Chapter 1. Dinner With Paul?

This particular Friday night, I was in my bedroom, finishing up my history homework when Andy, my new step-dad, called me for dinner. Dinner at the Ackerman's house was always a big production. As much as I was dreading the move to Carmel-by-the-Sea California, the fact that my mom decided to marry a gourmet cook made it almost worth it.

After I threw the fifty pound (or at least that's what it felt like) book off my lap, I leaped off the bed where I had been working for over an hour. I opened my door and walked out of my bedroom; which had been beautifully redecorated by Andy and the gang, and owned the best view of the ocean in the house through a huge bay window. As I was descending the stairs I noticed a figure walking up to the door. I looked to see who it could be. Nobody ever came around the house, especially around dinner time. As I was nearing the door, the figure rang the doorbell. I looked through the peep hole in the door, and rolled my eyes. I knew this person well, maybe more than I really wanted to know.

Paul Slater was standing on the other side of the door, looking sexy, as usual. Both Paul and I shared a very special 'gift'. We are both shifters according to Paul. He said that we both were something a bit more special than your average mediator, a person that is supposed to help ghosts that are still 'hanging around' on the same plane of consciousness as humans--instead of moving on to wherever they're supposed to go after life. We are shifters, people who had the ability to travel to the next spiritual plane. A place that I would rather have never known existed.

As I stood in the doorway, wondering what the heck Paul was doing at my house, I heard Andy call "Suze!" from the dining room. He was patient and funny about many things, but eating dinner? Not so much.

"Hi, Suze." Paul said, standing on the porch with his hands in his pockets, a smug smile playing on his lips.

"Hi." I answered. After a few seconds calmly waiting for him to explain himself I partially lost control, and blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just stopping by on my way home." Nice excuse if I didn't know he lived five miles from my house, in the opposite direction. "I was wondering if I could take you out to dinner tonight, you know, to talk some more." Did I forget to mention that I have to take shifting lessons from this creep? All for my beloved Jesse...FOCUS SUZE! Wacky guy asking you out to dinner!

"Umm... I'm kind of busy right now. I really don't think tonight's such a great--"

"Suze! It's time for dinner! You're late. Who's at the door?" Andy called from the dinning room, again.

"I'll be just a minute!" I called, hoping Paul would get the hint, and leave. Much to my dismay, he didn't leave, and adding to my disappointment, my mother came walking in from the dining room to see the person I was talking to.

"Who's at the door?" Mom asked as she walked in to the foyer. When she saw the visitor was someone I knew she didn't delay asking him in. "Oh, is this a friend of yours, Susie?" Not waiting for an answer she went on. "You should have invited him inside!" Turning to Paul, she continued. "Would you like to come inside and have dinner with us? It's taco night."

"You know, I'd love to, Mrs. Ackerman." Paul answered my mom. I heaved a sigh as I followed them into the dining room.

"Suze's brought a friend for dinner tonight, honey." My mother informed Andy as we entered the room. David, Brad, and Jake were already seated at the table, no doubt waiting impatiently for me to get to the table so they could begin to devouring their dinners.

"Oh, that's great. Always enough for another! Suze, you can grab another place setting for your friend." I cringed. Friend. Friend according to who?