Author's Note: Writing this chapter changed a plot point I had been planning for a while, but I think it will be better this way!

Star Error XIII

The following day, Star watched Fenton from a distance as discreetly as she could. The last thing she needed was for everyone to think that she was hung up on Fenton after he brutally dumped her in front of everyone.

Oh, she would definitely have to get back at him for this somehow. Some way. Someday. But not right now when she knew Valerie would come after her if she did.

What did Valerie even see in Fenton anyway?

Star sat behind him a couple rows back in English class, glancing up from her notes every few seconds to check him out. Sure, he had nice hair that looked pretty soft and fun to run some fingers through. And he was a lot more muscular than she remembered him being in freshman year. Taller, too. And his eyes were kind of nice, she guessed. Icy blue, a piercing color that really stood out under his dark eyelashes.

She couldn't exactly say he was ugly but he certainly wasn't, like, cute.

Not really, anyway.

Maybe just a little cute.

Star looked up again and this time found Fenton looking back at her. He smiled, and Star immediately put her head down, blushing furiously as she pretended to concentrate very hard on taking detailed notes. She did not raise her head again for the remainder of class.

Later that night as part of their typical Friday night sleepover at Paulina's house, Star sat on the carpet near Paulina's canopy bed while Paulina sat at her vanity, brushing her long dark hair. The window was open, bringing in the cool night air as the pink curtains fluttered around the frame. Paulina always insisted on leaving the window open at night, hoping to catch just one glimpse of the ghost boy before she went to bed.

"So now that it's finally just us girls…" Paulina pulled half of her hair over her shoulder and began braiding it. "How are you taking your breakup with Danny?"

Star groaned. "We really weren't dating."

"You don't need to be embarrassed," said Paulina. "You could do a lot worse than Danny."

Star thought back to Valerie's glowing words about Fenton. "You don't think he's cute, do you?"

"Of course I do. Prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen." Paulina sighed as she tied off her first braid with a sugary pink bow. "Such a shame he and his family are a bunch of weirdos."

"He is weird, isn't he?" remarked Star.

"Yes." Paulina turned to Star, her eyes wide and full of concern. "Did he break your heart terribly when he dumped you like that? Because the cheerleaders and I can get back at him if you need us to."

Star was pretty sure Valerie would kick her ass if she allowed the cheerleaders to hurt or humiliate Fenton on her behalf. "Uh—no, don't do that, please."

Paulina smiled. "So you still care about him?"

"It's really not what you think."

Paulina chuckled and tied off her second braid. "That boy has made me feel some complicated emotions, too."

Star raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yes." Paulina grabbed a teddy bear from her collection of stuffed animals in the corner of her room and hugged it close to her chest as she joined Star on the floor. "He's cute but also a huge dweeb, like I can't actually associate with him even if he is nice to look at." She sighed dreamily. "But then he's also kind of mysterious, you know? He pretends like he knows nothing about ghosts, but I know he knows a lot more than he's letting on."

Paulina petted the bear between its ears, lost in some thought Star could only guess at.

"So, uh." Star cleared her throat to get Paulina's attention. "If you could ask Fenton one question and he had to answer honestly, what would you ask him?"

"Oh, that's easy. I'd ask him about his relationship to the ghost boy."

"His…relationship? To the ghost boy?"

"Well, sure," said Paulina. "Obviously he knows the ghost boy somehow. The ghost boy is always using that Thermos with the name 'Fenton' on it."

"So, what, you think Fenton gave the ghost boy that Thermos?" asked Star.

"Well, how else would he have gotten it?" Paulina turned up her nose. "The ghost boy is not a thief. He's good."

"Hmm." Star creased her brow. "So you really think Fenton and Phantom know each other?"

"Mmm hmm," said Paulina, once again petting her teddy bear on the head. "Although I've never been able to get Danny to admit it, but if he had to answer honestly, that's what I would ask him."

Star looked off to the side, wondering if maybe she didn't need to come up with the one perfect yes-or-no question to ask Fenton after all. If Phantom was close enough to Fenton that Fenton actually let him borrow his family's ghost inventions, then surely Phantom would know why Fenton's freckles glowed, right?

Maybe all she had to do was find Phantom and ask him instead.

"Oh!" Paulina gasped and jumped to her feet. "The ghost boy!"

She dropped her bear and ran to the window, excitedly pointing at the sky. Star joined her, gazing up at the glowing flash of light streaking high above them. Looking more closely, Star could see that it was actually a white-haired ghost wearing a jumpsuit.

"It's the ghost boy!" squealed Paulina. "Ooh, make a wish! Shooting ghosts are so much luckier than shooting stars!"

Paulina clasped her hands beneath her chin and shut her eyes tight. Star watched her silently mouthing her wish, then turned to look out the window again. Phantom's glow was getting farther away, winking out amidst the constellations.

Right now, Star had only one wish.

I just wish I could figure out Fenton's secret.