Both hands grasped about his backpack's straps, shoulders hunched, Danny went straight for his locker without meeting anyone's eyes. Greetings and chatter of the minutes before class start washed over him. Familiar. And charged.

I saw this. This person claims this. What was it? Was it really what Lance Thunder complained of? No. Can't be. Amity Park and their new weird ghost stories are just an obvious ploy to amp up their 'haunted' stories that've always been around. Trying to grab more tourists. Well, it was person shaped and talked and flew. Completely weird. Aw, why did I have to miss everything going to the bathroom! What about...? No. Couldn't be the senior prank. Too early and look at Jonah, that's no prank. And I hear Sage and Christensen are blocking off the stage after Mindy, Jena, and Carol freaked out a little while ago. I'm sure they think they saw something. Let's go see if we can get a peek back there!

His shoulders hunched further down. Stomach twisting and twisting in on itself. Hoping desperately that no one tried dragging him into conversation. Spinning his dial, Danny opened his locker and quickly hung bag and coat, taking what he needed for first class of the day.

Escaping over and inside the classroom early, Danny was slightly glad no other students were there yet. Mr. Swanson gave a greeting as Danny entered and beelined to his desk. The man didn't seem too bothered by no response, turning back to his computer monitor, clacking away at the keyboard. When volume suddenly swelled from oustide the classroom, Danny automatically looked.

And could not look away, body and eyes locked.

Teeth flashed with a huff of a laugh, smile easy as ever on chiseled jaw and baby fat round cheeks. Arms matching the short and stocky body moved, swinging and working. Clicking with each sweep as he passed by the open doorway.

Franz's hands in a constant motion above, loudly expounded on whatever the joke had been. Elle skirted beside with a water bottle and granola bar atop her pile of books. Elizabeth on her other side, the far side from Danny, briefly visible through a gap.

The trio of girls Elle was friends with, who had the weird possessive thing for her older brother, tagged along as well with plenty of simpering sympathy and insistent reminders of their available hands. Brian, the weedy freshman from the team, tripped and stumbled along after. And what seemed to be a few girls from Jonah's grade.

Then they were gone. Passed by. But Danny could still hear the clicking sound of Jonah's crutches working down the hallway.

Swallowing at the sight of crutch and white cast leg and Jonah, Danny's eyes lowered to the desk as he slowly cracked open his book, the words unseen.

Some indiscernible amount of time later, minutes Danny knew, other kids began trickling into the classroom. Chatter still ongoing. Most of it about him. Not that they knew it was about him.

Unexpectedly. Not friendly. But demanding. A gruff 'hey' had Danny lifting his eyes up from the desk.

From the desk beside him, dark brown eyes felt just as piercing as Saturday night.

Surprised flickered through them and they flickered across Danny's face, then Jesse's mouth pulled funny.

"You heal quickly."

Danny hadn't let up on prodding his face most of Saturday night and Sunday, not willing to let it go or leave it alone. The little bit of accidental rest last night meant it'd gotten the chance to fully heal and disappear. Dispite Danny having that rest cut short. He'd maybe got an hour before being jolted up in a cold sharp sweat with echoes pounding through his head.

"Sorry." Danny dropped his eyes to the linoleum floor. Volume low and matching Jesse. Muttering underneath the excited charge of everyone else. "You're welcome to correct that."

There was a sharp intake and Danny caught sight of Jesse's eyebrows shooting up beneath loose wavy strands of hair. Jesse's mouth snapped shut, pursing as he leaned back. Opening up the gap between desk rows. Distancing himself, pulling back and away as his eyes trailed over Danny. Considering both person and offer presented.

Danny glanced down again. Not to floor. But to leg. His leg. And back up to meet Jesse's eyes straight on. Leaned across the aisle, closing the distance, and directly tempted Jesse further.

"You can break my fucking leg."

That wasn't an offer. Or a suggestion.

It came out all demand.

Jesse's eyes flickered over Danny, hand half frozen around a pencil. Dark brown eyes no longer piercing, but widened in a shoked silent gaze. Danny leaned further across the aisle, into personal space and Jesse's face, eyes never leaving off Jesse.

Do it.

He deserved it.

It was the least of what he deserved.

Echoes of sounds and faces of hurt and voice of future swirled and whirled in Danny's head.

All his fault. Because of him. It all went back to him.

The pencil clattering onto desk made Jesse blink. Cutting off prolonged eye contact. He swallowed. Then breathed out.

"Shit. Elizabeth wasn't wrong."

Angry red and raw pink came to the forefronting whirl in Danny's head. Elizabeth. Her back. One on his tally, growing and weighing him down. One he couldn't possibly slide off onto another him like he could before. Before the Homecoming Dance.

Eyebrows furrowing down, Jesse searched across Danny's far too close face, disconcertment growing until his mouth opened to speak again.

Danny cut him off.

"Wrong."

Leaned closer.

His eyes burned.

"You weren't wrong."

Jolting and jerking back in his seat, Jesse's eyes had gone wider, fixed on a single point on Danny's face.

Realizing, Danny squeezed his eyes shut. The tang of sharp coolness snapping back warm underneath his lids. And he pulled back and turned forward at his desk.

"All right class, settle down, it's time to get started. Now-" Frowning, Mr. Swanson glanced up. Most of the students looked up to, hearing the rustling sound overhead past the faint hum of ceiling lights. The sound stopped and Mr. Swanson shrugged, looking back to the class. "As we were discussing Friday, the-"

Danny shivered. And froze at the sight of air made visible. It drifted up and away. Danny's head shot up, eyes wide in a pleading search.

No.

Nonononono.