Ooh ok darlings it's review time s.v.p.! Review if you want to find out more but you probably will anyway! This is co-authored and we both just want to say thanks for reading! Anywho, we hope you guys like it… you'll just have to see what ship is going to sail here…
Much love, Lyanne and Julietta123
Disclaimer: I don't own anything within the following. All character's, settings and story lines belong to Meg Cabot.
Chapter 1
My life is over. I mean totally, undeniably over. I use to think the Father Junipero Sierra high was ok, you know, besides the fact that it once housed a homicidal – and previously suicidal – ghost and all. But no. All coolness I had once deemed it worthy of seemed to dematerialize (much like a certain hot Latino living at the school Rectory) when Father Dominic announced that we would be going on a school expedition. I couldn't believe it. A freakin' expedition… in the woods… where there are spiders and no showers… how will I survive?! I daresay I will have to put my hair up while we're out there and when I complained to Father Dom about this, he merely smirked and said,
"This will be good for you, Susannah. A nice quiet time without-," he paused and looked behind him to make sure no one was listening, "-without any paranormal activity, if you catch my drift."
Ok, no. If he thought he was being all cool by sounding like the guy from Ghostbusters, he had another think coming. As much as I admire Father Dom, he still needs to get with the times, but he was not alone there. Just thinking about leaving my one true love was harder than getting over the fact that there would be no plumbing out in the woods. Jesse's handsomely tanned face floated into my mind as I played absent-mindedly with a strand of my hair and tuned out. I could tell Father D. was giving me some sort of lecture but when I heard Jesse's name mentioned, I was all ears.
"-and when you get back you'll be able to spend just as much time with him as before. I think the two of you need a break before it gets too serious."
Oh if only he knew just how serious I wanted it to be. I am happy to say that I think of things between Jesse and me a little two much, even about things that the good Father would seriously disapprove of. Things that even Jesse would never do… being a gentleman and all. Nevertheless, I wasn't going on this stupid thing without a fight.
"But why do I, personally, have to go! I don't need extra credit and I wasn't one of the kids 'specially selected'!" I whined unattractively. I didn't care if I sounded like a baby; I was going to act like one as long as I got what I wanted. Father Dom, however, would have nothing of it.
"Susannah," he said, frowning, "it is your duty as Vice President of the Junior class to uphold your position by seeing that this field trip goes along smoothly. I must warn you that Paul Slater will be attending as well. You know, this would be a great chance for you two to put aside your issues and make peace… perhaps even friends?"
Oh he'll make piece with me alright. Friends my butt. If Paul Slater wanted to be 'just friends,' he wouldn't have tried to kill me, or exorcise my boyfriend for that matter. I also don't have friends who try to jump my bones, either.
"I could never be Paul's friend, Father Dom, and one day you'll finally believe me that he is an evil man who does bad things… basically Paul is a screw-up." The priest's frowned increased as he stared down at me, his weary blue eyes piercing into mine.
"Must you be so cynical? You are going on this trip and that is final," with that he walked out of the school breezeway and went towards his office.
Well, that's it for me. There's no way out of this now that he's had his 'final word'. I respected him and now that I'd made him mad, I should probably make a valiant attempt to make amends. I could hear an only-too familiar voice behind me, chilling the blood in my veins. My hair, as per usual, so kindly flew into my lip gloss and I tugged at the strands as I walked briskly out of Paul's view. I was so not excited that he was coming along. I was actually a little afraid. Especially now since I have to make an effort with what I wear. Ixnay on the up-dos during the trip. Maybe Paul will come down with some horrible virus and won't be able to make it! Wishful thinking? What else is new?
I walked to my locker and quickly shoved my books into my bag, hauling it over my shoulder and making a mental note as to what to say to Jesse when I told him the wonderful news.
Back home at 99 Pine Crest Drive, I threw all my clothes angrily onto my bed. Andy and the boys were all out, thank God, but knowing my mom, she would be persistent upon my going on this dreadful excursion. I could so hear her now, "Oh Susie! You've never been camping before! What a good experience! You have to go." Great. I bet Dopey has to come, too, considering he's practically failing everything. You know my life just keeps getting better and better.
I walked into my bathroom and checked my appearance. Having seen the beautiful amount of $30.00 Stila lip-gloss in my hair, I gave it a brush and reapplied it to my lips. My Betsey Johnson skirt looked good against my pale skin and I felt confident enough to tell Jesse everything.
I went downstairs to the back porch and stared out at the darkening sky, thinking about how glad I really was that I had Jesse in my life. I had totally been overreacting… Jesse can just materialize wherever he wants, who's to say he won't come to see me?
