Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or 6teen.
Paulina was furious.
Ever since Amélie came from France, none of the boys paid attention to her. Some geek and nerd cliches boys did, but she was not a rebound girl.
No, Paulina only saw herself as the queen of Casper High, where she stood at the top of the social hierarchy. And she was not going to let some new girl take that away, even if it was temporary.
Amélie was walking to class, where Paulina was peering from around the corner with Star.
"Paulina, why are we spying on her from the corner? "Star asked, confused as to what Paulina had in mind.
"When Amélie opens the door, the bucket of ice water will splash on her, humiliating her."
"You put a bucket of ice water on the open door?" Star snarked. It was a childish prank around for ages. How was that going to do anything?
"No, I had the nerds do it for me."
"How'd you get them to do that?"
"I just told them she's wearing a white shirt today," Paulina deadpanned with rolling eyes.
Star blinked in surprise, wondering if that was the only way Paulina got the boys to do that. Though the blonde girl was surprised when Amélie did show up in a white shirt. She did not say anything as her friend saw the blouse. The popular girl thought herself to be psychic for a moment, making her blonde friend roll her eyes.
Nearby, the same nerds who put the bucket there watched, partially feeling wrong about pulling such a prank. To be fair, Paulina drove them not only through hormones but also peer pressure, telling the boys they'd have no chance with the French girl anyways. Student social life was harsh, especially with teens like the Hispanic girl on top.
Amélie was only a few niches from opening the ajar door. Paulina got out her phone, wishing to record the moment.
But Dash pushed the door open from the inside. The jocks glared at the quarterback before the bucket landed on him. The blonde boy quickly threw off the pail, glaring down the hallway as everyone laughed at him.
"Grrr! Who did this!?" Dash yelled. He swung his fists around, trying to figure out where to put his aggression. An ahem from the teacher made the boy finally lift his makeshift helmet. "hehe...Mr. Falluca...hi..."
"Mr. Baxter, last I checked, Principal Ishiyama and Vide-Principal Lancer had a word with you and the rest of the football team about your..ahem...aggressive behavior. Is that correct?"
Dash, along with any nearby jocks, lowered his head. After the almost fight, he and the other football players were on probation. The jocks had leeway, but since they couldn't keep their fists to themselves, students talked, which led to parents hearing of fights breaking out. The principal had dismissed any rumors but had to keep a strict eye on the bullies.
Danny laughed from the hallway, having just caught sight of Dash's reprimand. The jock growled at him, notifying it was time to head to class.
While the ghost boy walked away, Dash fumed as he thought of ways to hurt the boy and shove him in a locker. But for now, the bell rang. The boy threw off the bucket, only to almost hit Amélie. And by almost, I mean another jock grabbed it before it went past her.
"Dash! Watch where you throw things! You almost hit the hot French chick!" the boy seethed.
That earned the quarterback glares from the majority of the class. The blonde boy lowered his head again, shyly walking to his desk. He silently blamed Fenton, just so he knew where to place his anger.
And he wasn't the only one angry. Paulina fumed silently at her failed attempt. Star would have comforted her but thought it best to give her friend space.
But the Hispanic girl was not done. She had multiple plans for today and had managed to recruit the brainiacs of the school for a few.
The bell for lunch rang as everyone went to the cafeteria, where Paulina set up another prank.
"You're gonna what?" Star asked.
Paulina pinched her nose. She held up a remote and pointed it at Amélie.
"Look, I don't know how it works. I just flirted with the nerds to make it." Paulina pointed to an animatronic ghost with her free hand that looked as scary as the real thing.
It was just sitting there, looking like it sleeping in a creepy lifeless pose. It was a simple design with a hooded robe over a body with a face poking all mangled and scarred. Star shuddered when she looked at it. The blonde girl did not like those things.
"Why is that there?" Star asked, inching back.
"Oh, well I thought about how I could meet the ghost boy when we've I wanted and thought about having my own ghost." Paulina squeed at the thought. "So I flirted with the nerds to make me this so when the fake ghost attacks, my Danny Phantom would save me. Hehe! I had forgotten all about it till now."
Paulina went off to la-la land as Star looked with a snarky attitude. Her friend was never one to use her brain, yet the Hispanic girl had thought of something brilliant. And all of his was to get Danny Phantom's attention.
