Notes:

Hey, guys. It's been a while since I last posted something so I decided to do something for Halloween. Or for "Day of the Dead", to be more accurate, hehe. This is a one-sided Paulina/Danny one-shot and it takes place sometime during the second season, between "Identity Crisis" and "The Fenton Menace" (I think…).

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom and all related characters belong to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon.

Now edited...

Date of the Dead

"And then I got these earrings, to match my costume, at that yucky goth store. Who knew those freaks could come in handy once a year?" Both girls next to the Latina laughed at her comment. But, of course, nothing less could be expected. When you're Paulina, the most popular girl in Casper High, everything you say is witty.

The school cafeteria was packed, just like every other day, so the A-list girls had decided to take their lunch and early gossip outside, where the autumn leaves provided a colorful and fitting decoration for All Hallows' Eve.

"So you really think the ghost boy is going to meet you at the party?" Star asked with excitement in her voice, referring to that night's Halloween party at Paulina's place.

Every time there was a chance to arrange a little get-together, the A-list kids would always do something cool and spectacular at the house of either of the group's leaders: star quarterback Dash Baxter or Casper High's queen bee Paulina Sánchez. The latter decided to take charge this time and organized everything at her house. That way, she would have the perfect chance to meet with Amity Park's own superhero: Danny Phantom. After all, she wanted everything to be just right for that evening.

The Latina rolled her turquoise eyes in annoyance. "Duh. I know just the way to reach him."

"You're not thinking about asking that loser Fenton to give him the message again, are you?" Ashley now questioned, disgust evident in her tone and expression. "You tried that on your birthday and Phantom was a no-show."

Paulina glared, mostly offended by the sour reminder. "Of course not! I did my homework and I've got other ways of getting in touch with him. Something more… spiritual."

"Oh! You mean like with a Ouija board?" Star piped up intrigued.

A sly grin appeared on Paulina's features. "Something much better." She remained silent to keep her friends in suspense for a moment, obviously proud of her secret method. "I put up an altar."

Her two satellites looked at each other in confusion. "A what?"

"You're going to marry him?" Star exclaimed in shock. "But you're underage!"

"No! I mean like an altar for the dead," Paulina explained but, seeing how the two other girls were still confused (and a bit grossed out) by the idea, she sighed in defeat. "Look, I'm not going all psycho or anything. My dad told me about this old tradition where you put an altar with food and stuff so you can hang out with the ghost you set it for."

"So you're saying… it's going to be like some sort of date?" Ashley questioned.

Just as the other girl was about to answer, the sound of laughter interrupted her, making the three of them turn around to the source of their distraction.

"He seriously did that?" the voice of Sam Manson asked between chuckles as her friends, Danny and Tucker, continued laughing. They had apparently been sitting near the girls' table all along, but not really paying attention to them, from the sounds of it.

"Well, you know Technus," Danny spoke. "He's always—"

"Do you mind?" Paulina now took the chance to interrupt them. "We came out here for a reason and it wasn't to listen to loser talk."

"Oh, let me guess," Sam began to retaliate, using her trademark sarcastic tone. "You're preparing your spells for the evening?"

"Look who's talking, goth freak!"

"Shallow witch!"

"Time out!" Danny suddenly exclaimed loudly, stepping between the two archrivals before they could kill each other. The boy just sighed as soon as he got their attention. "Ok, look, Paulina… we're leaving, anyway, so you can have all the place to yourself. Right, guys?"

Sam rolled her eyes while the techno geek hesitated for a second before replying. "Uh… right! We have other things to do. But if you ladies need someone brave and handsome to keep you safe from all the monsters tonight, just give me a call." Tucker wiggled his eyebrows, confident of his charm.

"Unless you know the ghost boy, in your dreams," Paulina exclaimed with a look of revulsion.

The boy smiled. "Actually—"

"Tucker!" Sam cut in. "We're leaving, remember? We don't want their denseness to rub on us."

And before the popular clique could say anything else, the goth girl left, dragging Tucker by the arm and with Danny following right behind them. The Fenton boy glanced back at the other girls for a second and frowned sadly, but he didn't say anything else.

Paulina crossed her arms and turned to her friends. "Ugh, can you believe those losers?"

"We'll get back at them later," Ashley said. "But tell us more about this ritual or whatever it is."

Paulina signaled her companions to get closer so she could continue with her explanation, obviously not wanting any random loser to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Anyway, it's like this… first you have to find out what kind of things the ghost liked the most when he was alive."

The other girls shared looks again. "But no one knows anything about him. How did you find out what he liked?"

"What's there to know?" Paulina shrugged, making it sound like the answer was really too obvious. "He fights ghosts and likes doing heroic stuff, so he probably liked action and adventure when he was alive. He's very fit, so he probably worked out. He shows up at the Nasty Burger a lot, so maybe he liked the burgers there. See? Easy. I only have to look for videogames or comic books, maybe a Mighty Meaty Cheesy Melt, and some snacks to keep my ghost boy happy."

"Wow, Paulina. That's some smart thinking," Star complimented.

