"A life that a writer breathes into a character adds to our own experiences and enlarges our view of the world."

A/N: I know this is long overdue. But Finals are over, and I'm finally outta school. Because of the long wait, I've treated you with an über long chapter.

"Salt, salt, salt."

Paulina rummaged around the kitchen, scanning the shelves for the missing item.

The teenager had various items scattered around the kitchen. The countertop was in complete disarray with the ingredients scattered all over the place. Her kid sister was in the living room, watching television.

The cartoon shows constant sing-alongs only served to further irritate the already frustrated girl.

"Where's the damn salt!" Paulina nearly shouted in exasperation. She sighed and gripped the edges of the large island.

She sighed and walked around the kitchen counter to her large crème-colored Chanel bag. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out one of her favorite necklaces. She gripped the small amber stone that hung from thin gold chain. It was half an inch diameter, allowing it to fit perfectly in her hand. She curled her fingers around it, focusing on the warm gem. She inhaled and exhaled, eyes momentarily fluttering closed.

The frustration she felt steadily began to ebb away and was soon replaced with a soothing sense of calamity.

"Paully, what're you doing?"

Paulina's eyes snapped open at the sound of the high voice. Stephanie was sitting on a high stool, her eyes absorbing the items spread out across the counter.

She snatched up a miniature plastic bag and peered at the contents inside. "Is this sugar?"

"These," Paulina explained, tying the golden chain around her neck. "Are for emergencies only."

"Whaddo they do?" Stephanie inquired, large brown eyes boring into Paulina.

"This one," she gestured towards the bag in the toddler's hands. "Is actually for protection from evil spirits. It took a long time for Paully to make it, so don't play with it, okay?"

Stephanie frowned and dropped the little baggie.

"And dis one?" She pointed to another that had five stones inside it.

"This one," Paulina held it up proudly. "Is to keep ghosts-"

She was cut off by the sound of a fist hammering against the door.

Paulina paused and glanced over her shoulder, peering at the entrance of the room. She furrowed her brows. Her father was upstairs, having fallen asleep while watching television. Her grandmother was in another city, helping out her cousin's mother with the party plans.

"Alright, Steph, stay here, and don't touch anything." She flashed the cherub a warning glare before slipping out of the door-less kitchen.

More pounding emanated from the large door, causing Paulina to jump into a sprint. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" She shouted with annoyance.

She swung the door open and froze upon seeing her current visitors.

Valerie stood at the door, a phone in one hand and a bag slung over the other shoulder. She wore faded jeans and a loose t-shirt and flip-flops. Her hair was swept up into a messy ponytail. Star, on the other hand, had her long blond hair twisted into a lovely fish braid that tumbled down over her left shoulder. A book bag held onto her slender back, and a large Chanel purse was dangling from her left arm. She, unlike Valerie, wore a loose tank top that fell down above her knees, shorts, and flats.

"Uh, what're you guys doing?" Paulina queried, eyeing the girls' casual attire.

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Star's mouth dropped open. "We agreed to have a sleepover. I can believe that Valerie forgot, but I can't believe you did, too!"

The perky blonde huffed and placed her hands on her hips.

Valerie and Paulina each guiltily glanced away. Star studied them both. "What's going on here? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Sorry, I've just been distracted lately." Paulina admitted. She held open the door wider, gesturing for her friends to enter. "Come on inside, guys."

"Uh, I've been busy, too." Valerie nodded as Paulina moved to hug them.

The duo slipped inside, entering the familiar home. Star immediately waltzed into the living room, sighed, and plopped onto her couch. "Man, I forgot how ginormous your house is!" She threw her hands up, making a dramatic sweeping motion to emphasize the room's size.

"Paully!" A voice shouted from the kitchen. Paulina started, remembering the unusual ingredients that lay in the kitchen.

Valerie's eyes snapped away from her phone, emerald eyes brightening.

"Aw, Steph's here?" A wide smile stretched across her face. She moved to walk towards the kitchen but Paulina stepped in front of her.

"I wouldn't go in there. It's a huge mess." She waved her hand. "Food everywhere. The fish went bad and...it's gross."

