I thank all of you who reviewed. You support is great and inspiring! I slap my wrists for not making the last chapter longer – but I had to get it updated – so I'll make this one longer – promise…..

CHAPTER 7

I smiled as I recognized the tall dark and handsome teenager that exited from the principal's office. Paul Slater smiled back and spoke as he walked my way. "Looks like we found each other sooner than I thought we would." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, than turned to my mother. "Mrs. Ackerman, it's nice to see you again"

"Well, Mr. Slater, it seems that you're not going to have much trouble finding friends here." I looked around Paul to see a tall man that had to in his sixty's. He was tall with supper white hair, and by the look on the secretary lady's face to the left of him, he was quite a stud for his age. "You must be Susannah Simon. I'm Father Dominic, the principal of the Mission Academy." He said to me as he shook my hand. He had a firm grip and a big smile that sent out a comforting sensitivity about him "Mrs. Ackerman, how are you today?"

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you. I filled out all the paper work so Susannah should be ready to go. I'm afraid I'm running late for work, or else I would stay longer." I resisted the urge to role my eyes, since I had just, a few moments before, been trying to get my mom to go to work. I was just happy that she kept her mouth shut about the kiss. I know that she would be saying something about it when I got home tonight. She would definitely not let something like this pass.

"Susie," my mom said as she turned to give me a hug, "I'll see you latter tonight for dinner" I returned her hug and said goodbye to her.

What? She may be my mother, but that doesn't eliminate me from showing public affection towards her. I mean, how cruel would that be. This is, after all, the women who went through 12 hours of labor to deliver poor little old me. Okay, starting to get a little too dramatic for my self even.

"Paul, wait right here a minuet while I talk to Susannah in my office." He turned, motioning for me to fallow, and just then noticed the boy who mentioned the Virgin Mary statue earlier. "Mr. McTavish, don't tell me you got in trouble all ready, it's the first day of the new semester." (A/n – I don't have any of the mediator books with me – so I don't know if that is Adam's last name or not – I'm doing that from memory – so bare with me)

"What can I say? Sister Ernestine hates me." He pointed over to the secretary, who, judging from the scowl on her face was Sister Ernestine, and added in a low whisper so only father Dominic and I could here it, "personally I think she just needs a man in her life."

"I'll be having a talk with you after I get these students squared away" we went the rest of the way into his office where Father Dominic offered me a seat in front of his desk, and he took the one on the other side of it. "well, Susannah, I have here you schedule and your locker number. I think you'll be pleased to know that you have a couple classes with your… umm… friend out there." I couldn't help but get a small smile on my face. It was obvious that Father Dominic wasn't all too comfortable with the whole boyfriend/girlfriend scenario – if I could even call Paul my boyfriend – maybe poor old father Dom here has been a priest for too long? or maybe he just needs a girlfriend for himself?

"I'll show you your classes and the campus in a few minutes." Father Dominic continued, "but first I wanted to let you know that at any time when you feel like you need to talk to any one, you are welcome to come up here and talk to one of the staff- although I don't recommend sister Ernestine. She can get a little…spiteful sometimes."

"So Mr. McTavish (a/n-once again, sorry if I'm wrong) out there wasn't kidding when he said she hated him?" I asked, getting a little bit more comfortable in my surroundings, but not by much. Hey, I was in a principal's office – you get comfortable in one of those.

"well, sort of," Father Dominic answered, "but that's off subject. Now – we have your basic school rules, and dress code policy. As long as you dress modestly and you don't where jeans, you should be fine." I was already aware of the no jean rule. So I had worn beige Capri pants and a black blouse, and as for the dress modestly thing, how else would I dress? It's not like I would where a bikini to school or anything.

"I know your not part of any religion, but you are still welcome to come to the masses that our held in the chapel. Umm, do you have any questions that you would like to ask before I take you to your class?" I thought about asking him how many priests it took to screw in a light bulb, but I had the feeling he wouldn't take that on the same way that Gina did when I told her that joke so I just shook my head and said no.

We walked back out of the office to see Paul reading a novel and Mr. McTavish (A/n – someone has to tell me Adam's last name) making faces at Sister Ernestine while she wasn't looking. "Mr. Slater, Miss. Simmon, if you two will fallow me, I will show you where your homeroom is."

The three of us walked out of the office and into the school's breezeway. If you looked at it as a mission, and not as a school, it was actually kind of beautiful. It had a peaceful feel to it that only hundreds of years could add to a building, as long as there were no ghosts. Which also made me wonder, where are all the ghosts? I mean, surely some Indians had to have died here, and would want to stay after there death for some weird reason.

I was so in thought about the no-ghost setting that I hadn't realized that Paul had slipped his hand into mine, and that Father Dominic was a few feet in front of us, going on about the history of the place. When I did notice these things, I had a sudden impression that we were on some private tour around the church, but the sensation was gone as soon as it came since Father Dominic stopped suddenly, and opened one of the doors leading into a classroom.

"Mrs. Williams, we have a new student…" glancing inside I noticed a plumb middle-age women with short dark brown hair telling off a student in the front row. She reminded me of the obsessive murderer lady in the Steven King movie, Misery. She stopped immediately on hearing Father Dom's voice and turned to him. That was when I got a glance at the student she had been yelling at. Instantaneously, I started praying that I wouldn't get this class, because even if it was just 20 minuets of home room. It would be twenty minuets to much to spend with Dopey. I knew that Brad was a sophomore, same class as me, so I knew I had a good chance of having some classes with him. But still, I would rather eat a nun's tookus through a convent gate than share a class with that f…"

"Paul Slater has just moved here from Seattle and has you as your homeroom teacher. So I trust you can take it from here." THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! – Immature, I know, but hey. I don't want to have to deal with that moron. It's hard enough spending dinner with him.

"I'll see you later Suze." Paul said, giving my hand a quick squeeze, and then heading into his homeroom. I never would have guessed that the next time I would see Paul, I would have made discoveries that would change my life forever, and I would take actions that would make me the most popular girl in the sophomore class, but hey, only four more periods untill i would finally realize that my life here in california was going to be a life that i had never imagined for the me, Susannah Simon, the mediator freak.

That was still short – but it was longer than the previous chapter. Ok I need to ask a favor – I need Adam's last name – that is driving me crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I refuse to update till I get it – so someone tell me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

o - and in my opinion - this is a little slow right now - me bored just writing it - so i'm going to try to get more action in it next chap- just answer the adam thing, and we'll know if theres action or not... yeah byebye

sky