Author's Notes: I know the last chapter was a little boring, but this one's probably going to be better. It doesn't further the plot much until the end, but I feel like we need a fluff interlude. And also, remember, this takes place before books 4 and 5! Also, I've written out an outline of the story, and I have some major plot twists coming your way ^_~
Disclaimer: I only own Emma Thompson and Mike (who isn't important enough to deserve a last name XP). Everyone else is owned by big important people more talented than I, so no sue.
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I was lying on my stomach on my beach towel, and Jesse was lying next to me, on his back, propped up on his elbows. He was just staring out to sea, just like he did so much from my window. I honestly could not believe this. The only thing wrong with this scenario was that we were surrounded by hundreds of people. Well, and the fact that Jesse didn't and would never love me. And the fact that he was dead. I buried my head in my arms and pretended that the last two things weren't true, and I was practically asleep when Jesse went, "Querida…" with a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Yeah?" I really should have gotten around to figuring out what that word even meant.
"Why did you ask me here?"
Uh oh. That one was a stumper. I didn't think I even knew why I had asked. I mean, obviously it was great that he was there with me in a setting that wasn't my room, and had nothing to do with the mediator business, but I couldn't exactly tell him the truth, that I'd asked him because I was madly in love with him, and was deluding myself into thinking that he may, just may, feel the same way. So I settled for, "Because CeeCee and Adam are away and I'd probably get bored by myself." I figured it was safe to start a conversation, because, what with all the hustle and bustle around the beach, nobody would notice a 16-year-old girl talking to herself.
"Oh." I could have sworn I'd heard disappointment in his voice. Probably because I'd made him come to the beach with me for such a pathetic reason when he'd so rather be doing something else. Damn my stupid subconscious that went and talked without my permission. And now he thought I was too co-dependent to go to the beach alone. So I added, "And, well, you know, because you're my friend." My friend? What was my mouth saying? I doubt that made me look any more mature.
"I'm glad you think of me as a friend now Susannah. I was hoping that you wanting to get rid of me was just a phase." Oh, if only he knew.
The silence that followed wasn't entirely uncomfortable, but I felt like I wanted to revive the conversation. I figured this was a good opportunity to ask him about his death. And Maria de Silva. Not that I was jealous or anything.
"Um…Jesse…I have a question. Don't be mad though."
"Why would I be angry with you? What question?"
"Well…okay, I was curious, so I looked up stuff about the house. Back when it was a boarding house, I mean. And, um…completely accidentally, I found this stuff about…well…you. And Maria de Silva. And things about that." I was looking away and picking at my beach towel while I was talking. I was scared he'd get mad at me, because, it was his personal life that I was prying into. When he spoke though, he didn't seem mad, only a little uncomfortable.
"Oh…I see. So…you know how I died?"
I looked up at him apologetically, and started talking a mile per minute. "Yeah, I do, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go and look up your personal stuff, it's just that Doc was offering, and so I said sure, because I wanted to know too, because-"
"Susannah." The way he said my name made my stop my stream of incoherent babbling. "Susannah, I'm not angry with you. It was natural curiosity. But next time, please, ask me, don't feel you have to look it up in a book. It's so impersonal."
"But, I did ask, and you were being evasive, and said it was late…"
He laughed at that. "Susannah, I would have told you, but you really did look exhausted. I thought I should wait until you were more awake, but then you never brought it up again."
Oh. Well. Oops. I jumped to conclusions again. That didn't change the fact that I still wanted to know about this Maria girl though, I just couldn't figure out how to bring it up without sounding jealous. Maybe the direct route would work.
"About Maria…" I started.
"To be blunt with you, I did not love Maria. I barely even thought of her as a friend. I wasn't even planning on showing up for our wedding, but Felix Diego obviously thought otherwise, and decided he wanted me…exterminated."
I felt so badly for Jesse at that moment, killed over someone he didn't even love, that I lifted my head off my arms and yelled, "Bastard!"
Jesse, along with the many people closest to me, turned and stared. They went back to their normal business pretty quickly, muttering to themselves. They probably all just thought that I had Tourette's. Jesse, on the other hand, went, "But querida, you can't blame him. He believed I was in love with Maria. I'm sure others would have done the same. Love affects people in strange ways." Now it was my turn to stare. Was he defending the person who'd killed him? "Besides, had I not died, I would have missed out on all of this," he added. I would definitely need some alone-time at home to figure out exactly what he meant by that, but before I could even start deciphering it, some guy came and sat down next to me, right on top of – well, through – Jesse.
That, I found, was pretty rude, and Jesse seemed to think so too, because he got up and moved out of the way.
"Hey sexy," the guy murmured to me. I was totally appalled by this, and was about to get up, get Jesse, and leave, right after punching this guy's face in, but when I looked around, I noticed Jesse had gone. Now I was really mad at this tard.
"What do you want?"
"The name's Mike."
"Uh, that's great. What do you want?" I was not happy with this person, I thought Jesse and I had been getting somewhere.
"How 'bout you, tonight at 7?" I couldn't believe this guy. I'd never seen him before in my life, and, at about 6 feet with spiked blond hair and blue eyes, he was one of the cuter guys I'd seen in my time, but he didn't come close to comparing to Jesse. And he'd just ruined one of the best conversations I'd ever had with him.
"How 'bout a broken nose, right now?" I glared at him, to prove to him I wasn't kidding, and he got this scared look on his face. I made a fist and was just about to sock him when he started backing away through the sand, then got up and walked away at quite a brisk speed. What a loser.
I scanned the crowd for Jesse, but he was nowhere to be found, and I figured he'd probably gone back to my – well, more like our – room. I started packing up my stuff to go home, I wasn't in a beachy mood anymore anyway, when I saw Emma standing there looking up at me.
"Are you going to help me soon?" She looked moderately upset, and, when I didn't respond instantly, her eyes started filling with tears.
"Emma, what do you want me to do for you?"
"Baba was mean. Baba yelled at me. Why is Baba so mean to me?"
"Emma, tell me who Baba is." Through her tears she looked at me like I was the world's biggest dunce for not knowing this.
"You know…Baba. Mommy's mommy."