Valerie grimaced. "Disgusting." She paused and changed directions, deciding to head into the living room. "How about you just send the little cutie over here?" She smiled and sank onto the couch beside Star, resting her head on the blond girl's shoulder.

Paulina released a breath of relief.

"Paully?" She rolled her eyes as Stephanie's squeaky voice drifted in from the kitchen. She turned and reluctantly made her way to her sister. "What're these pretty red flowers for?"

Paulina paused. 'Flowers?'

Sudden realization struck Paulina, a horrified look spread across her face.

"Stephanie! Don't touch those!"

She dashed past the door-less entrance and found Stephanie reaching her fingers into a bowl.

Paulina swiftly jumped across the room and grasped the toddler's hands, moments before they touched the deadly petals. The startled toddler glanced up at Paulina with shock.

"Stephanie?" Paulina began solemnly, giving her sister a stern stare. "What did I tell you?"

Steph frowned and dropped her gaze to the floor. "Not to touch anything..." she murmured guiltily.

"That's right. These flowers are pretty, but I don't want you touching them, okay? They're very dangerous." Stephanie nodded reluctantly as Paulina released her grip. She lightly ruffled the girl's hair. "Now, why don't you go to the living room? Valerie and Star are here."

"Valerie?"

In an instant, the girl scurried out of the kitchen. Paulina knew Stephanie would distract her friends long enough for her to at least get rid of the Crafts book, the blood blossoms, and some of the more 'unique' spices.

She scurried across the living room, stashing the spices in discreet areas where she hoped her father wouldn't find it.

She glanced at the bowl Stephanie had grabbed. She gripped the edge and peered into it. Even though they had been clipped two months ago from a bush belonging to an Asian country, the petals were still vibrant and blood red, and the stem and leaves remain black in color. This clearly indicated that the flowers were very much alive and as lethal as always.

Paulina sighed and glanced at the trashcan. She briefly thought of throwing them away but immediately decided against it. Finding these damn flowers were way too much trouble to just toss away. She'd had to pull some strings and search through the obscure community of Craft Practitioners to find it. It took six weeks to find it, and cost almost eight hundred dollars to purchase. No.

These rare, dangerous plants were too valuable to simply throw out. And they were extremely difficult to hide.

Then there was another dilemma: her Crafts book. The book was thick, heavy, and completely conspicuous. There was no way she could just hide it in the kitchen.

Maybe, she could slip past the living room, trot up the stairs, hide it, and come back.

She hugged the large volume against her chest and slipped out of the kitchen, entering the area between the living room and the kitchen.

She silently slipped upstairs and tossed the book beneath her bed, tossing the bag of blossoms into her nightstand's drawer before dashing out her room, shutting the door behind her.

She slipped downstairs and burst into the living room.

Stephanie was sharing their brown, leathery recliner with Valerie who was gripping cup noodles in one hand and flailing a fork around with the other. The toddler had a doll in one hand and was brushing Barbie's blonde locks with a large brush. The lovely African American was not only eating but also had her eyes trained on the television and was simultaneously bickering with Star, who was sprawled across a large tan sofa. Valerie, it seemed, was irritated with Star incessantly changing the channels.

Because she wielded the remote control, Star was the one decided what they were going to watch. The petite blonde, they all knew, had a habit of refusing to stay on one station for long and always moving on to another.

Paulina sighed and took a seat by Star's dainty feet. "Star," she began, "Would you please just leave one station on?"

Star shrugged, eyes briefly leaving the television screen to glance at the Latina. "When I find something good, I'll leave it on. Until then-Oh!" The blonde cut herself off as she backed up a channel. She stopped at the news and increased the volume of the TV. "Look, it's Danny Phantom!"

At the sound of the ghost's name, Paulina straightened up. Valerie leaned forward, bringing the swaying recliner to a violent stop. An annoyed noise erupted from Steph who dropped her doll, but Val didn't seem to notice.

"That Danny Phantom is mighty fine." Star commented as the reporter showed a clip of the ghostly hero fighting yet another ghost. This battle seemed to be pretty intense. The citizens of Amity Park were either fleeing the scene or ducking somewhere for cover—all with the exception of a few brave news crew. The camera occasionally jumped and shook, but the quality was overall great. They constantly zoomed in on Danny Phantom and his robot-like, flaming haired enemy.

