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So Valerie was absolutely right not to want sidekicks. Apparently what being on the same team actually means is “as soon as you get hurt one of us is going to give you some comment about how maybe you need more practice too and fly off, and then the other one is going to give you an apology for what the first one did because she couldn’t be bothered, then fly off after her to tell her off instead of checking on you.”
Let her restate: she could do without.
She’d pulled herself up and managed to check herself over fairly well like usual, and thankfully the only sign that she was hurt was a bad bruise on her leg. It ached slightly to put weight on it, but in terms of ghost fights, it could have been a lot worse.
Still, the so-called sidekicks she’d gone out of her way to help could have stayed to check on her at least.
Valerie shakes her irritation off with a sigh, and refocuses her gaze on the Fenton kid walking next to her. She probably shouldn’t spend the whole time thinking about Thing 1 and Thing 2 being jerks. It’s not like that’s his fault.
She is a little curious why the idea of going back to school made him look physically ill, but he hasn’t asked why she ditched (which she appreciates), so she’s not going to ask what’s going on with him either.
Instead, they’re both wandering through the mall, neither saying much. Which Valerie does get. It’s not like they’re friends. They kind of just ended up in the same place at the same time, and now they’re here. Still, they can’t spend the whole time in silence.
“You want to get some food first?” Valerie asks, and Danny glances over at her. “Did you miss lunch?”
She hadn’t, but ghost fights aren’t exactly known for being light work.
After a second, Danny nods. “Yeah. Yeah, let’s get some food.”
So they head over to the food court, and Valerie looks around at her options. She doesn’t have a ton of money, but she has enough left over from her last paycheck to get her something small. Then she can go window shopping.
Danny gets a burger and fries, and Valerie tries not to eye it with jealousy when she gets a small thing of fries for herself and follows him back to a table.
As soon as they sit down, though, Danny looks at what she’s gotten and then back up at her face. “Do you want me to buy you a burger?”
Valerie blinks. “What?”
“I can get you a burger if you want one.”
Valerie blinks again, then processes what he’s asking. “Oh, no,” she says instantly, waving her hands. “No, that’s okay.”
“You sure? I have the money.”
“No thank you,” Valerie says, looking down at her fries. “I couldn’t pay you back.”
“You don’t have to,” Danny says, but Valerie shakes her head again. She doesn’t like handouts, and she doesn’t really know Danny.
Thankfully, Danny drops it, though Valerie does notice he eats his food much slower than she does, and they finish about the same time. Valerie looks at him strangely for a minute as they both do, trying to figure him out.
“What?” Danny asks eventually, turning to look back at her.
“I don’t know,” Valerie says with a shrug.
“You were looking at me.”
“Why’d you agree to come here?”
Danny shrugs back. “It sounded way better than going back to school.”
Again, Valerie wants to ask why. But she can tell Danny doesn’t want to say, so she leaves it.
They stand together, and head for the exit of the food court.
“I think I’m probably just gonna do some window shopping today,” Valerie says, praying Danny won’t ask why, even though they both probably know after what she got at the food court. “So we can go wherever’s interesting for you.”
Danny looks around for a second, seems to consider, and then says, “You know what, I’d rather go to the park.”
Valerie blinks. “Uh. You sure?”
“Yep,” Danny says. “I’m glad we got some food, but I don’t know if I’m really in the mood for shopping today. Plus, this is probably the first place people would check for ditching students.”
He does have a point there. So after a second, Valerie shrugs, says “Alright,” and they both head back out of the mall.
The park thankfully isn’t too far of a walk, and it’s a nice day. She still feels the slight tension from being with someone she doesn’t know, but the weather and Danny’s lack of questions don’t hurt.
Eventually, as they walk around a corner and spy the park in the distance, Danny nudges her in the side. “Hey. Look at that.”
Valerie follows his gaze and sees a man with a ridiculously big cowboy hat on.
“Woah,” Valerie says. She gives a short laugh. “You think he’s hiding something under that thing?”
“Oh absolutely,” Danny says with a smile of his own. “What do you think it is?”
Valerie takes one more look at the guy and thinks for a minute. “A safe with thousands of dollars in it,” she says. “He’s on his way home from a bank robbery.”
