A/N: I know it's been a month since I've updated, but in my defense, I've get difficult classes this semester. And I'm doing pretty badly in one of them.
Here's a bit of Spanish culture for ya.
When I wrote this chapter, I was listening to Trival music.
It's the kind of music that my family and I call "Mexican" music and, although I'm from Central America not Mexico, I still love it!
Song playing: Enamorada de un cantante by Kris Melody
After Paulina picked up Star, they went directly to Valerie's. Damon Grey was kind enough to allow them inside.
"What's up?" Paulina questioned as she and Star burst into their friend's room. Valerie was sitting on the bed, typing on her computer.
Her emerald eyes twinkled with delight. "You guys came!"
"Of course we did." Star shrugged. "It's about time, too. I was listening to my grandpa drone on and on about his glory days." The blonde rolled her eyes.
"I was watching a game, so this better be worth while." Paulina plopped down beside Valerie and leaned back, resting her head against the wall.
"Look," Valerie began, pulling her gaze to her hands. "I've thought a lot about what Paulina said. I know I've been keeping secrets and so have you guys, but I'm ready to come clean."
"Oh, god. Me too." Star groaned. "This thing has been eating away at me since, like, forever."
"Okay, well, I guess we can each take turns sharing." Paulina glanced at the two girls. "Valerie, you seem eager to get this off your chest. You can go first."
Star's eyes brightened and she pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the two.
"I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm telling you guys this because it's been difficult for me and I really need someone to share it with. So, I'm trusting you guys with my biggest secret."
Paulina and Star remained silent, waiting for their friend to speak. Valerie took a moment to collect herself.
"Alright," Valerie drew in a breath and fingered the amber pendant Paulina had given her. She bit her lip and glanced up at her friends. "I...I'm the Red Huntress."
"No shit!" Star blurted, eyes wide with astonishment. "Are you serious?"
Paulina's heart lurched to a stop.
"Dead serious. I've been hunting ghosts since freshman year. After Phantom destroyed Axion labs, Mayor Masters began supplying me with ghost weapons. Then, after I found out he was a two-faced, good for nothing evil ghost, I stopped working for him."
Paulina raised a hand, absorbing the new information. She had a million questions. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Masters is a ghost? And he's been supplying you?"
"I knew that guy was a creep!" Star shouted.
"Yeah, well, he's actually a half ghost. I'm not sure how that's possible but he is."
"Holy shit." Star blurted. "You? A ghost hunter? Makes my secret seem practically nothing compared to yours."
"I'm sure that's not true." Paulina reassured her. "All our secrets have affected us each differently."
"Nuh-uh." Star shook her head.
"So, what is your secret, anyways?" Valerie inquired.
Star beamed, proudly. "I'm psychic," she announced.
"You're...psychic?" Valerie cocked her head to the side.
"Yeah. My mom's a psychic and my dad's dad was, like, a super powerful medium." She shrugged. "I'm clairvoyant and claircognizant. Basically, I can see people's futures and I can sense when things are going to happen. And, I'm not as good of a medium as my grandpa was, but I can sense when a ghost's present. I usually get the chills."
"What? That information would've totally come in handy months ago." Valerie crossed her arms.
"That actually makes a lot of sense." Paulina thought aloud. "It explains why you were acting all crazy when Phantom was in my room."
"You know Phantom?" Valerie shouted, stupefied.
"Phantom was in your room?" Star raised her brow. Both girls flashed her looks of disbelief.
"Yeah, I sort of bumped into him a while back and helped him out when he got this...Ghost Flu."
"Is that your secret?" Star inquired, eyes widening. "That you know Phantom?"
"No. Well, actually," Paulina paused, mulling over her choice of words. She quickly settled on the direct approach "I'm sort of a witch."
"A witch?" Valerie cocked a brow, her tone oozing unbelief. "You're kidding."
"Really, I am!" Paulina huffed. "It runs in the family. All of the women born from my mother's side have these...abilities, and some of the guys have it, too." She crossed her arms and shrugged. A smirk crept up her lips. "I'm actually pretty powerful."
Star breathed. "A witch! Jesus, none of us have normal lives."
"Prove it." Valerie folded her arms, flashing her friend a challenging look.