"Well, I had some geeks from the fan club help out a little," she said dismissively. "All I had to add was the usual things you need for the altar, like some smelly flowers, candles, some dog that's supposed to guide him or whatever, and all the pictures I have of him."

"And you're sure this will work?" a still doubtful Ashley asked.

Truth is, the Latina had spent the best part of her weekend setting everything the way it's supposed to be arranged. She read online guides to make altars, asked her dad for additional details, and even read all the articles she had on the ghost boy to figure him out. She made sure every little thing was perfect so that it'd become hard to resist for the ever-elusive Phantom. It had to work. At least in theory…

Instead of telling her friends all that, the popular cheerleader simply nodded. "I'll just have to make a path with some candles and turn them on at the right moment."

Star raised an eyebrow. "And when will the right moment be?"

"Tonight at the party, of course. It's not Día de Muertos, but I guess Halloween is just as good enough."

The three friends continued to chatter away, making plans, resuming their gossip, and even finishing their lunch in the meantime. Paulina had no doubt things would go just as planned and she would meet her beloved hero at midnight. Besides, she always got what she wanted. Right?

The band hired for the party continued enchanting the crowd, making them dance excitedly to the beat of their songs. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, something that the hostess had already counted on.

The venue had been decorated accordingly to the occasion but with Paulina's own stylish touch, which meant that nothing extremely creepy or tacky was used in the decoration. Black and orange were the predominating colors, except on her costume. The girl had made a very feminine version of Phantom's uniform to match her beloved hero. She had received compliments from everyone about the party and her attire, but none of that meant anything unless her special guest arrived.

Almost midnight, Paulina mused as she read the time on a nearby clock. She would have to excuse herself from the party now and go to the altar in her room, otherwise all her work would be for nothing. She had added some final touches to it, like a replica of the container he always carried around and some ghost figurines. With all those details that would make it feel at home for the hero, she was certain the ghost boy would come in no time.

"Hey, Paulina!" a voice the girl immediately identified as Dash's called. "Great party! You wanna hit the dance floor with me and show them what you've got?"

The jock had dressed up as a vampire, which most girls had found very attractive. But Paulina simply had no interest in him, especially not tonight. "I have to make a call, but I'll be right back," she replied nonchalantly.

Dash seemed disappointed but he knew better than to contradict or insist with her, so he simply gave her a nod and went back outside. The girl sighed and then headed upstairs to her room, the only place where she could set everything up without anyone questioning her.

Once there, the Latina took one last look at her handiwork. She had picked the traditional purple and orange colors to cover the table for the altar. She used her mom's best china for the food, which mostly consisted in different flavored chips, a couple of Mighty Meaty Cheesy Melts from the Nasty Burger, lots of chocolate, and other assorted snacks. Several pictures and action figures of the white-haired boy hanged from the ceiling. Copies of videogames and comic books were also gracefully arranged on the table. And finally, as tradition had it, she included water, salt, several coins, a big plush dog (since a real one would've been a huge mess), pan de muerto, sugar skulls, marigolds, and various candles, including those for the small trail.

"Well, here goes nothing," the girl whispered to herself as she kneeled to light the path.

She didn't remember ever doing that much for someone she liked. But then again, Danny Phantom was no ordinary guy. He was always helping people and saving the day, even after all the awful rumors going around about him. And he had the sweetest goofy grin. She had only seen it a couple of times briefly, but it always melted her. What was not to like?

The path was ready and all she had to do now was wait for the ghost boy to show up. She figured she might probably have to wait a little while for it to work. So she sat down, not even caring if they were asking for her at the party or not (though she knew they would). Right at that moment nothing was more important than seeing the boy of her dreams. Well, that and also showing off her super cool date at the party.

Several minutes passed and she looked expectantly at the window, forgetting the fact that he could phase through anything if he so wanted to. She could hear the band still playing and the occasional sound of laughter, but still no sign of the ghost boy anywhere.

Suddenly, the sound of knocking on the door startled her. "Paulina? Are you in there?" she heard Star's voice at the other side of the door.

Paulina hesitated for a second, not wanting to be interrupted in case Phantom appeared. "Yes, I'll be down in a minute."

"But you've been gone from the party for, like, an hour. It's getting late and people are starting to leave.

An hour? She couldn't believe she had been sitting for an hour and there still was no sign of him. "He'll be here any minute, now. Just… keep them entertained."

There was a brief silence though Paulina could've sworn she heard Star talking to someone else. "Okay. I'll… do what I can."

The still lonely girl sighed in frustration. Things were not going according to the plan. He was supposed to be there just as soon as she lit all the candles. What was taking him so long? Or maybe it didn't work the same way with him since he's so powerful and special, she mused.

Paulina lost track of time as she contemplated all the possibilities that could explain his absence. She was absolutely certain it wasn't her fault since she did everything according to the tradition. Or maybe it wasn't the right day? No, it has to be something else, she stubbornly thought, obviously not wanting to place the blame on herself.

She was so immersed in her thoughts that she failed to notice the sudden silence as the rock band left the party, or the sound of the various engines from the cars parked outside, ready to leave the place. It wasn't until Star knocked on the door again that the dark-haired girl was snapped out of her musings.

