A/N: I'm on a roll! Thanks to all my lovelies who reviewed! You guys keep me going with this thing! That's all for now, I'll probably think of something to write at the end of this chapter! Heh.


"Kelly! Kelly, wait!" I called to Kelly as I ran to catch up with her. She was standing by one of the pillars that held the breezeway up with Debbie, Brad, and a few others. They seemed to be commenting on the outfits of poor misfortunates souls that passed them.

"Hey, Paul," Kelly greeted me as she twirled her hair with her fingers. I noticed that she had the whitest teeth I'd ever seen. It almost made me wonder just how much her parents spent on her teeth.

"Kell, I was wondering..." I started to say, but then I paused. I wondered exactly how mad Suze would be if I did what I was about to do. She and I were alike, so that meant she wouldn't have cared, right? Plus, it wasn't like it mattered what I did. Because at this point, every move I made put me farther and farther onto thin ice with Suze. Just do it, Slater, I kept telling myself. What would I lose that I already haven't lost?

"You were wondering...?" Kelly asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I was wondering if I could run as VP with you. You know, be your running mate," I replied. I could sense the disappointment that Kelly felt. Hate to get your hopes up, kid, but that's just the way things are sometimes.

"Oh," she said, "What made you change your mind?"

"Uh, I did some thinking about what Debbie said earlier at lunch. I think that, together, we could win this thing," I replied. Quick thinking on my part. The real reason I wanted to run was not because I cared about the junior class. I had only been there for one school day; not enough to get me all riled up on important school issues. And it wasn't because I thought I could win. I knew I could win. It was a given. No, the real reason was Suze. I know I know...how was I to expect her to like me if I ran against her? My mind works in different ways, my friend, as you will learn. I tend to think more Big Picture than little.

See, my running for junior class VP makes her a threat to me. Meaning she has the upper hand in this case. And then she could see that I'm not much of a threat to her. That I'm not as dangerous as she thinks. It was just insane enough to work, I thought. God, I'm good.

"Oh, Paul, that's a great idea! I know we'll make the best team!" Kelly squealed as she pulled me into a hug. I was startled, so I just patted her back. Yeah, I got attention from girls, you know with my charm and good looks, but they always played hard to get. Like Suze. So it was surprising that I had Kelly so easily, even though I really did not want her. She deserved someone like Brad Ackerman. Oh, wait, was that too mean? Who cares about that anyway? Besides, he and Debbie had a thing.

So then Kelly started listing all the things we could do to get votes. I just nodded and agreed to everything she said. I really couldn't have cared less. Then she wrote her number on my hand with bright pink ink. I gave her mine too, but I just handed it to her on a piece of paper. Then off she went to spread the word to every single person she knew that she now had a running mate.

I stepped out from under the shade of the breezeway and made my way to my car. I looked at my watch...it was about 3:45. Perfect. Suze would be getting out of detention in 15 minutes, which was enough time to pull my car near the front gates of the school and be her knight-in-shining-denim. Brad had taken off earlier, and so had her friend Adam. My careful planning allowed for some good ole damage control time.

It's just amazing how something as simple as the brain of a seventeen-year-old guy could come up with such elaborate plans, most of which ACTUALLY worked. Although, I never have and never will be just a normal guy.

Suze didn't look at all happy when she trudged from the school building. Of course, who would be happy after spending a whole hour in detention? She didn't see me as she was on the other side of the intersection, waiting for the light to change so she could cross.

"Come on. Get in. I'll give you a ride home," I offered politely. If that's one thing I learned from my no-good parents, it was that you had to do certain things to get what you want in life. First of all, you have to kiss major ass. Being polite was just one way of doing that. It's all in the presentation, my friends. But being polite is just so hard sometimes, especially when you want something so urgently.

It was obviously hard for Suze too. "No, thank you. I prefer to walk," she replied to my generous offer. Why couldn't Suze be more like Kelly? You know, easier to penetrate?

Now that I think of it, nevermind. She's perfect just the way she is.

