A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner. Everything's just been completely hectic. In any case, this is a long chapter, early warning.
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.
Paulina placed the shopping bags on the floor and glanced up at the house, feeling hesitant as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. Her father's car had long since been gone and, instead, her grandmother's car had remained.
She sighed and shut the door behind her, tossing her bags into the room before making her way over to the grand kitchen. Her house was honestly rather pretty, if not extravagant. The entire house was neatly decorated with expensive sofas, large beds, and silky curtains. The same went for the kitchen. It was large and spacious with a multitude of shelves and a fairly large oven situated across from the backdoor. She was admittedly grateful for the open space since she herself was the only cook of the house. Their dining table, which was conveniently placed in the center of the kitchen, was made of glass and had small table mats all around (though she had no idea why since no one anyone ate there). Placed in the center of the round table was a vase with some lovely, plastic flowers in the center. Oddly enough, Paulina had entered to find the case floating a few feet up in the air. She sighed and tossed the keys onto the glass table, ignoring the resonating clang it made upon contact. A little girl of five years was sitting at the end of the table, staring at the hovering item with wide-eyed ecstasy. The toddler clapped her hands as her lovely brown eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
She squealed upon catching sight of the Latina. "Paully, Paully! Germa's making it fly!"
The elder smiled, chuckling ever so slightly. "Now, now, Estefanía, what did I say? It's not flying, it's telequinesia." She turned her withered smile to Paulina.In English it means-"
"Telekinesis. I know, grandma. I've been doing my studying, like you said." Paulina smiled as she leaned over the table.
"Oh? If you've been practicing so much, why don't you give it a try?" Her grandmother lowered her slightly trembling hand as the vase instantly floated back down to the table. Paulina smirked and raised a hand, palm facing the hourglass ceramic. She wrinkled her brow and concentrated, picturing the vase floating in her mind. No more than a second later, the vase floated off the table and flew high up, floating around the chandelier. She smirked and held it up there for a few moments before quickly lowering her hand and gently laying the item back on the table, returning it to its original position. Her little sister squealed with delight, simultaneously whining about wanting to do that.
"Not yet, cariño. You are not of age yet. But, your sister..." Her grandmother turned and narrowed her eyes at the Hispanic beauty. "Have you been practicing enough?" She snapped, her gaze suddenly vexatious as she glared at Paulina with a condescending glare.
"Sometimes." Paulina retorted. "I have a life too, you know. I'm not gonna spend all my time reading and writing and learning and studying a bunch of freaky mumbo jumbo." She flipped her hair and walked over to the drawers, rummaging through the cabinets for food.
In all honesty, that was not the entire truth. Paulina had been practicing way more than she needed to. Each book her grandmother had given her, she had spent hours studying and practicing. And she was rather proud for accomplishing so much in so little time. But, there was no way in hell she was going to let her grandmother know that.
"Careful now. I wouldn't want you to end up like your mother who stopped practicing and completely forgot how to use all her abilities." The grandmother shook her head. "Even your stupid father is right about that. My daughter is full of disappointment, and I don't want you ending up with some measly mortal either. You need to marry a warlock, the more powerful the better." The grandmother sniffed in distaste as she thought about Paulina's father.
"You know what, Abue? I might just end up with anyone but a warlock." The Hispanic teen slammed a plastic cup against the counter and trained her angry eyes on the older woman.
"Honey, you say that now but that nice José kid really likes you-"
"Jose's weird." Stephanie squeaked as she wrinkled her brow distastefully. Paulina smiled in return, thankful for the sister's comment.
"You are gonna end up just like your mother and your good-for-nothing human father." The older lady spat the word 'human' like it was acid in her mouth.
"It's not like you care. I bet the only reason you're here is to make sure our 'special abilities' aren't lost. So it'll go down our family lineage." Paulina slammed the door shut and glared at her grandmother.
"That may be true, but it doesn't mean I don't care." Her grandmother stood up suddenly. For an old woman, that lady was pretty fast. And strong.
Paulina's eyes flared. "We didn't even meet you until last year, when our parents were divorced and you saw on opportunity to take us away from them." She restrained herself from approaching the table, forcing down some of the anger she's openly carried for the last couple years.