Danny gives a startled laugh. “And he’s balancing a metal safe on his head the whole way?”
“What, how hard could it be?” Valerie asks, which succeeds in making Danny grin again.
“Personally,” he says as they keep walking. “I think he’s hiding a pet bird.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep. He’s going to a restaurant where they don’t allow pets. He’s going to keep sneaking food up near his hat like in Ratatouille.”
Valerie laughs again, grinning back at him. “I didn’t realize you had jokes, Fenton.”
“See that was your first mistake,” Danny says.
“What?”
“Assuming I’m not funny.”
Valerie snorts, and turns to face the park as they reach it. “Alright,” she says. “Go again. What’s…” she looks around for a minute, then points at a guy walking a dog while wearing an “I Hate Dogs” t-shirt. “That guy’s story?”
“Hey no, you came up with the first story last time,” Danny says.
“Taking turns is fair,” Valerie says. She narrows her eyes teasingly. “Unless you think you’re not up for the challenge after all?”
Danny sticks his tongue out at her for a second, then turns to look back at the guy as they both start walking a safe distance behind him on one of the trails. “He’s got a partner who picks all his outfits, and he trusts them implicitly, so he put that shirt on without looking.”
“Picks all his outfits in a ‘he’s helpless’ way or picks all his outfits in a ‘they’re controlling’ way?”
“Picks all his outfits in a ‘he works night shifts and is dead on his feet every morning and also his partner has an appreciation for comedy’ way.”
Valerie considers this, then nods. “I’ll take it.”
“Alright, your turn,” Danny says. He looks around for a minute, then nods subtly towards the woman on the bench they’re passing.
Valerie waits until they’re out of earshot and then says, “She looks totally normal.”
“Hard mode,” Danny says with a smirk.
Valerie rolls her eyes, but her smile is fond. “Alright then. She… is deep undercover from the New York mafia. So deep undercover she moved to Illinois and is forced to dress like the most boring person alive.”
Danny grins at her. “I’ll take it,” he repeats from her. “That was pretty good.”
“Yes I know,” Valerie says, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a stereotypical display of ego. “Alright, new hard mode.” She nods at the guy in front of them again, still out of earshot. “What’s the dog’s story?”
Danny looks at the dog for a minute, and as they both watch the dog pulls the man forward, barking and running with clear intent to chase after a squirrel.
“Ultra-intelligent super dog,” Danny says. “That squirrel is its arch enemy, and that dog is the last thing standing between that squirrel and world domination.”
Valerie nods solemnly, going along with the bit. “We owe him a debt of gratitude.”
“Tragically, the world will never know of his heroics,” Danny says, shaking his head.
“But Danny, he deserves to be acknowledged!”
“Knowing the world’s citizens are safe is reward enough,” Danny says, putting a hand to his heart.
Valerie wipes an imaginary tear from her eye. “He’s such an inspiration.”
They both turn to look at each other for a minute, and then burst into giggles, which overtake them for a couple seconds.
Finally, Valerie rises to face Danny with a bright smile. “Alright, you’ve convinced me, Fenton.”
Danny blinks. “Convinced you of what?”
“That I want to hang out with you again,” Valerie says. “I work tomorrow. How’s your Saturday?”
Danny seems to take a minute to process what she says, but then he smiles, looking surprised but not unhappy. “It’s good,” he says. “I’m still working on rebuilding a regular social life after being grounded for months.”
Valerie snorts and crosses her arms. “You had a regular social life before?”
“Not really,” Danny admits. “Does the Saturday question mean we’re done today?”
“Unfortunately I have to work today too,” Valerie says. “But uh, seriously, thanks. This was fun.”
“It was,” Danny says with a nod of agreement and a smile of his own. He tips his head curiously. “Can I walk you to work maybe?”
“No,” Valerie says instantly. “I mean, uh— nah, that’s okay. It’s a long walk. And I’ll see you tomorrow at school, right?”
Danny nods, seeming unbothered. “See you then,” he agrees, and then they split off at the exit to the park.
She definitely doesn’t want Danny to know her job. Like she’d ever live down that embarrassment.
But if she has a little smile on her way home to grab her mascot suit, well. Danny doesn’t have to know about that either.