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Paulina was having a good day.
She just had her hair and nails done.
The newest spring summer fashion line for Oh So Cute finally hit the stores and she went on a shopping spree.
And her daddy agreed to upgrade her clunky cell for the brand new Razr3 in hot bubblegum pink.
She even saw the Ghost Boy and he waved at her.
It was such a good day.
Until now.
Paulina stares at the floating cat sitting above her bed.
“Can I…help you?” she asks the cat.
The cat stands, back legs and tail misting into smoke as it meows at her.
It has the gall to jump into one of her bags of dresses.
“Ah no- get out of there!” Paulina lunges, trying to grab the ghostly fluff, and finding her hands pass through it.
“Miha?” her mom calls from downstairs, “is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she shouts back, flipping the bag so that everything but the cat falls out onto the bed.
The cat chirps from inside the bag.
“What?” She turns the bag rightside up to look into it. “What do you want?”
The cat curls up into a tight ball, purring loudly.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she says, pulling her new Razr out of her pocket. It takes a minute of scrolling to find the number.
It rings only slightly louder than the purring noise.
“Hello?” Manson’s voice answers after the third ring. “Why are you calling me?”
“Because there’s a ghost sitch here and I need help.”
“Where are you?” her voice shifts from wary to serious.
“Home.”
“I’ll be there in six.”
The line disconnects.
“Ugh,” Paulina snaps the cell shut and tucks it back into her pocket.
She looks into the bag again, “You better stay in there.”
The ghost cat rolls over and to her horror, she spots a tiny round fluff of a slightly different color under the cat’s paw.
“You did not-”
The cat jumps up and out of the bag.
Leaving behind several tiny newborn ghost kittens.
“This would be so cute if you weren’t already dead,” she says as the doorbell rings.
“Miha, are you expecting company,” her mom calls.
“If it’s Manson, yes,” she calls back.
There’s a brief stareoff between her and the cat as pounding boots hit the stairs
“Paulina?”
“In here,” she answers.
The door to the room opens and Sam stops.
“Is that…?”
“Your problem now,” Paulina shoves the bag of newborn kittens into her hands.
The ghost cat yowls.
“Nope, this is your problem,” Sam pushes the bag back into her own hands. “You do not mess with momma cats.”
“And what exactly am I supposed to do with them?!”
“I don’t know, but she chose you as a safe place so you’re stuck with them until they get bigger.”
“Yeah no, that is not happening.” Paulina shakes her head. “I can’t take care of cats, let alone already dead ones.”
“At least you don’t need to feed them or clean out the litter,” Sam shrugs.
“Manson,” she hisses. “Help me.”
“On the condition that you help me with the Stephenson Thing.”
“What thing- oh you mean the thing with the engagement and the hospital.”
“Yeah.”
“Done,” Paulina holds out her hand.
Sam shakes on it.
“Okay first, only you can touch the bag but that doesn’t mean you have to hold it for forever.”
“I can put them down? What if they come out?”
“Just brace the bag to keep it from falling.”
Paulina rolls her eyes. She makes space on her desk and then props the back up with a couple of out of season scarves.
“Now what?”
“Now I’ll get you some ecto-dejecto and we can speed run them growing up.”
“Ecto-what?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sam pulls out her own cell and starts texting.
“You said you would help.”
“I am!” She tucks the phone away after getting a handful of responses. “So, I am absolutely not abandoning you, I’m just going to run over to Danny’s real quick to get something and then when we get back you're going to feed the kittens.”
“I’m going to what,” Paulina squeaks.
“Feed them, I’ll be back, promise.” Sam says. “Don’t try to pet the mom unless she comes up to you.”
“Manson, this better not be a prank.”
“Of course not, we shook on it.” She says and then disappears out the door.
Paulina stares after her, dumbfounded.
The ghost cat meows, floating to press her head against Paulina’s hand.
“Don’t you get cute on me now.”