I anxiously paced the length of my room. The students had been dismissed from school before I had been able to see Phantom or the Fenton's leave, but that had been nearly an hour and a half ago. What in the hell could he be doing for an hour and a half? Nothing good, that's for sure. It was stupid to worry about him, but I couldn't help it.

In a small fit of frustration, I fell face first onto my bed and groaned into my pillow. To the left of my face laid my phone, which hummed on the bed. I looked up groggily and glanced at the text.

Dash: Hey

Me: Hey. Sup?

Dash: boooooored.

Me: Sucks. Y?

Dash: im getin checked in. takes 4ever.

Me: At least you're there…

Dash: true. I gtg they take my phone

Me: k. ttyl. Hope you get better!

I threw my phone back into the deep folds of my comforter, nestling for the luxury of my pillows. As I studied the black pillowcase I thought of Tara and Jackson. It was nice to have someone talk to me and I was definitely excited to meet up with them. Why not give people a try, right?

I dragged myself off of my bed, bored. By this point, I had completely run out of ways to entertain myself. I fiddled with the edge of my calendar for a minute, realizing that Christmas was rapidly approaching and so was Dad's arrival. Where did all the time go?

I moved away from my calendar, plucked a book from the shelf, and returned to my bed to read. I let the words wash over me, echoing in my mind. It had been so long since I had actually sat down and read a book, that I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed it, or what it was like when a book was my only friend. I missed the adventures, these people with their wonderful quirks, and their own world. I wished I was a character. I wished that I could be sure that I would have a good outcome, that I was promised love and happiness in the end. Sadly, I was not someone's character. I was not a product of written word and someone's mind. I was a person and I was going to have to get through life without knowing the consequences.

I sighed, surfacing from the book and rubbing at my eyes. The sun was sinking, barely peeking over the horizon. My legs were stiff from being in one position too long and I rubbed at them, trying to regain feeling. I was so absorbed in my task that the knock nearly gave me a heart attack. I swung my head around quickly.

"Get in here," I half-growled when I saw Phantom just standing on my balcony.

He gave a sheepish smile as he heard my voice. He walked through the door. "Sorry it took me so long to get here."

"Are you okay? I was at the school and there was this loud bang and I was so worried about you. What happened? Are you bleeding, hurt?"

"I'm fine." He curled up at the end of my bed. "A bit tired though. And that bang was a Fenton blaster –"

"Jackson told me."

Phantom's bright green eyes met mine and his cheek twitched. "I'm gonna want to know who he is later."

"Jealous?" I teased.

"A little," he admitted, begrudgingly.

"What's a Fenton blaster?" I asked, switching topics.

"It's a type of gun that was made by Fenton Works. It'll blow anything it's pointed at to pieces. Even when a blaster hits a ghost, though, the ghost will quickly reform. It didn't take me long to defeat the dragon ghost. She's very weak."

"Then what took you so long to get here?" I asked.

"I had to fight some others," he replied, stretching out across my bed diagonally so that my feet were under his back, his spine digging into my toes. "They get stirred up during any kind of holiday. Christmas is a crazy time."

"Speaking of Christmas," I mused, repositioning myself. I moved so that I was lying across his chest, "should I get you something?"

"What would I do with a Christmas gift?" He pondered.

"I was just asking," I defended myself, though I felt silly about it now. At least it took the stress away from trying to find him a gift because I was beyond lost when it came to that.

"I just want to see you on Christmas." Phantom smiled. "I don't really need anything beyond that."

"You're cute."

"You're cute." Phantom countered. "Now, who is Jackson?"

"He's Tara's sister."

"And who's Tara?" He asked.

I grinned, practically feeling the impatience rolling off of him. "A girl."

"Sam, I'm gonna . . ."

"Gonna what?" I giggled.

Phantom sat up suddenly, causing me to fall back onto my mattress. I forgot how quickly he could move sometimes – far faster than my human eye could catch. I was pinned beneath him and a lot of his weight was being settled against my thigh.

"You're heavy," I grunted.

"Are you calling me fat?" He whined, genuinely looking hurt.

"Yes."

"Brat," he said, looking wounded.

"Eh," I tried to shrug but it was hard in the position I was in. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I'm going to shut you up," he tried to sound threatening but I was just laughing at him.

"Yeah right," I snorted, rolling my eyes.

Phantom gave me a flat glare but leaned down and kissed me, effectively stealing my words.

(-.-)

"You do realize there's this thing called exams," I said slowly, staring at Fenton. I was perched at his kitchen table, drowning in a sea of math texts and sheets. He was preparing himself an 'after school snack' but looked more like what I would eat for dinner … for the next four days.

"They're not until the end of January."

"There's this thing called 'you're going to fail the class'," I continued.

"Class doesn't end until January," he said, bringing his humongous snack to the kitchen table.

"Do you care about your grade at all?" I questioned him.

Fenton looked up, a dab of peanut butter on the corner of his lip. He met my eyes and replied, "There's more important things for me to be caring about."

"Paullina?" I guessed.

"Thought you didn't like discussing personal lives?" Fenton asked, tearing through another section of his food.