"Jeez, Val. You've seen ghosts, you accept that she's psychic, but you don't believe I'm a supernatural being?"
"I want proof. I need to see it with my own eyes," Valerie admitted.
"Okay." Paulina closed her eyes and breathed. She inhaled: the lights in the room dimmed. She parted her lips and blew out. The lights brightened. Inhale: dim; exhale: brighten. It was a simple trick. One she had easily picked up the year she started Practicing.
When she opened her eyes, the lamp on the nightstand, as well as Valerie's radio, turned on without warning.
She smiled and waved her hand, turning off the radio and the light. "If that's not enough proof, I carry around a journal with spells and some small anti-ghost weapons in my bag. I could show you a few of my tricks." She gestured towards her backpack, which she had dropped on the floor.
"You have anti-ghost weapons?" Valerie perked up as she leaned over the side of her bed, eyeing the pack.
"I can't believe my best friends are...I don't even know what to call you guys." Star shook her head.
"Can't believe it either," Valerie muttered. "First the truce with Phantom, then these weird revelations..." She shook her head. "Next your gonna tell me Phantom's not even a ghost!"
"Oh, please," Star rolled her eyes, "let's not go that far."
"So, how does it work?" Paulina inquired, her question directed to the only blond in the room. "Your...psychic-ness."
"It's kind of like..." Star paused, searching for the right words. "A radio. I can tune in whenever I want to or just turn it off. Generally, I have it off, but sometimes it turns on subconsciously. Like when I sleep or daydream. I'm still learning about it. Mom's teaching me."
"Neat." Valerie commented. "All I can do is conjure up a suit and shoot things."
"Hey," Paulina cut in, "I've seen you on TV. Your aim is insanely accurate."
"Well, years of practice," Valerie smirked. "Believe me. It wasn't easy."
There was a light tap on the door, cutting the girls off mid-conversation. Damien poked his head inside, eyes twinkling. "Hey, girls, just wanted to know if you guys were gonna sleep over tonight, so I could bring you guys up some blankets."
"Well, I wasn't planning on it, but I can stay the night." Star glanced at Paulina.
"I can't." Paulina replied apologetically. "My grams is going to a Covenant meeting later on tonight, and I gotta watch Steph."
"That's too bad. We could use some normalcy in this house." He beamed amicably before retreating, shutting the door behind him.
"Does your dad know?" Paulina studied Valerie curiously.
"Yeah, but he doesn't know I still go out hunting. He's already forbidden it, but I think he's suspicious."
"Really?" Paulina remarked. "My mom says we could've kept it a secret 'cause my dad's dense, but she told him a few days before they got married, which is good. My sister and I don't have to hide our abilities around the house." She chuckled
Star straightened up. "Whoa, your sister has magic, too?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it magic, but...I mean, it's complicated." Paulina paused. She wasn't in the mood to go into too much detail. "Most witches don't have enough power to start practicing until between the ages of eleven and fourteen, more or less. It's different for each person. Some witches show indicators of tremendous power at a young age, which emerge in the toddler years. My indicator, for example, was that I can read people's emotions, and my mom found out about my Indicator because I could always tell when people were lying. I was able to start Practicing spells at eight, but I had no access to any Craft supplies, since mom tried to cut me off from our heritage. I haven't told my grandma about a lot of the things I've been able to do, like some spells take up to five years to master, and I've been able to master them in a few weeks. For example, Spells like telekinesis and other elemental stuff. Unfortunately, I don't exactly have much use for them."
"Is it hard to keep it under control?" Star inquired.
"Yeah, especially since I'm a teenager. You know, what with the hormones and emotional roller coasters, but I'm learning. It would've been easier with my mom around..." Paulina sighed, and Valerie squeezed her shoulder.
"I understand how you feel," Valerie gave her an empathetic smile.
"And you know we're here for you, whenever you need us." The blonde added, placing a hand on the Latina's knee.
The girls grinned at each other, relishing in the
"Well," Paulina glanced at the clock in Valerie's room. "I gotta go. Abuela's gonna be pissed if I get home too late. Plus, the game ends in fifteen minutes, and I'm so not missing it."
