The dodgeball players were already waiting outside when Cooper opened the door. The group was standing in a small, paved basketball court with Cage at the front. He towered above the rest of them, his hands on his hips as though he’d already won. The sight of his long shadow stretched so far that it covered the whole court. It made Cooper want to step back inside and make a run for it. He was sure the bruise on his nose was just a taste of what would come next.

“Cooper!” Cage called, waving to him with a friendly smile. “Took you long enough!”

Cooper felt cool air at his back and turned to see Elsie attempting to push him forward. He’d never seen her so eager for anything before, even eating food.

“Hi. Fancy meeting you here.” Cooper stumbled over his words the same way he stumbled over his feet. Some of the boys were already holding balls and looked ready to aim them at his head just like last time.

“Everyone.” Cage stepped up to Cooper, then turned around so the two of them faced the whole group. “This here is Cooper, my new partner.”

There were gasps all around, though they were done in a humorous, overdramatic manner.

“I’ve never been able to beat the whole group with less than three people,” Cage informed Cooper, his booming voice unfitting for a fifteen-year-old. “But with you, I know I can annihilate them.”

Cooper’s eyes widened. He hadn’t brought Cooper here to get pummeled. He wanted him on his team instead.

“You guys are going down!” Cage shouted, pointing at his buddies. Then he picked up a ball and squeezed it, nearly making it pop with his bare hands.

Similar taunts came from the other side as the boys spread out, filling their side of the court. Meanwhile, Cage and Cooper stood alone, accompanied by a cheerleader ghost that only Cooper could see. She was beaming from ear to ear.

“Here’s my strategy.” Cage placed a hand on Cooper’s shoulder and leaned down. “You draw their fire while I get them out. If we play our cards right, we’ll be victorious in less than five minutes. You’re really good at dodging so just avoid all their attacks.” He was describing this like they were on a literal battlefield.

Cooper gulped, a little happy from the praise. That was the first time he had received a compliment from a classmate. “How do I make them aim at me instead of you?” Cooper asked. Cage made for a huge target.

“Taunt them,” he said, then cringed, recalling the insult he’d received earlier. “But don’t say anything that might actually hurt their feelings.”

“Oh.” Cooper paled. “I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean what I said to you.”

“Thanks.” Cage’s voice cracked, still hurt but pushing through it. “I knew that. Don’t worry.”

The teams were ready. One of the boys began a countdown from five. Meanwhile, Elsie stood on the sidelines, shaking her pom-poms and shouting in a monotone cheerleader voice.

“Cooper, Cooper. Lose this game. Let’s go Cooper. He’s to blame.”

“I don’t need your discouragement,” Cooper grumbled. He’d never experienced being booed before. It felt just as horrible as he imagined, even if he’d been the one to suggest losing in the first place.

“Who’s he talking to?” one of the boys across the court whispered.

“The ghost, probably.”

“Sounds like it’s booing him.”

“Good. If we have the ghosts on our side, we can’t lose.”

“That’s a good point.”

As the counter reached the number three, Cooper found it hard to concentrate. Everyone was just casually accepting his ghost-seeing ability like it was nothing. They weren’t whispering about him anymore or laughing at him. Even Cage joined in, calling the ghost a traitor for turning on him and Cooper.

This had never happened before. It was a miracle. Cooper looked to Elsie, heart swelling up with happy but conflicted emotions. She was smiling at him, as though she was proud of his accomplishment. He’d found acceptance. Now he’d never have to hide his ghost-talking again.

“Three! Two! One!”

There was a battle cry from both sides, then balls began to fly.

At first, a few balls came for Cooper, which he dodged easily enough, but then the enemy started aiming at Cage instead. Once he took out three of their men, he quickly became the target.

“Gho—Cooper!” Cage shouted, awkwardly attempting to duck from a ball and nearly getting hit. “Distract them!”

Cooper gulped, unable to think of any suitable insults. He studied the boys across the line, searching for things he could criticize without actually hurting their feelings.

There were none. He wasn’t good at this.

“Cooper!” Elsie came to his rescue, standing next to one of the boys and pointing at his shirt. “Tell him the monkeys on his shirt look dumb.”

It was true. He was wearing a yellow button-up with horribly drawn brown monkeys on top.

“You—” Cooper choked on his own voice, then feebly tried again. “Your monkey shirt looks…silly.”

The recipient looked down at his shirt, then looked back at Cooper, tightening the grip on his ball. “My friend bought this for me! Take this!”

Cooper leapt away just in time.

“Tell this one he needs to cut his bangs!” Elsie shouted next. “They’re too close to his eyes.”

“You need to cut your bangs!” Cooper called to the boy in question.

“…I’m getting a haircut next week.”

Another ball that was originally meant for Cage was redirected at Cooper.

“This boy needs to retie his shoelaces! He’s gonna trip!” Elsie continued her callouts. “His bowl cut looks like his mom did it!” It turned out she did. “This one needs glasses. He can’t see a thing!” That explained why his aim was so poor. “And this boy has a limp! Wait, no. Don’t criticize that. He can’t help that one.”

