What If-

(based on the mediator series by Jenny Carroll/ Meg Cabot)

We start with an excerpt, then jump right into my story... hope you like it ~Chels

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([Excerpt from Haunted, written by Meg Cabot:]) I was tearing down the long cement steps from Paul's front door to his driveway when I heard him calling after me, "Suze! Suze, come on. I'm sorry for what I said about Jesse. I didn't mean it."

I turned in the driveway to face him. I am sorry to say that I responded to his statement by making a rude, single-fingered gesture.

"Suze." Paul had taken his hand down from his face, so that I could see that his eye was not, as I had hoped, dangling out of its socket. It just looked red. "At least"let me drive you home."

"No, thank you," I called to him, pausing to slip on my Jimmy Choos. "I prefer to walk."

"Suze," Paul said. "It's like five miles from here to your house."

"Never speak to me again, please," I said, and started walking, hoping he wouldn't try to follow me. Because of course if he did, and attempted to kiss me again, there was a very good chance I would kiss him back. I knew that now. Knew it only too well ([End Excerpt])

"If you say so, "Paul said, doing exactly what I'd hoped he wouldn't and following me, AND trying to kiss me. And I did. Kiss him back, I mean. Why did his kisses have to feel so good? Why did they have to feel like h e really cared? Couldn't they feel- I don't know- evil, or couldn't he have B/O or really bad Breath? No he has to smell like expensive Abercrombie cologne and taste like a walking peppermint dish. His kisses have to feel like heaven on earth- godly and delicious.

What am I doing?! Paul- I'm thinking about something good about him!? What about Jesse? I love him, right? I pushed Paul away and ran down the driveway, ignoring Paul's calls, and trying to ignore the blistered pain making my feet scream as I ran. I walked as fast as I could in my stupid, expensive shoes, looking for a stupid payphone. About five minutes later I gave up hope for the stupid designer shoes on my feet. I took Jimmy and Choo (so I gave the shoes names! It's not a crime!) off and carried them. Why do expensive, cute, fashionably correct shoes never come pre-worked in?! On that thought, I continued my painful journey.

Twenty minutes- and fifty bazillion blisters- later I found a restaurant. "I'm saved!" I exclaimed, relived at the sight of something but a hot asphalt road. Figuring that any modern-day restaurant would have a working payphone, I approached the door, hobbling all the way. Guess what? It was LOCKED- and empty on the inside. I slumped down by the bottom of the door and put my head in my hands.

"Suze!" A voice called from in front of me, "Suze, I'm sorry!". It was Paul. "Please let me take you home." He said gently. I slightly raised my head, just enough to see him and his shiny silver Beamer. His gaze was on my face, but it shifted to my feet when I moved my leg and winced at the pain the movement had produced. "Oh my God!" Paul exclaimed, jumping from the car. He was over to me in seconds, a look of worry covering his face- it was a good look for him, he actually looked like he had a heart, a soul AND a conscious. "Suze, I don't care if you don't want to come with me, you are. You can't walk home like this." He said, gently picking me up and placing me in the car, careful not to put my raw, blistered feet into any more pain then they were already in.

"Thanks" I said, after a few moments of silence. Paul Slater is confusing. One moment he's trying to kill you, the next he's rescuing you like a knight in shining armor. He shook his head in reply to my thanks, for once in his life being quiet... amazing.

When we reached my house I tried to get out of the car. No success. Paul wouldn't let me. "What do you think you're trying to do!" He exclaimed, "Are you some sort of masochist or something?". I glared at him. He made a 'tsk tsk tsk' noise with his tongue, and chuckled "Let me help you." My heart, stupid thing, sped up when he lifted me up again. I could feel myself starting to blush. I led him to my room, by pointing and giving him commands such as , 'turn here' and 'up those stairs'. I gasped as we got to the door, realizing that Jesse might be in there, I prepared myself for the worst as Paul turned the doorknob. Nope- no Jesse... I seem to be getting a lot of that lately.

