A/N: As if switching every chapter wasn't confusing enough, I'm switching
near the beginning of this chapter! Bwahaha, evil me. ^_^
Thanks to my reviewers first:
Latinagal and Lizzie9. All will, sort of, be revealed.well, eventually. ^_^
Susannah acted even more high-strung the next morning. I just didn't get it. Not that I'd ever been to a high school, but I hadn't seen her so stressed out about something as simple as school before. Well, not after she'd told me that Paul had transferred. Even after that she still seemed nervous about something. That was one of the most, and only, irritating things about Susannah; she was very choosy about what she would and wouldn't tell you.
"Good morning." I said casually, reading another one of the many volumes I'd found in her brother David's room. For a thirteen-year-old, he sure had quite a few interesting books.
"Yeah, same." She responded, distractedly as she finished brushing her teeth in the bathroom. As she came out and grabbed her bag from the desk near her bed, she looked at me for a minute. I met her gaze curiously. She looked like there was something she wanted to say. If that was it, I knew how she was feeling, and maybe it was just me, but I thought I saw something there. Not that I knew what could be showing in her eyes, of course. She, even when she talked sometimes, never really explained everything.
"Well, uh, have a good day. You're not moving out this afternoon, are you?" She asked. I blinked for a second. Those were two odd sentences to be putting together.
"You too, Susannah. And no, I plan on leaving tomorrow night." After I finished I noticed that she looked relieved and I couldn't help but grin a little. She smiled back a bit, although it seemed kind of forced and she left me to puzzle things out myself.
As I was sitting there thinking, book forgotten, although it still lay sprawled in my lap, a breeze floated in through the window. There was just something a little--different about this breeze. I could've sworn I heard a voice in it.
'Jesse, escuche mí, listen to me. I know a great deal about you, fantasma, and now its finally time for you to help me.' It seemed to whisper in a celestial voice, like honey to the ear, although it had no obvious tones of gender to it, and I found, much to my surprise, I couldn't do anything but listen to it.
__
You'd think that I'd have learned right now to always trust my first instinct. I mean, being a mediator and all, this kind of thing comes up. Err, well, at least I suppose it must for who ever else has the ability. That's, like, what, one out of every billion or so people? Even so, even a regular girl should've had more common sense then I did.
Although, luckily, I did one thing right that day. I went to Father Dom during lunch. Yeah sure, it was a little odd of me to go visiting the principal of my school as often as I did. But seeing as he'd sort of become my 'mediator mentor' I'd sort of gotten into this habit of popping up every so often. Anyway, I was starting to think Jesse might be catching on to my little, uh, fibs. It was for his own good, of course, but I wasn't sure he'd see it that way. I figured it might be good to let Father D. in on it.
So there I was, sitting in front of a sixty-something, kind-of attractive for his age, man and fiddling with the strap on my backpack.
Alright, so maybe I didn't know exactly what I was going to tell him once I'd gotten there. I mean, it's not like I was going to waltz up, all smiles, and say,
'Hi Father D, I have to meet the spawn of Satan after school to keep Jesse- you remember him, that guy who lives in my bedroom who you seem to think I'm having a steamy affair with-from being exorcised again. Oh, and did I mention that my very life could be in danger? So if you don't mind, would you call someone if I don't show up at school on Monday?' That would just go over so well with him. I'd already driven him to start smoking again, if I said something like that I think I might just make him an alcoholic too.
"Good afternoon, Susannah. What brings you to my office today?" He asked with the same calm voice he always uses around me when it seems like maybe, for once, that I might not be in trouble.
"Uh, not much Father D." I answered with a shrug. Oh yeah, I was the queen of repose. Or at least that's what I hoped I looked like, "Just coming by to see if we have any troubles in the spirit world." As if. The last thing I needed right now was a pissy spirit after my blood.
"Actually, now that you mention it, Susannah, there is something I was meaning to talk to you about."
I groaned. I had a very good idea of what it was he wanted to talk about. Jesse. God, just because a guy lives in my room automatically means I'm up to something. Unfair, it's just unfair, even if I wished that we were.
"If it's about Jesse, Father D, there really isn't-"
Father Dominic raised a white eyebrow, "Susannah, it isn't about Jesse. But is there something I should know about?" Oh geeze, of course the first time it isn't about Jesse I have to go and bring him up anyway. I shook my head, making sure the gestures were very obvious.
"Well, then, I'll continue with what I was saying." He paused and looked thoughtful, "I've heard rumors about a spirit roaming Carmel. An old spirit too, possibly even older than Jesse."
"Rumors? Where did you hear rumors about a spirit? I mean, it's not like that many people can see them unless," I will admit, my mouth dropped open here, "You can't be talking about Paul!" Just his name right now sent a shiver up my spine and made me want to kick something at the same time.
Father Dominic sighed. I couldn't blame him, either, I can't say I'm the most friendly person in the world when I'm ticked, "No, Susannah, it wasn't Mr. Slater. I made contact with one of the few spirits much like Jesse. The ones that don't wish to cause trouble, but haven't quite moved on yet. They told me they'd been hearing things from others like them in different areas of the state."
"You mean dead people?"
He dropped his voice low, ignoring me and leaned foreword over his desk a little, as if afraid of anyone hearing, "He's after mediators, Susannah."
I must have gaped again or something because Father Dominic immediately straightened, "Not that I'd worry too much about it, I haven't heard much about him being around this area. Just be on your guard and don't you dare do anything rash without telling me, if you happen to find out more."
Gee, thanks Father D. It's not like I had enough to worry about already without some psychotic ghost running around who, surprise, surprise, was after me. Or, I guess, everyone like me.
Father D. really, really needed to work on his people skills.
