A/N: Hey! This is a pretty long chapter, and I'm only planning one more
after this one. Then I'll post an author note that will list all of the
songs I used throughout the story in case you were wondering. Thanks so
much for reading and reviewing. I love you all.
Jesse:
Never in my life was I more embarassed than I was then. If only I would have stopped kissing Susannah when she wanted me to. If only I had exhibited a little more self-control. Because Father Dominic, Paul, and a boy who I suspected was Cade, wouldn't have walked in on the two of us kissing.
Yes, you read that right. A preist walked in on us kissing. And I thought I was embarassed until I turned and looked at Susannah, who's face had turned a deep scarlet.
"Susannah!" Father Dominic exclaimed, blushing as well.
"Get off of my girlfriend!" Paul shouted, stepping forward.
And once the other kid's initial shock wore off, he turned to Paul and said, "She's my girlfriend," to which I couldn't help laughing at.
What in the world, I thought, could they be talking about?
"Suze," Cade said, "What's going on?"
"That's what I would like to know," Paul said.
"Yes," I said, looking to Susannah, while Father Dominic sat down on the chair across from us. "Please tell us, Susannah."
"Look," she said in a very serious tone, her face only a pale shade of red now. "You want to know what's going on? Fine. I'll tell you. First of all, Jesse, there was never anything going on between me and Cade. Or Paul. Got it? Nothing."
While Paul was looking merely amused, Cade's green eyes were searching Susannah, and after a few seconds of silence that passed between us all, he left, without another word.
Susannah got up and moved toward the door, but I held out my arm in front of her while Father Dominic said, "Let him go, Susannah."
And so she dropped her hand from the door knob, turned around, and said, "You know what? I'm not feeling well. I'll be in my room." Then she shuffled into the hallway, and I heard a door opening, then footsteps.
"Oh dear," Father Dominic said softly.
"Hello, Father," said a voice from behind us. We both turned to see Susannah's step-father, Andy. "What brings you way out here?" He grinned.
"Well," said Father Dominic. "We were, um, in the area and just decided to stop by... This is Jesse, by the way. He's a friend of mine."
That, I thought. Was the most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard. He was in the area, which did happen to be 3,300 miles away. But I wouldn't dare say that, and Andy didn't seem to care.
"Hello Jesse," Andy said, smiling at me. Then he looked at Father Dominic, "So, Father, where are you staying?"
"Er," Father Dominic said, ringing his hands. "Well, we are probably going to look for a hotel around here and--"
Andy didn't let him finish and said, "Don't bother, Father. You could stay with us. We have a spare bedroom, and could always make more room. It's really no problem. Plus, there really are no hotels around here."
He sighed. "Alright. Thank you very much, Andrew."
Susannah:
I walked down the dark stairs and then flopped down on my bed. I seriously felt like crap. Because I acted like such an insensitive bitch to Cade. Even though I don't have feelings for him, I really do care about his feelings.
I decided to go look for him, even if Father Dom and Jesse didn't want me to. I walked up the creaking stairs as silently as I could and slipped out the back door of the house.
Our new house has this small creek running through our backyard with all these cat-tails growing so high you can't see the inside of the creek. So I closed the gate, making sure Max, the Ackerman's dog, didn't get out, and trotted down a small hill, then walked along side the creek past a few houses.
I looked up into the yard of a house on my left and saw Cade sitting on a white picnic table, staring out into distance.
I walked up and leaned on the fence, "Hey."
"Hey," he said, looking at me, but not really seeing me.
"I'm really sorry, Cade. I seriously am. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but I didn't feel the way you did about me, and--"
"No," Cade said. "It's all my fault. I was being really stupid. I understand. I just hope that that Jesse guy isn't mad or anything..."
"He's not."
"Good," he said, then walked over to the other side of the fence and wrapped me up into a hug. "Could we still be friends?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I'd like that."
Now I never meant,
To do you wrong,
That's what I came here to say.
But if I was wrong,
Then I'm sorry,
I don't let it stand in our way.
Then we walked back into his house, and played video games, watched movies, and just hung out late into the night. Nothing happened, really. Which was cool.
Jesse:
Andy had already fixed us a place to sleep, and there was still no sign of Susannah. Even during dinner when her mother and step-father were clearly upset that she wasn't there, and called her several times.
Speaking of dinner, I tried to make myself invisible by not saying a word all night, which only caused Susannah's step- brothers Bradley and David to whisper things about me, which only helped to make me more uncomfortable. After a half an hour of agonizing silence, I retired to the guest bedrooom that Andy had prepared for me. After wondering where Susannah could be, and getting undressed, I slept like a log. At least until I woke with a start in the middle of the night. I turned and looked at the clock. It was 3:00 a.m. and something didn't feel right. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I remembered: Susannah.