I gave Paul directions to the bathroom and he set me down gently on the side on the bathtub. He turned on the water, then adjusted it to the right temperature. Pulling out a tiny first aid kit from his pocket, he tenderly put some goop on my feet. The pain went away, replaced by a numbness.

"Umm... that feels better!" I sighed. Paul chuckled, "I bet... First aid kits come in handy... I happened to have had one in my car. I grabbed it before we came in here." He looked around. "- Listen, we'd better get you cleaned up some before they pain comes back. Soap please, nurse!" Paul exclaimed, trying to earn a chuckle by imitating a doctor. I laughed, as I threw the soap at him, along with some water. He laughed at that too, "I seem to have gotten wet... and from you..."

"That could be taken so wrong!" I said, as he began to wash my feet. He smiled knowingly and said, "I know", while winking suggestively. That earned him some more water.

"Your feet are clean enough," Paul said, putting down the soap. "-It's your mouth that needs some work," He said, closing the distance between us. I kissed back- again. What is wrong with me? Jesse!.... hmm...no... Paul!... yes...my heart felt as if it had been burnt and blistered by my Jimmy Choos too...

"Oow!" I said, breaking the kiss, separating his tongue from my own. Wintery fresh. The pain had come back. "More magic goop?" I asked, making a pouty face. He smiled and put the stuff on my feet, "You know you should be doing this!"

"Did I thank you?" I asked. Paul looked sad and shook his head no. "Then thank you!" I said. Weirdly enough, Paul didn't scare me anymore... In fact, I sort of- no... I DO NOT LIKE PAUL SLATER.

"Your welcome" He answered, smiling kindly. Look at that smile, it's so- Don't go there Suze, you do not like him...

Paul picked me up again and brought me over to the bed. He set me down gently and handed me a few tiny packages. The foot goop. "I gotta go" Paul said, "sorry"

"Can you get me some band-aids first?" I asked, telling him where they were. After he delivered the bandages he left, telling me to feel better, and giving me a soft kiss on the forehead.

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Later, when my mom came home she flipped out. In the end she told me to feel better and that I would not go to school the next day. Andy cooked my favorite meal, yummy, and served me in bed. He even made Brad do the dishes on my night, and he had to be my personal butler far about fifteen minutes. It was funny to watch him taking orders from me... especially when he knew he'd be grounded if he didn't. Until he threatened to tell my Mom about Jesse if I didn't stop bossing him around- this was a double blackmail, since he was already using the Jesse thing against me so I wouldn't tell his dad about the party he and Jake were throwing when the parents went away on Friday.

The next day, while I was painting my nails a fantabulous shade of bright orange, Cee Cee called me. She was, apparantly, at lunch, and pissed about me not being at school. Needless to say, my ear hurt pretty badly when I got off the phone, and I had a feeling that it wouldn't hurt any less later when she and Adam were coming over.

I got flowers, two dozen red roses right before Cee Cee and Adam came over. The card read, I'm sorry. Get well soon. Love, Paul. I wish I had spotted it before Cee Cee had. She grabbed the thing before I was even off the bed.

"Suze and Paul?" Cee Cee asked herself out loud, "Hmm... cute. -But what about Suze and Jesse?!"

"That's what I'd like to know!" I said, "If he'd talk to me maybe I could answer that, but I don't even know if he likes me, much less if we're 'going out'! " Cee Cee gave me a 'never-mind' look and began to talk about slogans for my campaign as Vice President of the Student Government at the Mission Academy. I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep- but glad I didn't because I saw Jesse appear, then quickly disappear with a book, one that Father Dominic let him borrow. No one else noticed the disappearing book act though... they were too involved with finding a slogan- yay, big fun there... not!

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So? Good, bad, kinda good? Let me know whatcha think and I'll add another chapter, if that's what you want that is... hmm... whatever, just review! Thanks. ~Chels