Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, except for the odd idea, hehe.
Rating: T
Summary: Suze has given herself a self-proclaimed mission. Her target: Jesse of course. Her goal: Get him to watch a ironic and crazy film. But who will come out the winner in the end?
A/N: It's 5 o'clock in the morning, I have two children to look after in (checks . . .) four hours and I was bored. So I hope you enjoy the result. :D Please review!
An Ill-advised Self Proclaimed Mission...
Groaning with frustration and boredom, I tossed the magazine onto my bedroom floor with a thunk. Another useless article to see if I was 'compatible' with the love of my life, every boyfriend is to a girl my age. Only, I didn't have a boyfriend. A love for all eternity? Sure. He's sitting right there on the window seat above my house's porch. His nose stuck in some book as usual. Were we compatible? Maybe.
If he wasn't dead that is.
So I asked myself the same question I've been sending to the powers-that-be since the day I realized I am in fact, in love with my very hot, very perfect and very dead roommate. Why me?! As if being bundled with a lifetime's job of ferrying souls to the other side wasn't bad enough. They thought I needed another challenge of trying to get over someone I can never have. Oh and happen to have to see every day. So when I put him against other good-looking males lurking around this place, they never come close?
Yeah, real nice of you Fate. Appreciate it. Really.
Groaning again, I sunk back into my pillows and decided I was bored of dwelling on those constant thoughts. They never got me anywhere, other than trouble. And I wanted a break from that for a while. Summer break would be coming up soon. And I had no doubt I would be meeting a few extra living dead in that time. I might as well enjoy the quiet while I still can. It never lasts.
I turned to peer at Jesse. Twisting and biting my lip while I mulled something over in my mind. He could help me with my boredom. After all, he has all the time in the world to read a book. It's not as if he's going to up and move on anytime soon. At least, I hoped he wasn't. Shaking my head from that horrible thought, I tried to think up something I could do that wouldn't rouse suspicion from my family, who already think I'm nuts talking to someone who isn't there. There's no point adding fuel to the fire.
Shifting my gaze from Jesse's, I looked over to the shelves holding my books, CD's and DVD's. Trailing along them to see if anything caught my eye. Until something jumped out at me that was perfect for sitting and watching with him. I was pretty sure Jesse hadn't seen it before. And now I thought about it, I was equally curious to what he was going make of it. Gina got the box set for me the Christmas before I moved here. Saying she saw it and thought of me. At the time I was mortified. Thinking my secret really had been busted. But now I can see it for what it is.
Gina's sense of humor.
Moving past the pang of missing her, I looked back to the hot ghost sitting at my bay window. Or rather, his bay window, considering he was here first and everything. And getting off track again. I shifted around on my bed so I was lying on my stomach with my feet dangling off the side and staring at Jesse head on. My chin held in my hands with my propped elbows. And I stared and stared and stared. Waiting for him to crack and finally look at me. I'll give him credit, he was good. I knew he knew I knew he knew what I was doing. And still he didn't flinch or move from his book. He must have read the same line over and over again. But I wasn't backing down.
I had a mission now.
But eventually, even the most patient and stoic man breaks. And so did Jesse. HA! He wasn't as infallible as he tried to make himself out to be! And yeah, so, it was a one-way staring competition. But still! I broke Jesse!
"Susannah," He drawled in that sigh worthy Spanish accent.
It was hinting at nothing to what he was thinking and it sent shivers down my spine just hearing it. In the beginning of our odd kind of friendship, the only tone he ever seemed to be speaking to me with was frustration. Throwing in the odd way he would look at me like I was completely dumb or something. And really, if you think about it, the only people who you can blame for my dim wittedness were the ghosts that prevented me from going to school and getting an education. Well that was my excuse anyway. And a damn valid one if you asked me. Not everyone can come out with a reason like that!
"Jesse," I retorted just as easily.
A slow grin started coming to me as he kept his face averted to his book. Chicken. Before I started checking out the DVD collection, I was starting to think about asking him if he wanted to play a game of Uno or something. Nothing intellectual; I knew he'd kick my ass at that. And Uno is easy. But now I had the idea stuck in my head of the film; I was getting more curious by the second.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
I just knew he wanted to sigh when I'd come back with my monotone answer. He was just too cool and collected to do it. And since when did I regress to the mental age of an eight year old? Wow . . . this mediating business really fries the ole' brain cells. Maybe I should tell Father D and he'll give me a vacation. Or I should send a memo out on the ghost grapevine with Jesse that it's a danger to my young innocent health. I wonder if they'd go for that? Somehow, I highly doubted it. But it was fun to think up.
"You know, Jesse, it's generally polite to look at someone when you're talking to them," I commented happily. Seeing a small muscle jump in his jaw with my polite and matter-of-fact statement. Still not answering him properly. This really was fun. Why didn't I think something like this up before? "Rather than keeping your nose stuck in a book. It helps improve self-esteem and confidence. Not to mention communication skills." I had no idea if what I said was true, but he didn't have to know that. I like to think sometimes, that I happen to know a little more than Jesse does. Even though it normally turns out to be wrong anyway.
