Author's note: When I wrote the original version of this eleven years ago, I honestly didn't like it very much. But this remastered version? I can tell you that I love everything about this version. ^^
Also, yes, I copied some lines from "Mind Wrapped." I just thought I had already said them so well there, so why bother rewording them?
I am the Paulina writer; I bring to you my fics.
I've tried to make them worth reading. I started in 2006.
I get more reviews than many but also fewer than some.
Ah, but what the hell? You know it's just as well
'Cause after awhile we all go out of style.
Such is the nature of any fandom.
The Luckiest Girl in the World -Remastered-
The Moon Within Her Heart
Empty. Nothing but darkened clouds above her.
Paulina wrapped her arms around her knees and gazed up with longing. The music was blaring from the backyard, music that she normally would've been dancing to, showing off her years of dance lessons to all who would watch (and they all would, of course).
But she had no one to dance with.
She searched, but with the stars and moon covered by clouds and no ghost boy soaring through them, the sky looked as lonely as she was.
She arched her back, feeling the pleasant cracking sensation that moved up her spine. She had been to Dash's house a number of times, and the blond jock had once shown her how to get on his roof. She sat on the side away from his backyard and the party guests so that no one would see her.
But if he was still going to come, he would surely see her.
There was surely a good reason he wasn't there yet. A ghost fight, probably. He had to protect the town, after all. He couldn't put a silly party before that.
It wasn't because he didn't want to see her. That couldn't possibly be it.
She took off her heels and set them aside, wriggling her toes. She stretched out her legs and leaned back, felt a single drop of moisture hit her face. If it started raining hard, she would just go home. No point in staying at this party if the ghost boy wasn't there with her.
"Mind if I join you?" a young male voice asked her.
Paulina stiffened, afraid that Dash or some other boy had found her.
But there was something ethereal about the voice. It seemed to echo despite being out in the open air.
She turned slowly and beheld the shimmering visage of Danny Phantom standing on the roof not too far from her. She didn't move for a moment, afraid that if she moved that he would turn out to be just an illusion.
He smiled shyly. "Is that a no?"
Paulina jumped up and ran to him barefoot with outstretched arms. "You came!" She embraced him. "I was beginning to think—I mean, well—"
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting." The ghost boy's arms stayed at his sides as she hugged him.
Paulina pulled back and stared straight into his eyes, eyes so luminescent that it was almost painful to keep eye contact.
"I can't stay long," he said in a low voice. "You know, because of all of the ghost hunters here."
"Sorry about that," said Paulina. "I guess that was my fault for asking Dash to invite you. But you can dance with me for one song, right?"
"Of course. But you should know that I don't know a thing about dancing."
"That's a shame since you've got a perfect dancer's body." Paulina moved her hands down his toned arms, eyed his agile legs, admired his lithely youthful build that was so gorgeously accentuated by his form-fitting jumpsuit. She had never been this close to him for an extended period of time, and now she latched onto this reason to study his attractive physique.
The ghost boy looked down in embarrassment. "Um, thanks."
"You and I would look really good together." Paulina placed her hands in his. She could see the smallest green tinge in his face as he gazed at her in silence.
A new song began to play, a fast-paced number that got Paulina's hips moving without her even thinking about it, but it would certainly not make for a very romantic dance with the most beautiful partner she could ask for.
"Can we wait for a slow song?" she pleaded with the sexiest pout she could muster.
The ghost boy chuckled. "Sure."
But what to talk about until then? Paulina realized that she knew almost nothing about him apart from him being the town's hero.
She caught sight of something on his belt, a tube-shaped device. "What's that?"
The ghost boy looked down. "Oh." He unlatched the device from his belt. "I use this to capture ghosts."
"Cool! Can I look at it?"
The ghost boy held it out to her. "Sure. Just don't push this button here."
"Why? Will it blow up or something?"
"No, but it would suck me inside, and then I wouldn't be able to get out until someone who knows how to work it releases me." He smiled at her. "I'm trusting you with this, you know."
"I'm honored." Paulina kept her fingers as far from the button as she possibly could. "But if I were to accidentally trap you inside of it, who could I ask to get you out? Who knows how to work it?" She turned it over and saw a name that made her frown. "Fenton?"
The ghost boy tensed at the mention of this name. "Uh, no, what makes you—"
"That's the name right here." She handed the Thermos back to him and pointed out the label.
The ghost boy took the Thermos and only stared at the name.
"Did Danny Fenton give this to you?"
The ghost boy's eyes glazed over. He blinked and refocused them.
"It's okay; you can tell me!" Paulina gave him a reassuring smile. "He's a friend of yours, isn't he?"
The ghost boy furrowed his brow. "What makes you say that?"
"I seem to recall you telling me to make out with him and to wrap my mind around the idea of 'Paulina Fenton.'" Paulina batted her eyes a couple times.