"I don't mind when you're nice about it," I said.

Fenton gave me a cheeky grin that would probably make about three-quarters of the female population of Casper High swoon. "When have I not been nice?"

I glared at him.

"Fine, fine. Don't answer that. What can I say, I'm an asshole."

"I'll agree to that." I grumbled. Instead of continuing the conversation, I flipped open his binder and to the newest math sheets. "Do you know what method you use to solve these equations?"

Fenton stared at the page. "Uhh …" he frowned. "Hyperbole?"

I groaned.

(-.-)

I walked into school on Wednesday and all I heard was her name.

Paullina was back.

She, Fenton, and their entourage were all splayed out in the lobby. She was poised like a princess as people smiled and worshipped her on their way to their lockers. Despite only having an ankle boot on she was planted in a wheelchair, trying to play up the 'poor little victim' look while she still had the opportunity.

"Samantha," she sighed my name, her dark eyes settling on me. "How are you?"

I paused. "Fine." I replied shortly. "How are you feeling?"

"I could be better, thanks to your retarded friend."

"There's no need to disgrace the dead," Tucker snapped at Paullina.

"Don't tell me what to do," Paullina growled threateningly at Tucker.

I watched, confused, as Tucker turned his eyes to Fenton. Fenton glanced at his friend and slightly shook his head. I wondered what it all meant. Fenton tightened his grip on Paullina's shoulder, where he was standing over her. Starr, leaning against the wall to Paullina's right, fidgeted.

"Paully," she said in her squeaky voice, "it was a little cruel. She's gone now, can we just forget about her?"

"Just because she's dead, it does not make her a saint. It doesn't excuse what she did to me in life. I am missing important organs because of her!" Paullina glared over both shoulders, first at Tucker and then at Starr. "Don't defend her or I'll make you nobodies."

Starr immediately tightened her lips and looked upset. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Tucker didn't say a word. He crossed his arms over his chest and kept glancing at Fenton.

I went to walk passed them when Paullina's voice rang out again. "I'm getting close to the truth, slut. And when I do, your life here in Amity will be over."

I didn't turn around or acknowledge her words, but inside, my gut was twisting. What kind of truth could she be talking about? I didn't know what would happen if The Thing was found out about in Amity – the students here were not nearly as cruel or judgmental as the ones I had left behind in New Orleans. I also knew that Paullina could, single handedly, make me a complete outcast.

I didn't want to have to start over again.

(-.-)

It was afterschool and I was waiting for Jackson and Tara. She showed up first, cigarette dangling from her mouth.

"Want one?" She offered, the pack poking out of her jacket pocket.

I shook my head.

"You see Paullina today?" Tara asked.

I nodded. "First thing this morning. That's how I knew it was going to be a perfect day."

"She's a right little bitch, eh? I've been on her wanted list since my first year of high school."

"What did you do?"

"I accidentally hit her in the face with a volleyball during gym class."

I laughed. "Bet that felt good."

Tara nodded. "You have no idea. Why are you on her list?"

I looked at her quizzically. "I never told you I was on her list."

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone's on her list. Besides, no one is that bitter over her unless she's done something."

I shrugged. "I exist. She doesn't need any more of a reason to hate me."

"I heard you were there when Grey beat her up."

"I was. It was scary."

"Shit. If you want, I've still got a good throwing arm." Tara pretended to heft a volleyball. "I never did pick up the game though." She smiled at me. "YO JACKASS! Walk faster."

My eyes moved to the front doors, where Jackson was coming down the steps. He was pretty far off but I could still see his middle finger snap out as a greeting to his twin.

"Queer," she muttered when he got close.

He glared at her. "Tara," he warned.

"What?" She looked at him with huge, innocent eyes. "Sam isn't going to care that you're interested in male genitalia."

Jackson blushed.

All I could offer was a weak agreement with Tara's words. "I really don't care."

"Just don't try to get up on her boyfriend." Tara said, setting off down the road. Jackson and I trailed after her, unsure of where we were even heading.

"How did you know I have a boyfriend?"

"You have a hickey on your neck, you haven't lit up my gaydar and you don't seem like the type for one night stands. Ergo, boyfriend."

My hand automatically went to my neck.

"Other side," Jackson murmured to me and I blushed. "And I doubt I'll be interested in your boyfriend."

"Oh no," Tara said sarcastically. "Because you're only interested in one person."

"Who?" I asked as Tara led us up the front steps of a house, which I assumed was hers.

"The same person that Paullina Sanchez is interested in!" Tara kicked off her shoes and headed into the kitchen.

"Fenton?" I asked, glancing at Jackson who immediately shook his head.

"No, the person that Paullina is in love with."

"Dash?" I guessed ,the only other person I could think of that Paullina would be interested in.

"God no!" Jackson mimed puking. "That buff gorilla physique doesn't do anything for me."

"Then who?" I asked.

"Don't laugh," he pleaded.

"I wouldn't," I swore.

"It's Phantom – you know, the ghost boy?" He asked.

I almost died.

Thanks to my beta: foreversky. I don't own anything recognizable. Sorry about the delay!

~TLL~