"Paulina… it's already two in the morning and everyone's gone now."

The girl in question didn't reply as she stared sadly at the dying flames of the melting candles. "I was so sure this would work," she whispered to herself.

"We have to take off, but we wanted to know if everything was okay in there," Ashley's voice asked this time.

"I'm fine," she answered softly, though loud enough for them to hear. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Just go."

Neither Star nor Ashley said anything else and Paulina assumed they had just gone home.

Some of the candles had already died in odd puddles of wax. Paulina got up and blew the rest of the remaining flames, leaving the room silent and dark. She didn't bother cleaning up. She would rather do it in the morning. Instead, she moved to the altar to grab her favorite Phantom plush toy and sat on her bed, holding the doll in her arms.

She had imagined her ghostly knight coming through the window and marveling at the wonderful altar she made just for him. He would've probably had a quick dinner with her with all the fresh food she put on the table and then he would've taken her to the dance floor to enjoy the rest of the party. Everyone would've been very impressed with her and her date. Phantom then would've probably left at the first sign of emergency but not without giving her a goodbye kiss, making it the perfect ending to a perfectly planned evening.

But the girl realized none of that would be possible now. She would still try meeting him somewhere, somehow, so she could really get to know him better. She loved the brief random meetings they had, but she never got a chance to say much to him, or vice versa.

Just as the girl was about to fall asleep, a blur of black and white came crashing through the window and into her closet, snapping her awake with a yelp. Paulina sat shakily on her bed and froze in fear when she heard a groan coming from the broken closet doors. What if it was an evil ghost or something worse? Thinking quickly, she picked up her desk lamp and raised it to hit the being that had come to attack her.

The figure stirred and was about to get up when she swung her lamp in its direction, surprisingly hitting the creature. "Ow!" it yelled.

Paulina was still trembling but tried to keep a firm stance despite her fear. "Don't move or I'll call for help!" she exclaimed quickly.

"Ow… Paulina?" the figure asked in a very familiar voice.

Oh no, she thought to herself and immediately hurried to turn on the lamp. The nightly visitor stood up slowly and she confirmed her suspicions as she recognized him.

"Ghost boy! You made it!" Paulina squealed as she jumped to hug him. She was ecstatic and couldn't even believe he had come to her house after all. Maybe he didn't like showing up at crowded places? Maybe he waited until she was alone to make an appearance? It didn't matter… he was there!

The teenage hero gently tried to push her away, still trying to recover from the crash. "I'm flattered but… I have to chase Skulker before he causes any more damage," he exclaimed.

She looked at him confused. "But you just got here. You haven't eaten anything yet. I even got you some videogames."

It was now Phantom's turn to be at a loss. "Wait, what?"

Paulina grabbed his cold and strong hand, and pulled him towards the still intact altar. "I made this for you, to invite you here."

Phantom raised an eyebrow, as he looked in surprise at all the things she had put on the table for him. "Uh… wow, this is really nice, but how exactly was I supposed to find out? I don't usually come around this neighborhood," he questioned as he rubbed the back of his neck, another cute trait Paulina mentally added to her list of things she loved about her crush.

"Well, duh… the tradition says this whole altar thing invokes the ghosts of your loved ones to hang out with them," she explained. "I wanted to spend some time with you, silly."

The green-eyed hero let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "I'm not sure it worked the way you planned it. But thank you," he said with the sweetest voice she had heard from him yet. He gave her a small smile but quickly turned towards the window, apparently changing back to his heroic attitude. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to—wait, is that the new BioJolt Unlimited?" he suddenly asked as he noticed with interest one of the games on the table. Not a second later he shook his head and tried to focus back on his mission. "Uh, never mind. I gotta go after Skulker now."

Paulina frowned sadly as the boy floated towards the window. He didn't like it? All that work and he just gave her the brush-off? This was definitely not her night. She knew she was probably being too superstitious, but she really wanted to be with her hero, the boy who won her heart over and over without even trying. She wanted to talk to him, get to know him better… or to just be with him.

But how was going to happen if he was always out there saving the world?

The ghost boy suddenly stopped and turned to face her as one gloved hand ran through his perfect white bangs. "Listen, uh, I'm sorry I couldn't stay. This was really nice of you, though. But I'll see you around." He gave her a small smile and waved before taking off to continue fighting the good fight. "Happy Halloween." And with those last words, he flew into the sky and disappeared from sight.

Well, it wasn't exactly what the girl was expecting, but at least he dropped by. And he said he would see me around, so there's still hope! A dreamy sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the beautiful moon outside. He had looked so handsome under the moonlight…

She definitely had the right idea for that special night, but maybe there were easier ways to meet with someone as elusive as Danny Phantom. Maybe Día de Muertos didn't apply to ghosts who didn't have a Latin heritage. Maybe she would need to get him used to this tradition somehow…

Paulina turned around and her jaw dropped at the sight of her altar, the smoke from the blown candles barely letting her see the dead flowers and empty plates on the dark corner of her room…