Introductions were awkward to say the least. Both Elizabeth and Jesse were already giving her uncertain and untrustworthy looks before Danny did the introductions.

Mysterious weapons being aimed point blank in your face did that to some people.

"Yeah. Elizabeth, Jesse. This is Valerie Gray. A classmate and uh, friend from Amity Park."

A hand came off the weapon, which was still aimed in their direction, to remove her helmet. Face revealed, Valerie gave a tight smile. Her hand waved from above, still on the hovering board. "Uh, hello." Her eyes quickly snapping back to Cujo surrounded by them.

"She hunts ghosts." Danny added on unnecessarily. It kind of seemed obvious. With what Valerie was standing on, wearing, and had on hand. Not to mention her earlier words. "Valerie, this is Elizabeth Kauffman and Jesse Klien. They're uh, classmates from here."

"You hunt ghosts?" Jesse asked, stressing the word 'hunt' as though he was unnerved by that, glancing back to Danny.

Danny frowned. Nodded. Yeah. What was so weird about that?

Something niggled at Danny, itching at him like he should realize something.

"Of course I do. And I'm one of the best. I've scared off the numbers from Amity Park."

Dark eyebrows furrowed downward, her eyes still latched onto Cujo. Cujo shifted his head around, attention going to everyone around him. Tongue out, tail wagging. Unperturbed by the ghost hunter here for him.

"Seems as though they've moved elsewhere. Figures. Move."

The harsh demand yielded results. Elizabeth and Jesse both moved. Further in front Cujo. Her hand reaching back again, Elizabeth checked where Danny was behind her.

Valerie's nose flared, both hands on the thrumming weapon, motioning again. "Away. Move away!"

Evenly, Elizabeth stared up at Valerie. Her voice lacking emotion. Light. But no inflections to it.

"Oh. I'm so sorry I place worth and value on them. I didn't realize."

She didn't sound sorry. At all.

Startled, Danny turned his head, stepping forward to get a better look at Elizabeth's own face. It was so carefully blank. Which gave away far more than anything else.

Where did that combative energy come from?

"Ghosts. They're ghosts. Evil spooks. Not people. They're dangerous and a menace! They wreck everything around them! Destroy things and ruin lives! And as far as I can tell from the description on the news report from your Homecoming Dance and the thing right there at your feet, you people have two of the worst ghosts here. The ghost kid and his dog."

Not my dog, Danny thought.

"No ghosts to hunt here." Jesse claimed. "Guess you came all the way here for nothing. Unless you want a fight."

Elizabeth's head turned, dismayed at his words. "Jesse."

"What? Everyone refuses to forget that fight I got caught up in back in fifth grade. Shame she doesn't know that."

"That you're low enough to lay out a full blow into a girl? A poor innocent girl, who was just trying to stop the fight?"

Bells rang in Danny's head at that false mimicking voice to what was clearly some rumor. One he'd not heard or come across until now. Even if it explained a little about that one football game with everyone reacting as they had at Jesse's growling 'shut up'. And Danny frowned, trying to figure out why the bells were still ringing in his head.

Elizabeth snorted. "You and I know perfectly well Cam and Tyler and those guys made that up. And that they do way more than back then."

Jesse shrugged up a shoulder. "Yeah." Then gave a toothy grin. "But I'll still punch anything with good reason. As they well know."

Head completely turning off of Valerie, Elizabeth stared at Jesse.

Apparently, that was news and not known?

Danny looked to the lean teen too. But nodded in agreement. Yeah. Jesse will punch anything with good reason. Including Danny himself. Right after he'd well, done all that during the Homecoming Dance. Like Valerie said. Danny was one of the worst.

Jesse stared back at Elizabeth, one side of his mouth still up in that toothy grin. A finger lifted to point in Valerie's direction. "You can't tell me that's not good reason. I'll punch a girl. Historically, from that same year, before that hallway fight, I've already done it. Remember Erin Smith from Mallory's grade?"

"She broke her nose from a volleyball mishap!"

"Nope."

Danny stared with Valerie and Elizabeth at Jesse.

And then Elizabeth nodded. "Good."

"What?!" Danny and Valerie screeched.

Jesse's face brightened at Elizabeth's approval. "Yeah?"

She scowled, cheeks pinked in a furtive glance away from him. Or to Danny and Valerie's shocked faces.

"What? I remember her. She used to be worse than her mother before that. Which, is an impressive feat no one thought possible or likely wanted." Elizabeth's nose wrinkled. "And she ended up being the one watching Matt, Jon, and Katie when they were little. Back when Mom and Dad and I went to the visitation and funeral for Grandpa. Let's just say Katie having that rash for two weeks was the least of what she did. But we're so far off from any planned or ongoing topic now."

"Sorry." Mouth quirking and dancing, Jesse pulled his attention off of Elizabeth. Clearing his throat. "We're good at the moment. Thanks for your services. But we were talking to Da-"

"Like you can just punch a ghost in the face if you need to handle them!" Valerie shouted sarcastically. "Really! I-"

"Actually, yeah, I think I can." Jesse declared, suddenly cheerful. "Historically, as of this morning, I even have the option of... Wait. No, man. I'm still against that. Awesome as it would be to say to her."

Elizabeth was the opposite of amused. "Do. Not."

"I'm not!" He protested loudly. "I just said so!"

"Sometimes, I'm reminded so much of how you used to hang out and be the best of buddies with Cam."

Jesse flinched, deflating at the sound of her sigh and the shake of her head. "At least I'm not anymore," he muttered. Then tagged on, glancing away as he spat under his breath. "Fucking asshole."

"I did not come here for drama or antics of regular kids who think ghosts are people or that they can fight them! Move! As Danny knows perfectly well and can tell you two, ghosts are a hazard to everyone around them and they ought to be hunted and put down for good!"

Dual glares spun to narrow up at Valerie.

"Now, step away and stop hiding that dog before I shoot all of you!"

Introductions between old classmate and new classmates. Yeah. Not going well.

But also, Danny was amazed Valerie got distracted by sight of him and hadn't shot anyone yet.

And that Cujo was...

Wait.

Danny turned.

"Uh, you guys didn't see where Cujo disappeared to, did you?"