The color in the ghost boy's face darkened slightly. He put a hand to his forehead in what looked like embarrassment. "I did say that, didn't I?" He looked back at her with a sheepish grin and held his hands up. "Okay, I am so sorry about that. It was a really stupid, immature thing to say."
"No, no! It was sweet," insisted Paulina.
The ghost boy eyed her warily.
"You were just being a good friend to Danny Fenton, right?"
The ghost boy's eyes shifted as he mulled this thought over. "I…guess you could put it that way."
"So, you admit it?" Paulina moved closer to him. "You and Danny Fenton are friends?"
The ghost boy chewed the inside of his cheek. "Well…I mean…I know who he is…"
"Poor guy," said Paulina wistfully. "He wants me so much, even managed to convince you to play him up for me. But unfortunately for him, there's only one boy for me." Paulina gave him her most beautiful smile, her best come hither expression. "You…Danny Phantom."
His lips were parted slightly, his cheeks were glowing with color. She could see the desire in his eyes, the stirrings and beginnings of the sort of arousal she was used to bringing about in boys who interacted with her. But no boy looked nearly as adorable as he did in this state.
A new song began to play, a romantic ballad. Paulina looked in the direction from which the music was coming. "I love this song," she sighed.
She could see the ghost boy moving out of the corner of her eye. She looked back to see him holding out a gloved hand to her.
"May I have this dance?" he asked with the most genuine smile.
Blushing, she placed her hand in his, laced and locked her fingers with his. Her other hand went to his shoulder while his went to her waist, well above her hip. Such a gentleman. She'd have been completely fine if he wanted to place it lower. All boys loved her best asset, after all, and she wasn't about to deny the only boy she ever wanted full access to it.
"I thought you didn't know how to dance," she whispered.
Short steps.
"I don't," he whispered back.
Small spins.
"You're doing pretty well for someone who doesn't know how to dance, then." Paulina looked down at the surface beneath them. "Especially considering how difficult it is on this slanted roof."
"Oh, well, then…" The ghost boy moved her hand he was holding up to his shoulder and gently placed it before letting go. His freed hand then found its way to her waist.
Paulina gasped as the ghost boy lifted her into the air by the waist, her bare feet leaving the roof and dangling below her. She linked her arms around him tightly, pressed herself against his chest.
"Don't worry. I've got you," he assured her in a soothing voice.
Such close contact, her legs swinging against and around and between his. There were no words, nothing to be said that could possibly be worthy of this moment. She could only stare at him as he spun her around in time to the music.
"Is this okay?" he asked softly.
Paulina finally found her voice. "It's incredible."
Twirling, her bare legs soaring away from him before colliding against him again.
She looked down at the roof which seemed to be getting farther away. "Are we getting higher?"
"Should I take us lower?"
"No. I was just wondering."
Their dance continued in comfortable silence. Paulina was mesmerized by his hypnotic hold on her. She was usually the spellbinding one, but this boy had magic she had no idea even existed.
A drop of water hit her nose. Paulina looked up. "Oh, no," she moaned as more rain drops began to fall. Light at first, but it wasn't long before they were too hard and dense to be ignored. Shrieks and yells could be heard from the backyard.
"Do you happen to have your purse with you?" asked the ghost boy.
Paulina looked at him curiously. "For what?"
"For the change in the weather."
Caught off-guard, Paulina let out a quick burst of laughter.
The ghost boy broke into a pleased grin. "You laughed at my pun!"
"Well, of course," giggled Paulina. "It was funny."
The ghost boy turned slightly green as he gazed at her fondly.
Paulina bowed her head and pressed herself against the ghost boy in an attempt to shield her face from the falling precipitation. She groaned loudly.
"Do you not like rain?" asked the ghost boy.
"I'm definitely a clear skies and sunshine kind of girl."
"I like that about you."
Paulina blushed and kept her face hidden against his chest. No other boy had ever made her feel shy before. "Really?"
"Absolutely. And if my date doesn't like rain, then I'll make it stop."
Paulina's breath caught. His date. He had actually used that word. Euphoric, lightheaded, Paulina barely noticed the falling rain. In fact, she could no longer feel it at all. All she could feel was his strong body against hers, his hands gripping her waist.
"Better?" he asked.
Paulina blinked and looked around and up. The rain was coming down hard, but she could not feel it. She looked at the boy in her arms curiously. "Are you doing this?"
"Mmm hmm."
Paulina grinned and gaped, watched the streams of water fall right through her arms. "How?"
The ghost boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Intangibility. Any ghost can do it. A parlor trick, really."
Paulina gazed at him in awe. "Is this really just ordinary to you?"
"No. Nothing about this moment is ordinary," he said in a hushed voice.
Her eyes roamed his face. Her arms still around his neck, she rested her head on his shoulder as he continued to spin her in the air, the rain falling in splashes around them. She had never thought of rain as romantic before, had always thought rain was just cold and uncomfortable and made her clothes damp and heavy and ruined her make-up and hair.