Just then, I caught a shimmer out of the corner of my eye.
"Hey stranger," I said, walking over to the now solid hottie at the back door, "I was just coming to visit you."
Jesse looked at me coolly with his gorgeous dark eyes. I wanted desperately to run my hands through his crisp hair, curling perfectly at the nape of his neck… but I restrained myself. Did I mention Jesse has the most insane set of abs? You can fully see it threw the opening of his shirt, where I found my mind wondering into. I then caught Jesse's gaze, probably noticing how I was checking him out.
"I heard about this trip, Susannah," he said in his perfectly masculine voice, which could always fire up the desire I held for him. You know how hard it is when you want to kiss someone who probably doesn't want to kiss you back? Yah, so maybe we have kissed a few times before and although they meant the world to me and I think we are officially an item, Jesse was totally making me feel as though nothing like that ever happened.
"Right, about that… I have to go. It's part of being a Vice President, even though this means nothing because all Kelly let's me do is handle the petty cash," I was rambling but I didn't care. I had to soften the blow of the Paul factor. Jesse was looking at me blankly, probably not understanding a word I was saying. "Anywho, Paul's coming as well," I gushed, "I-don't-know-why-but-don't-worry-he-wouldn't-try-anything-with-all-those-people-around…" I held my breath. I was hoping that this statement would make him jealous by referring to Paul's obvious attraction to me, but it was all for naught.
"He tried to kill you, Susannah. Somehow I highly doubt that it wouldn't be hard for someone like Slater to attempt it again." Hmm. Again, zero sexual response on Jesse's behalf but when what he said finally sunk in, the all-to-familiar nagging fear returned.
"Yah, well Father Dominic will be there and I'm not going to be partnered with him or anything… it's not like I want to go!" I pouted and sank into the wooden chair Andy had crafted, picking at the hem of my skirt. Jesse's wore an indescribable expression. I hate it when I can never know what he is thinking. After a significantly awkward pause, he sighed in resignation.
"If you are indeed going, you must promise me that you will be extremely cautious."
This was totally not the kind of hot line I was expecting. I was thinking more along the lines of, 'Oh, Querida, I could not bear to have you anywhere else but here beside me. If that bastardo, Slater, thinks that I will just let him have you, I may just have to go and break his nose again.' Then he would pull me into his strong, capable arms and kiss me passionately. But naturally, nothing ever goes the way I want it to. When I didn't answer right away, Jesse's inky black eyebrows shot up… way up.
"Unless of course you want Paul to do something to you."
What was that!? Jealousy? There goes that wishful thinking again. I looked up from my brief fascination with my skirt and studied Jesse's face. He was totally serious. He actually thought that I wanted to screw around with Paul or something… not in the dirty sense of course, much to my chagrin. How can he actually believe that I enjoy what Paul does to me… or how he makes me feel? This was horribly wrong and I struggled to correct the misunderstanding.
"Of course not! I can't stand Paul and you know better than anyone how much of an ass he can be. I promise, Jesse, I'll be careful and I'll steer clear of him, just as I have been doing ever since… that night."
Lie. He still didn't know about the Mediating lessons he was giving me after school and I wasn't planning on telling him any time soon. Plus, after skipping out on Paul this afternoon, he was going to be pissed. Nevertheless, I couldn't tear myself away from thinking Jesse believed I didn't care.
"I mean, I realize that he's sorry for what he did to me and I wouldn't be surprised that if he tore off his clothes he'd have a little, red, pointy tail," thoughts about the wrong man appeared in my mind and I smoothly ushered them aside, "but I could never forgive him for what he did to you. How he almost made me lose you for good. How-"
I was horrified to hear my own voice crack as memories from previous Paul-Jesse confrontations filled my head. Tears were forming in my eyes just thinking about it as the huge lump forming in my throat signaled an up-coming breakdown. I was not going to cry in front of him… again! Jesse, as though sensing my internal distress, strode over and kneeled in front of me. He was tall enough that we were now at eye level and we stared intently at one another. The sun was setting and was casting eerie shadows around the backyard but caused Jesse's gorgeous features to sharpen and his hair and eyes to shine brilliantly.
"Querida," he whispered to me, cupping my chin in his dark hand. His touch sent ecstatic shocks through my skin as I naturally leaned towards him. It felt so good to be in his arms, so right.
