Harder To Breathe

I walked down the hall with a bounce in my step. Everything was fine, perfectly happy after my little meeting with Jesse in the rectory before homeroom. What can I say? Being in love makes you perky.

Or at least I was perky until he showed up.

"Hello, Suze," a familiar voice called from behind me. I turned around to see none other than Paul Slater with a smirk on his face. He walked up beside me and put his arms around my shoulder. Of course, I should have expected this. I should have known that his one month suspension ended today. But I forgot. I am sorry to say I completely forgot.

"Get you hand off of me," I said, with as much confidence as I could muster. He obliged, moving his hand to my waist instead, which wasn't much of an improvement.

He was back. The guy who haunted my dreams was back. The guy who had exorcised my boyfriend and left me for dead, pretty much sexally harassed me, and always managed to scare me to death. Yeah, that guy.

"What do you want?" I asked. I shifted uncomfortably, his hand still on my hip.

"Do you remember that little deal we made a while back?

How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable
so condescending unnecessarily critical

I remembered the deal we had made: the shifter lessons. I cringed.

I frowned at the thought of punching him square in the face. I knew all too well that he would most definitely fight back.


I have the tendency of getting very physical
so watch your step cause if I do you'll need a miracle

"Yes," I said, sadly.

"Yeah, well, deal's up.  I'll meet you at your house after school." The smirk remained on his face I really didn't want to meet him at my house. I didn't want to meet him anywhere come to think of it.

You drain me dry and make me wonder why I'm even here
This Double Vision I was seeing is finally clear
You want to stay but you know very well I want you gone
Not fit to fuckin' tread the ground I'm walking on

I did not want to spend an hour alone in my room with Paul Slater, alone.

He sauntered his way in front of me, and to my relief his hand left my hip, but I ended up in a much more uncomfortable position. His face was inches away and I could feel his breath against my cheeks. I looked up at him confidently, trying to hide my discomfort. "Remember," he said, "a deal's a deal."

When it gets cold outside and you got nobody to love
You'll understand what I mean when I say
There's no way we're gonna give up
And like a little girl cries in the face of a monster that lives in her dreams
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe
Is there anyone out there cause it's getting harder and harder to breathe

"I remember perfectly well," I replied. "I hope you do, too." I said, referring to Jesse being off limits to him.

"Of course. I won't insult your long-dead cowboy..." I made a fist behind my back cringed. Sure, I'd called Jesse a cowboy not too long ago, only a few months. But hearing it from someone else was different.

"I do believe that was an insult." I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh really?" His face was inching closer and closer by the minute. I tried to back away, but he grabbed my wrist firmly, as he had done once before, and pulled me back towards him.

What you are doing is screwing things up inside my head
You should know better you never listened to a word I said
Clutching your pillow and writhing in a naked sweat
Hoping somebody someday will do you like I did

"Let go of me!" I shrieked, surprisingly loud. Everyone in the hall froze to look at us curiousy, and he let go. I sighed with relief and walked away, assuring myself that nothing would happen during the "lesson", That I would have full control.

Does it kill
Does it burn
Is it painful to learn
That it's me that has all the control

Does it thrill
Does it sting
When you feel what I bring
And you wish that you had me to hold