"Deny it all you want," the grandmother slammed her hand to her table and rose to her feet, "but you can't always hide what you are. A witch." The old woman's eyes lit up with anger. She paused and snatched up her purse, yanking the handle onto her shoulder. "Actually, you know what? I'm leaving." The grandmother threw her arms up in exasperation, grabbed her keys, and stormed out of the house without a second glance back. A brief memory of her mother storming out of the house flashed through Paulina's mind. She swallowed, ignoring the sudden melancholy and turned her focus to her sister.
Tears stung her eyes but she wrestled them back, reminding herself to be strong as she glanced at her sister's watery eyes. She swallowed and struggled to maintain her voice steady as she motioned towards the living room. "Come on, Stephanie. How about we go watch some cartoons?"
Stephanie's depressed eyes suddenly lit up with a twinge of hope. "Paully, can we go to the park instead?"
Paulina firmly shook her head. After the argument with her grandmother, Paulina really had no desire to go anywhere. She'd already spent nearly all of her money and the last thing she needed was to waist gas. "No, we're staying here and resting. We already went yesterday."
The little girl's face tugged down into a frown and her eyes widened with supplication. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase?" She instantly tugged on Paulina's jeans as she flashed her the infamous puppy dog eyes.
The lovely Latina struggled to prevent her decision from wavering, glaring down at the girl in obvious annoyance. "No. And, nothing you say or do will make me change my mind."
:~:~:~:~:~:~:
Paulina leaned back against the park bench and wearily rubbed her eyes. Darkness was approaching and the sun's light was beginning to disappear beneath the horizon. Now, she couldn't even stop by Lucy's Shop to buy some replacement lip-gloss because she'd spent her last three dollars on her little sister's favorite Coco ice cream bar.
Paulina bent down beside her and pulled out a napkin from her large Prada purse, wiping away at a smudge of chocolate on the toddler's face. "Come on, sweetie. We have to go home, it's getting dark."
"But, I wanna stay a little longer." Stephanie pouted like the little cherub she was.
"Honey, everyone's leaving. Including your little friend over there." Paulina pointed and watched as a mother dragged a wailing child away.
The five-year-old pouted and sulked but complied with her older sister's wishes. "Okay," she mumbled in response.
Paulina smiled and extended her arm, offering the little girl her hand. Stephanie accepted it, her tiny fingers lacing around Paulina's long slender ones.
The girl had only known her sister for a few months, but it certainly felt like a lifetime. When her mother had left their family to marry off another man, she dumped Paulina and her father with a little present. The older woman had dropped off Stephanie in front of their house during the summer, right after freshman year.
It only took a few months for the chubby-faced, dark-haired child to steal Paulina's heart. Now, here they were, three years later and walking to Paulina's newest car, leaving the park behind them. And, though she would scarcely admit it, Paulina didn't mind having to care for her sister one bit.
"Paully, who's that?" The little girl lifted a hand and directed her finger into the distance, pointing at someone who had stumbled into the distance. Paulina immediately recognized the teenager as someone from school.
It was a boy, slightly hunched over and gripping a spot on his chest, wincing painfully.
"Estefanía, quedese en el auto y no se me mueva. No excuses." Paulina nudged the girl into the direction of the car, hoping she'd obey her command and, for once, stay in the car.
Paulina snuck a quick glance backwards, watching as the small girl opened the door of the car. It was already dark and Paulina was terrified of something happening to her pesky relative.
"What the hell are you doing creeping around in the park when it's dark." Paulina snapped, her eyes narrowing as she glared down at him.
"Nice to know you're still as nice as ever." Fenton replied as he leaned against the wall. Paulina could only figure he was here for some kind of drug deal or something. Good to know this town wasn't as safe as she thought.
"Paully, he's hurt." A voice whispered from behind her. Paulina glanced down at her little sister and her eyes widened. "I thought I told you to stay in the car?"
"You did." She replied simply. "Paully, al niño le duele."
Paulina glanced up and followed her sister's line of gaze. She noticed that the part of his chest that Danny was gripping was indeed stained with blood, his tattered shirt showing signs of a blossoming bruise.
"Oh my god, Danny!" Paulina rushed over to him, instantly hovering but never touching him. "What happened?"
"I tripped." He replied automatically—his response anything but plausible.
"And landed on just that spot on your chest, getting blood all over your shirt? Yeah, right. I'm not stupid, you know." She briefly met his icy blue eyes and he met hers. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to the hospital."
"No. I can't go to the hospital." He cleared his throat. "I mean, the nearest one is closed except for the ER. And, this is not ER-worthy."
"Well, then, I'll take you to my house." Paulina paused. "I can bandage you up right away before you pass out from blood loss."