The cameraman had a good enough view to capture Phantom's biceps, broad jaw, and lean form.

"That ghost boy is gonna get it one day!" Valerie angrily shouted, automatically flinging some spaghetti at the television. The wet noodles smashed against Phantom's face then slid down the screen just as the cameraman ducked away from an ectoblast.

"Val!" Star shouted, leaping into a sitting position as she waved the remote at Valerie. "What the hell? You splattered noodles all over Phantom's face!"

"And she got food on our flat screen TV," Paulina pointed out rising to her feet.

Valerie flashed them a sheepish smile. "Sorry," she apologized before her face scrunched up with blatant irritation. "Those ghosts just piss me off."

Valerie strolled over to a small cabinet that sat by the flat screen. She opened a drawer and pulled out a spray and cloth. Paulina had learned to keep these items nearby, having learned in freshman year that Valerie had developed a habit of throwing things—particularly food—at the television. Luckily, her friend hadn't shattered anything. Yet.

"You know what, Val?" Star hissed. "You seriously have discrimination issues. You're a ghost racist!"

Paulina sighed as she began wiping at the television. One of those silly "The snack the smiles back. Goldfish!" commercials jumped onto the screen.

"Guys," Paulina began. "Don't start. Steph's in the room, and I don't want her listening to this."

At the sound of her name, the toddler glanced up from the doll in her hands and peered between the blond and brunette.

Paulina placed the items down and glanced at her glowering friends. "We're supposed to go out and have fun today. Now, my grandma's coming home any minute now and we're all gonna go shopping together. No fighting."

The duo grudgingly agreed.

Paulina's grandmother eventually came, and greeted Paulina's friends with a warm smile. She took over Paulina's babysitting role and allowed the girls to go out and enjoy the remainder of their Girls Night Out.

Dusk was beginning to set and the trio stopped at a fast food restaurant, arguing about what movies to watch in the Theater.

Paulina shook her head as they bickered. The trio was inseparable, which was odd considering they shared very few similarities.

Besides the obvious differences of race, ethnicity, and culture, there were plenty of things that made the girls nearly incompatible.

Star, although petite smaller in stature, was argumentative. Sure, she had a sweet side, but her sassy side was dominant. She never failed to reveal her conniving abilities and manipulative nature. Ironically, Star was the kind of girl that enjoyed reading for pleasure. She was clever and always quick to respond with witty retorts. Her small height also provided her with flexibility, agility, and stealth, which she constantly used to her advantage. It was no surprise she insisted on watching a psychological thriller.

Paulina was, oddly enough, the one with the softest heart. After she had outgrown her bullying nature and begun taking care of her little sister, she had realized she had somehow developed the extremely annoying trait of compassion and empathy, which she often struggled to fight by disguising it under snappy words and a fierce attitude. She insisted on watching a romantic comedy, much to the others' distaste.

Valerie, on the other hand, was a natural born fighter. She was athletic, tough, and determined. (They had also recently found out she was a ninth degree black belt.) She always stood her ground and had a huge temper. She predictably argued about watching an action film.

Besides the fact that they were all former A-Listers (Paulina's status was currently questionable), they shared one common trait: willfulness.

It shouldn't have been a good combination: all of them were headstrong, determined women who could be relentless and persistent if provoked.

And yet, of all their years of friendship, each of them had turned against each other only once, but it hadn't bided well. Their anger towards one another lasted for three months, and Paulina couldn't even remember what they had argued about.

After that, though, Paulina became their unofficial medium. She was beginning to learn to control her temper and was the one who remained the most logical during their squabbles, and it was all thanks to her daily meditations.

After ordering their meal, Star excused herself to go to the bathroom. She grabbed her bag and ducked in the opposite direction.

Valerie huffed. "How are we ever going to decide on a movie?"

"We'll decide," Paulina reassured her. She paused and looked directly at her friend who was picking at her fries. "Valerie, why haven't you gotten over the whole ghost business? I mean, you seem to have this belief that all ghosts are evil creatures."

"Not all of them," Valerie admitted. "Just ninety-nine percent of them."

