A/N: Hi! Thanks so much for the many reviews you gave me. I'm sorry that it
took me so long to update, I've been writing it all week and blah blah blah
homework blah blah. Okay. I hope you like this chapter!
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"Susannah Simon," a woman's voice called.
I had been staring at my feet, and the great tendrils of fog surrounding them. But when I heard her impatient voice, I quickly walked up to the desk she was sitting behind.
I was in what was sort of an astral waiting room, for lack of a better term. Other people, like me, had been waiting here for quite a while. Exactly what we're waiting for, we're not sure. Well, at least I'm not. All I know is that it must be something pretty important, since it had disrupted my eternal slumber.
So when I walked up to the desk, I was ready to find out just what that something was. And whether it was worth all the time I spent coming all the way out here.
The woman looked up. "Are you Ms. Simon?"
I nodded, and gulped. Something in that cold grey look of her's was unsettling. "Yes, I am. What's wrong?"
"Apparently, a man named Hector de Silva," she said, pushing her thin glasses up the brim of her nose.
I repeated the name softly. "Hector de Silva...." I shook my head. "Don't know him." To be completely honest, there isn't much I remember from when I was, well, alive.
So even though the name 'Hector de Silva' didn't really ring a bell, the woman assured me that I would remember.
I then told her that she better be right because I don't want to go back to Earth for nothing, and left to see exactly what was up. (She still wouldn't tell my why I was going, only that he needed me.)
Sure enough, as soon as I saw his dark eyes that were sparkling from the crimson sunlight, which was streaming through his window, I knew exactly who Hector de Silva was.
I smiled, then breathed, "Jesse." This was him. My Jesse.
Only he wasn't the old Jesse that I knew and loved. He had changed. Not only on the outside, but on the inside, too, as I discovered later. But if it weren't for his eyes (and those killer abs), I might have never recognized him.
From the little light in the room, I could see that he had grown his once neat hair out, and now it was long, curly, and kind of shaggy. And he had grown a goatee. A big change, definately for the better. Jesse, I had to admit, looked hotter than ever.
And I am kind of embarassed now because that wasn't the thing I should have been thinking about then. I should have just been happy that I could see him again. Because I didn't remember who he was, I didn't realize just how much I missed and needed him.
Jesse rubbed his eyes. "Susannah, is that really you? What are you doing here?" His voice was shaky and uncertain.
"Yes," I whispered, taking a seat next to him on his bed. "Yes, it's me, Jesse."
He looked incredulous for a little bit, then grinned. "I can't believe you are finally back," he said softly, twirling a lock of my hair in his fingers. "I've missed you so much Susannah. Things have been very hard without you."
Wow. Jesse had missed me. Me, Susannah Simon. Things had even been hard without me. Me. And I thought that the only person that would ever miss me was my mother. Definately not a hot, Latino rancher from the 1850's.
I secretly grinned and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "I've really missed you, too, Jesse."
I could feel him smiling into my shoulder. "Te quiero mucho, Susannah," he said. Although I didn't understand, it sounded nice.
We then pulled apart and Jesse took hold of my hands in his. It was very romantic, the way he was looking deeply into my eyes, and running one calloused thumb over my hand.
Then, just as he opened his mouth to say something, the door to his room flung open and a girl in her early twenties strolled in like she owned this place. I quickly pulled my hands away from Jesse's.
I studied her. She wore a black and red striped dress underneath a leather jacket. Her knee high boots were adorned with little skulls and crossbones and underneath them she wore a pair of spider web stockings. Her black hair that fell up to her shoulders was streaked with purple. But what startled me the most were her piercing grey eyes. They were cold and eerie, yet warm and inviting at the same time.
When she saw Jesse sitting there alone--she couldn't see me, since I was a ghost-- she walked over to him and went, "Hector, I was worried about you. What's going on? Are you alright?."
I eyed Jesse. His face was burning with embarassment. "Yeah, Brandie. I'm fine. You can, um, leave now."
Brandie playfully wrapped her arms around his neck, where mine had been just a minute before. "Why do you want me to leave, Hector? You don't like me anymore?" I cringed when she kissed him. But Jesse quickly pushed her away.
I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. But I wouldn't let myself cry. Not in front of Jesse.
"Wow," I said as sarcastically as I could while choking down sobs. "Things really have been hard, haven't they, Hector?" Then I dematerialized and appeared in Carmel, California. My home.
I strolled along the beach for a little while, letting myself cry freely. Soaking up the sun and breathing in the smell of the salty spume. The view of the ocean was inviting and serene.
