A second later we were moving. Whether we were going up or down. I still couldn't tell. But it didn't really matter. The fact was, we were moving, and away from Mr Beaumont, which, was all I cared about.

"Jeez!" I couldn't help bursting out as soon as I knew I was safe, "What is with that guy?"

Marcus looked down at me.

"Did Mr. Beaumont hurt you in any way, Miss Simon?"

I blinked at him. "No."

"Just acted very creepy," Helen said shuddering a little.

"I'm very glad to hear that." Marcus looked a little relieved, but he tried to cover it up by being businesslike. "Mr. Beaumont," he said, "Is a little tired this evening. He is a very important, very busy man."

Brad snorted. "Just tired, right. And I'm a Honours student."

"I wish you were an Honours student" Andy grumbled.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but that's guy's more than just tired."

"Be that as it may," Marcus said, "Mr. Beaumont does not have time for little girls who enjoy playing pranks."

"Ooh...she's not going to like that!"

"Prank?" I echoed, mightily offended. "Listen, mister, I really did..." what was I saying? "I really did, um, have that dream, and I resent-"

Marcus looked down at me tiredly. "Miss Simon," he said in a bored voice. "I really don't want to have to call your parents. And if you promise me you won't bother Mr. Beaumont ever again with any more of this psychic dream business, I won't."

I almost laughed out loud at that. My parents? I'd been worried he was set to call the police. My parents I could handle. The police were another matter entirely.

"Oh really?" Helen looked unimpressed. "She can handle us can she? I think we're going to have a very long talk with her about this."

"Already added to the list, darling."

"Oh," I said when the elevator stopped and Marcus opened the door and let me back out into the little corridor off the courtyard where they kept the pool. "All right." I tried to put a lot of petulant disappointment in my voice. "I promise."

"Thank you." Marcus said.

"Why didn't Suze major in Drama? She would have aced it."

"Maybe Suze wanted something more challenging for the mind unlike you Brad…"

He nodded, and then started walking me towards the front door.

He probably would have kicked me out without another thought if it hadn't been for the fact that as we were heading past the pool I happened to notice that someone was swimming laps in it. I couldn't tell who it was at first. It was really dark out, the night sky both moonless and starless because of a thick layer of clouds and the only lights were the big round ones under the water. They made the person in it look all distorted – kind of like Mr. Beaumont's face with the light from the aquarium all over it.

"Sounds a little creepy."

But then the swimmer reached the end of the pool and, his exercise regimen apparently complete, lifted himself out of it, and reached for a towel he'd thrown across a deck chair.

I froze.

"Oh jeez, don't tell me..." Brad trailed off as he pulled a face.

And not just because I recognized him. I froze because really, it's not every day you see a Greek god right here on earth.

The boys groaned in disgust.

I mean it. Tad Beaumont in a bathing suit was a beautiful sight to see. In the blue light from the pool, he looked like an Adonis, with water sparkling all over the dark hair that coated his chest and legs. And if his abs weren't quite as impressive as Jesse's, well, at least he had a really buff set of biceps to make up for it.

"La, la, la, la, not listening, la, la, la" Brad sang, hands over his ears.

"Brad, quit it. Jake and David stop plugging your ears, if I have to suffer this then so will you."

"Yes Dad."

"Hi, Tad," I said.

Tad looked up. He'd been drying himself with the towel. Now he paused and looked me over.

"Oh, hey," he said, recognizing me. A big smile broke out across his face. "It's you."

Brad snorted. "Doesn't even know her name!"

Cee Cee had been right. He didn't even know my name.

"Yeah," I said. "Suze Simon. From Kelly Prescott's party."

"Sure, I remember." Tad sauntered over to us, the towel slung casually over his shoulders. "How you doin'?"

His smile was something to see, let me tell you. His dad had probably paid some orthodontist a pretty penny for it, but it was worth it, every cent.

"Or maybe it's natural. Some people are born lucky like that." Helen said sighing.

"Met someone with naturally gorgeous teeth?"

"A snotty little cheerleader back in school. She boasted how she never needed braces or anything. I suffered two years of braces in Middle School to get this smile!"