I can still dream, fer cryin' out loud.
He lifted his gorgeous head of black wavy hair and looked me dead in the eye. I gave him a bright beaming smile that would have made a Care Bear want to be sick with how happy and delirious it was. Hmm, I wonder if there's something in the water, making me like I was. But then again, it could also be the fact I had zip to do.
"What are you doing?" He repeated, dropping his book to his lap and giving me his full attention.
I let my smile drop into a smirking grin and lifted my head out of my hands. Absently brushing some hair back over my shoulder while I plotted my next move. I wonder if I pulled him out of a really interesting part. Though, judging by the size and thickness of the book, I couldn't imagine any of it being interesting. I should probably read more myself. You know, crack out a good series that'll hold my attention for more than ten minutes.
I vaguely remember someone telling me about a new book series she was reading. Something to do with a teenage girl who could see ghosts and fell in-love with one. Only this girl met some hot devious guy who told her she was a shifter and had these extra cool powers. You know, the usual. Time travel, passing out and waking up in some shadowland. Tossing a soul out of a body and throwing in another. That kind of thing. I snorted and laughed when she told me that. The seeing ghosts' part I could understand as believable. But travelling back in time to save her dead ghost boyfriend . . . I wish!
But who knows, maybe if I remember what it's called I'll read it myself.
I brought myself back to Jesse's question, my grin broadening. "I'm bored." I said, watching him quirk his scarred eyebrow at my blunt and short answer. Tilting his head and waiting for more. But I just shrugged at him like I was mute and had nothing else. I couldn't blame the poor guy really. I talked so much sometimes, he hardly understood what I was saying. So coming out with two word answers like that must have been scary to him. If him putting aside his book and turning his full attention to me was anything, I'd say he was down-right terrified.
"And . . ."
"And I'm bored," I finished for him. He sat back up straight; blinking a few times like what I'd said was extremely confusing. I sat up myself and swung my feet around to kick against the bed. Acting the eight year old I was feeling. His eyes shifted around the room, like a punch-line was going to jump out of nowhere at him. Poor Jesse. He was so clueless sometimes, I thought wistfully.
"Oo-kay," He drawled again. His heart melting Spanish accent thickening as he dragged the word out. Wow, he should do that more often. Except, next time, he should say Querida instead of, well, okay. But that was beside the point. It was hot, is what the point is. "So . . . "
"So I wanna do something," I whined. Well, as close to whining as I'll let myself get. I was supposed to be sophisticated and show Jesse how responsible and grown-up I was. Aside from my small lapse today, due to my mental health. But I crossed the line at whining. I coloured it in with a big black permanent marker and everything. That wouldn't help Jesse fall in-love with me any faster. If at all. "And I want you to help me."
His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as what I said hit him. Oh fer cryin' out loud! Get your mind out of the gutter! It wasn't anything like that! Although, come to think of it – kidding! Kidding! I was pretty sure Jesse didn't think of me as anything more than a pain and a serious fork in the road of his afterlife. Just waiting for me to move along, grow-up, go to college and get a life. So he could continue haunting the earth for the rest of time and I'd just be a fleeting petal in the wind. Not even a petal, a grain of sand even! But my point is he looked kind of alarmed. Which was kind of funny.
"What kind of help?" He asked nervously.
Biting back my bark of laughter at him, I had to remember he was born in the 1800's. Not this time. He didn't necessarily have a one-track mind like most men. Although, it would be pretty interesting to know exactly what he has been thinking all this time. A little inside help and all that. Give a girl a head start. No? Oh. Well, it was worth a try. Maybe one day I'll know what Jesse was thinking all those times he came to rescue me. Heather. Red Beaumont. Tad. The RLS Angels.
"Just you know," I shrugged innocently. "Watch a film with me or something. It's more fun when you're watching it with someone, rather than alone." I was all but pouting as I reached the end. Hoping it worked. I'd seen my mom do it tons of times. A little fluttering of the lashes here. A little pout of the lips there. Bingo! New story, in the bag. But this was Jesse I was talking about here. And if he didn't get the giant enormous hints I left him as much as possible, then he definitely wasn't going to notice me pouting.
What's the point of having feminine wiles, if they don't work on the man you're after?
"Oh!" He exclaimed.
Snort. Oh yeah, he was totally thinking of something else. I didn't know whether to blush and feel scandalized by this. Or to whoop and jump with joy that the thought even crossed his mind. But again, this was Jesse. It might not have even been that. He could have been thinking of something else. Like deliberately haunting my horrible step-brother Dopey. Oh! Golden thought! I'll have to store that away for future reference. It'll be mint!
"Well of course I'll watch a film with you, querida," Cue the deep sexy way he was supposed to say that. Like the way he drawled out, Oo-kay before.
Waiting . . .
Waiting . . .