I squinted into the sun and saw a group of kids. Some were just relaxing on the sand, others were out in the water, surfing. I stared at them longingly. Like a widow gazing at her wedding dress.
It reminded me of the day we all hung out on the beach. Gina, Cee Cee, Adam and my step-brothers were with me. I didn't appreciate it then, but now all I want is to go back and relive that moment forever. If only I could be that old, carefree Suze Simon again.
I couldn't bare to watch them any longer and left to visit my mediator.
It's strange saying that, considering that I was--and probably still am--a mediator, myself. But when I died. I had problems moving on.
First it was the thought of leaving Jesse that kept me from leaving. There was no possible way I was going to leave Jesse behind. We loved eachother. I wouldn't leave him just because I was a ghost. But Lucas explained to me that there was nothing that I could do. That I have to accept my fate.
Lucas really knows his ghosts. He's patient, funny, and his tactics are completely non-violent. Father Dominic would adore him.
"Suze!" he exclaimed when he noticed me. He set down a thick book on Greek Mythology and stood up, looking a little flustered. "How are you? You look great! Well, I mean, you always look great since you're a ghost, and all. But... um, anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in, uh, Heaven, or something?"
"Lucas," I said, grinning. "It's great to see you, too. The thing is, I'm back because of Jesse. You remember Jesse, right?" Then I proceeded to tell him about Jesse and that skank girlfriend of his, Brandie.
He sighed. "As much as it pains me to say it, I think you should give Jesse another chance." I probably should have figured it out then, since he was dropping ten-pound hints. But I was too caught up in my own affairs to notice.
"Who knows," he continued. "You might have gotten the wrong impression of him and this girl."
"Maybe you're right," I mumbled.
Lucas is a few years older than me. He is a focused college student and tells me that he wants to become a teacher. That really would be the perfect job for him. After all these years as a mediator, I'm sure he has excellent people-skills.
"Luke," I said. "Do you think that maybe you could drive me somewhere? I'd like to visit a friend of mine."
He smiled. "No problem. I'll get my keys." He was back in a second and said, "Come on."
I followed him outside, then opened the car door and got in. (I could have just gone through the car--being a ghost-- but that still sort of freaks me out.)
"So," Lucas began, putting the key into the ignition. "Where are we headed?"
I took a deep breath and looked out the window into the lush, green hills. And before I could change my mind, I said, "The Mission Academy."
A/N: Um.... that's it! Please review and look for the next chapter soon. :- )
_____________
"Susannah Simon," a woman's voice called.
I had been staring at my feet, and the great tendrils of fog surrounding them. But when I heard her impatient voice, I quickly walked up to the desk she was sitting behind.
I was in what was sort of an astral waiting room, for lack of a better term. Other people, like me, had been waiting here for quite a while. Exactly what we're waiting for, we're not sure. Well, at least I'm not. All I know is that it must be something pretty important, since it had disrupted my eternal slumber.
So when I walked up to the desk, I was ready to find out just what that something was. And whether it was worth all the time I spent coming all the way out here.
The woman looked up. "Are you Ms. Simon?"
I nodded, and gulped. Something in that cold grey look of her's was unsettling. "Yes, I am. What's wrong?"
"Apparently, a man named Hector de Silva," she said, pushing her thin glasses up the brim of her nose.
I repeated the name softly. "Hector de Silva...." I shook my head. "Don't know him." To be completely honest, there isn't much I remember from when I was, well, alive.
So even though the name 'Hector de Silva' didn't really ring a bell, the woman assured me that I would remember.
I then told her that she better be right because I don't want to go back to Earth for nothing, and left to see exactly what was up. (She still wouldn't tell my why I was going, only that he needed me.)
Sure enough, as soon as I saw his dark eyes that were sparkling from the crimson sunlight, which was streaming through his window, I knew exactly who Hector de Silva was.
I smiled, then breathed, "Jesse." This was him. My Jesse.
Only he wasn't the old Jesse that I knew and loved. He had changed. Not only on the outside, but on the inside, too, as I discovered later. But if it weren't for his eyes (and those killer abs), I might have never recognized him.
From the little light in the room, I could see that he had grown his once neat hair out, and now it was long, curly, and kind of shaggy. And he had grown a goatee. A big change, definately for the better. Jesse, I had to admit, looked hotter than ever.
And I am kind of embarassed now because that wasn't the thing I should have been thinking about then. I should have just been happy that I could see him again. Because I didn't remember who he was, I didn't realize just how much I missed and needed him.
Jesse rubbed his eyes. "Susannah, is that really you? What are you doing here?" His voice was shaky and uncertain.
