Hey (: I'm back with a new story which I'm very excited about.
I know I said that I wasn't going to write The President's Sons, but I realised that I shouldn't tackle darker fanfics just yet as I think I would make a shambles of it, to be completely honest.
However, I've decided to merge the two together a little so this story won't be as perky as CCL with Suze's problems only being boy-related. Although I have to admit, more than half of her problems will be boy-related. (:
Anyway, sorry for this long author's note but I was thinking that some of you may wonder why I have completely contradicted myself by starting the President's Sons when I said I wasn't going to write it.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this prologue and I'll be updating soon hopefully.
- I heart shoes x

o1: Flames.

I said goodbye to CeeCee Webb and Adam McTavish. The two of them were my best friends and had been since kindergarten. CeeCee and Adam were also girlfriend and boyfriend and had been dating for a few months, something that I had gotten used to. At first, it was a little awkward seeing both my childhood friends make out with each other but I'd dealt with it and now we were as close as ever.

I had been with the two all day – firstly at school and then at Carmel Coffee & Cocoa Bar, our favourite hangout. It was already 7pm, and even though my weekday curfew was 11pm I wanted to go home and spend some time with my mom.
My mom had finally remarried after 16 years. My dad had just upped and left before I was even born, despite knowing that my mom was with child. What a cold-hearted jerk.
My mom and I were fine without him throughout the years but it must have been lonely for my mom, so I was ecstatic when she began dating Andy Ackerman, and I was over the moon when she married him. Andy was a lovely guy and he was the closest thing to a dad for me. He also had three sons – Jake, Brad and David. I got along with all of them but I only saw them every other weekend and during the holidays. They lived with their mom most of the time.

I got into my 1990 Jeep Wrangler. It wasn't my dream car but it would do; my mom only owned a florist and so we weren't exactly rolling in the dough. But my mom had always made sure that I had a happy childhood – she was so considerate and I loved her so much. I don't know what I would have done without her. She was the only family I had.

I drove away from the parking lot and began to navigate the streets. I had lived in Carmel, California all my life and I basically knew everything there was to know about this beach town.
There was a large jam forming on the main road so I turned off and began driving down the back roads.
I had just reached our street when I saw a fire engine blocking it off. I parked my car on the sidewalk and asked one of the firemen what was wrong. He answered with a grim look, "It's one of the houses further down. It's burnt to a crisp."
My house was further down; maybe it was one of my neighbours? I asked the fireman another question, "Which house was it?"
"2717."
I gasped; that was our house. "Oh my gosh!" I ran down the street, ignoring the yells of the firemen who were dotted around the street. My mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: my mom and Andy. Please God, let them be okay. I wasn't really a religious person but I hoped that God would overlook that and listen to my plea.

I reached the house just in time to see two body bags – Mom and Andy. All of the air inside of me whooshed out and I collapsed to the floor sobbing. Why?

The funeral was a blur of black clothes and the smell of lilies. Lilies were my mom's favourite flowers – how ironic that they were the flowers of death.
Father Dominic asked me to say a few words but I shook my head no. I wasn't being disrespectful but I knew that as soon as I stood up there that I wouldn't be unable to speak. I couldn't bear everyone's pitying glances.
Jake got up instead and spoke about how his dad and my mom were wonderful people and they didn't deserve to be taken in such a cruel way. I tuned out halfway through, I felt so numb. David was sat on my right side sniffling into a handkerchief and Brad was on my left side staring into space. Jake was the true big brother – he handled everyone's sympathy and tried his best to make sure that his brothers and I had had something to eat. But who could eat at a time like this? I certainly couldn't.
And as harsh as it sounds, at least Jake, Brad and David still had their mom. I had nobody. My mom's parents had died when I was 3 and I had never known my dad, so I doubted he had told his family all about me.
I sobbed; if only I had been home. If only mom and Andy had not been in. If only, if only, if only.

The funeral ended sometime after Jake's speech, I can't really remember. But the one thing that I can vividly remember from that day was the person that I saw at the end.
If I had just seen him randomly then he never would have stuck in my head. He was tall with black hair that had started to gray. He was also quite built despite his age – mid 40s, I'd say. He also had emerald green eyes that looked familiar to me but I couldn't place where I had seen them before.
It didn't matter anyway. Or at least, that's what I had thought at the time.

I was expecting him to say a sympathetic "I'm so sorry about your loss." I definitely wasn't expecting the words that tumbled out of his mouth instead: "Susannah? I'm your father."

Gosh, this was hard to write. I know this was probably really stupid and overdramatic but please review and tell me whether I should continue with this story or not. I would really appreciate it.
And don't worry, if I do get requests to carry on with this story then the chapters will be nowhere near as angst-y as this was. Thank you :) Oh and I'd also appreciate it if you let me know if there were any mistakes; I noticed a LOT in CCL. Thanks :)