Hey, there! This was just a little theory I kept thinking about after watching "Claw of the Wild". This takes place much earlier in the series, though. Somewhere after "Shades of Gray". Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: don't own anything, blah, blah, blah...

Just a Name

There was nothing else in the world right now more important than the stunning way her hair looked that morning; how it curled over her shoulder and practically seemed to sparkle whenever the faintest ray of light caressed her beautiful dark locks.

He was glad he was usually invisible to everyone, practically a ghost, so he could keep silently admiring Valerie's choice of hairstyle that day, or the little doodles at the top of her notes, or the way her manicured nails rhythmically tapped her pencil against her book. She had the song "Breaking the Habit" stuck in her head by the sounds of it.

A quick glance at the clock sourly reminded the boy his opportunity to seat behind the most amazing girl in the universe was about to end. She would soon put everything back into her backpack, walk out of the classroom with Star toward their lockers (#184 and #186, he recalled), and continue their chatter until the bell rang. Even when he was glad that part of her routine hadn't changed and she still got to spend some time with her best friend, she would still have English that period while he was stuck with AP Chemistry.

He wanted to muster the courage to talk to her and maybe one day their small talk would lead to a full conversation and she would recognize him and wave hello whenever they crossed paths. If only he could just use those small opportunities to ask her about that morning's lesson, or how things were now that she moved to Elmerton. Maybe if he could ask her about the crazy ghost attacks reported at Axion Labs last week, since her dad worked there. No, too personal. He could ask about the weather or the change in the cafeteria menu. If only...

The bell rang and the girl left the room hurriedly, the faint sound of an alarm clock dimming with each leap she took. Valerie was becoming more and more used to that, but it hadn't been so bad until now, when she didn't even stop to share a word with her best friend or to get anything out of her locker, like the English textbook she would need for Mr. Lancer's class. It occurred to the boy she might be sick, since her stomach wasn't used to Mrs. Marsh's Monday Meaty Mix.

As he headed to his locker, he followed Val with his gaze. Just as he suspected, she headed straight to the bathroom. He hoped she was all right and didn't have an additional thing to worry about. The mere thought of having her dad lose his job, losing her home, losing most of her friends, and now having to deal with an infection made the silent witness extremely miserable. He wished he could trade places with her. No one would notice if his family lost everything or if he couldn't afford the coolest things, but Valerie would still be happy.

Several minutes passed and his crush hadn't come out yet. He thought about calling a teacher or one of her friends. Except... the whole experience could be very humiliating for the girl. She was just recovering from her fall from popularity.

He was unsure of what to do so he thought about calling from the door and ask if she was all right. His eyes shifted nervously to his surroundings and the empty hall. Once he was sure the place was deserted, he pushed the bathroom door gently just enough to call for Valerie. He hesitated, licking his dry lips before a word could even come out of his mouth. Before he had the chance to emit a sound, someone bumped into him on their way out of the girl's room, sending both of them to the floor.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" an angry feminine voice said, making the boy adjust his glasses to stare in shock at the green eyes now glaring at him. Those eyes were finally turning in his direction. That voice finally talked to him. That marked the exact moment he stopped being a ghost. Valerie was acknowledging his very existence.

"S-s-sorry," he whispered, trying to gather their belongings from the floor as quickly as possible to let the girl carry on to her next class.

Valerie fumed silently and completely omitted her reply. She started picking up her scattered notes and books as well. The boy wanted to ask her how she was dealing with everything, if she was feeling well, if she needed any help. He picked her English book and noticed something underneath. "A gun?" he mumbled.

The girl froze and quickly snatched the weapon from his hands, tossing it into her backpack. "That's none of your business!" she spat, hiding her nervousness behind her intimidating tone.

The other teen stared at her confused, millions of thoughts running in his head. He knew things had been tough for Val lately, but this... what if she was in some sort of trouble? What if she was feeling depressed and didn't want to let anyone know? "Are... are you all right?" was all he could manage to ask.

Valerie sighed as she finished to pack her previously scattered belongings. "It's ghost protection," she answered somewhat dismissively.

He understood she was trying to push him away, keep him out of whatever she was trying to do. Valerie apparently noticed his skeptic expression since she groaned in frustration. "Ok, look, Nathan, right?" The boy was about to reply when the girl went on with her explanation. "My dad works in security and wants to keep me safe from ghost attacks. That's why I have this with me, ok? It's not dangerous. I swear. But please, don't tell anyone?"

"Why not?" the redhead asked genuinely confused.

"Because they could kick me out of school!" she snapped, making the boy flinch. He felt stupid for missing something so obvious. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, as if trying to focus on what she should be saying next. "Look, I'll do whatever you want if you don't say a thing."

The boy stared at her dumbfounded. He got more than he could ever dream of... she talked to him! She spent more than 10 seconds actually talking to him. He didn't want or need anything else. He could maybe help her with whatever problem she was having, but he didn't want to ask for anything else from her.

"I won't say anything. I swear," he said in all honesty.

She stared at him in total shock. "Seriously? Wow... thanks!" She smiled and gave him a quick hug. An actual hug! He thought he would melt in her quick and impersonal embrace, but at the same time he felt strong enough to summon all the courage in the world to actually strike a conversation with her next time. They would laugh at silly things, have lunch, ask her to prom, get married, have kids, grow old together... everything was now possible.

The bell rang, ending the small reverie so fast he barely had a chance to blink before Valerie slung her backpack and ran towards the end of the hall. She didn't even bother to turn around as she yelled at him "Thanks, Nathan!" A second later, she was gone.

Lester sighed sadly. "My name's not even Nathan." This was going to be really awkward.