The fake ghost was scary, terrifyingly so, but it seemed like a waste. And it was probably overkill for a prank, but Paulina did not care.
"Ok, but how are you going to get Amélie near it?"
Paulina sighed, pointing to the jock walking up to Amélie. "I told that guy over there something and told him where I heard it."
"How is that going to help?" Star asked. She could never understand her friend at times.
Paulina kept to herself. The amount of planning she was putting in this plan was completely new. If only the girl could apply the same with her personality and future.
The jock walked over to Amélie with confidence like no other. His fellow classmates watched, wondering what he was smiling about as he neared the French girl.
Amélie was enjoying lunch in the cafeteria. Since Tetslaff's interference, the place was free of crowds as the girl ate her lunch while brushing on her English. Though she was content, the girl felt lonely as she saw the other tables full of students chatting and laughing.
"I wish those...how do you say, jock? Yes, jocks. I wished they had not been so mean and commandant." Amélie sighed, going back to her book. She glanced at Danny, who was chatting with his friends. He was one of the few people who caught her eye.
But as she watched, Sam locked with her eyes and glanced at the table. The goth gave a glare as the French girl looked away.
"And I wish that girl wasn't so autoritaire."
A hand slammed on her table, turning her attention to the jock. She never bothered to remember any of them, seeing their fight as sheer stupidity, but this one's smile scared her. The girl backed away as the boy took a seat.
"So, I heard you like motorbike and riding hard," the jock said. His eyebrows wiggled suggestively, giving the girl a once over. "Wanna ride one with me?"
"Pardon moi, but where did you hear this? And do you own a motorcycle?" Amélie asked.
"I can get one, if you like."
Amélie stared at the boy, rolling her eyes. None boasted about buying something they could get of all the times she was hit on. It was shallow and pathetic.
"So, what do you say?"The jock pointed behind him, "Those guys said you like guys who aren't afraid to ride. Maybe we could go on a...private tour of my place later too. You like that?"
"What?"
The jock might have not understood those words, for some reason beyond comprehension, but Amélie did. And the French girl was fuming.
Amélie got up as she stormed over in that direction. The boy was not clear on who said it, but the girl would not take that. She was someone respectable, not some you'd say that about or to.
Star watched as the French girl walked over.
"Uhh...where did you hear that?" Star asked, wondering where her friend heard such things.
"I heard rumors. Plus, the geeks wouldn't stop talking her riding with a ghost the other day," Paulina explained with a disinterested tone. "Something about purple. I don't know. I wasn't listening."
Star opened to mouth in an attempt to speak but did not know how to answer or respond. It was one of the oddest things she heard today, or maybe it was the tone.
As Amélie stormed over to the other side. Paulina waited impatiently as her finger lingered over the button. Just a few more steps and revenge would be hers.
However, her plan failed as a random ghost attack occurred. With the option of seeing Danny Phantom in action, the girl forgot about her plan as the ghost boy appeared, wrestling with a ghost bat with tremendous vampire fangs and snapping at him.
"Ok, pal. I know you're a ghost, but I doubt the lunch lady's cooking will give you a balanced diet!" Danny exclaimed. He iced the jaws shut, finishing it off with a punch. The bat whined as it licked the broken teeth, crying. "But I can help with an unbalanced fight."
The majority of the cafeteria ran out, except for Amélie. The French girl was more curious as she watched with other students who weren't afraid.
"Ghost boy!?" Paulina gasped as she saw Danny. She ran over to meet Phantom as he sucked the ghost into a thermos.
"Wait, ghost boy!" The Hispanic girl cried out, but he was gone before hearing her.
The other students left, finished with lunch. Amélie included herself as she finished off the remainder of lunch. She had forgotten the jocks words.
"Darn it!" Paulina flapped her arms in anger. The girl did not know she pressed the button and was unaware she had moved into its trajectory.
The animatronic came to life, swinging down, ramming the girl. She screamed as the wiring holding it snapped, throwing the fake ghost. Lying on the floor, all she could do was groan as she got up, looking at a broken face staring right back at her.
"Ah!" Paulina screamed, pushing the ghost back. "This is too creepy! Why did I ask that they make it like this?"
Amélie stared in confusion as Star went over to help Paulina up. The Hispanic girl snapped, slapping away her friend's hand.
