A.N - Sorry for the delay, again. Eclipse. Yadda yadda. Hope you like. :)


The earlier part of the Augustan period was overshadowed by the development of the English essay. Joseph Addison and Richard Steele's The Spectator established the form of the British periodical essay. This piece invented the position of the detached observer of human life who can ponder upon the world without encouraging any specific changes in it. However, this was also the time when the English novel, first emerging in the Restoration period, developed into a major art form. Daniel Defoe turned from journalism to writing fictional criminal lives with 'Roxana' and 'Moll Flanders'. He also wrote a fictional treatment of the travels of Alexander Selkirk called 'Robinson Crusoe' in 1719. During the mid 18th century, many more authors would begin to write novels.

European Literature

An Essay by Susannah Simon

Chapter 9

Maria had been glued to Jesse's side since midnight. That was two hours ago. Maria had been glued to Jesse like Paul had been to me. There was no way I could get to Jesse to give him his kiss. Not that I was going to.

I sighed. Who was I kidding? There was no way that I was going to be able to stay away from Jesse. I was going to become The Other Woman.

Hey, I'm not proud of myself. I know - not personally, but still - what it was like to be cheated on. One of Gina's boyfriends had cheated on her back when I lived in New York. She'd cried for two days straight.

I wasn't happy that I'd been reduced to this, but I wasn't going to make it easy on Jesse. He was the one who'd lowered me to this status. So, I was going to be extremely childish, and refuse him his New Year's kiss.

"Paul." I shrugged out of his tight grip around my shoulders. "I'm tired. I'm going to go up to bed, okay?"

Paul laughed as an indescribable glint came into his eyes and his mouth twisted into a smirk.

"Yeah, sure," he told me. "That's fine. Can I come with?"

My mouth fell open and I pushed Paul away, slapping him as I did so.

"Aw, come on, Suze." He pleaded rubbing his cheek. "I was messing around."

I ignored him and walked over to Mr and Mrs De Silva, telling them I was going to go up to bed. I blamed it on the Jet Lag.

My gaze remained firmly on the door that would lead me into the safety of the house. Only two families remained outside in the party, well, one really. The de Silva's.

Only when I reached the door did I glance back over my shoulder to find Jesse, freezing when I saw him talking to Paul.

Paul smirked at Jesse, gesturing at me, making Jesse turn to look over. I shut my eyes, walked into the house and went straight upstairs to Mercedes' - and mine - room.

"Suzie!" The twins were sat on my bed jumping on it happily. "Happy New Year!"

"Rosie," I scolded, walking over to the bed. "Abbie, what are you doing up? You were put to bed ages ago."

Both twins had an innocent expression on their faces.

"Sorry, Suzie," Rosita apologised. "But we had to tell you!"

"Tell me what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"We heard Maria talking about you with the strange man." Abegail explained quietly.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"The strange man?" I asked them.

"The one who's staying with Maria." Rosie was thinking hard. "I can't remember his name."

I sat down on the bed heavily, Rosie and Abbie each cuddling up to my side.

"She said that you were very pretty," Rosie continued. "She thinks that Jesse likes you. We know he does!"

I smiled.

"Do you like Jesse too, Suzie?" Abbie asked me.

"Yes," I whispered. "I like Jesse a lot."

"Rosie," Abbie prompted. "Tell Suzie what else we heard."

There was more?

"Oh yeah," Rosita looked shocked that she'd forgotten. "Maria told the strange man that she didn't want you spending time with Jesse. She gave him money to spend time with you."

Well, that explains why Paul had refused to let me go anywhere alone.

"Where did you two hear all of this?"

"Maria took Paul into the kitchen," Rosie explained. "She told him there. Me and Abbie were hiding so that mama couldn't send us to bed before midnight."

I sighed again, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Come on, you two." I picked up Abbie as Rosita charged forward ahead of me. "You have to get to sleep now."

I took them to their pink bedroom and watched as they both ran to their respective bed.

"Suzie?" Abbie asked. "Are you upset with us?"

"Nope," I smiled at them. "I'm glad you told me. Thank you. Both of you."

I leaned and kissed each of them on their foreheads.

"Night."

I whispered, hearing a 'Buenos Noches' in return. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that I was in Spain, and that all of the people I shared this house with spoke fluent Spanish.

It was a strange thought knowing that they kept all of their conversations in English for my benefit.

