Chapter 12
A couple days later, I found myself sitting in Father Dominic's office. It felt weird being in there since, technically, I didn't go to the school anymore. But Father D had called the night before, asking me to come in to talk to him about something.
I had no idea what he wanted to talk to me about, because I didn't think that he'd heard about what happened with Paul. But it soon became clear to me that he had. Heard about Paul, I mean. That's because when I walked into Father D's office, Jesse was standing there next to the desk.
It's never a good sign when Jesse's in Father Dom's office. The last time he was there when I got called down, Jesse had told me that he didn't want to marry me anymore. I knew before I even sat down that I wasn't going to like what they were going to say. That's usually how it worked, anyway.
Father Dominic sighed wearily. "Susannah, Jesse has told me everything that has happened," he began.
"I figured as much," I said, glancing at Jesse questioningly. Jesse kept his expression blank as he looked back at me. I turned back to Father Dom. "And?"
"And I think, and Jesse has agreed with me on this, that perhaps it's time to take some legal action against the Agency." Father Dominic leaned forward. "From what I have heard, Susannah, these people have been doing a great deal of illegal testing for years. It's about time that someone should finally alert the authorities."
I blinked at him. Of all the things that I had thought Father D would say, that was definitely not one of them. "Well, that's great in theory, Father Dom, but who's going to believe any of it?"
"They will believe it," Jesse said, speaking up for the first time, "if someone shows them." He was looking directly at me as he said it.
Suddenly I realized what they were saying. "Oh, no, I'm not doing it." I stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over my chair. "I am not going to go and tell people about this. The minute I open my mouth, they'll send me off to the loony bin. I'm all for getting rid of the Agency for good, but I'm not going to tell people about. . . about being a mediator. Absolutely not."
"Susannah," Father Dominic said patiently, "I know that you don't feel comfortable with this, but it's the only way to go about it, at least legally, and besides: your family-"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know, I know. My family has a right to know. Look, Father D, it doesn't matter if they do or not, they're still not going to believe me, and they'll be carting me off quicker than you can say 'I see dead people.' No freaking way."
I heard Jesse sigh. I glanced at him. "Susannah," he said quietly, in that silky voice of his. "If you don't do this, the Agency will just continue as it has been, and how long do you think it will be before they decide to come after you again? Do you want to spend the rest of your life running from them?"
"No, I don't," I admitted. "But, look, Jesse, we both know what the Agency does to people who cross them. Look at Detective Arnold, or Derek." Or you, I added silently, though I didn't dare say it out loud. "I don't want to have to put myself, or my family, in danger for this."
Father Dominic looked at me thoughtfully. "But Susannah, don't you think that you will be putting yourself in danger even if you don't go to the authorities? Not to mention any other mediators they might be after," he added. "Think of all the people the Agency has hurt. Is it really worth it to not take the chance?"
I sat back down in the chair, considering what he'd said. I thought about Jesse, and I thought about Derek and Amelia, and Emily, and all the people who I hadn't even heard of who had probably gone through the some same stuff as I did with the Agency.
It took them over an hour, but Jesse and Father Dom finally talked me into it. I had no idea what I was going to say or do, but whatever it was, I had to do it.
I just wish that it wasn't that way.
***
That night I went my mom and Andy's room. I took a deep breath, trying to tell myself that everything would be okay, that it would probably go a lot better than I was expecting.
Yeah. Right.
When I knocked on the door, I heard my mom call, "Come in." I opened the door to find my mom sitting in bed, reading a magazine.
She smiled at me. "Hi, Suzie," she said. "What's up?"
I tried to smile back, but couldn't quite manage it. I took a few more deep breaths. Okay, I could do this, I kept telling myself. Like Father D said, it was high time that I finally tell my mom about the whole mediator business.
It didn't make it any easier, though.
"Suze?" my mom prompted, giving me a concerned look.
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you."
***
A/N: Well, it's about time, if you ask me. . . yeah. Anyway, you know the drill. Review!