"Well, I know it'll kill you to say this, but Star's right." Paulina pointed out. "She may be annoying sometimes but, most of the time, she's right. And you need to take her advice and cool it. You have to let go of all that anger. It's going to harm you."

Valerie sighed and folded her arms. "I suppose," she mumbled. "It's just...I don't know how to 'let it go,' as she keeps saying."

Paulina paused and brushed aside her hair. She unclasped the golden chain that hung around her neck and pulled out the pendant. "Here."

Valerie glanced down at the necklace. "Whoa, that's pretty." She smiled and took the item into her hands. "This is my favorite color," she pointed out, placing a finger over the orange stone.

"I know," Paulina nodded. "It's a gemstone." She paused and briefly mulled over whether or not to reveal its purpose. She decided to go for it. "It's Amber. Supposedly, certain gemstones have certain properties. This one is supposed to draw away one's negative energy and replace it with something positive. It helps users find balance in their life. I sometimes use it when I'm getting frustrated or tense. The only thing is that the effects vary from person to person depending on their willingness to change."

She peered at Valerie who had drawn her eyes away from the glittering stone to meet Paulina's gaze.

"It'll only work if you accept its healing abilities. It could take time, but if you want to let go of your anger, you can. And this'll help you do it."

"Hey," Valerie smiled tentatively. Her expression revealed uncertainty, but she tied it around her neck anyways. She grasped the stone and beamed at Paulina, her smile more confident. "Thanks Paulina. I'll return it as soon as-"

"Keep it," Paulina waved her hand. "I've got more stuff like that at home."

Paulina smiled and picked up her burger.

"So," Valerie questioned, popping a fry into her mouth. "When did you get so interested in stones and their 'magical qualities'?" She inquired, tucking the chain behind the collar of her shirt.

Paulina swallowed and glanced down at her food. "Well, I..."

"I'm back!" Star chirruped as she plopped down into her seat. "Oh!" She grinned as she glanced down at her enormous, fat piece of steak. "Delicious!" She grabbed a fork and knife, proceeding to shove a large portion of the meat into her mouth.

How she fit that huge piece into her mouth remained a mystery. "What'd I miss?" She managed to mumble out between mouthfuls.

"Nothin' much." Paulina replied.

"Except that I know what movie we should watch." Valerie smiled. "How about that new scary movie that just came out? Hauntings?"

"Oh! Hauntings. That sounds like a good one." Star agreed, bobbing her head up and down before shoving some fries into her mouth.

Paulina smiled as Valerie grinned back. "Perfect."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Paulina rolled over. The girls had set up a sort of bed on the ground by tossing our some pillows and multiple blankets. They were camped up in the study (although Paulina thought of it more of a second living room) upstairs. The three of them were lying in front of the large flat screen that had been turned off hours ago.

She propped herself up on the elbows, getting a good view of her three amigas. Star was curled on her side, setting up on alarm through her phone. Valerie had already gotten comfortable and was laying face up, gaze fixed to the ceiling.

"Guys," Paulina began, earning her friends' attention.

Valerie peered at Paulina. Star beamed. "Yeah, Paulina?"

"Do you remember when we promised to be honest with each other?"

Star's smile instantly disappeared; Valerie's solemn expression didn't waver.

"Yeah?" Valerie was the first to speak up. "What of it?"

Paulina breathed. "I know you guys are keeping secrets."

Star bit her lip. "Look, Paulina-"

"No need." Paulina raised her free hand, cutting her off. "I haven't been entirely honest myself."

Valerie pushed herself up into a sitting position. Paulina continued. "I...think I'm ready. To...to tell you guys my secret, but I want to know yours, too. So, I'm not spilling anything until both of you are ready to share with me."

Star fell silent, her gaze fell to the ground.

"It's funny," Star muttered. "I was debating on telling you guys myself."

Valerie remained silent, glancing at both her friends before glancing down at her hands. "I don't know, you guys. I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about it..."

"That's okay." Paulina nodded.

"We can talk some other day," Star responded. She sighed and switched her frown for a brilliant smile. "Well! Off to bed! Nighty night girls."

She perkily flung herself onto the pillow and huddled into the blankets.

"Night," Paulina replied with a small smile.

