Disclaimer : Once again, the great and wonderful Meg Cabot owns everything! Well, almost. The plot line is my friend and my idea and the characters of Anne, Adriaan, Alea and Denise are ours as well.
Okay, so I wasn't really gonna update this next chapter until tomorrow...but...since I got so many reviews...in so little time....I have decided that I am going to give you the next chapter now. :) Aren't I great!? Nah, I'm just kidding. Actually, I'm kind of behind....but that's okay...it's a good thing that I already have this chapter planned out right? Okay, here goes nothing....hope you like :) Thanks for the reviews you guys are SO awesome
David's POV : (before dinner)
Okay, so here was this perfect stranger and my dad and stepmom are inviting him into the house to stay? Something's not right. What's going on? I need to find out. I need to find out before dinner. I need to find out NOW.
I walked from my room to Susannah's....I mean....to this stranger's room....and raised my hand to knock on the door, but just as I did this, dad's voice announced dinner. Groaning heavily, I turned around and followed the stampede my brother's created, going down the stairs.
He walked down the stairs a little while after everyone else and was the last person to come down to dinner. My father began asking him about his room and how he liked it and what type of job he would like to get to help support himself. Then he mentioned his name. Jesse. That sounded strangely familiar, but I dismissed it and continued eating. Then he spoke. My heart did a backflip as I realized who it sounded like. It sounded like the ghost that had asked me to help Susannah at the mission that time. Hector de Silva? No, it couldn't be. Could it?
Jesse's POV :
The dinner was delicious. I cannot believe how good food tasted after being dead for over a century and a half. However, I could not seem to eat very much. It seemed that after just a few bites my stomach clenched with pain and I had to stop.
During the meal, I became increasingly nervous as David stared directly at me and my strange eating habits.
I tried to ignore it, but he never took his eyes away from mine all through dinner. Andy noticed the awkwardness growing around the table....especially between David and I.
While we were eating, I looked up at scarcely as I could. Each time I chanced a look around the table, I noticed one or another pair of eyes staring at me. I felt like such an idiota.
The dinner finally concluded and I was able to retreat to the quiet solitude of mi querida's room. As I got up I thanked Mr. Ackerman and commented on the excellent dinner he prepared.
"Thank you Jesse. That's extremely nice of you." He smiled. "Would you like to sit down and watch some t.v. with us?"
I didn't want to sound rude but as I barely knew what "tv" was, I didn't want to embarrass myself with nonsense I barely understood. "No thank you, Mr. Ackerman. It was a truly delicious meal and I thank you for your quite generous hospitality but I do wish to retire for the night. I am extremely tired."
He looked at me for a moment before finally seeming to agree with me. "Oh well... Good night. Remember, you must get up early enough tomorrow so that you can start work." He grinned.
I grinned and tilted my head to his family and himself, turned around, and wearily climbed the stairs to Susannah's room. I didn't hear footsteps behind me until I reached the top of the stairs.
"Hec...Hector?"
I turned around startled.
David noticed my expression and grinned. "I knew it was you!" He pumped his fists in the air. He seemed to remember something suddenly and gasped.
"What?" I asked, as he began backing away from me.
"I thought you were a....a...a...g..ghost..." His expression blanched and the color seemed to creep right from his skin. He slowly backed away from me, his apparent excitement now hidden behind his immenint fear.
I consoled him as best as I could. "Yes, I was a ghost, but everything has changed." I smiled. "I am no longer...d...dead..." I sighed. "I am alive."
His expression turned from fear to curiousity in a matter of minutes. "But...how...."
I interrupted his stumbling with words. "I do not know. All I know is that now I can look for my querida more than I could when I was....d...incapable of doing so." I sighed, I wasn't even dead anymore and I still couldn't bring myself to say the word.
He looked up at me confused, his voice barely a whisper. "How?"
I looked at the little boy sadly. Tears now appearing in his eyes, though you could tell he was desperately trying to hide them. I ruffled his hair slightly, which made him look up at me questioningly. "I do not know David, I do not know."
He walked back down the stairs, giving me one final look and I went into Susannah's....my....our...bedroom and sat, pondering in an eerie silence. I sat staring out at the ocean for quite some time, thinking about Susannah. I could not help it.
I thought of her so often that it frightened me, but I kenw that she is still out there, waiting for me. I watched the sun set and inwardly sighed. "Buenos noches querida, donde quiera que estes. Con tu adios te llevas mi corazon." (a/n : translation : "Goodnight sweetheart, wherever you are. With your farewell you take with you my heart.")
How do you like those apples and oranges :) I hope that you enjoyed that chapter and I am currently working on Chapter 19 for you guys! I hope that you liked this chapter and now that you've read it...you can review. By the way....speaking of reviewing :
meghan : Thanks, I'm glad you like this story. Yep, writer's block sucks! :)
SusannahDeSilva132 : I hope this is a quick enough update for you! :) And don't worry Susannah will find out that Jesse is alive soon! And believe me, you don't wanna miss that! :)
Allimba : Thanks!
SweetestReject : Yeah, I know....I liked the cryptic Dad ;)
To all of the other reviewers, you guys rock! I hope you keep reviewing and right now....REVIEW! :) Alright, gotta go edit chapter 19. See ya there. :)