"Don't worry Mom," Jake said, "I had to wear braces back in Elementary."

"You looked so cute back then!" Andy teased.

"You know this young lady, Tad?" Marcus said, his disbelief evident in his tone.

"Oh, sure" Tad said. He stood next to me, water still dripping from his dark hair like diamonds. "We go way back."

The boys snorted. "Yeah, right." Brad muttered.

"Well," Marcus said. And then he evidently couldn't think of anything to add to that, since he said it again. "Well."

"Probably thinks Suze isn't good enough," Brad snickered as Helen glared at the book.

And then, after an awkward silence, he said it a third time, but then added, "I guess I'll leave you two alone then. Tad you'll show Miss Simon the way out?"

"Sure," Tad said. Then when Marcus had disappeared back through the sliding glass doors into the house, he whispered, "Sorry about that. Marcus is a great guy, but he's kind of a worrier."

Having met his boss, I didn't exactly blame Marcus for worrying. But since I couldn't say that to Tad, I just went, "I'm sure he's very nice."

"Just a little snobby"

And then I told him about the story I was doing for the school paper. I figured even if they discussed it later, his dad wasn't going to go, "Oh, no that's not why she was here. She was here to tell me about this dream she had."

And even if he did, he was so weird I doubt even his own son would believe him.

Jake and Brad laughed while Andy shot them a disapproving look. "It's not funny for someone to have mental problems. I won't have you two laughing about it." the boys immediately stopped and looked at Andy with a sheepish look.

"Huh," Tad said when I was through describing my article on the ten most influential people in Carmel. "That's cool."

"Yeah," I babbled on. "I didn't even know he was your dad." God, I can lay it on when I try. "I mean I never did get your last name. So this is a real surprise. Hey, listen, can I borrow a phone? I've got to see about engineering a ride home."

Tad looked down at me in surprise. "You need a ride? No sweat. I'll take you."

I couldn't help looking him up and down. I mean, he was practically naked and all. Ok, well not naked, since he was wearing a pair of swimming trunks that did reach practically to his knees. But he was naked enough for me to not to be able to look away.

"Urgh, that's disgusting. I don't want to know about Suze's hormones."

"Yuck!"

"Almost as bad as Mom and Dad kissing."

Andy and Helen merely rolled their eyes.

"Um," I said. "Thanks."

He followed my gaze, and looked down at his dripping shorts.

"Oh," he said, the beautiful smile going gorgeously sheepish. "Let me just throw something on first. Wait here for me?"

And he took the towel from around his beck and started towards the back of his house.

But froze when I gasped and said, "Oh, my God! What's wrong with your neck?"

"You mean Adam's rumours actually had some truth behind them?"

"David don't be ridiculous, nothing that fag says is r-"

"Consider yourself grounded another week Brad!"

"But Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad..."

Instantly he hunched his shoulders, and spun around to face me again. "Nothing," he said too fast.

"There most certainly is not nothing wrong with it." I said taking a step toward him. "You've got some kind of horrible-"

And then, my voice tailing off, I dropped my gaze down towards my hands.

"Ah, poison oak. She must have given it to him."

"Look," Tad said uncomfortably. "It's just poison oak. I know it's gross. I've had it for a couple of days. It looks worse than it is. I don't know how I got it, especially on the back of my neck but-"

"I do."

I held up both of my hands. In the blue glow from the pool lights, the rash on them looked particularly grotesque – just like the rash on the back of his neck.

"I tripped and fell into some plants the night of Kelly's party," I explained. "And right after that, you asked me to dance..."

Tad looked down at my hands. Then he started to laugh.

"He's not so bad then if he found it funny" Helen said smiling fondly. "Means he isn't vain or superficial."

"I'm so sorry" I said. I really felt bad. I mean, I had disfigured the guy. This incredibly sexy, fabulous-looking guy. "Really, you don't know-"

But Tad kept on laughing. And after a while, I started laughing with him.

"End of entry."

"Well that was short!"

"I have a feeling that the next one will be longer to make up for the length of this one."