“If you’re going to give insults, at least make them good,” Cooper replied, though their teamwork seemed to be working. With Elsie’s insults, Cooper’s fast reactions, and Cage’s intense throwing arm, they were winning. It was around the time half the opposing team was out that Elsie realized something.

“Hold on! I’m supposed to be rooting against you. Why am I helping you taunt them?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Cooper said, smirking.

The ghost frowned, lowering her pom-poms and sitting on the floor, arms crossed. “I got too caught up in the excitement.”

He didn’t blame her. Participating in a game, even if it was just criticizing one’s appearance, was better than being constantly ignored. He understood her feelings perfectly.

“We’re halfway there, Cooper,” Cage said, no longer struggling to use his real name.

Cooper nodded, clenching his fists. He’d never won a sports game before, especially with the enthusiasm of his teammates accompanying him. This would be his first time—

Cage was suddenly smacked in the face by three balls at once, taking him out.

“Yeah!” The boys started to high five each other, as though they’d already won. “Your petty insults can’t stop us.”

Cooper froze. What was he supposed to do now?

Cage fell to the ground, holding his chest as though he’d been shot. Cooper looked down at the big guy as he stretched out a hand to his fellow teammate. “I’m sorry, Cooper. I failed you.”

The game stopped so no one could interrupt this dramatic moment.

“It’s okay,” Cooper whispered, feeling incredibly awkward but too afraid to not play along. “You tried your best.”

“I never should have left you alone,” Cage lamented. “It’s okay. Leave me behind. As long as you survive, I’ll die happy.”

“Seriously?” Cooper couldn’t handle the silliness of the situation.

“Live on for me,” Cage whispered, his eyelids fluttering. “I can see the light. Go, Cooper. Keep fighting.” Then his head flopped over, dead.

A second later, a ball smacked Cooper in the back.

Another game lost.

Elsie leapt to her feet and cheered alongside the opposing team, all while eating a stadium hotdog to fit the sporty festivities. Cooper found it impossible to move, afraid to look at Cage lest his fallen comrade judge him for failing.

But instead, Cage was laughing. “I haven’t had this much fun in years…well, months. You’re a good sport, Cooper, even if you are horrible at giving insults.”

“That wasn’t my fault. I’m not the one who—”

“It’s okay, Cooper. I understand,” Cage said, not understanding at all as he got to his feet and wrapped an arm around Cooper’s frail shoulders. “You’re one of us now. Whenever you feel like insulting someone’s outward appearance, come to me. We’ll let you take out your petty grievances on us.”

“I don’t need to—”

“No need to thank me, Cooper. That’s what friends are for.” Cage ruffled Cooper’s hair, then pulled him toward the enemy group, who were still cheering, albeit quieter. “Another round?”

One of the boys stopped him before he could get them hyped up again. “Didn’t your mom tell you to mow the lawn after school.”

“…Did she?”

“That’s what you said this morning.” There were a few nods from the others.

Cage stiffened, as though a chill had run up his back. He released Cooper. “I gotta go! We’ll have a rematch next week, okay guys?” He shouted this as he ran away. A few others headed off in the same direction.

“Good game, Cooper.” A few of the remaining kids patted him on the back. “See you tomorrow.”

Ten minutes after the game ended, the court was empty save for a shocked Cooper and a very pleased Elsie. She’d finished her hot dog and was munching on some cotton candy, a constant grin on her face. Her bet had been won and now he owed her a permanent friendship agreement. That meant he could never banish her to the afterlife because he’d feel guilty for betraying their friendship.

But he surprisingly didn’t mind it. It wasn’t like she followed him all the way home. She respected his privacy, unlike some of the other ghosts. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

“I’ve never had a best friend before,” she began, flashing a bright smile at him.

“I don’t know about best friends—”

“But you agreed that if you lost—”

“Yes, I get it.” Cooper sighed, admitting defeat. “But this doesn’t mean you can follow me around constantly or anything, got it?”

“Of course. That would be annoying.” She shrugged and went back to eating, as though she hadn’t been bothering him up until that point. “You made so many friends today. How do you feel?”

“…Happy, I suppose.” Realistically, he was over the moon. This was the first taste of a normal life he’d ever had.

“I’m glad.”

He looked over at Elsie and found himself blushing. She was staring at him, not with annoying teasing but pride. Had her true intention been to help him make friends? That was surprisingly selfless. Ghosts usually prioritized their own feelings over his.

The thought of it was sending uncomfortable, fluttering moths into his stomach. He wished he’d never even considered exorcising her. She was the first real friend he’d ever had and was only now realizing it.

Eager to escape this horrible feeling, something he should only feel toward real-life people, he grabbed his backpack off the ground where he’d left it for the game and headed home. “I’m leaving.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow!” Elsie didn’t seem to mind that he was abandoning her. He never saw her leave the school, so she’d probably died there. He wondered what she did once everyone left. It must be lonely.

“…See you.”