"Yes," I whispered, taking a seat next to him on his bed. "Yes, it's me, Jesse."
He looked incredulous for a little bit, then grinned. "I can't believe you are finally back," he said softly, twirling a lock of my hair in his fingers. "I've missed you so much Susannah. Things have been very hard without you."
Wow. Jesse had missed me. Me, Susannah Simon. Things had even been hard without me. Me. And I thought that the only person that would ever miss me was my mother. Definately not a hot, Latino rancher from the 1850's.
I secretly grinned and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "I've really missed you, too, Jesse."
I could feel him smiling into my shoulder. "Te quiero mucho, Susannah," he said. Although I didn't understand, it sounded nice.
We then pulled apart and Jesse took hold of my hands in his. It was very romantic, the way he was looking deeply into my eyes, and running one calloused thumb over my hand.
Then, just as he opened his mouth to say something, the door to his room flung open and a girl in her early twenties strolled in like she owned this place. I quickly pulled my hands away from Jesse's.
I studied her. She wore a black and red striped dress underneath a leather jacket. Her knee high boots were adorned with little skulls and crossbones and underneath them she wore a pair of spider web stockings. Her black hair that fell up to her shoulders was streaked with purple. But what startled me the most were her piercing grey eyes. They were cold and eerie, yet warm and inviting at the same time.
When she saw Jesse sitting there alone--she couldn't see me, since I was a ghost-- she walked over to him and went, "Hector, I was worried about you. What's going on? Are you alright?."
I eyed Jesse. His face was burning with embarassment. "Yeah, Brandie. I'm fine. You can, um, leave now."
Brandie playfully wrapped her arms around his neck, where mine had been just a minute before. "Why do you want me to leave, Hector? You don't like me anymore?" I cringed when she kissed him. But Jesse quickly pushed her away.
I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. But I wouldn't let myself cry. Not in front of Jesse.
"Wow," I said as sarcastically as I could while choking down sobs. "Things really have been hard, haven't they, Hector?" Then I dematerialized and appeared in Carmel, California. My home.
I strolled along the beach for a little while, letting myself cry freely. Soaking up the sun and breathing in the smell of the salty spume. The view of the ocean was inviting and serene.
I squinted into the sun and saw a group of kids. Some were just relaxing on the sand, others were out in the water, surfing. I stared at them longingly. Like a widow gazing at her wedding dress.
It reminded me of the day we all hung out on the beach. Gina, Cee Cee, Adam and my step-brothers were with me. I didn't appreciate it then, but now all I want is to go back and relive that moment forever. If only I could be that old, carefree Suze Simon again.
I couldn't bare to watch them any longer and left to visit my mediator.
It's strange saying that, considering that I was--and probably still am--a mediator, myself. But when I died. I had problems moving on.
First it was the thought of leaving Jesse that kept me from leaving. There was no possible way I was going to leave Jesse behind. We loved eachother. I wouldn't leave him just because I was a ghost. But Lucas explained to me that there was nothing that I could do. That I have to accept my fate.
Lucas really knows his ghosts. He's patient, funny, and his tactics are completely non-violent. Father Dominic would adore him.
"Suze!" he exclaimed when he noticed me. He set down a thick book on Greek Mythology and stood up, looking a little flustered. "How are you? You look great! Well, I mean, you always look great since you're a ghost, and all. But... um, anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in, uh, Heaven, or something?"
"Lucas," I said, grinning. "It's great to see you, too. The thing is, I'm back because of Jesse. You remember Jesse, right?" Then I proceeded to tell him about Jesse and that skank girlfriend of his, Brandie.
He sighed. "As much as it pains me to say it, I think you should give Jesse another chance." I probably should have figured it out then, since he was dropping ten-pound hints. But I was too caught up in my own affairs to notice.
"Who knows," he continued. "You might have gotten the wrong impression of him and this girl."
"Maybe you're right," I mumbled.
Lucas is a few years older than me. He is a focused college student and tells me that he wants to become a teacher. That really would be the perfect job for him. After all these years as a mediator, I'm sure he has excellent people-skills.
"Luke," I said. "Do you think that maybe you could drive me somewhere? I'd like to visit a friend of mine."
He smiled. "No problem. I'll get my keys." He was back in a second and said, "Come on."
I followed him outside, then opened the car door and got in. (I could have just gone through the car--being a ghost-- but that still sort of freaks me out.)
"So," Lucas began, putting the key into the ignition. "Where are we headed?"
I took a deep breath and looked out the window into the lush, green hills. And before I could change my mind, I said, "The Mission Academy."
A/N: Um.... that's it! Please review and look for the next chapter soon. :- )