Greetings from chapter five! The major turning point in the story has at last arrived. I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I'll put an estimate at eight chapters. At any rate, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, in whole or in part.

Around 7:15 that night, Danny was standing before the mirror, combing his thick black hair and adjusting the collar of his new shirt. He was usually quite self-conscious, but he felt pretty attractive that night, particularly due to knowing he would soon be in the company of the hottest girl at Casper High.

After one last check, Danny at last found his appearance satisfactory and stepped away from the mirror. He went to his nightstand, opened the top drawer, and removed a small, wrapped box tied neatly with a bow. He tucked it securely into his pocket and went downstairs.

Danny said good-bye to his family and went to the garage to get his scooter. Paulina had asked him to arrive at 7:30 so he could meet her parents for real this time. He hoped that the presence of her mom would keep her dad from hassling him.

Although Danny arrived a few minutes early, Paulina had heard his scooter and met him on the front porch. His jaw dropped when he saw her in a black halter dress that hugged every curve of her body to perfection. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before taking his hand and leading him inside.

"Danny, these are my parents, Francisco and Laura. Mamá, Papá, this is my new boyfriend, Danny Fenton."

Danny shook her parents' hands, and they motioned for him to sit on the couch. He chatted nervously with them for about fifteen minutes, which felt more like fifteen hours. At last, much to his relief, Paulina insisted that it was time to leave. He said good-bye to her parents and was out the door in a matter of seconds.

"Are you okay, Danny? I know my parents can be a bit harsh," Paulina asked him as he helped her get settled on the scooter.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm fine. I was just a little nervous is all," Danny reassured her as he secured his helmet.

Paulina held on to Danny's waist, causing him to wear a goofy grin the whole way to Dash's house. They arrived promptly at 8:00, parked the scooter in the garage, and removed their helmets. Danny was about to go inside, when Paulina grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait. We can't go in yet."

"Why not? It's 8:00," Danny said, looking at his watch.

"We have to be fashionably late," Paulina explained, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, of course. I knew that," Danny lied. "But how are we going to kill time while we wait, since we're already here?"

"I know exactly how," the girl answered, a gleam in her eyes.

After Paulina reapplied her lipstick and Danny made sure she didn't leave any traces of makeup on him, the two finally went into the party at 8:15.

"Hey, Danny! Paulina!" Dash greeted them. "Glad you could make it!"

Danny was taken aback by the fact that Dash hadn't called him by some twisted form of his last name, but he returned the jock's greeting anyway. Dash gave them a small tour of the downstairs area, showing them where the snacks and the restroom were, as well as a huge coat closet. "In case you two want some privacy," he explained with a wink and a grin.

"That reminds me," Danny whispered to Paulina. "I have a little gift for you. Perhaps we can step outside a little later."

"Ooh, Danny, please don't make me wait for it!" Paulina squealed excitedly, pulling Danny out to the patio.

"Okay, okay," he said, trying to loosen himself from her grip.

When the two found a spot far away from the other partygoers, Danny removed the small gift from his pocket and handed it to Paulina. She immediately unwrapped it to reveal a velvet box. Opening it, she screeched with delight when she saw a sterling silver necklace with a small ruby pendant.

"My birthstone! Oh, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Help me put it on!"

Danny carefully secured the necklace on Paulina, and she proceeded to make her way around the downstairs floor of the house, showing it off to everyone and explaining that her boyfriend bought it for her. The two then spent roughly an hour eating, dancing, and mingling before Paulina excused herself to "freshen up" in the restroom.

When Paulina was sure she was outside of Danny's line of vision, she motioned for Dash, and the two went upstairs to his room.

"So, are you ready to tell him that you know his secret, whatever it is?" Dash asked, closing and locking the door behind them.

"I am so ready, now that I have this necklace. No matter how he reacts, I bet he's too chicken to ask for it back."

"Good. So how are you gonna pull it off?"

"You'll see," Paulina explained as she reached for the doorknob.

"Wait," Dash said, stopping her. He reached out to her chin and turned her face towards his. "Now that you've gotten what you wanted out of him, does that mean you're not dating him anymore?"

"Well, I haven't gotten everything I've wanted yet, but I'm all yours once I do."

"Great, I'm looking forward to it," Dash grinned slyly, leaning in towards Paulina's face. She stood on her tiptoes to close the gap between her and the jock, and their lips met in a kiss.

"There's more where that came from," Paulina breathed after they parted, teasingly swaying her hips and strutting downstairs to find Danny.

"I can hardly wait," Dash muttered, following her with a huge smile on his face.

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