Susannah:
The last thing I remember was watching Catch Me If You Can (a/n: one of my favorite movies) with Cade and I guess I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in Cade's living room.
Far from it.
Really, I couldn't even see where I was. But I know that the floor was cold, and it smelled damp and old. I heard someone calling my name over and over again.
About the same time I realized who it was, I had also begun to feel the throbbing pain all over my body. My head was pounding, and when I reached up to feel it, I felt something sticky and thick I recognized as blood on my fingers.
"Cade," I said, feeling through the darkness, and then grabbing a fistful of his shirt sleeve. "Cade, where are we?"
"I don't know..." he said softly. "I don't know."
Jesse:
I slipped my clothes back on, then silently went into the basement where Susannah's bedroom was. I flipped the switch on the wall, and hoped, with all my heart, that I would see her in her bed, sleeping soundly.
She wasn't there.
I hurried back upstairs and ran out her front door. Once on the porch, I stopped, panting.
I wasn't a ghost. I had no way of knowing where she was. And she could be anywhere. Even if I did find out, it could take me a lot of time to get there. Time I didn't have.
I tried thinking of where I would be if I were Susannah, but the search came up empty. Mostly because I knew that wherever she was, she didn't go there willingly.
How I knew, I couldn't fathom. I just had a feeling.
But it didn't matter how I knew. All that mattered was that I knew where she was, and I knew that she was in trouble. I was the only one who could help her.
I glanced both ways, and chose to run down the sidewalk towards the main street where all the cars were speeding by.
I really had no clue how I was going to find her. I was convinced that if I kept telling myself I would, that I would find her.
Then, just as I had stopped to catch my breath (I'm still not used to the breathing thing) I doubled over in pain. My head pounding furiously.
As I lay slumped against a metal fence a vision came to me. It was blurry, but I could still make out the words, "Rockford High," on a building. And then, the faint image of Susannah, lying on the ground, tears streaking her face.
My eyes snapped open, and I got up off of the ground. Rockford High was Susannah's new school, I remembered Andy telling Father Dominic at dinner. I also remembered seeing the school on our way to Susannah's house.
"Don't worry, Susannah," I said, while begining to run towards the school. "You'll be okay."
I am vision, I am justice
Never thought that I could love
Living in shadows
Fading existence
It was never good enough
Within the darkness
You are the light that shines the way
All trapped in violence
I can be the man who saves the day
I'm there for you
No matter what I'm there for you
Never giving up
I'm there for you
For You
A/N: Whoa. One more chapter. In the meantime, please review, and tell me what you though. Thanks fo reading, Luna.
Jesse:
Never in my life was I more embarassed than I was then. If only I would have stopped kissing Susannah when she wanted me to. If only I had exhibited a little more self-control. Because Father Dominic, Paul, and a boy who I suspected was Cade, wouldn't have walked in on the two of us kissing.
Yes, you read that right. A preist walked in on us kissing. And I thought I was embarassed until I turned and looked at Susannah, who's face had turned a deep scarlet.
"Susannah!" Father Dominic exclaimed, blushing as well.
"Get off of my girlfriend!" Paul shouted, stepping forward.
And once the other kid's initial shock wore off, he turned to Paul and said, "She's my girlfriend," to which I couldn't help laughing at.
What in the world, I thought, could they be talking about?
"Suze," Cade said, "What's going on?"
"That's what I would like to know," Paul said.
"Yes," I said, looking to Susannah, while Father Dominic sat down on the chair across from us. "Please tell us, Susannah."
"Look," she said in a very serious tone, her face only a pale shade of red now. "You want to know what's going on? Fine. I'll tell you. First of all, Jesse, there was never anything going on between me and Cade. Or Paul. Got it? Nothing."
While Paul was looking merely amused, Cade's green eyes were searching Susannah, and after a few seconds of silence that passed between us all, he left, without another word.
Susannah got up and moved toward the door, but I held out my arm in front of her while Father Dominic said, "Let him go, Susannah."
And so she dropped her hand from the door knob, turned around, and said, "You know what? I'm not feeling well. I'll be in my room." Then she shuffled into the hallway, and I heard a door opening, then footsteps.
"Oh dear," Father Dominic said softly.
"Hello, Father," said a voice from behind us. We both turned to see Susannah's step-father, Andy. "What brings you way out here?" He grinned.
"Well," said Father Dominic. "We were, um, in the area and just decided to stop by... This is Jesse, by the way. He's a friend of mine."
That, I thought. Was the most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard. He was in the area, which did happen to be 3,300 miles away. But I wouldn't dare say that, and Andy didn't seem to care.
"Hello Jesse," Andy said, smiling at me. Then he looked at Father Dominic, "So, Father, where are you staying?"
"Er," Father Dominic said, ringing his hands. "Well, we are probably going to look for a hotel around here and--"
Andy didn't let him finish and said, "Don't bother, Father. You could stay with us. We have a spare bedroom, and could always make more room. It's really no problem. Plus, there really are no hotels around here."