"Are you sure your father won't mind?" Danny began hesitantly. "He seems kind of..."
"Uptight? He is." Paulina confirmed with a nod. "Especially around boys."
"But, he's not home." Stephanie piped up from behind the young Latina.
"And who might you be?" Danny bent down trying and failing to hide the expression of pain that flickered through his eyes.
"Stephanie," the girl gushed, a wide smile stretching out across her face.
"Well, Stephanie, I guess I'll be hanging out at your house today, is that alright?"
Estefanía nodded and beamed as he extended his hand. She took it and shook it violently. Danny laughed, "Hey, you're pretty strong for a little one." He feigned mild pain as he rubbed his hand.
"Come on." Paulina cut in briskly, ignoring the pout the little girl flashed at them. "We'll go now. Get in the car, Steph. We're leaving."
The girl immediately ran towards the open door with sudden excitement lighting her eyes, her black curls bouncing as she hopped into the car. Paulina peered at Danny from the corner of her eye, maintaining a guarded yet annoyed expression. 'Great, now I'm stuck helping out someone in some sort of gang-related problems.'
Paulina tossed her hair over her shoulder and climbed into the front seat of the car, motioning for Danny to do the same. He did, though with much difficulty, she noted.
Her house was a mere ten minutes away but sitting with her fellow classmate and former victim was awkward. Two minutes felt like two hours, so—to kill time—she pushed the 'on' button, activating her car's radio. Spanish advertisements instantly wafted out of the speakers, causing her to bite her lip.
"Sorry, I usually listen to this station." She moved her hand to change the channel but Danny's hand blocked her own. A familiar, slow song instantly started and Paulina's eyes widened in surprise.
"It's fine. This is a catchy song, actually." He relaxed against his seat and eyed the musical device. "Do you know what song it is?"
Paulina placed her hand back on the wheels and let her gaze flicker to Danny. He seemed to be genuinely intrigued by the music. "Um, yeah. It's...Dile Al Amor by Aventura." Paulina pressed her lips together as Danny listened intently, though she was certain he wouldn't understand it.
"What's it say?" He questioned after the group of singers hit the chorus.
"It's just, uh, mentioning Cupid. And...well, asking to keep love out of his life because he doesn't want to get hurt anymore." Paulina trained her focus back on the road.
"Is it your favorite?" He prodded. She shrugged in response, saying nothing.
It was actually one of her top three favorite songs, but she refrained from saying so.
"Cool." Danny nodded and leaned his head back as he continued listening to the slow beat of the song.
Paulina nodded and resumed silence throughout the remainder of the ride. The only other song that came up was one she'd never really liked nor paid attention to.
They eventually pulled over into her large driveway and climbed out of the car. Paulina instantly moved to the back and helped her sister out of the seat. The little girl squealed in response and wrapped her small arms around the teenager's slender neck.
Danny smiled slightly at the sight of the two of them and Paulina glared daggers at him. He didn't seem to notice her obvious irritation, which was so blatantly caused his stupidly grinning face. Still smiling, he peered around her house and whistled. For some reason, his eyes were lit up with curiosity instead of awe, which was her 'friends'' usual reaction to the grand house. "You have a...pretty big house."
The interior of Paulina's home did, in fact, look larger than it appeared outside. The ceiling rose several feet high above their heads and beyond that lay her room. The entrance of her not-so-humble abode led to a large, neat room that connected four doorways, one dimly lit hall, and an extravagant stairway. Each of the doors led either to the kitchen and its dining area, the living room, the relaxation room, or the bathrooms. The staircase obviously led to the upstairs, which consisted of five rooms (two of which were empty) and three bathrooms. The hallway led to two guest rooms and the backdoor, which made way to her indoor pool.
To say her house was big was an understatement. "I usually get a different reaction." Paulina commented as she glanced around her own home not for the first time.
"Well, I've seen bigger." Danny shrugged, unimpressed as his eyes slid away from the largeness of the home and focused on the decor. He glanced over his shoulder, peering at a plastic flower placed in a golden vase. He ran a hand over the smooth, shiny table that held up the fake décor. The Latina herself had consistently thought about ridding herself of the faux plant and often meditated on replacing it with something real, but she couldn't find the point in doing so.
"You say you've seen bigger?" Paulina questioned, hoping to find out whose home he could possibly have seen that was bigger than her own. Instead of an explanation, she received a simple nod. But she didn't press him. There was absolutely no need to know whose house outranked her own, not that she really cared.
