Shrieking, Valerie tumbled off the board, tripping and sprawling onto a long lunch table below. Her helmet flying off, spinning underneath another table and clattering off chairs like a pinball. Gasping, mouth wide, she stared upwards.

Arms spun in wide circles above, looping easy legs fought for balance. "Whoa!"

Scrambling up to her feet, Valerie rubbed the back of her head and glared up at the interloper upon her board.

"You don't know how to handle my equipment, get off!"

Jesse's response was definitely classified as a negative.

Wide eyed, Danny stared as the board spun and teetered up higher, Jesse's arms pinwheeling still and yet seeming to be gaining some sort of control as he leaned and whooped as it gave a shot forward. Toward the stage. Jerked slightly back. Jesse stabilized his balance, grin and glint growing as he managed to direct it to the stage.

Jumping, Jesse stumbled his landing onto the stage and thrust his hands up as if he'd made a great gymnastics move. Then took two hurried huge strides to Elizabeth's side, one knee down as to be closer for a better look. Tail wagging, Cujo wiggled and yipped a greeting at Jesse from under Elizabeth's arm as she shifted.

Hazel eyes gave away nothing at Jesse.

"Really?"

But her tone said everything.

Jesse's mouth leapt up into a broad smile. Dark brown eyes snapped up to Danny in a knowing way. Danny blinked. Feeling out of it.

"Uuh."

Then Jesse lost the smile, eyes going back down and narrowing in on Elizabeth's back as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Cujo wiggled and buried his way into her lap. Oblivious and easily forgetting the danger he'd been in.

"I'm fine," Elizabeth reiterated. "She was aiming for Cujo, not my already injured back."

Danny's stomach swooped at the reminder.

Already injured.

"That explains that. Are either of you two boys going to help her or play childish vengeful heroics?" Swinging her legs, Valerie pushed herself up onto the stage and summoned her board to collapse. "Meanwhile, I'll take care of the ghost."

Hands left their place on stage, arms wrapping around the young dog.

"This pup is under our care."

"That ghost dog is my responsibility! Ever since it came into my life!"

"So you've trained him and taken care of him? Cujo. Hide."

Head tilting up at her first, Cujo followed the order and went invisible.

Valerie screamed, her head turning about in attempt to find the dog. Failing to locate Cujo without her helmet. Danny felt a little bad, but mostly relieved. Her nose flared.

Lackadaisically, Jesse rolled up on toes and back onto heels in his crouch near Elizabeth. Tossing his hair out of his face. Smiled. "King's dog has been here aaaaall school day. No issue. Disappointing only you. And maybe my sister. No offense, Danny. She's gunna freak at him and his name."

He shrugged. Not bothering to fight on either front. On name or assumption of his dog. It'd been something he referred to the ghost dog once. And he kind of trained it?

Startled, Valerie's head gave a quick shake and reeled back to stare. Danny stared back. Pulling his head slightly back and hands clutching at his sweatpants.

"Danny? Is that... Have you been... But you run from every ghost. Wait. Did... Was this something that-" An audible swallow. "-Sam came up with?"

Danny flinched. The last face he'd seen on Sam flashing in his head. Mingled up with her cheerful voice. Recalling the book she'd tossed at his head at the park. Absently, out of habit, he rubbed at his chest.

"Kind of? Yeah?"

Elizabeth clearing her throat disrupted the awkward silence that followed.

"Now that there is no more ghost dog, can we head to the Health room for a first aid kit?" Hurriedly, her unwillingness to bringing attention to her back again, showed in fast reassurance. "I'm fine. Honest. It looks far worse than it is. Which is why I want to get fresh bandages on it."

Bobbing his head, Jesse rolled up fully onto his feet. Glanced over Valerie. His mouth twitched slightly at her. About what, Danny didn't know. Other than being glad it was more of that easy and laid back humor.

So Danny put his attention back onto Elizabeth, eyebrows pinched close together. She didn't want others to worry, clearly going out of her way for it, but how bad was it? How bad had this hit from Valerie affected her because of him?

Heaving out a long sigh, Valerie tucked her weapon onto her back, trudging along after Elizabeth. Worry marked Valerie's own mouth though. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Laughing, Elizabeth waved off the worry as she took the stairs off the stage. "I grew up on a farm. I've gotten into far worse scrapes than this. You town kids fret too much over a simple scrape."

Delayed, Danny jolted and scowled. "Hey."

Chuckling, Jesse nudged him. "Man. You do. Elizabeth's energy went to being annoyed at me. And man, your old classmate or friend or whatnot, I will not deny that felt-"

"It's my fault."

Jesse's jaw snapped shut.

"Already injured," Danny gnashed out under his breath. Fists clenching and unclenching. "When do you think it got injured?"

"When you not just say you can't stand people being hurt but back it up?" Hair shook back and forth, longer curls sticking to Jesse's lashes as dark brown eyes bore into Danny's eyes. "I've heard Elizabeth's telling of the event, heard your order to break you, and saw the very visible reaction to her getting hit in the back. Man, you're in pain and lashing out, but that..."

Chest leaping, Danny pulled away from Jesse. Up ahead, both Elizabeth and Valerie turned about at the sudden burst of a lovely phrase. Deciding against asking, Elizabeth's head faced forward again, hand raising up to point out a classroom door on the corner.

"Tyler." Jesse's voice was a sigh. A hand came up and fingered through hair, pushing it back from his face. "He's...jumpy. Can't take a scare well. Screeches like a girl and kind of...shoves others in front of him. I already figured they were probably pestering Elizabeth at the dance. That just cinches it."

Another sigh followed and Jesse's mouth pulled in. "An accident. And kind of on me. I uh, probably didn't help when we all still hung out. Or him being one of the few to treat Mallory with some level of... All the King and horror movies likely didn't help either. Funny as shit it was back then."

A longer sigh than both of the two before followed, his chin sinking down into his chest.

Still on Danny. If it hadn't been for him, then it still wouldn't have happened. Yet seeing Jesse looking this down and dragging and kicking his feet going this slow was...not right.

"And none of it would have been possible without me being here."

It made an effect. Jesse's head lifted. Cheered up. "There's a positive."

Stunned, all Danny could do was stare and blink. "Huh?"

Feet having picked up into a familiar ease, if a bit bouncier, Jesse gave a toothy grin and leaned in close to Danny. So close Danny felt unnerved. Then warm air gusted and breathed into his ear.

"Most we've spoken since the fifth."

And Jesse pulled back, head bouncing back and forth, toothy grin widening.

Not understanding why that was important and utterly confused by the delivery, Danny slowly nodded. "Uh, good for you, man."

"Oh good. Harry hasn't locked it up tonight. You two stay out here and wait."

Two heads swiveled in alarm at Elizabeth's order.

"Us two? But-"

"Her and you alone? After-"

"I trust Valerie. I'm sure Danny's friend will patch me up fine. As it's not like she was aiming for me. My fault for running into the middle of it."

"Can't you just do it yourself, like you-"

"But you can't trust her. Not in what-"

"And you're boys."

"Huh? So? That has nothing-"

"What does that have to-"

Valerie was the one to speak this time, effectively cutting Danny and Jesse off.

"Bra."

Both girls disappeared into the classroom, door shutting behind them.