"Okay, but we gotta talk about this some more," Star pointed out.
"Right," Valerie nodded. "How about we meet up tomorrow?"
"Can't, got a date with Danny." Paulina grinned, a slight pink hue brushing across her cheeks.
"Alright, Thursday at noon." Valerie beamed. "In the café. There's usually not a lot of people at that time, and it's pretty private."
"Perfect." Paulina commented. "I'll definitely be there."
"Me too," Star's eyes twinkled.
And the trio bid their farewells.
:~:~:~:~:~:~:
The morning light was shining brightly, the clouds were clear, and the plants seemed vibrant today. They weatherman had told the viewers that the day would be bright and sunny and the temperature would remain between 70s and 80s.
Everything pointed to a lovely, clear day, but Danny had a sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. Nausea had rolled over him.
He ignored these unsettling feelings and pushed the doorbell.
Danny shifted his weight to the other foot, waiting for someone to answer the door.
He waited a few minutes, listening to the sounds that came from beyond the door.
He heard a muffled voices that indicated a conversation between Paulina and an older male figure. He immediately deduced that the other person was Paulina's father.
The man he had been afraid to face since he'd officially begun dating Paulina.
When the teen had run into the girl's father at the party, the man had made it clear that he still didn't like Danny.
Danny's heart lurched to a stop at the sound of footsteps. The noises were followed by a click and, finally, the door was open.
Paulina answered the door. Her long, brown tresses were pulled up into a messy ponytail and she was wearing a t-shirt that was two sizes too big.
Even in her carefree attire, she looked breathtaking. "Danny! You're early."
He smiled widely at the sight of her. He stepped inside and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.
The Latina blushed. "Come in," she muttered as she shut the door behind him and led him inside. "Um, my grandma and Stephanie are upstairs."
He followed her into a large yet comfortable living room and noticed, with a start, they weren't alone. Paulina cleared her throat and continued. "I wasn't expecting you for a while. Would you mind waiting here with my dad for a while?" She gestured around the living room, flashing him an encouraging smile.
Danny bit his lip, his eyebrows furrowing. He flashed the Latina's father an apprehensive look.
The man was sitting on the beige couch, eyes glued to the television. His hands were folded and rested on his knees. His entire body was stiff and, even though he seemed to be calmly watching the television, Danny got the impression that the Hispanic was not happy with Danny's presence. Those brown eyes were hard and unblinking.
"Uh, sure. I guess." Danny replied uncertainly.
"Okay," Paulina grinned. "You can take a seat anywhere you like." She squeezed his shoulder and stepped aside.
Danny decided he would sit on the seat farthest away from Mr. Sanchez.
Paulina turned and headed towards the exit. She paused at the stairs and peered back at them. She looked at her father and silently willed him to look at her. He did.
"Papi, por favor," she paused briefly, "no lo corres de la casa."
And with those foreign words, she slipped away.
Danny clasped his hands together and moved across the room. He stepped by the older man and extended his hand. "Hello, sir. It's a pleasure to see you again."
The man glanced at Danny's extended hand and rose to his feet. Danny dropped his hand and glanced down at his shoes.
Studying his shoelaces was a hell of a lot better than looking up at the intimidating man.
"Daniel Fenton," his baritone voice rumbled. "Is that right?"
The father's voice drew Danny's gaze back up to his face. The man's clear eyes, which were strikingly identical to Paulina's, focused on the teenager.
"Take a seat, Daniel."
Danny felt compelled to obey.
The man rose to his feet, he held his hands behind his back and stood upright. The posture, Danny thought, could only belong to that of a man of wealth and power.
He paced slowly every so often as he spoke.
"We've run into each other quite a few times and your first impression of me was probably not that good. I may have come across a little..." he paused, searching for the right words, "harsh." His aqua eyes flickered to Danny. He revealed nothing, so the man continued. "I need you to understand that I only behave like this because I wish to protect my daughter to the best of my abilities. She's been through a lot and has had a..." another pause, "rough childhood. I blame myself for what...happened to her."
He sighed and took a seat on the stout table that rested in the center of the living room. His eyes bore into Danny's.
"She's told me a lot about you, Daniel Fenton, and I can tell that her feelings for you are strong. As for me, so far, you've given me no reason to dislike you but no reason to trust you, either."