"...les spectresne sont pas tous réels?" Amélie asked no one.
School ended, and Paulina never succeeded in humiliating Amélie. The French girl had been saved at every moment through luck or the many guys dogging her. It was wounding to see the very thing the Hispanic girl was jealous of as a critical factor in the French girl's protection.
Though it was funny to see the very boys falling for the traps. The nerds and geeks of Casper High took the pleasure as they recorded everything.
"Well, time to call it a day, I guess," Star said to comfort her friend. The two walked out and saw their parents nearby, ready to pick them up. "I mean, you can't have anything else after putting that pie in her locker."
The Hispanic girl groaned, wondering how the heck the pastry disappeared from the locker. It was like it vanished into thin air.
"Well, I have one more trick up my sleeve." Paulina's grin was wicked, scaring Star a bit. "just wait for tomorrow."
Star gulped loudly. After everything that happened today, this couldn't be good.
But she was wrong.
The chaos in Casper High was at an all-time peak. This week was the time when cheerleader tryouts were held. It usually was taken place sooner, but when you're in a town haunted by ghosts every day, schedules always have an expectant year to change.
But during this time of year, the air was charged with even more hormonal energy. Of course, that was also because of Amélie.
Though Star could not help being confused.
"Um, Paulina? Why did you invite Amélie to cheerleading tryouts? I thought you hated her," Star asked, shaking her pom-poms like a distraction.
Paulina's envy was no secret, but her decision to invite the French girl to the cheer squad was something else. As head cheerleader, an invite from Paulina meant you were a shoo-in for a spot on the squad.
"Duh! So I can get the boys over her faster," Paulina explained like it was the most obvious thing.
"You need to explain this," Star deadpanned.
"I was thinking last night and figure it would be too hard to prank her. So I had another idea. It's simple, since I can't humiliate Amélie, I'll expose her so much—"
"—excuse me!?"
"Not like that! I want to make her less popular, not more! What I mean is, if the boys see her in the cheerleader outfit a lot, they'll get tired of her. Then, they'll go back to seeing the real prettiest girl in school."
Paulina squeed at her little plan as her friend rolled her eyes, looking over the uniforms. Cheerleaders were top of the teenage social pyramid probably because of it. And the fact the girls were picky about who could join. It was not always about bringing the skill, but sometimes the look.
Or, in this case, nepotism.
"I don't know, Paulina. Amélie is really pretty." Star held her hands to her chest. "And I'm not talking just about her boobs. Though you'll hear a lot fo guys talk about them."
Paulina rolled her eyes. She was well aware of their cup differences but felt she had more to offer than just a body. A good perception, but it was shallow given her personality. Not that she noticed. Plus, the girl was sure she'd grow into someone with a more curvaceous physique.
As unlikely as that is.
"So she's tall, has long legs, wavy hair, and pretty eyes with big boobs. Who cares? I can still be the prettiest girl in school."
Star was wondering if Paulina had snapped. She figured from the last few plans, the girl would have something more substantially threatening, in a sense. Not a plan which sounded like the opposite of the mere-exposure effect.
"Yeah...this isn't going to work," Star said slowly. But Paulina wouldn't listen.
"Oh, please. You don't know what you're talking about." Paulina waved off the comment, and she reached into her locker. "Besides, the boys will definitely grow sick of her as they watch her move in this." The girl brought forth an article of clothing in the school spirit colors with the words Casper High written on it.
"I doubt this plan even more," Star silently muttered, staring at the piece of clothing.
Paulina giggled, putting the article away in her locker. That would be for later. She walked away with an invite as Star followed.
The blonde girl tried to talk some sense into her friend.
"Uh, Paulina—"
"—I'm sorry, but I have a l' emploi à temps partiel. A part...time...job."
The cheerleader had arrived at the French girl's locker, where she immediately asked for tryouts. Amélie's words shattered Paulina. The Hispanic girl was seething on the inside but kept a level of cool on the outside. While not someone with a brain, academically, that didn't mean she would take the rejection without a fight.
"I don't think you understand," Paulina said, maintaining her pleasant facade. She held out the paper. "Cheerleaders are the top of the teen pyramid in America. I don't know what it's like in Paris, but I want you to try out and become one of us."
