Jesse Simon had to be the dumbest name on earth for a 16 year old girl. It wasn't Jesse short for Jessica; no it was Jesse short for Jesse. My mom, Susannah Simon, had named me after some guy she had been obsessing over for years. My mom, unlike other moms in California, didn't have a husband. So I not only had a guy's name but I had no father. If I did he wouldn't have been able to talk my mom out of giving me that name because if one thing is for certain, it's that you do not mess with my mom, unless you're her precious daughter.

"Jesse go get unpacked now." My mom practically yelled for the millionth time since we had arrived, not only in Carmel California, but at the house. This house was an old place where my mom used to live in when she was around my age. One major difference is that she couldn't drive back then and I can. I came fully equipped with knowledge from ten of the 50 United States. I and my mom had moved around a lot. Not staying somewhere for more then two years. She always said the same thing 'This time is the last time' she promised but I knew my mom couldn't keep a promise any better then I could.

"Fine," was my reply before I stomped up the stairs. My mom had shown me my room which was absolutely disgusting to my eyes and asked me if I could do anything with it. And just like all the other places we had been I said 'I think I can manage'. I would like to consider myself an artist. Sure sometimes I even pretended that I was famous. Although I had a bunch of older guys declaring they were my father to disturb my fantasy. One thing I hadn't understood was why my mother had bought such a big place when it was just the two of us.

Maybe it's about time you knew what the wonderful (not) Jesse Simon looked like. Well if there's one thing that is definite about my father it was that he had to be a total looker because there was no possible way that I could be the offspring an ugly parent. I know that, that is saying a lot but whoever my father was had to have a lot of self-confidence too, because I sure wasn't lackin' there. My mom was tough and I had gotten that from her...or I could've possibly gotten it from him, whoever 'he' was. I could easily pound my fist into one of those real-life Californian beach Barbie's noses and break it. I had done that a few times with some girls who had just gotten on my last nerve, and gotten suspended. I was also a great at drop-kicking, only without the drop. My hair was black and smooth and I had some very hot green eyes to go with my very hot tan. I was not tall but I wasn't short either. Guys asked me out, I suppose they had chosen to ignore the fact that I could seriously do some damage. There was also another unique thing about me, it was probably the only unique thing about me, and that was I could see/speak/touch the dead. Freaky I know but for the most part I had gotten over it. I hadn't told anyone, and despite my mom walking in on me talking to a ghost every once in a while she hadn't sent me to the loony bin. It was weird, definitely weird to see these people that were slightly glowing and dead and be able to smack them, break their necks and speak to them.

I was in my room not doing what my mom had asked me too--the only thing I had done since we got here was hook up the telephones seeing as my mom never even bothered to pick up the phone, or hook it up--when the phone rang. I jolted up off of my bed and answered it.

"Yellow," I stretched the word trying to make it sound like anything but hello. I couldn't answer the phone like a normal person because 1.) I wasn't a normal person and 2.) I wasn't a normal person.

"Jesse?" The voice on the other line asked. I could tell it was my one and only best friend from New York, Lola. That's right I had a friend with the coolest name in the world. She was also a major hit with the guys seeing as she was absolutely irresistible, which is weird for me to say. Anyway I was so excited to hear from her.

"Lola Dé gracias a Dios que pensó que usted no llamaría!" I exclaimed in Spanish. My mom had forced me to learn the wonderful language and now I was quite fluent with it. For those of you who have no idea what I just said I will inform you. 'Lola Thank God, I thought you would never call!' is exactly what I said. Of course I had to translate that to Lola who had thought I said 'Lola Thank God I'm wearing a purple cow'. Lola was not educated in the Spanish language which is why I used it around her. Her confused face was so funny. She had gotten the Thank God part though, I had to give her props for that one.

"Jesse I swear if you start trying to have a Spanish conversation with me I will be forced to kill you, or even worse hang up." Lola knew she wouldn't be able to kill me. She also knew that I would care if she hung up on me.