I could tell she was trying to ignore me, by just trying to breeze on by. By now she should realize that that kind of thing just doesn't work on Paul Slater. It might work on that stupid cowboy of hers, but certainly not on me.

"Suze, just get in the car," I commanded with some annoyance. It was all her fault. She was only making it harder on herself. But she didn't see the big picture.

"No, I told you," she said strongly, "I'm walking." I couldn't help but laugh to myself. She had a strong will and she was so set in her ways. , if you will. And yet, at the same time, she has that rebellious edge to her.

I shook my head and said, "You really are a piece of work."

"Thank you," she replied as she crossed the intersection, toward my car. Suze probably thought I'd drop it and drive home. But I always got what I wanted. And that's usually because I wouldn't quit until I did have it. I was just tenacious, that was all. But, no I didn't quit then. In fact, I was determined to follow her until she got in my stupid car. Even if it was a little out-of-way from my house.

"Are you going to follow me all the way home?" she asked as we started up the hill.

"Yes, that is, unless you'll stop acting like such a brat and get into the car," I answered with a grin.

"No thanks," she said again. I know you've heard me say it before, but I'll say it over and over if I must...she was beautiful. Even when she was being difficult, like she was then, I still liked her all the same. I don't know what, besides her beauty, attracted me to her. I mean, I could more easily have Kelly Prescott or any of her friends if I wanted. With a little more effort, I could even have her friend CeeCee. But dating any of them seemed like a waste of time. Because Suze and I were meant for each other.

In Greek mythology, it was said that at the beginning of time, beings where made as two people sharing the same body. You know, like Siamese twins. But by some fluke, we were all separated from our other half, and that we spend our whole life trying to find them again. I actually just thought that I was the exception to that little myth. I didn't NEED anyone else. It was just nice to have the other person around.

Of course, as the search went on, I realized that maybe I was missing something. Maybe the myth, in some cases, wasn't really a myth.

"You're wrong not to trust me. We're the same, you and I, you know," I pointed out to her.

"I sincerely hope that isn't true."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but it is. What'd Father Dominic tell you, anyway? He tell you not to spend anytime alone with me? Not to believe a single word I say?" I wanted to know. I mean, that had to be it, right? The only reason she wasn't in the car with me was because the good father told her not to trust me.

"Not at all. Father Dominic thinks I should give you the benefit of the doubt," she said distantly, almost pretending that she wasn't phased at all by me. But she was, oh, she was.

I was shocked needless to say, about what Father said. Coming from two demanding parents who held such high expectations of me, I never got the benefit of the doubt. But, wow. I was now.

"Really? He said that?" I asked hopefully. That had to mean something, right? Maybe he could convince her to finally come around and give me the time of day. I mean, who DOESN'T trust a priest?

"Oh, yes," she replied with a touch of sarcasm, "Father Dominic thinks you're here because you want to bond with the only other mediators you know. He thinks it's our duty as charitable human beings to allow you to make amends and help you along the path to righteousness."

Well, okay, I can admit that I wanted to be around mediators that I knew. It's nice to have that feeling that you aren't alone in the world. I merely wanted to bond with only one mediator, if you catch my drift.

"But you don't agree with him?" I asked, staring at her. I just couldn't help it.

"Look. Father Dominic is the nicest person I have ever met. All he lives for is to help others. He genuinely believes that human beings are, by nature, good, and that, if treated as such, will respond accordingly," she responded blankly.

"But you don't agree, I take it?" I asked noticing that she was fumbling for her hair clip. Hope she didn't miss it too much. Although, it'd be mean of me to keep it. Oh well, she'd get it back soon enough. Trust me on that one. Hah.

"I think we both know that Father Dom is living in a dream world. But because I don't want to let the guy down, I'm going to keep my personal opinion about you- that you're a user and a psychopath- to myself," she said, her words terribly stinging me. I mean, ouch. That was uncalled for.

Although...it does have a nice ring to it. Paul the psychopath.

"A psychopath? I like the sound of that. I've been called a lot of things before but never a psychopath," I replied with amusement.

