"Oh, come on, Babydoll, stop pouting." Chuck gave her an entreating look.

Angelica just scowled. "This is not the vacation I had in mind."

Phil grinned. "Ok, so the place is a dump, the lights aren't working, and now it's storming…You're on vacation. Enjoy yourself!"

Susie rolled her eyes. "Stop being a bitch, Ang, and play cards with us."

Angelica gave Susie a dirty look but complied. She sighed and trekked over to the middle of the living room floor, where everyone was assembled on assorted blankets and pillows.

She took the cards Susie offered her. "Go fish."

"We're not playing Go Fish."

"Whatever."

Chuck scooted close to her. "Try to have some fun, Goldilocks…"

Despite her best efforts at being a brat, Angelica was soon having a good time They played cards well into the night, until they had exhausted their knowledge of interesting games.

"What now?" asked Lil.

"Sleep?" yawned Chuck.

"No," said Dil, picking up his flashlight. He held it up to his face and turned it on, grinning. "Ghost stories!"

"What are we, twelve?" asked Tommy. "Be serious."

"Come on," said Kimi, "It'll be fun!"

"I don't know…" said Chuck.

"Aww, are you scared, Carrot Top?" Angelica gave him a malicious grin.

"Noooo…."

"Ok, then," she said playfully, "Ghost stories it is!" She snatched the flashlight from Dil's hand.

"Hey!—"

"My turn first!" she squealed gleefully.

The others gave each other exasperated looks but settled in to hear her story.

"One beautiful summer day," she began, "There was a gorgeous young girl who decided to go shopping. It was the perfect day to take her daddy's credit card for a spin. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, and she had already worn her Zac Posen party dress twice—it was time to buy a new dress. So she got dolled up, taking particular care doing her hair and make-up—it was almost as if she knew what was coming and wanted to look good—"Here she paused dramatically—"in death."

Kimi rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," continued Angelica, "She got in her Maserati and—"

"This is getting exceedingly autobiographical." noted Chuck.

"—She made her way over to Rodeo Drive. However, the ideal day suddenly became dark and rainy. It was stormy, and creepy, just like tonight. Although the girl was worried, she continued her journey. She had to have a dress. Nothing could come between her and the dress. Nothing except…the thing that happened….She got to Christian Dior, braved the rain and wind, and ran in, soaking wet, her hair looking terrible, but she'd made it. The worst was over…or so she thought…She spent at least an hour looking for the perfect one and then she finally found it—a little polka dotted ruffled number that would look fantastic with her cream colored Manolo Blahnik wedges. So she took it up to the register, exhausted, but pleased with her choice, proud that she'd made it this far and then—" Angelica paused. The thunder rolled and the lightning flashed across her face. The dim candlelight flickered. "And then—her credit card was declined," she finished in a dramatic whisper.

Everyone gave her blank stares.

"That's it?" snorted Lil.

"Wait, I thought you said she died." asked Phil.

Angelica scowled, miffed that no one enjoyed her story. "Hellloooo, her credit card was rejected, that's a fate worse than death!"

Dil grabbed the flashlight. "Give me that! My turn!"

"Ok, so there was this boy who liked to look up at the stars every night before bed. He liked to think about things at night, and looking at the stars helped him to think. He never really thought much about them—the stars, that is—he just liked to look at them. But, one night, that all changed. He noticed that something was—different…One of the stars was brighter than the others, more noticeable. And as soon as that thought crossed his mind, its twinkle intensified—as if it knew his thoughts and wanted him to notice it. That night, lying in bed, the boy thought about the star and what its strange twinkle meant…For the first time, he wondered, is there life on other planets?"

Here, Chuck shivered. Angelica gave him a grin and grasped his hand.

"He couldn't sleep, so the boy got up and went to the window. At first, he thought the bright star was gone, but then he noticed it…but it seemed…closer…well, he went to sleep and woke up the next morning and went on with his day. He didn't think of it again until the next night before bed. When he looked out his window, he realized that the star had definitely changed locations—and it was even closer than it had been the night before. A little disconcerted, but unsure of what to do, he just went to bed. However, in the middle of the night, he woke up, and, in his room, standing right over him, were—"

"Ok, ok," cut in Chuck, "I think we're all tired. It's been a long day, time for bed."

Angelica giggled. "Aww, you're scared!"

"I am not!"

"Aliens aren't real." she laughed.

"I know that! I'm not scared!"

"Sure…."

"Well, I guess the end to my story is ruined," muttered Dil.

"I am pretty tired," said Susie, around a yawn.

Angelica wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and eyed him lasciviously. "Come on, let's go to bed, Carrot Top, I'll protect you from the things that go bump in the night…" She winked and grabbed him playfully. "We'll stay up all night if that's what it takes…"