Danny grinned and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted before he could even utter a word. "But," the man repeated loudly. He dropped his voice to lower, threatening tones. "Be warned, if you for any reason hurt my daughter in any way—emotionally or physically—I will hunt you down and make you pay for it."
Danny shuddered. He didn't doubt the man.
Paulina's father folded his arms and glared down at Danny. He was clearly expecting a response.
Danny cleared his throat. "Sir, you're not the only one who wants to protect Paulina." He breathed deeply, mustering the confidence he needed to speak. "Paulina is a strong girl and, whatever happened in her past is her business, but it seems to me that she doesn't need much protecting. Believe me. I was her victim at one point. She used to make fun of..." He stopped abruptly when the father's eyes narrowed, cynically.
Danny winced and realized this wasn't the time to mention that Paulina had once been the school's stereotypical mean girl and bully. "My point is, Mr. Sanchez, I really, really like Paulina and not just because she's beautiful. She's also stubborn, headstrong, independent, and brash. These are not qualities I possess. I'm not as...bold as she is, and I don't come from a family with a lot of money, I'm...white and she's...not." Danny's face heated up, madly. He continued, though. "And when Paulina told me she was going to introduce me to her father, I thought... well, I hoped that you would see me as worthy of her. I can't offer much, but I do want to keep her safe, too, and I can assure you that I will try to the best of my abilities to protect her."
Danny paused, finding himself at a loss for words. "I really care about her, and I'd like to keep seeing her, with your permission, of course. I hope you'll be accepting of me, sir."
The silence lasted a few minutes; it scared Danny shitless.
"You know Daniel, there's a saying in my country that I'd like to tell you." The Sanchez man leaned forward slightly. "Me caes bien."
Danny gulped and blanched. He somehow managed to utter out the words that plagued his mind. "What-what does that mean?" He inquired, shakily.
Mr. Sanchez burst into unexpected laughter. His voice was deep, rumbling, and the light mood was contagious.
Danny chuckled slightly, though he was blatantly confused.
"Boy, you should've seen your face! If I'd a known you'd be this scared a me, I wouldn't a bothered threatening you!" The large, robust man wiped a tear from his cheek. "Oy, que chico!" He grinned broadly and repeated his foreign words. "Me caes bien. It means, I like you. Or rather, that I get this...pleasant vibe off of you. My translation is probably a bit off, but the point is ou strike me as a good person."
Danny exhaled, smiling. "Thank you, sir. And, Mr. Sanchez?" This drew the jovial man's eyes to him. "I prefer the name Danny."
"Great. I go by Ernesto." The father beamed.
"Wonderful," a woman's voice echoed from the passageway connecting the living room to the kitchen. Her voice was bitter. "That's just what we needed. The father to bond with the newest boyfriend."
Danny glanced up at her. Her black-and-silver-streaked hair was pulled up into a bun. She wore a loose, red robe over her white tee shirt, and gray pants. Her cold brown eyes narrowed at Paulina's father.
"I cannot believe you fell for this boy so quickly!" She hissed, a strong Spanish accent lacing around each word. "Ernesto. How can you be so foolish to accept this boy so willingly? And quickly, too?"
"Well, he seems like an honest fellow." Ernesto admitted.
"That doesn't mean you should allow him to fool around with your daughter."
Stephanie popped out from behind the old woman's legs. "I like 'im, too, 'buelita."
"Stephanie!" Danny knelt down on his knees, earning a fierce hug from the toddler.
"Hi, Danny." She smiled and tilted her head foreword. "You look yellow," she whispered into his ear.
"Uh, thanks?" Danny responded, befuddled.
The grandma hissed and folded her arms over her chest. "Stephanie's just a child. She doesn't know what she's talking about."
"Well," Ernesto commented, eyes hardening. "At least it's a step up from fantasizing about that ghost boy, Darry Phantong."
Danny winced at the mention of his alter ego, timidly correcting him. "It's, uh, Danny Phantom, sir."
"Yes, and that Daniel would have been a more suitable partner for my Paulina," Angie jeered.
"Right," Ernesto remarked, sarcastically. "Because a boy who never ages and never dies wouldn't ever break that girl's heart."