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I know. That's what makes it so particularly amusing. You're quite a girl, you know that?" I replied while glancing at her meaningfully. She truly was quite a girl. Quite an angry one.

"Just tell me one thing," she demanded.

"Name it."

"That night we ran into each other, you know, up there?" she asked as she pointed to the sky.

"Yeah, what about it?"

This was it. She was going to ask just the question I wanted her to ask. The one question that she could never avoid. The one question that would have to take a lot of explaining to do...a lot of explaining that I could provide...

"How'd you get there? I mean nobody exorcised you, right?"

That was it. The question she needed to ask, I mean. I couldn't help but grin. I had her now, and there was no way she could get herself out of this one.

"No, nobody exorcised me. And you didn't need anyone to exorcise you, either."

She stopped dead in her tracks. She spun her body around to face me. Obviously stunned, she asked, "Are you trying to tell me that I can just go strolling around up there whenever I want?"

"There's a lot that you can do that you haven't figured out yet, Suze. Things you've never dreamed of. Things I can show you," I replied cryptically in a voice that was as silky as that sweater she was wearing. I could sense that she was excited about what I had to say. That she wanted to know what I could show her. But she tried to pass it off as nothing, "Yeah...I'm sure."

"I'm serious, Suze. Father Dominic is a great guy. I'm not denying it. But he's just a mediator. You're a little something more," I said with a wink. She started to walk again slowly but surely. I knew she was incredibly shaken by what I had just said.

"I see. So all my life, people have been telling me I'm one thing, and all of a sudden you come along, and you say I'm something else, and I'm just supposed to believe you?" she asked with an incredulous look on her beautiful face.

"Yes."

"Because you're such a trustworthy person," she retorted as she gave her trademark eye-roll.

"Because," I corrected her, "I'm all you've got."

Which was true. I was the only person that could answer her questions about her unknown ability.

"Well, that's not a real whole lot, is it? Or do I need to point out that the last time I saw you, you left me stranded in hell?" she asked, raising her voice slightly.

"It wasn't hell. And you'd have found your way out eventually." If you would have listened to me, I wanted to add.

"What about Jesse?" she demanded, stopping abruptly in her tracks again. Why did everything have to be about that creep anyway? The guy's dead, he can't give her half the stuff I can. It's unfair.

"I said I was sorry about that. Besides, it all turned out okay in the end, didn't it? It's like I told you, Suze. You're much more powerful than you know. You just need someone to show you your true potential. You need a mentor- a real one, not a sixty year old priest who thinks Father Juniperro Whoever is the be-all end-all of the universe," I said a little defensively.

"Right, and I suppose you think you're just the guy to play Mr. Miyagi to my Karate Kid?" she sniped.

"Something like that."

We turned the corner. I could instantly remember which house was hers. It was a pretty good-sized house. I remember her telling me it used to be some old boarding house or hotel or something. My mind transported me to the time after our date. We had a great time, just talking about life and everything. This was before she knew I was a shifter. But I knew about her abilities and her potential even then. And from that moment on, I determined that together, we could rule the world.

"What do you say, Suze?" I asked as I patted the passenger seat next to me. "Dinner tonight? My treat? I'll tell things about yourself- about what you are- that no one else on this planet knows."

I wanted her to say yes more than anything in the world. It would be just like our last date. Only, this time I could mold her mind like fresh clay.

She would be absolutely insane to turn me down, but that she did. "Thanks, but no thanks. See you in school tomorrow."

And then she walked up her driveway and into her house. She ignored my calls for her to wait and she just slipped inside her house. How does she do that? How can she reject me like that, and still keep me pining for her? This was going to be harder than I thought, but sooner or later she'd be asking more questions, and I'd have to answer them. Curiosity killed the cat.

Oh, but don't worry, I won't kill her. I like her too much.


A/N: YAY! Another chapter so quickly! This is the part where it gets harder because these are the chapters where Paul just kinda floats off. He gets talked about and stuff but for the most part he remains in hiding. So it's up to me to get creative and think of things for him to do. Heh, fun! Love you guys! Thanks a whole bunch! NiceHayley