Author's Note: I keep putting off writing this fic, sorry! But I have not abandoned it, promise! :)
Star Error XVII
Star held her locker open, staring at the bouquet of orange roses inside. Or what was left of the bouquet, anyway. The roses had died from lack of sunlight and water, their golden luster dried up, nothing but wrinkled petals now.
And yet, she couldn't bring herself to throw them away. Not just yet.
"Hey, Star," said Paulina, coming up behind her.
Star quickly shut her locker and whirled around. "Oh, hey," she said, tossing her hair over one shoulder.
"Why'd you run out of the cafeteria?" asked Paulina, holding her books to her chest as she leaned against the lockers. "The boys ended up eating the rest of your lunch."
"I, uh…" Star scratched the side of her nose. "I just forgot that I was supposed to talk to my economics teacher during lunch," she said, choosing a teacher that she knew Paulina was not familiar with.
"You sure that's it?" Paulina pouted and tilted her head. "Or did Danny say something that broke your heart again?"
Star could feel warmth in her cheeks. "He didn't break my heart."
Paulina raised a brow, a knowing smile on her freshly glossed lips.
"Look, the guy's a weirdo," said Star, trying to sound convincing. "You know that. I can do better than him."
Paulina's mouth puckered. "If there's anything I've learned from listening to all the girls on the cheer squad, it's that you really can fall in love with anyone."
Star frowned, genuinely puzzled. "Even you?"
Paulina shrugged. "Even me. I fell in love with a ghost, after all."
A ghost. She meant Danny Phantom.
Star again remembered her encounter with Phantom in the library, his wounded side. The way Fenton jumped up from the cafeteria table when she jabbed him in the same side.
It made no sense and yet it made all the sense in the world.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period. Paulina and Star began heading for their next classes.
"But how would you feel if you found out the ghost boy wasn't who you thought he was?" asked Star. "I mean, what if you found out he's really just…a freak? A loser?"
"That's not possible," said Paulina.
Star waited, curious.
"He's saved our town so many times," Paulina explained. "He's even personally saved my life. Someone like that just has to be…" Paulina sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Wonderful."
Star sucked the inside of her cheek.
"And he's super cute; I've seen him up close. You can't fake good looks." Paulina scrunched her mouth, her brow furrowing. "Well, boys can't."
An image of Fenton smiling entered Star's head, so genuine and kind and yes super cute, she could not deny it.
She felt a blush rising up her neck and fought it off as hard as she could, turning her face away so Paulina wouldn't see it.
…
Throughout the second half of the day, Star kept her eye on Fenton, watching him in the hall during passing periods, waiting for some kind of sign, a signal, no idea what but she was sure she would recognize it when she saw it.
She watched him from a distance, careful to stay hidden so he wouldn't see her. Because if he turned his face in her direction and actually smiled at her, she was sure she'd fall apart, melt into a puddle, unable to reform.
But this was so stupid, this was Fenton, the biggest loser in school. Well, maybe that was being hyperbolic, maybe not in the school, but at least their grade. Well, okay, maybe that was also an exaggeration, maybe he wasn't the biggest loser in their grade, but he was definitely certainly absolutely not in her league and there was no good reason why she should be feeling so weak in the knees when she caught sight of his dopey blue eyes and his doofy soft hair and his dumb muscle-toned arms and his—
His side—
Fenton was gripping his side with both hands, fingers splayed, slightly bent over. Star knew exactly which class Fenton had next—English with Lancer, same as her—but instead of going to class, Fenton was heading for the nearest restroom, grimacing and digging his fingers into his right side. He pushed open the men's door and disappeared inside.
Star glanced down the hall in the direction of her next class and made a split-second decision, barreling toward and through the men's door before she could change her mind.
Inside the restroom, Fenton was standing in front of a sink, using one hand to lift up his shirt. He was inspecting three scabby gashes on his right side.
Star froze. The gashes looked an awful lot like claw marks, claws like the ghost monster in the library had.
Her body tensed and shook as she stared at the wounds, fluid leaking between cracks in the scabs. Fenton jumped when he caught sight of her and dropped his shirt, his eyes wide as he stared back at her.
Silence stretched between them. Star breathed deeply, again and again, her heart racing.
"I want to ask my last question now," she said, her voice wobbling.
Fenton turned so he was facing her more fully. "Okay," he said just above a whisper.
"And—and you have to be honest."
"I know. I will."
Star pulled in another breath, bracing herself. "Are you Danny Phantom?"
Fenton did not answer for many long seconds. When he finally opened his mouth, the door to the restroom swung open. Dash barged in and groaned when he saw Fenton and Star.
"Can you two maybe wait to make out until after I piss?" grumbled Dash, making his way to one of the urinals.
Star's face burned and she sprinted out of the restroom, down the hall and toward her next class. Her legs ached and sweat dripped under her shirt but she did not stop until she reached the classroom door, panting and choking on her spit.
She swallowed and entered the classroom, taking her normal seat next to Paulina. Paulina gave her a curious look but thankfully did not comment on her haggard appearance. Dash entered the classroom just as the bell rang, but Fenton was not with him.
Lancer stood at the front of the room and was counting students with one finger, silently mouthing to himself.
"Mr. Fenton is tardy again, I see." Lancer clicked his tongue in disapproval as he bent over his desk and wrote something down on a sheet of paper.
Star watched as Manson and Foley looked at the empty seat between them and exchanged confused glances with each other. She clasped her clammy hands and breathed in to quiet her thudding heart.