A/N: I hoped you liked it. :P Still haven't really jumped into the plot yet, but it will be soon, like next chapterish, I swear! Hope you guys like. Mwahaha, suspense!
Susannah acted even more high-strung the next morning. I just didn't get it. Not that I'd ever been to a high school, but I hadn't seen her so stressed out about something as simple as school before. Well, not after she'd told me that Paul had transferred. Even after that she still seemed nervous about something. That was one of the most, and only, irritating things about Susannah; she was very choosy about what she would and wouldn't tell you.
"Good morning." I said casually, reading another one of the many volumes I'd found in her brother David's room. For a thirteen-year-old, he sure had quite a few interesting books.
"Yeah, same." She responded, distractedly as she finished brushing her teeth in the bathroom. As she came out and grabbed her bag from the desk near her bed, she looked at me for a minute. I met her gaze curiously. She looked like there was something she wanted to say. If that was it, I knew how she was feeling, and maybe it was just me, but I thought I saw something there. Not that I knew what could be showing in her eyes, of course. She, even when she talked sometimes, never really explained everything.
"Well, uh, have a good day. You're not moving out this afternoon, are you?" She asked. I blinked for a second. Those were two odd sentences to be putting together.
"You too, Susannah. And no, I plan on leaving tomorrow night." After I finished I noticed that she looked relieved and I couldn't help but grin a little. She smiled back a bit, although it seemed kind of forced and she left me to puzzle things out myself.
As I was sitting there thinking, book forgotten, although it still lay sprawled in my lap, a breeze floated in through the window. There was just something a little--different about this breeze. I could've sworn I heard a voice in it.
'Jesse, escuche mí, listen to me. I know a great deal about you, fantasma, and now its finally time for you to help me.' It seemed to whisper in a celestial voice, like honey to the ear, although it had no obvious tones of gender to it, and I found, much to my surprise, I couldn't do anything but listen to it.
__
You'd think that I'd have learned right now to always trust my first instinct. I mean, being a mediator and all, this kind of thing comes up. Err, well, at least I suppose it must for who ever else has the ability. That's, like, what, one out of every billion or so people? Even so, even a regular girl should've had more common sense then I did.
Although, luckily, I did one thing right that day. I went to Father Dom during lunch. Yeah sure, it was a little odd of me to go visiting the principal of my school as often as I did. But seeing as he'd sort of become my 'mediator mentor' I'd sort of gotten into this habit of popping up every so often. Anyway, I was starting to think Jesse might be catching on to my little, uh, fibs. It was for his own good, of course, but I wasn't sure he'd see it that way. I figured it might be good to let Father D. in on it.
So there I was, sitting in front of a sixty-something, kind-of attractive for his age, man and fiddling with the strap on my backpack.
Alright, so maybe I didn't know exactly what I was going to tell him once I'd gotten there. I mean, it's not like I was going to waltz up, all smiles, and say,
'Hi Father D, I have to meet the spawn of Satan after school to keep Jesse- you remember him, that guy who lives in my bedroom who you seem to think I'm having a steamy affair with-from being exorcised again. Oh, and did I mention that my very life could be in danger? So if you don't mind, would you call someone if I don't show up at school on Monday?' That would just go over so well with him. I'd already driven him to start smoking again, if I said something like that I think I might just make him an alcoholic too.
"Good afternoon, Susannah. What brings you to my office today?" He asked with the same calm voice he always uses around me when it seems like maybe, for once, that I might not be in trouble.
"Uh, not much Father D." I answered with a shrug. Oh yeah, I was the queen of repose. Or at least that's what I hoped I looked like, "Just coming by to see if we have any troubles in the spirit world." As if. The last thing I needed right now was a pissy spirit after my blood.
"Actually, now that you mention it, Susannah, there is something I was meaning to talk to you about."
I groaned. I had a very good idea of what it was he wanted to talk about. Jesse. God, just because a guy lives in my room automatically means I'm up to something. Unfair, it's just unfair, even if I wished that we were.
"If it's about Jesse, Father D, there really isn't-"
Father Dominic raised a white eyebrow, "Susannah, it isn't about Jesse. But is there something I should know about?" Oh geeze, of course the first time it isn't about Jesse I have to go and bring him up anyway. I shook my head, making sure the gestures were very obvious.
"Well, then, I'll continue with what I was saying." He paused and looked thoughtful, "I've heard rumors about a spirit roaming Carmel. An old spirit too, possibly even older than Jesse."
"Rumors? Where did you hear rumors about a spirit? I mean, it's not like that many people can see them unless," I will admit, my mouth dropped open here, "You can't be talking about Paul!" Just his name right now sent a shiver up my spine and made me want to kick something at the same time.
Father Dominic sighed. I couldn't blame him, either, I can't say I'm the most friendly person in the world when I'm ticked, "No, Susannah, it wasn't Mr. Slater. I made contact with one of the few spirits much like Jesse. The ones that don't wish to cause trouble, but haven't quite moved on yet. They told me they'd been hearing things from others like them in different areas of the state."
"You mean dead people?"
He dropped his voice low, ignoring me and leaned foreword over his desk a little, as if afraid of anyone hearing, "He's after mediators, Susannah."
I must have gaped again or something because Father Dominic immediately straightened, "Not that I'd worry too much about it, I haven't heard much about him being around this area. Just be on your guard and don't you dare do anything rash without telling me, if you happen to find out more."
Gee, thanks Father D. It's not like I had enough to worry about already without some psychotic ghost running around who, surprise, surprise, was after me. Or, I guess, everyone like me.
Father D. really, really needed to work on his people skills.
A/N: I hoped you liked it. :P Still haven't really jumped into the plot yet, but it will be soon, like next chapterish, I swear! Hope you guys like. Mwahaha, suspense!