"Okay I'll stop, So are you ready to hear my Teoría? Sorry I mean--Are you ready to hear my theory?" I asked. This theory I was asking about was the theory of my mother and me. I mean my mom wasn't exactly the slutty type--I am not calling her slutty now-- she didn't even go out on dates. So I had developed a theory of how she became pregnant with me.

"No because, Mi amigo de Idiota, I would kind of like to be welcomed to your Cali Home first." Lola said not into the phone but to my face through my open bedroom door. I screamed and fell off of my bed pulling the covers off with me. I heard Lola laugh as I made a quick attempt to get the ugly pink blankets on my bed off of me before I got contaminated. I was so happy to see her that I ignored the fact that she had called me her idiot friend in perfect Spanish.


Susannah's POV

Maybe having Lola visit Jesse would be the perfect time to make my escape. I could tell them that I was going somewhere and that I'd be back in an hour or two. Jesse wouldn't ask questions. In fact I doubt she would even know I had said anything with Lola there to talk to her about recent boys she's dated. It was not even like I had a daughter. She didn't call me mom most of the time. She called me Suze because we had that mother/daughter relationship but in more of a friends way. I noticed she hadn't unpacked which she never did till the end of the week when we hadn't moved out yet.

"Nombre de Dios Susannah" I heard muttered after I yelled that I was going somewhere to the girls. I wasn't going out of the front door but the window of my new bedroom. "Just like old times," I heard as I whirled around. I saw that all too familiar face. My heart did that floppy thing and I grimaced. It was the hot face of Jesse, not my daughter, but Jesse de Silvia the ghost who had haunted my old bedroom--now my daughters bedroom-- when I was 16. It was weird because I sort of felt young again, not like I was old or anything but I sure as hell was not 16. In fact I had aged surprisingly well. Nothing had really changed except that I was an inch or two taller but you couldn't really tell because I was wearing high heel boots. Designer of course.

"I--uh-- am just getting some stuff." I stuttered. Damn it! I knew he would never believe that load of bull I was giving him. I could even tell by his expression that he wasn't buying it. He folded his arms against his chest. He looked so stern and yet so hot. Well I was going to show him I could play his games just as well as he could. I folded my arms against my chest too.

"Any reason why you couldn't use the front door querida?" He asked raising an eyebrow. I eyed him wondering if he seriously cared about you escaping through your bedroom window.

"Come one, it is clearly more fun to go through the window." I pointed out as if he cared if it was more fun to go through a window then to go through the front door. He hadn't made such a big fuss in any of the other places I had lived. I mean it's not like he completely followed me everywhere. No he only appeared when I was either moving or I sort of needed a hug...or maybe even a kiss and when he was there he never even saw Jesse--my daughter-- which could be a potential problem with this house. He had never been there to see me make my great escapes through other windows. By now I was the climbing through a window expert. Jesse opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut up when he heard someone else call your name.

"Hey mom?" Jesse called out. One of the few times she actually used the word 'mom'. I quickly unfolded my arms and went to my closet as if I had just been taking my time picking out another outfit. Which wouldn't have been unusual. "Suze were you talking to someone?" She asked through my doorway. I looked at her and frowned. Just another simple lie would do the trick.

I shook my head "No, but I'm just about to go." I replied pretending that I was looking straight through Jessie's well built abs. "Is there anything you need when I'm out?" I asked. She looked at me straight through the cloud of air that was Jesse. She looked as if she was thinking hard about that. She shook her head.

"Ningunas Gracias" She replied shaking her head. What had I done? I had turned Jesse into a Spanish speaking monster that I couldn't understand. I must have looked pretty blank because she then informed me that it meant no thanks. I said okay and was on my way out of the house, sadly through the front door.


Jesse's POV

As soon as my mother was gone I made it quite clear that I could see ghost boy just like I could see any other person.

"Okay listen here hombre, you cannot live in my madres bedroom." I stated. He looked the slightest bit confused. But then he opened his mouth to reply.