"Susannah!" he cried when he saw me; lying looking ever so irresistible on his dirty old Priests-wage carpet. He actually ran quiet fast for a sixty year old. He knelt down beside me and peered down worriedly.
"Oh Susannah. I'm so sorry. Whatever happened?" he asked in concern. I couldn't help feeling a rush of warmth towards the old guy. He really is very sweet when he puts his mind to it.
"I was just asking Susannah the same question" Jesse replied in an annoyed voice. I couldn't figure out why. Since when did Jesse care if Father Dominic started talking to me?
"Look. I was caught in the storm, so I went under this big tree to......."
"Susannah!" Father D cried in alarm. I almost twisted my neck to look at him. Which by the way hurt even more than my back. That fairy girl packed quiet a punch. I had a feeling it had been bleeding earlier. Hence the stitches. "You hid under a tree? In a storm?" I was getting worried that he was going to have a heart attack. I know it wasn't the smartest things I've done, but come on. It isn't worth dying over.
"Yes, under a tree. But that isn't the point." I began again. Not that he was listening of-course. The guy had gone completely non-liner. He was practically shaking me with the concerned hand he'd laid on my shoulders earlier. And Jesse was no better. He'd been sitting silently in the corner for most of our little discussion. But now he looked ready to explode as well.
"How could you be so stupid?" Father D spat in shock. He seemed incapable of excepting my over-powering need to save my new jean skirt. Not that it had actually helped or anything. I could feel the water that had obviously drenched through while I was unconscious.
"Look, I know I wasn't exactly thinking straight. I just wanted to get out of the hail ok?" but Father Dom didn't seem happy with that response. I don't even think he was listening to me. I exchanged a worried glance with Jesse who looked equally shocked by the level of his.....um worry? I don't know, but I could tell he was as freaked out as I was.
"Susannah....." he began again in his frustrated voice; but this time I cut him off.
"A ghost came up behind me and tried to kill me. That a good enough reason?" I asked acidly. I was happy to see neither of them looking smug anymore. Instead Jesse stood up and started pacing; muttering darkly and Father D just looked plain shocked. Not that it was much of a surprise. Ghosts always seemed to want to kill me for some strange reason. Must be my charm and subtle wit.
But a second later I wasn't thinking about any of that. I was too focused on Jesse, who instead of pacing; had dropped down beside me. Unfortunately instead of kissing me like I'd hoped; he grabbed my arms and shook me, looking way angrier than I'd ever seen him before. Well that wasn't strictly true. He had been this mad once. With a certain curly haired guy I really did not want to think about right now. I was too busy staring at Jesse anyway.
"Who?" he asked protectively. I felt my heart do a little flip-flop in my chest as he said it. But I couldn't tell him. I don't know what made me feel like that. I guess it was the look she gave me as she disappeared. She looked so lonely. And so sad. So instead I just shrugged off his hands and turned away.
"No-one" I replied to the wall. And at that moment that's what I really believed. That she was just another ghost that decided to take a whack at me. You would have thought by now I'd have learned my lesson. Man, was I wrong.