But being here with him now, the ambient sound of the rushing rain reverberating with the dreamy strums of the music, was the most enchanting experience. In a night that was otherwise dark, with his bright glow, it was as if the moon itself had decided to come down just for her.
She hugged him, hugged the moon close to her fluttery chest.
"Ghost boy," she murmured. "Danny. Can you do something for me?"
"Anything," he murmured back.
She lifted her head from his shoulder. "Kiss me."
She closed her eyes and moved in close to him, felt him move into her as well.
A chorus of shrill screams interrupted them. They both opened their eyes and looked at each other in confusion before turning toward the direction from which the screams had come.
Below them standing on the front lawn of Dash's house were all of the news reporters and ghost hunters along with dozens of party guests. They stared up at them as the rain continued to fall.
The ghost boy immediately landed the two of them on the roof and let go of Paulina as he studied the scene with an apprehensive grimace. Paulina could once again feel the rain against her skin.
"No, don't stop! Keep going!" a female reported shouted up at them, microphone in hand, spitting out a small amount of water as she spoke.
The ghost hunters pointed their guns at the ghost boy, who flinched.
"No, you promised you wouldn't shoot him until we got some good footage!" a male reporter pleaded.
"What, that wasn't good enough?" retorted a ghost hunter.
"Play another slow song!" another reporter demanded.
"How long do you think they've been there?" the ghost boy asked Paulina in a weak voice.
"I don't know," said Paulina truthfully.
"Hey, who is that up there with him?" the female reporter from before asked.
"That's Paulina!" a group of guys cried in unison.
"Paulina." The ghost boy grabbed Paulina's shoulders and looked at her seriously. "I have to go. Right now."
Paulina wanted to throw her arms around him and beg him to take her with him wherever he went. But instead, she kept her arms at her sides and nodded in understanding.
"You're not going anywhere, ghost!"
A new voice. The ghost boy and Paulina whipped their heads around to find a feminine figure dressed in a red and black suit hovering on a jet sled and wielding a huge gun that was pointed directly at the ghost boy. Only her face was visible, eyes that burned with hot ire. Paulina wondered where she had seen those eyes before. She was sure she had, but in the pummeling rain, it was hard to know for sure.
The ghost boy gasped and held Paulina close to him, as if he were protecting her. Paulina made a mental note to swoon about this moment later when she was safe.
Because he would definitely keep her safe. She had no doubt about that.
"Stay away from her!" the girl in red barked.
She fired a blast at the ghost boy. He skillfully dodged with Paulina still in his arms.
"What the hell are you doing?" he angrily demanded. He stood in front of Paulina like a shield. "It's me you want, not her!"
"Then move away from her." The girl in red aimed her gun at him again with gritted teeth.
"Please don't!" begged Paulina. From behind, she clutched the ghost boy's arms to prevent him from meeting the girl in red's demand. "Don't hurt him."
"Step aside, girl," the stranger ordered. "This ghost has cost me too much trouble."
Paulina shook her head and stood resolutely.
The girl in red growled. "Paulina, move."
Paulina's mouth opened slightly. The way this girl said her name so familiarly…
The ghost boy turned and grabbed Paulina around the waist again, but instead of going up like before, he took her down, down, down. Paulina screamed as he intangibly forced her down through Dash's roof and landed her on her back on the floor in a hallway upstairs.
She gazed up at him, on his hands and knees above her. She propped herself up on her elbows to bring herself closer to his face.
"I really have to go now," he said hurriedly. "I'm sorry." He jumped up and turned invisible, and Paulina could sense him flying away through a wall.
She stayed on the floor for some time, lay back and smoothed the soaked tresses of her ruined hair. Outside the open front door downstairs, she could hear the voices of all those who had interrupted the most magical moment of her life.
Original reviews
Invader Johnny: Phew... thank god that the kiss didn't happen and I THINK I can take a wild guess at who screamed as both their faces were inches from each other
L'ange-Sans-Ailes: i want paulina and danny to pair up, she almost seemed human
redgrass-and-silvertrees: OH MY GOSH! You understand, someone understands! So Paulina is a snooty little popular jerk? She also happens to be a FANGIRL! This is THE only story (that i've seen anyway)where someone has shown her true fangirl nature!
Punker88: Darni t, Valerie screws up again!
Lisa-24-7: I can't beleive Paulina didn't recognize Valerie! Oh well she is clueless
Brandersnatch: there's one thing you should know: The main reason people are starting to like Paulina is your story.
Kimnd: COOOOOCK BLOOOOOOCK
IcyGhostLlama: THEY ALMOST KISSSSSSED! GAHHHHHH! *Whacks my head against a wall* STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! I SOOOOOO wanted them to kiss! D': STUPID GHOST HUNTERS AND REPORTERS... And Valerie! ARGH! DX
