it, and his eyes were electric blue. He was wearing jeans and a blue tee-shirt and a small blue gem traced in gold graced his earlobe. He stuck out his hand. "My name's Static, but you can call me Snap."
Valerie took his hand and instantly regretted it. She felt a little static before hearing something crackle. She felt something snap. Valerie glanced down and almost screamed. His hand was black and burned, like a piece of charcoal.
"Oh! Sorry." Static said, pulling his hand back. He shoved it into his pocket in a movement that seemed practiced, as if he got this reaction a lot. At Valerie's questioning glance, he looked down and bean to mutter. "I was electrocuted. Hence the name Static."
Valerie shrugged. "It's ok. It's not your fault."
Static looked up. "You mean it? Most humans freak out."
Valerie tried to keep from smiling. "It just surprised me, that's all. It's not like you did it on purpose or something." Static smiled back at her and Valerie couldn't shake the feeling that she'd made a new friend.
What are you thinking! By tomorrow, you'll be shooting at him and he'll be shooting back! Screamed her practical side. But if Valerie was being honest, it was really the side of her that didn't want to be hurt by a ghost's betrayal. Static was dead, and the simple truth was that Valerie wasn't.
A girl stepped up and coughed into her fist to get attention. The very first thing that Valerie noticed was that the cough sent water splashing on the back of her hand. The second thing was that the girl's skin was blue, as were her eyes. The whites, or what should have been white, was a pale teal color. Her long black hair floated around her head like she was underwater, and every movement sent it flowing and tumbling in a new direction.
"Deluge." The girl said by way of introduction. She didn't reach to shake though, because she was too busy trying to get the water off her hand.
"Drowned?" Valerie asked. Deluge nodded.
"Obvious, isn't it?" She asked. "What tipped you off? The water?"
Ghosts started yelling out their names. "Stifle!"
"Crash!"
"Drag!"
"Press!"
"Fall!"
Valerie wondered if Phantom was the only one to have kept his human name. It added depth to a person she'd once thought two-dimensional. It made her wonder. . .
Me: I think that's enough soul searching for now.
Valerie: I don't. Keep writing.
Me: I don't think so. This is way longer than I was gonna make it to begin with, so be happy with what you have. Also, who thinks that Valerie should make a passing comment about Danny being Dani's dad and have him flip?
Danny: Not me.
Me: You don't count.
Danny: Why not? Because I'm bad at math?
Me: That pun was awful.
Danny: So was that one about 'soul searching'. That one was nasty.
Me: coughninjascough
Danny: That's blackmail!