Valerie nodded lugubriously as she slipped beneath the covers. "Sweet dreams."

Feeling satisfied, Paulina dropped her head onto her own pillow.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Hours after sunlight trickled through the window's shades, Paulina's eyes fluttered open.

She blearily blinked about the room and hauled herself out of bed.

She automatically walked into the bathroom across the hall, tiptoeing past her unconscious friends.

The laziness of sleep still wore her down. She scrubbed her mouth clean but, instead of taking time to meticulously fix her hair to perfection, she briefly ran her fingers through her dark waves. The action smoothed her hair down a tad bit, but still looked disheveled.

In fact, if anyone caught sight of her now, it would be obvious that she'd only recently gotten out of bed. After all, she hadn't changed from her pink pajamas or her bunny slippers.

A muffled yet significantly loud noise startled Paulina as she entered the hall. She jumped and peered at the end of the passageway to where her room was. She sighed and turned in the direction of the sound.

She immediately assumed it was her sister in the room. It was rational assumption as the little toddler enjoyed making a mess out of Paulina's room and had a habit of knocking things over.

The Latina wasted no time in stepping into her chamber. She flicked on the lights and tiredly rubbed her eyes. "Stephanie, what are you-?"

A deep groan cut off Paulina's voice.

She blinked and stared down at the figure that had stumbled into her room. Danny Phantom was sprawled across the floor, leaning against the wall opposite her open window. He sat up and rubbed his head, painfully wincing.

"Phantom!" She hissed, shutting the door behind her and making sure to lock it. The vexed girl dropped down beside him. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Ow," he winced as she placed a gentle hand over a growing bump on the back of his head. "Sorry," he murmured. The ghostly teenager sighed, unexpectedly cupping her slender hand into his own strong pair.

His hands were cool, but his touch sent warmth into her fingers. The warmth travelled up her arm.

His iridescent eyes met hers. A load of his guilt slammed into her full force. "I came to apologize for yesterday. You were totally right. I have no business sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

Paulina sighed and knelt down beside him. "It's okay, ghost boy. But, honestly, you chose the worst time to come. My friends, Valerie and Star, came to sleep over."

"Whoa, who now?" Phantom suddenly seemed alarmed.

A pounding on the door caused both of them to jump.

"Shit," Phantom muttered.

By the time he dropped her hands, the warmth—which had already coursed throughout her—disappeared. Strangely, she craved more of his touch.

"Paulina? Paulina, are you okay?" Star's voice shouted from behind the door. The cheerleader sounded frantic, anxious.

"You better go," Paulina murmured.

"No need to tell me twice," Phantom replied, ignoring the pounding on the door. He flashed her an apologetic look that sent more guilt cascading into her. "We're okay, though. Right?"

"Yes, we're fine." Paulina hissed. "I accept your apology. Now go!"

Phantom smiled and pulled her into an abrupt embrace. Paulina stood there, stupefied before awkwardly patting his back.

He pulled back and smiled. In an instant, Phantom disappeared before her very eyes.

Paulina shook out of her stupor and rushed to the door. She swung it open.

Star stood there, hair frazzled and clothes disheveled from sleep. She had a wild look in her eyes and she wasted no time in storming the room.

Paulina smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't realize I'd locked the door."

Star didn't respond and, instead, analyzed the room, the wild look never leaving her gaze.

Paulina furrowed her brows and lightly touched her friend's arm. "Star, are you okay?"

Star sighed. "No. I just, uh, had a nightmare."

Paulina frowned. Lie.

"And Valerie's blasted alarm clock woke me up, and I freakin' couldn't turn the damn thing off." She threw her hands up exasperatedly.

Truth.

Paulina studied her friend. "Well, how about we go get ready. I've got a party to go to and I need your guys' opinion on what to wear."

"Mall?" Star began with a gleam in her eyes.

"Mall," Paulina confirmed. This seemed lift up her friend's spirits and she immediately took off, shouting at Valerie to wake up.

Paulina glanced at her window and back towards her open door. Strange. It was almost as if Star was already aware of Phantom's presence...

:~:~:~:~:~:

A/N: And that's all.

Okay. If things go as planned, the chapter after the next will include more action.

Once again, sorry about the delay!