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The next morning, when I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock at 8:30, Jesse was still asleep, so I wrote him a note and left it on his nightstand.
Jesse-
I have to get to my class. I imagine you have some major jet lag, so I didn't wake you up. But, do you want to do something fun tonight? A movie, maybe, or whatever?
Love,
Susannah
A few hours later, I was heading back to the apartment to see if Jesse had woken up, with a considerable amount of Chemistry work, when I literally bumped into an old, uh, friend of mine. True, we had come to an agreement that we would just be friends about 4 years ago, but he was still not exactly my favorite person because of what he tried to do to Jesse. He had tried to keep him from dying in the first place. So that he could have me all to himself. That's right. I ran smack into Paul Slater.
"Why, Suze! What a surprise!" he said, a little too happily. "So how've things been between you and the cowboy lately?" he asked with a grin.
"Just fine, Paul. We're engaged." That wiped the smile right off his face.
"What?"
"We. Are. Engaged. He asked me last month."
"But Suze. You can't be serious. You're still in college!"
"People who are in college have gotten married. Besides, we're waiting 'til after I graduate, and when Jesse finishes medical school."
"Suze, I can't believe you never told me! I thought we were better friends than that." He looked genuinely hurt. But I knew by now never to trust Paul Slater by what you see on the outside. Even if we WERE friends now. He had still tried to keep my boyfriend from meeting me, and had not completely forgiven him for that.
"Well, Paul, it really isn't up to you who I marry. Like it or not, I am tying the knot the love of my life after I get out of this joint." By "this joint" I of course meant college.
"Maybe, Suze. But I think you will change your mind after you see some of the tricks I've got up my sleeve." And with one last sly grin, he walked away. I began to get scared. Who knew what Paul was capable of?
When I finally reached the apartment, I found that Jesse was in the shower. I waited for him to get out, and then he helped me with my Chemistry for a while. Finally, I got sick of it, and said, "So what about that movie?"
Jesse smiled. "Why not? But only if we get to watch the Godfather."
"No way," I said, grinning. "How about Dirty Dancing?"
"You're kidding me, right?" I gave him a look that said, 'No, I am not kidding,' and he finally gave in with a sigh. "All right. But you owe me."
"I owe you…what?"
"THIS!" He pounced on me, and started tickling me. Then the phone rang.
I answered it, still breathing hard. "Hello?"
"Hello, Suze."
Paul. I had forgotten all about him.
"What do you want?"
"Suze, I know how much he abuses you. I mean, come on. You know you hate the guy."
"What are you talking about?"
"That cowboy. He takes advantage of you, doesn't he?"
"What are you talking about? Jesse wouldn't do that! Is this about our engagement?"
"Oh, yes, about that. Is it still on?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be on?"
"No reason." And he hung up.
Jesse asked me who it was. But I knew if I told him, he would find out where Paul lived, and beat him up.
"Oh, nobody."
"It was not nobody, Susannah. You looked scared when you were talking. Who was it? Tell me, Susannah." He got this sort of wild look in his eye, like he wanted to kill whoever it was that had made me so scared.
"It's nothing, Jesse."
"Susannah. Tell me, or I will find out on my own." I sighed. I didn't want to do it. But I told him. About everything. From bumping into Paul earlier that day, to the phone call that made no sense.
"…and then he asked me if my engagement with you was still on. And I asked him why it wouldn't be on, but he didn't tell me." Jesse was hanging on every word I said. He seemed to digest it all.
Then he said, "Don't worry, Susannah. Whatever Slater is up to…it will never ruin my relationship with you. I love you too much for that."
"I'm scared Jesse."
"It's okay, querida. I won't let him do anything to you, or say anything to intimidate you. If he does, I swear I will beat him to a bloody pulp." He put his arm around me.
"So what about that movie?"