I shut off the light in the twins' room, watching as glow-in-the-dark stickers lit up on the walls. Their version of a nightlight.

When I reached my room, I walked over the window, seeing if I could pick up anything from the party.

Careful to keep out of sight should anyone look up - namely Jesse - I scanned the garden where the remaining guests lingered. Marta was talking to Josefina and their mom nearest my window, Mr de Silva was talking to a man I'd learned to be his cousin - Maria's dad. Jesse and Paul had joined Maria and her mom.

"Paul." I heard Jesse's voice above the buzz of conversation. "Can I talk to you a second?"

"Sure, Hector."

I could hear the sneer in Paul's voice.

"Would you like to tell me why you are sporting a red cheek?" Jesse's voice was louder. They were standing underneath my window.

"You know," I watched Paul shrug. "Suze just got a bit upset."

"Why?"

His voice was calm even as a muscle ticked angrily in his jaw.

"She said she was going to bed." Paul's voice was smug. I could practically see Jesse's eyebrow raise to prompt him into continuing. "I asked her if I could join her."

"What?"

I could see Jesse's fists clench in anger.

"I wanted to share Suze's bed." Paul smirked. "No big deal."

Jesse nodded calmly, processing what he'd just heard.

"Well, here's a thought." Jesse stated. "Next time, don't even think that."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Jesse's answer came in the form of a right hook to Paul's jaw. I felt a gasp escape my mouth and watched as Jesse turned his gaze up to my window and saw me watching them.

My eyes widened as they locked with his brown ones and I shut them before backing away from the window.

"Nombre de Dios!" I heard Jesse's father shout, going to help Paul as I went to clutch my duvet over my head. "Hector de Silva! What were you thinking?"

The way that Mr. De Silva's voice was raised led me to believe that Jesse was no longer outside. Sure enough, I heard a knock at my door.

"Susannah?" He called. "Can I come in?"

I swallowed. I wanted him to come in. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that he was just messing around with this whole engagement thing, that we could be together after all. I knew he wouldn't though - because it wasn't true.

"Susannah?" His voice drifted through the door again, slightly hysteric.

"I'm fine." I called back. "I'm going to sleep."

"Querida, please!"

"No, Jesse." I blinked back a tear. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

It was a while before I heard the creak of the floorboard telling me that he had walked away from the door, leaving me alone.

--- --- ---

The night passed quickly. I fell into a fitful sleep shortly after Mercedes collapsed onto her bed. My dream consisted of Jesse punching Paul. In slow motion. Over and over again.

I woke up feeling stupid. Why did I care if Paul was hurt? He deserved it for what he'd said.

I don't think I was upset at Paul being hurt though - that was the problem. It was probably more because of Jesse's reaction. He had no right to hit Paul, even if it was justified. Because, to everybody else, Jesse and I were nothing to each other. Strangers that met on a plane. He had no right to defend me.

And that hurt. Because I wanted him to.

There were more voices than I was used to in the kitchen when I went down for breakfast. I felt a confused look settle on my face as I heard Paul's laugh and accompanying voice.

"Oh, don't worry about it Mr. De Silva." He chuckled. "I've had worse."

What was Paul doing here?

"Oh, I'm sure!" Jesse's father continued. "But Jesse still shouldn't have done it."

"I deserved it."

"I don't know." Jesse's father continued. "What do you think Maria? Do you think he deserved it?"

Maria was here too?

I froze in front of the kitchen door, too scared to enter. I jumped as I felt a hand cover my mouth as an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me sideways into the hall.

"You didn't give me my New Year kiss." Jesse's familiar voice accused of me in my ear.

"No." I agreed. "I didn't."

"Why?" He asked, kissing my shoulder.

"I wasn't going to make this situation easy for you." I told him.

"Fair enough." He agreed. "I've dug myself a grave with this."

"Isn't it strange?" I whispered.

"What?"

He pressed his lips to mine.

"That we only met two days ago." I carried on. "We met forty-eight hours ago, and already we've gotten into this situation."

"Yes." He kissed me again. "Strange."

"What's stranger still," I continued. "Is that I don't want to change anything." I paused. "Well, I'd like it if you weren't engaged. But, other than that, nothing."

"I'd like it if I wasn't engaged too." Jesse agreed. "So, does this mean that you'll give me my New Year's kiss, after all?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded, leaning in towards him and capturing his lips with my own.