Okay, so obviously he said it as he meant it. Like in some kind of weird, sisterly way. The hopes and chances of being with him were really slimming now. To like, nonexistent. He's been around for hundred and fifty years! You'd think he'd learn a thing or too about woman in that time wouldn't you?! But apparently not. Shame, we really could of been something together. Still, I'll hold a candle out for him.
"As long as it's not one of those flick chicks you like to watch."
I was in the process of crossing my room to get the film I was kind of tricking him into watching, when I stopped. Listening to what he said and trying to get it around my confused mind. Now, don't get me wrong, I'll totally be the first one to say I'm not the brightest bulb in the box. But hearing that, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. And then I was trying to decide whether he said it on purpose or not. But in the end, I was more confused than I was in the beginning.
"I think you mean, chick flick, Jesse," Rolling my eyes, I sneakily pulled down the box set I was going to make him watch. Slipping out the second one before putting the box back. I had my back to him so he couldn't see what I had. Walking over to the DVD combi, I sneakily opened the box and slid the film onto the tray. Placing the case somewhere he couldn't see. I was going to make him watch this, if it's the last thing I do.
When I turned around he wasn't on the window seat, but lying on one side of my double four poster bed, with frilly lacy canopy. Bonus! Trying not to grin too much, I crossed the room, not too eagerly, and climbed on the bed with him. Well this was interesting. In a really good way of course. I tried not to giggle like the school girl I am and sat back on the headboard with him. Close enough to be able to lay my head on his shoulder if I wanted to.
"What are we watching?" He asked, snapping me back to attention. Making me realize I'd been sitting on the bed, with the remote in my hand and just staring off into space. Mentally slapping and berating myself, I quickly pressed the play button. Geez, talk about practically sky writing it out for Jesse, about how giddy I was to have him willingly spending time and hanging out with me. Laying back on my bed no less. The perfect make out spot.
Although, the window seat could have been interesting.
"You'll have to wait and see," I coyly answered. Relaxing back as much as possible as the opening titles of the film came on. Not long swiftly followed by the theme tune and the big, bold letters highlighting the title of the screen. Not to mention the lovable green slimer, throwing out the peace sign. Yep, you guessed it. I was making Jesse watch Ghostbusters 2. It's my favourite because the Statue of Liberty comes alive. The thought of marsh mellow going everywhere in New York City didn't get my attention as much as her lady herself, walking down the street.
"Ghostbusters," Jesse exclaimed. I was almost expecting him to sneer he said it with such distaste.
I reacted quicker than I've ever done. Grabbing a hold of his arm, I gave it a tug and made him look at me. "Don't you dare think about shimmering out on me," I nearly growled. "You said you'd watch a film with me and this is what I chose. So give it a try." Letting him go, I sat back again. Ignoring his shocked expression. I was pretty shocked myself! That came out a little more forceful than I was expecting. "You never know, you might actually like it." He harrumphed at that, but sat back and watched it anyway.
Throughout the film, I got constant jibes and comments about it.
"That isn't what a ghost looks like really," Well duh, Jesse. You're the living, technically, example of that. But I kept my mouth shut all the same.
"Is that toaster dancing?!" I tried to ignore the obvious statement, but informed all the same that it was possessed by evil pink slime and that it responded to happy music. So yes, the toaster was dancing.
"As if the Statue of Liberty would come alive and walk across the harbour like that," He scoffed. Nit-picking one of my favourite scenes of the whole movie. When he saw the Titanic had pulled into New York harbour at last, he was even worse!
"Who thought this up?!" He exclaimed.
A very talented and quite ingenious man with a wicked sense of humor and who made me see the funny side to my gift was the answer I wanted to give him. But in the end, all I did was tune him out and carry on watching. But by the time the credits rolled around, I was practically scrambling off the bed and throwing the film out of the window. With the firm decision, that should I decide to make him watch a certain film again, it would definitely be a flick chick. 50 First Dates coming to mind.
"Are we watching another one?" He asked me innocently. I stood before my TV and counted to five. Reminding myself there was no way for me to do permanent harm to him, so I would be wasting my time. I spun to face him, giving him a sickeningly sweet smile.
"How about some other time?" I asked, walking backwards towards the door. My steps faltering slightly because I wasn't watching where I was going. "I'm not bored anymore. I think I'll go and . . . do some homework or something," I said lamely. Giving him one last smile before I dashed out of the room. If there was one thing I learnt out of my ill-advised self proclaimed mission to stop my boredom, it was that Jesse fought dirty. And nit-picked apart all my favourite films.
Next time, I think I'll just stick with loving and adoring him from afar when I have nothing to do. It was so much easier to bare my thoughts of the love I'll never have, then sit through something like that anytime soon. I don't think I could take it.
Although, when I happened to walk in on him a few days later singing, "If there's something strange, in the neighbourhood, who ya gonna call, Ghostbusters!" I think I was the one who got busted from my wicked and flawed plan. And that he really did like the film, but was getting back at me for tricking him into it with my staring competition. In that case, never play with Jesse. Because he fights dirty!
And I'm so proud!