The Hispanic girl elbowed Star, who sent a grumpy look before acting happy with a smile.
"Yeah, go get to do some dances and cheers, pumping up the school's spirit.
"Oh! Well that is, how you say, fantastic." Amélie posed èpaulé. "I had been practicing ballet since I was young."
Nearby boys watched with their eyes glued to Amélie. The French giggled before sighing.
"But I must decline. I already have been working for a while and can not just quit. It would be rude."
Paulina's eye twitched as the smirk stayed.
"Oh, ok." The head cheerleader handed the paper to Amélie. "Well, let me know if you change your mind."
"Merci."
Paulina gave a cheerful smile and walked away. Star followed, glancing back at Amélie. The French girl seemed to like the idea and wore a grin, placing the paper in her locker.
Once she turned a corner, Paulina seethed at another failed plan.
"She got a job?" Paulina seethed. "Where!?"
The Phantom Flavor was one of the local ice cream shops in Amity Park. The owner, Mr. Fussell, had it renovated after ghosts destroyed his original shop. It was never packed to the brim, but it had a great atmosphere and flexible hours. This was one of the reasons Amélie had applied for a job here. She wanted something to pass the time after school and see the city.
Plus, she liked ice cream.
Due to the jocks, many school clubs were silent on whether they had a spot open. And while that was slowly changing, the French girl decided a part-time job would be something she could enjoy.
Nobody knew she worked here, so she barely saw any fellow students from Casper High. Well, except for a few.
"Hey, Amélie."
Amélie turned to see Jazz Fenton, Danny's older sister. The elder sibling had caught a glimpse of her during her exit from Fenton Works and wondered what was happening. They only formally met a few days after.
Like her, the girl was a fan of ice cream and quickly became a regular of the shop.
"Jasmine—I mean, Jazz. Comment allez-vous?" Amélie waved as the orange-haired girl walked over.
"I'm fine. I take it your time here is going better." Jazz leaned over the glass, looking at the many flavors, before turning to the French girl.
"Oui. It haz been better, but ze boys still fight."
Amélie scooped up a flavor Jazz pointed to, along with any other.
"Well...yeah...they do that."
"And I know why." Amélie sighed, glancing at her breasts. "My mother was right when she saw I started growing at ten years old. I was going to be very popular."
Jazz gave a nervous smile as she nodded. It was hard to believe that the girl had been developing since childhood. The Fenton girl couldn't rate on a biological level but knew the feeling of being different growing up.
Or at least, she could connect without the jocks interfering. One good about Dash, if you were a girl with a brain, you could outsmart him.
"So, what are you going to do after class? I was thinking about studying for the next history test. Wanna join?"
"Oui! That sounds fantastic! I need some help with some of the dates!"
Jazz nodded as she grabbed her ice cream. She sat down, enjoying the flavor as the day went by quietly. Finishing one bowl, the girl went up for a to-go pint when she heard some rumbling at the register.
"What was that?" Jazz asked. She turned around and was shocked at what she saw.
There was an influx of boys storming the register. They all wanted a chance to spend a few minutes with the beautiful French girl with the large chest. Amélie sighed for a moment before greeting the customers behind Jazz.
"You sure you can handle this?" Jazz asked. She turned to see the line forming to the outside at the block's corner, turning into it.
Amélie turned to the long line. Boys or not, she was not one to call it quits in challenging situations.
"It iz, as you say, no problem. I am used to this attention," Amélie said, rolling up her sleeves. She put on a warm smile as she spoke. "Here you. Next customer please."
I figure Pauline for the kind of girl who focuses on what's in her reach. Be it a cute boy or something else. So despite showing she can put effort, it seems she'd do it on frivolities. So, if you're wondering if the girl seemed out of character, that's why. Though if it's too much, I'll keep it down to more simple pranks next time. Anyway, looks like a lunch rush. Or in this case, boy rush. Next time, we have Danny and Amélie interact more. Have a good day!
Special Thanks! to Flower Princess11 for all her help!
Special Thanks! to Jebest4781 for the ballerina suggestion a while ago.
Reviews:
RonaldM40196867: Thanks! No clue. Danny's a good kid.
Luiz4200: He has every reason too, but you'll see what the predicament is later.
Invader Johnny: And it seems it's not over yet.