A couple days later, I found myself sitting in Father Dominic's office. It felt weird being in there since, technically, I didn't go to the school anymore. But Father D had called the night before, asking me to come in to talk to him about something.
I had no idea what he wanted to talk to me about, because I didn't think that he'd heard about what happened with Paul. But it soon became clear to me that he had. Heard about Paul, I mean. That's because when I walked into Father D's office, Jesse was standing there next to the desk.
It's never a good sign when Jesse's in Father Dom's office. The last time he was there when I got called down, Jesse had told me that he didn't want to marry me anymore. I knew before I even sat down that I wasn't going to like what they were going to say. That's usually how it worked, anyway.
Father Dominic sighed wearily. "Susannah, Jesse has told me everything that has happened," he began.
"I figured as much," I said, glancing at Jesse questioningly. Jesse kept his expression blank as he looked back at me. I turned back to Father Dom. "And?"
"And I think, and Jesse has agreed with me on this, that perhaps it's time to take some legal action against the Agency." Father Dominic leaned forward. "From what I have heard, Susannah, these people have been doing a great deal of illegal testing for years. It's about time that someone should finally alert the authorities."
I blinked at him. Of all the things that I had thought Father D would say, that was definitely not one of them. "Well, that's great in theory, Father Dom, but who's going to believe any of it?"
"They will believe it," Jesse said, speaking up for the first time, "if someone shows them." He was looking directly at me as he said it.
Suddenly I realized what they were saying. "Oh, no, I'm not doing it." I stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over my chair. "I am not going to go and tell people about this. The minute I open my mouth, they'll send me off to the loony bin. I'm all for getting rid of the Agency for good, but I'm not going to tell people about. . . about being a mediator. Absolutely not."
"Susannah," Father Dominic said patiently, "I know that you don't feel comfortable with this, but it's the only way to go about it, at least legally, and besides: your family-"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know, I know. My family has a right to know. Look, Father D, it doesn't matter if they do or not, they're still not going to believe me, and they'll be carting me off quicker than you can say 'I see dead people.' No freaking way."
I heard Jesse sigh. I glanced at him. "Susannah," he said quietly, in that silky voice of his. "If you don't do this, the Agency will just continue as it has been, and how long do you think it will be before they decide to come after you again? Do you want to spend the rest of your life running from them?"
"No, I don't," I admitted. "But, look, Jesse, we both know what the Agency does to people who cross them. Look at Detective Arnold, or Derek." Or you, I added silently, though I didn't dare say it out loud. "I don't want to have to put myself, or my family, in danger for this."
Father Dominic looked at me thoughtfully. "But Susannah, don't you think that you will be putting yourself in danger even if you don't go to the authorities? Not to mention any other mediators they might be after," he added. "Think of all the people the Agency has hurt. Is it really worth it to not take the chance?"
I sat back down in the chair, considering what he'd said. I thought about Jesse, and I thought about Derek and Amelia, and Emily, and all the people who I hadn't even heard of who had probably gone through the some same stuff as I did with the Agency.
It took them over an hour, but Jesse and Father Dom finally talked me into it. I had no idea what I was going to say or do, but whatever it was, I had to do it.
I just wish that it wasn't that way.
***
That night I went my mom and Andy's room. I took a deep breath, trying to tell myself that everything would be okay, that it would probably go a lot better than I was expecting.
Yeah. Right.
When I knocked on the door, I heard my mom call, "Come in." I opened the door to find my mom sitting in bed, reading a magazine.
She smiled at me. "Hi, Suzie," she said. "What's up?"
I tried to smile back, but couldn't quite manage it. I took a few more deep breaths. Okay, I could do this, I kept telling myself. Like Father D said, it was high time that I finally tell my mom about the whole mediator business.
It didn't make it any easier, though.
"Suze?" my mom prompted, giving me a concerned look.
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you."
***
A/N: Well, it's about time, if you ask me. . . yeah. Anyway, you know the drill. Review!