He sighed. "Alright. Thank you very much, Andrew."
Susannah:
I walked down the dark stairs and then flopped down on my bed. I seriously felt like crap. Because I acted like such an insensitive bitch to Cade. Even though I don't have feelings for him, I really do care about his feelings.
I decided to go look for him, even if Father Dom and Jesse didn't want me to. I walked up the creaking stairs as silently as I could and slipped out the back door of the house.
Our new house has this small creek running through our backyard with all these cat-tails growing so high you can't see the inside of the creek. So I closed the gate, making sure Max, the Ackerman's dog, didn't get out, and trotted down a small hill, then walked along side the creek past a few houses.
I looked up into the yard of a house on my left and saw Cade sitting on a white picnic table, staring out into distance.
I walked up and leaned on the fence, "Hey."
"Hey," he said, looking at me, but not really seeing me.
"I'm really sorry, Cade. I seriously am. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but I didn't feel the way you did about me, and--"
"No," Cade said. "It's all my fault. I was being really stupid. I understand. I just hope that that Jesse guy isn't mad or anything..."
"He's not."
"Good," he said, then walked over to the other side of the fence and wrapped me up into a hug. "Could we still be friends?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. "I'd like that."
Now I never meant,
To do you wrong,
That's what I came here to say.
But if I was wrong,
Then I'm sorry,
I don't let it stand in our way.
Then we walked back into his house, and played video games, watched movies, and just hung out late into the night. Nothing happened, really. Which was cool.
Jesse:
Andy had already fixed us a place to sleep, and there was still no sign of Susannah. Even during dinner when her mother and step-father were clearly upset that she wasn't there, and called her several times.
Speaking of dinner, I tried to make myself invisible by not saying a word all night, which only caused Susannah's step- brothers Bradley and David to whisper things about me, which only helped to make me more uncomfortable. After a half an hour of agonizing silence, I retired to the guest bedrooom that Andy had prepared for me. After wondering where Susannah could be, and getting undressed, I slept like a log. At least until I woke with a start in the middle of the night. I turned and looked at the clock. It was 3:00 a.m. and something didn't feel right. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I remembered: Susannah.
Susannah:
The last thing I remember was watching Catch Me If You Can (a/n: one of my favorite movies) with Cade and I guess I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in Cade's living room.
Far from it.
Really, I couldn't even see where I was. But I know that the floor was cold, and it smelled damp and old. I heard someone calling my name over and over again.
About the same time I realized who it was, I had also begun to feel the throbbing pain all over my body. My head was pounding, and when I reached up to feel it, I felt something sticky and thick I recognized as blood on my fingers.
"Cade," I said, feeling through the darkness, and then grabbing a fistful of his shirt sleeve. "Cade, where are we?"
"I don't know..." he said softly. "I don't know."
Jesse:
I slipped my clothes back on, then silently went into the basement where Susannah's bedroom was. I flipped the switch on the wall, and hoped, with all my heart, that I would see her in her bed, sleeping soundly.
She wasn't there.
I hurried back upstairs and ran out her front door. Once on the porch, I stopped, panting.
I wasn't a ghost. I had no way of knowing where she was. And she could be anywhere. Even if I did find out, it could take me a lot of time to get there. Time I didn't have.
I tried thinking of where I would be if I were Susannah, but the search came up empty. Mostly because I knew that wherever she was, she didn't go there willingly.
How I knew, I couldn't fathom. I just had a feeling.
But it didn't matter how I knew. All that mattered was that I knew where she was, and I knew that she was in trouble. I was the only one who could help her.
I glanced both ways, and chose to run down the sidewalk towards the main street where all the cars were speeding by.
I really had no clue how I was going to find her. I was convinced that if I kept telling myself I would, that I would find her.
Then, just as I had stopped to catch my breath (I'm still not used to the breathing thing) I doubled over in pain. My head pounding furiously.
As I lay slumped against a metal fence a vision came to me. It was blurry, but I could still make out the words, "Rockford High," on a building. And then, the faint image of Susannah, lying on the ground, tears streaking her face.
My eyes snapped open, and I got up off of the ground. Rockford High was Susannah's new school, I remembered Andy telling Father Dominic at dinner. I also remembered seeing the school on our way to Susannah's house.
"Don't worry, Susannah," I said, while begining to run towards the school. "You'll be okay."
I am vision, I am justice
Never thought that I could love
Living in shadows
Fading existence
It was never good enough
Within the darkness
You are the light that shines the way
All trapped in violence
I can be the man who saves the day
I'm there for you
No matter what I'm there for you
Never giving up
I'm there for you
For You
A/N: Whoa. One more chapter. In the meantime, please review, and tell me what you though. Thanks fo reading, Luna.