(A/N)- Dumb, dumb chapter name. I promise to work on this more - I just realized I hadn't updated and had a chapter that I didn't post yet. Just with school and stuff and my novel wanting attention, it's getting harder to focus on these things. Still, I want this done ... even if the ending isn't looking so good. :P

Thank you so much to my reviewers!! x)

Chapter 3 - You Promised

"What's up, dip face?" Dani asked with a wry grin as he came into their new home. She was sitting at the kitchen table, starting on her homework, her camera bag beside her.

Max tossed his backpack onto a nearby chair, "No."

"No what?" she asked innocently.

"I'm not going back to Whipstaff," he said firmly.

"Aw, c'mon Max!" she complained.

"Whatever happened to you being the reasonable one?" he asked incredulously, striding over to the fridge to look for a snack.

"I didn't realize you were so scared of ghosts ..." she mumbled.

He came over to sit across from her, "Dani," he addressed seriously, "I don't want a repeat of the Sanderson Sisters."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, I do." she said, and when she saw her brother look at her insanely, she added defensively, "Just to prove to mom and dad that we weren't lying!"

"Yeah, well, I don't think it'll be worth risking our lives over something as stupid as that."

"But Max, you promised!"

"I didn't promise anything!" he exclaimed, getting to his feet and heading upstairs.

"Well you didn't not promise!" she shot back as she got up to run after him, "I said we'd come back tomorrow night, which is tonight, and you didn't complain or nothing!"

"I'm complaining now."

"Max!!" she called up the steps, but he'd disappeared into his bedroom.

Dani gritted her teeth in frustration as she let her anger boil a moment before shrieking, "MOM!!!"

-=-=-=-=-

Kat came into the foyer to nearly get hit by a baseball, Casper's baseball. It ricocheted off the wall beside her and bounced off the floor to be caught by Stinkie. His mouth was agape in horror at the sight of her.

"I-it wasn't me!" he stuttered in his nasally voice.

"Then give it to me," she said, offering out her hand for him to place the baseball in.

His nervous face quickly turned into a devilish sneer as he replied, "No." and tossed the ball to Stretch who had floated down several feet from him.

She groaned angrily. Stinkie was the more approachable and nicer one of the bunch, but not when his brothers were around.

"Stretch!" she shouted as he joined his brothers in his laughter, "Give that back, that's Casper's!"

"Aw, fleshie, we was jus' havin' a little fun!" Stretch said, and he pulled back to throw the ball to her but he was aiming for her head. Lucky for Kat, she knew a thing or two about baseball. She darted to the side when it was in midair and she caught it securely in her hand.

Stretch 'ooh'd in mockery and Stinkie and Fatso whistled. She ignored them, thumbing to the door, "Now get outta here before you break something."

"Whatsa matter wit' you, Kitty Kat?" Stretch asked, floating in front of her. She swatted him away as she walked through him, ignoring the chill it sent down her spine. She slung her bookbag off of her shoulder and tossed it atop her dad's desk chair.

"Nothing's wrong with me," she said, "Since when have I ever liked coming home to you guys?"

Stretch clutched his chest, "Oh, my achey breaky hart!" he said sarcastically, "Last I checked we own the place!"

"No," she said, matter-of-factly, "My dad owns this place."

"Well we live here!" he shot back.

"Sad but true," she dismissed with a sigh, "Can you please just go someplace else?"

"Sheesh, you act as if we want to hang around fleshies like you," Stretch said disgustedly, and turned to his brothers, "C'mon boys, let's head down to the track ..."

"No!" Kat shouted, "Remember what my dad said ...!" but the trio already disappeared. She sat down on the therapy seat with a humph. Seems like they were learning nothing from her dad's sessions. Now they were sure to blame her once they got back, for kicking them out of the house.

Oh well. That didn't matter though; they were gone, and that's what she wanted.

"You can come in now, Casper," she called, and her ghostly friend came floating in through the wall. She'd made him stand by while she shooed them out, because from past experiences she knew that his uncles would want to hang around and pick on their nephew rather than be receptive to what she asked.

"Don't worry about my uncles," he said, "They go to the horse track every once in a while ... I think the people there are used to it by now."

"My dad won't like it though," she said with a sigh, "They're supposed to be more ... contained. Haunt where they live, you know?"

"Yeah, but how're they supposed to haunt this place with you guys in it? No offense ..." he said, when Kat looked at him, "But they need their daily haunt or else they'll take it out on the house and everyone in it."

"I guess you're right," she said with a shrug, "I still don't see how it doesn't get boring."

"Well ... you know my uncles," he said with a laugh, "They always get a kick outta scaring fleshies-- erm, I mean humans!" he said with a nervous grin.

Kat smiled, "So what do you think of Max?" she asked, and Casper's face turned red as he frowned a bit. She laughed.

"You don't need to be jealous of him; I was just asking what you thought," she said, "I mean, did you see how awkward he got when they mentioned witches? Do you think he was hexed by a witch or something?"

"I'd hope so," he muttered under his breath.

"Casper!" she exclaimed, "That's not nice!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he lied.

-=-=-=-=-

"Hurry up, Max!" Dani called down the road, before tossing her half-deflated ball over the fence. It didn't get as far as it did when Max threw it the other day. In fact, it landed just a few feet inside the fence with a sickening thud.

She got down on her knees and squiggled under the gate again. As she got up and dusted herself off, Max had arrived at the front gate. He reached over and tugged on the latch, and the door swung slowly inwards. He grinned like a cheshire cat at his sister as she rolled her eyes, "I took the adventurous way," she retorted, and turned on her heel and marched off towards the mansion.

"Where are you going?" he asked, grabbing her shoulder.

"To ring the doorbell," she said, "Someone's home," she pointed to the station wagon in the driveway.

"And what makes you think they'd like us trespassing?"

"We're just friendly neighbors," she said simply, and her face contorted, "And I gotta peeee!"

"You've gotta be kidding me,"

She laughed, "I was convincing, wasn't I?"

He shook his head, walking alongside her as she headed up to the front steps, "You sure you want to use a haunted mansion's bathroom?"

"I'm not going to use it," she said as she reached the top steps, and her brother followed, "I'll record things and see if anything shows up. You, in the meanwhile, will keep the owner of the house busy," she said with a grin, patting him playfully on the cheek, and he shooed her away.

She turned and her eyes fell immediately on the doorbell. With an excited grin, she pressed it.

(A/N)- Don't worry! There's a bit more and I know exactly what happens for the next few chapters! I just need to get my notes together. Review, and you'll inspire me even more to continue! :)