Disclaimer: (Is that the word? I can't remember. Oh, well) I do not own the mediator series, Meg Cabot (or Jenny Carroll) does. I do however own Josie Garinger. So there! (Sticks tongue out) Actually Josie is based on a song by The Harlots. The song is called "Josie". And Garinger is the last name of the singer, the guitarist, and the bassist of the band. So they get credit also. (any Harlots/Ballroom Zombie fans out there!?)

Summary: Set right after Haunted. Suze admits to Paul that she does like him but refuses to play tonsil hockey because she also loves Jesse. What's a girl to do??? Help the new ghost, Josie, of course!

A/N: WOOHOO! I GOT THREE WHOLE REVIEWS!! (Never mind that one of them was me) (Terrors starts to dance to MC Hammer's 'Can't touch this') nananananananana CAN'T TOUCH THIS!!! nananananana

Chapter 2: Josie

Surprisingly, no one was home when I got there. Well, the dog and Spike were there, but they don't count, do they? The house was clean so I'm guessing Dopey had a busy night. I grabbed a Dr. Pepper from the fridge and headed up to my room; glad for once that I wouldn't be disturbed.

Jesse wasn't there and I was fine with that, I needed to do some serious thinking. I sat on my window seat, ignoring the hissing spike, and took a swing of my beverage. "What am I going to do?" I asked spike. He just looked at me like I was crazy. I guess I was. I had a hot latino ghost willing to do whatever I wanted and I was thinking of the guy who forces himself on me. In normal circumstances, Jesse is the ideal choice for a boyfriend, but this is not normal circumstances. Jesse is dead, he died way before I was born. Only a three people that I knew of could see him. Me (who wants to kiss him till he explodes), Father Dom (who neither wishes that I kiss him, or that he explodes) and Paul (whom I'm guess would love to see Jesse explode. But wouldn't be too excited to see me kissing Jesse).

Paul, on the other hand, can be seen be many people. But he is evil. He tried to kill me (no matter how many times he denies this, it's true). He helped Maria to get Jesse exorcised and he forced himself onto me. So what if I liked it, he should respect the fact that I'm dedicated to Jesse. He also totally trashed my house, getting me grounded.

Tough decision, huh?

If only Jesse were alive. Wait, no, then he would be 170 year old man. Ew.

When I thought this I started to cry, I don't know why, but I did. I guess it's because I know it will never work out between Jesse and me. Never. I saw a twinkle of lights, then a glowing form. Oh, god. Just what I need. Jesse's gonna ask me what's wrong then I'll have to lie to him again. "Jesse, I can't talk to you now..." I said without looking at him.

"Jesse?" said an undeniably female voice, "No, no, hunny bunny, I'm Josie, not Jesse. But if you want me to leave..."

I looked up and saw a girl maybe a year or two older then me. Her black hair was in dreads that shot up straight from her head. And her gray eyes(which were surrounded by heavy black eyeliner) looked kinda sad though she had a smile on her face. She also had the glow, signaling her ghostliness. She looked kind of familiar but she definitely didn't come from Carmel. Girls here don't wear combat boots, baggy black pants or corsets, all of which she was wearing. And people here definitely don't wear dog collars. I must have seen her in New York.

Though she implied that she would leave she didn't. So I invited her to sit besides me. "So, I'm assuming you came here looking for the mediator. Well, that's me. So let's get down to business, shall we? Now, Josie, care to tell me how you died?" Even though I didn't feel like mediating right now, I had to. It was my job (even though there's no pay). She could obviously tell that there was something wrong with me (could it be the tears streaming down my face?) because she was looking at me like I was crazy (doesn't everyone?)

"Listen, you obviously need a shoulder to cry on. I, on the other hand, don't. I'm perfectly fine being dead. It's really quite fun. Now umm, sorry what's your name?" Nuh uh this isn't how it works, I'm supposed to be helping her not the other way around.

"Suze Simon. And really, I'm fine. I'm a mediator, I help ghost go wherever they're supposed to go. Now tell me, how can I help you?" She rolled her eyes at me in a "fine whatever" way and flopped down on my bed. She looked around and noticed my CDs (which scattered across the floor, thanks to Jesse), and made a disgusted face. She clearly was not going to say anything. "Why did you come here if don't want help huh Josie? I've got some stuff I need to figure out and-"

"I came here because I wanted to be with someone who could see me." She said that like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "and just because you're a mediator, whatever that is, it doesn't mean that you have to forget about all your problems for someone who's dead. Just because people think I'm someone who'll kick your ass if you don't worship the ground I walk on doesn't mean that I will. God! Whenever people see me they're like 'Oh, look there's Josie Garinger, better be careful or she'll throw her sixty thousand dollar guitar at you'. I am so not like that! This isn't even how I like to dress! This top is a pain and I hate putting on so much make up! I mean who does that..." Whoa, spaz alert. Maybe, if I walk away slowly she won't notice...