"Yeah, well, this kid is just a simple mortal and completely unworthy of my granddaughter. You should've encouraged her to date Jose!"
Danny squirmed, uncomfortably.
"Dad, grandma. Stop talking about Danny like he's not here." Paulina entered the room, her hands placed on her hips, anger radiating from her glittering eyes.
She looked stunning, as usual. She had replaced her tee shirt and shorts with a loose, pink shirt; thin, black tights; and black heels to match the dark belt wrapped around her small waist.
She tossed her hair over her shoulders.
"Let's go, Danny," she stated, curtly.
"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Sanchez." The two men shook hands, firmly.
"You, too, Danny."
"Goodbye, Mrs. Angie." Danny flashed her a hesitant smile. She grimaced in response.
"Bye, kiddo." Danny grinned, pecking Stephanie's cheek. Finally, the couple departed.
:~:~:~:~:~:~:
"Sorry I took so long," Paulina apologized as they strolled down the road. The neighborhood was pretty empty, as it usually was during the weekend. It was also silent, which she was grateful for.
It made the Latina feel like they were the only two people in the world.
"It's okay." Danny grinned lacing his arms around her shoulder.
"No, it's not. Something happened and I got distracted." Paulina glanced at the floor, thoughtful.
"What is it?" Danny inquired.
"It's just..." Paulina sighed. "This morning, I woke up and I couldn't see."
Danny furrowed his brows, concerned. He pulled back to look at her. "You what?"
"Everything was so blurry. It went away after I blinked a few times but then, right before you came, it happened again, everything got all blurry then cleared up then blurred and cleared again."
"That's weird." Danny commented. "Maybe you should go to the doctor's."
"Maybe," Paulina murmured. She sighed and gazed up at Danny.
He beamed down at her, his soulful blue eyes gazing deeply into hers. He pecked her forehead. "If it happens again, I can take you home."
Paulina smiled and shook her head. "No, it's alright. I think I'm fine now."
Danny nodded, accepting her reassurance.
Paulina bit her lip.
With all the revelations she had shared with her friends just a few days prior, she felt the need to tell Danny everything about her abilities, her unique ability to see people, and even her mother.
Although, she wasn't sure how he would handle it. After all, his parents were narrow-minded ghost hunters and undoubtedly raised him to despise supernatural creatures.
Then again, Danny wasn't like his parents. Looking into his eyes, she could tell he was kind and pure and accepting. Perhaps, he would be able to handle her baggage and accept her wholly.
"What is it now?" Danny gently queried.
Paulina bit her lip. "Danny, I-I need to tell you something. Something...important."
Danny blinked, once again concerned. "Okay?" He replied, uncertainly.
"We should sit down," Paulina suggested, gesturing towards a nearby bench.
The duo strolled down the sidewalk and sat down on the cool, green metal.
"I-I-"
She paused and blinked up at Danny. Her vision blurred only slightly, but she was almost certain her mind was playing tricks on her because the image changed when her vision cleared. Now, instead of looking at her striking boyfriend, she was gazing into the eyes of none other than Danny Phantom. The black locks were replaced with white and his glowing green eyes emanated a combination of worry, uncomfortable-ness, and fear.
Her jaw dropped as she gazed at him in horror.
"What?" Phantom shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He tugged at the hem of his tee shirt.
Paulina snapped her mouth shut and rubbed her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Danny's cool hand touched her arm and she jumped in surprise.
When her eyes open, they once again fell upon the face of Danny Fenton. She opened her mouth and stuttered out a few incomprehensible words.
"What?"
"That-I-you-you were not you, but-"
Danny placed a hand on her cheek. "Paulina, you're not making any sense." The action calmed her immediately, though her mind was still reeling. Could it be that her abilities had somehow grown stronger? Or was it that her mind was playing tricks? She couldn't decide which one would be the better alternative.
"Phantom?" she whispered shakily, her eyes welling up with tears.
A/N: I didn't really like the scene where Valerie and Star had the whole revelation, but I just wanted to get it out of the way and quickly.
I don't feel like changing it, so I'll stick with that. I can work with it.
So, comments? Reviews?