"Well," she sighed, drawing his eyes to meet her own. She was suddenly struck by the piercing blueness of his icy orbs. "I-I-" She inhaled and released a breath, regaining composure. "The bathroom's this way." With a brief wave of her hand, she motioned for him to follow her to the bathroom, not minding in the least that the little girl was still clinging to her designer jeans and most likely wrinkling them too.
She remained silent, wondering what Fenton had been up to. Probably nothing good, judging by the way he constantly limped. There was a multitude of thoughts floating around her head, creating possibilities on what the teen had been up to. Lately, he'd been skipping school, evading classes, shirking off his responsibilities, and looking rather sickly or tired oftentimes. He was something she tended to avoid lately as opposed to picking on him. Her father had warned her about kids like these, always trouble and never amounting to much. She didn't share her father's view but she still avoided that boy the same way one would avoid a plagued outcast.
She snuck a glance at him and found his eyes once again. Their gazes locked for the briefest of moments before she finally broke the stare-down, ushering him into the bathroom.
She spun around and placed a hand on her hips, ordering the little sister to go to her room. There was much reluctance and whining from the small person before she angrily stomped upstairs.
"She doesn't like going to bed, does she?" Danny chuckled. The raven-haired teen had taken a seat on top of the toilet's lid. His hand was no longer on his rib but she noticed he was still hunched slightly to the left. He sat there, patiently waiting for her next instructions. She ignored him and stepped in front of their plain, rectangular mirror. She gripped the side and opened the hidden compartment, revealing a large shelf that contained medical kits and medicine. She rummaged through its contents and pulled out some pain medicine and gauze.
"Take off your shirt." She ordered, turning to face the eerily silent teenager.
He hesitated but instantly complied at the sight of her authorative expression. The Latina bent down and saw a few faded scars that seemed impossibly old.
"Dios mío," (1) she breathed. She was completely astounded by the sight of his bare chest and not because of the faded scars dispersed across his porcelain skin. She was completely awe-struck by his unbelievably lean and nicely toned muscles, all of which completely contradicted everyone else's belief of him being scrawny. She forced herself to look at his wound and frowned; it was a lot smaller than she had anticipated. Half of his shirt was completely coated with dried blood that was smeared with an equal amount of dark green liquid. This observation made her question his whereabouts. She bit her lip and quieted the inquiries floating around in her mind, occupying herself with disinfecting the wound. She wrapped the gauze and neatly tied it around his waist, careful not to let her fingers brush his exposed and rather breathtaking chest.
"So," he began as she put up the items, "aren't you gonna ask me what happened?"
Paulina closed the mirror and trained her eyes to the boy's body, making sure the gauze wrap was secure. "Well, if I asked, then that would mean I actually care. You're done, you can leave." She replied curtly. She puckered her lips and hardened her gaze. "I'll get you a clean shirt before you go and you may wanna get rid of this one."
Paulina slipped out of the bathroom and swiftly made her way to the entrance of the house, opening the door as he quickly trailed after her. She flashed him an expression that clearly said 'leave.'
"Okay," he rubbed the back of his neck as he stood there, awkwardly biting his bottom lip. "I just wanna say thanks-"
"You're welcome," Paulina interrupted. And tapped her fingers against the golden handle, impatience lighting her eyes.
"I-I-I'm gonna go." Danny slowly began to exit then paused and turned to face her. Paulina grit her teeth in irritation. 'What does he want now?'
"Thank you. Really. I appreciate what you did, so…yeah. Thanks." He flashed her a small, genuine smile and his eyes twinkled with gratitude. Paulina blinked completely dumbfounded and watched in stunned silence as the boy trotted down the steps and towards the street. Paulina inwardly groaned, knowing full well she was going to regret her following actions.
"Wait!" She called out, fishing her car keys out of her jean's pocket. She pressed the button to unlock the vehicle and placed her hands on he hips. The boy turned around, slightly dumbfounded. "I'll...give you a ride home." Paulina swallowed hard.
"No, Paulina, you really don't have to. I'm okay walking-"
"Just get inside and wait there. I'm gonna go get Stephanie." No sooner had the words left her mouth, the aforementioned toddler streaked across the parking lot, squealing with laughter.
Danny's eyes followed her and he flashed Paulina an amused smile. She sighed and reluctantly made her way over to the 2012 sleek, black Chrysler.
A/N: Well, I'll try to update soon. Anyways, review please?