Hold the phone! Who did she say she was?

"Y-you're Josie Garinger!?" To say she looked surprised is an understatement. Like how could I not have recognized her? She nodded her head, giving me another 'Suze Simon is crazy' looks. Like I don't get those enough. "Wait, I didn't know that you died?"

Yet again, I receive the crazy look. "Where have you been, Simon? It's all over the news! They're saying I'm new-" She didn't have time to finish before I rush out of my room, and ran to the kitchen, where the morning paper was. I lunged at it. And there was Josie's face staring up at me from the front page.

Josie Garinger: 21st Century Kurt Cobain?

Josie Garinger, lead singer of popular rock band 'Blatant Attraction", was found dead early yesterday morning by band members. Autopsies (a/n is that the word where people exam dead bodies to find out how they die?) show that Josie had taken a few too many painkillers. Her agent says, "She broke her arm and was only trying to relieve the pain. Silly girl didn't realize how many she took." But according to her online diary she was miserable and wanted to end it all. "My agent is always telling me who I am. How the hell is he supposed to know that? He's always telling me what to wear and what to say. He won't let me be myself." Is what she says of her agent.

According to rumors Jason Philip, her agent, has been trying to delete that entry but that "silly girl", as he put it, changed all the passwords to her online Journal, making it impossible for him to do anything............

Josie had entered the kitchen and was looking through the fridge, for reasons unknown to me (the girl can't eat, she's dead). "You killed yourself?" I asked, shocked. But she appeared not to have heard me and without turning around said in a thoughtful voice, "Maybe you can help me Suze. They're comparing me to Kurt Cobain, which I admit is flattering but it made me realize something. Suze, you know what happened when Kurt shot himself?" She turned around and I shook my head. Her sad eyes even sadder now, and her smile gone completely. "His fans, Suze, when he k-killed himself, his fans did the same. Not all of them, but enough of them. What happens if mine do the same? Monkey see, Monkey do, ya know?"

"Do you think you're fans would really do that?" Okay, I'm freaked out. I'm imagining a bunch of teenaged girls all stabbing themselves to Blatant Attraction's first single 'Barren Soul' (sample lyrics: Can't sleep with demons in my dreams/can't fly when the air keeps me down/cuz my soul is empty/you made me a barren soul)(a/n I never said I was a good song writer). It was freaking me out. Who would do that?

"Yeah. They was always following me and giving me gifts and saying 'you're the only thing that keeps me alive.'" She thought for a moment. "I know! You just go to my online journal and pretend that you're me and say that I don't want any of them killing themselves because of me and just mark it to an hour before I died!" I said ok, got the password for her online Journal and did what she said. It can't stop those who are already in ghost form but Josie seemed happy. "So, Suzie," she sang happily, "tell me, why were you crying before?"

I don't know what's wrong with me today but it seems that I'm trusting people with my secrets. Yup, that right I told her about the Jesse/Paul problem, though she didn't think it was, a Problem I mean. She shook her head at me with the 'Suze equals crazy' look, yet again, and said, "Suze, really, if you don't know the answer already then I don't know what to say." And with that she disappeared. A second later the phone rang and of course I answered it because it's what you do when phones ring, ya know? But I probably wouldn't have if I knew who it was.

"Suze," said Paul Slater's too familiar voice. "I'm picking you up at 1:00 tomorrow. We have shifting lessons" And he hung up. I guess he thought I would try to get out of it. But I wouldn't, I have Jesse to think of.

(A/N And there you have chapter two! It's getting better, right? 'Yup, uhhuh Miss Terrors, Lots better!!!' Said the little leprechaun in the blue dress. 'Hey little Leprechaun! Don't steal my pepsi! Noooooooo!!! My Pepsi!!!!' leprechaun takes sip and spits it out 'yuch, it's diet!' leprechaun runs away Review if you know whats good for you!!!! deadly-terrors Haunting your dreams )