"There is nothing that anyone could do or say that would take me away from you. I will be here for you always, remember that. The truth is, I will miss you when you are gone because you mean –"
I never really got to find out what I meant to him because just then he leaned towards me and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling my face up to meet his lips with an amazing force. I was so surprised and yet I wanted to pass out with the intensity and passion that he was exerting on our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him to me, refusing to let go. His wonderful lips were grazing against mine, filling me with a feeling I get only when I'm around him. True, unexplainable, I-would-die-for-you, sort of love. I didn't get to formally say goodbye to Jesse because halfway through our very memorable French-fest, my brother Brad kicked –actually kicked- open the back door to the patio.
"What the hell, Suze!" he yelled, pointing his finger at me. I unfortunately had to drop my arms from where there were clenching Jesse's lean body of which Brad, naturally, couldn't see.
"Why are you coming on the trip… you don't even need extra credit! It was supposed to be a way for me to get away, not spend a quality weekend with you, the freak and the fag!"
Ouch. It's no wonder I suffer from such low self-esteem. I smiled in spite of myself and turned to Jesse, who dematerialized with a sympathetic grin on his face. This was going to be a long and harrowing excursion and only my dreamy thoughts of the man I love were going to allow me to survive the next three days. Or so I thought.
To tell the truth, if I had known what a crappy time I was going to have on this camping trip, I would have shot myself a long time ago. I mean honestly, that would have solved the whole ghost issue between Jesse and I – even though I never really considered myself to be the suicidal type. I could always turn over a new leaf and take after Heather: shoot myself because my boyfriend doesn't want me. On the other hand, I think I like my new Jimmy Choos a little too much to take my life.
On Friday morning I walked up in front of the school where about one hundred other juniors stood waiting for the bus. It was a good few hours away from where we'd be camping out so we'd be taking those awesome coach buses with the bathrooms… at least there'd be plumbing on the way there. My best friend Cee Cee, who was as white as ever, was talking amiably to my other friend Adam, of whom she had a colossal crush on. I could always try to play match maker or something for them, but considering the way I work, one of them would probably just end up dead.
"Wow, Suze, you look so pumped for this trip," Adam said, smiling at me. He had actually wanted extra credit and signed up for this thing voluntarily. Much unlike Cee Cee who is just coming because of, well, Adam.
"You have no idea," I answered him with a scowl. I threw my luggage on top of the huge pile that everyone had created and I'm pleased to say that it didn't explode upon impact. I didn't exactly know what I had to pack or what not to wear camping so I pretty well brought everything that I didn't care to get a little dirty. Except of course for my new espadrilles… they just couldn't miss this trip, what with Paul coming along and everything. I looked around the hoard of kids, glancing over the heads for him and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized he hadn't arrived yet.
"Oh my GOD… what did you bring?!" Cee Cee gaped at my suitcase and I frowned with indignation. I thought I'd done a pretty good job fitting everything in there!
Just as I was about to let her have it for mocking my packing abilities, the large coach bus pulled into the driveway in front of the school entrance. People everywhere scrambled to their feet excitedly and actually ran onto it… as though they actually wanted to go. I, however, stumbled my way to the back of the line, trying to delay this process as much as possible. Did I mention that it is extremely early and that I don't exactly fully function in the morning? Yah, so that mixed with the fact I was being forced onto this lousy bus going on this lousy trip makes Suze not such a nice person.
Especially after it was my turn onto the bus and as I clumsily climbed up the steps I was even more perturbed, as usual, by the face I saw next.
Paul was standing in my way, leaning against the front window and casually sipping a coffee. He looked quite perfect in his white polo and long Abercrombie camper shorts. He looked as though he had just stepped out of their magazine. Well, at least someone was prepared… why not Paul?
I could feel him staring at me behind his Ray-Bans as he grinned wolfishly with his perfectly straight, white teeth.
"Aw, how's my little camper?"
He put out a hand to help me up. I was fully willing to take my own sweet time getting up the stairs and to a seat… preferably far away from the beautiful –and yet frightening- piece of man beside me.
"Bite me, Paul," I said in my most cheerful it's-supremely-early-in-the-morning-don't-mess-with-me voice. Paul looked at me as though he would have only been too happy to do so.
He lifted up his sunglasses to reveal his gorgeous blue eyes, the ones that I can never seem to tear my gaze away from. I was so done for on this trip.
I smacked his hand away and managed to pull myself up the stairs and followed Paul as he moved to the back of the bus. That's when the wonderful smell of his cologne began to waft up my nose. Did I just think it was wonderful? What am I doing! Nothing about Paul is wonderful… it's freaky, night-mare worthy. Yah, I'll just keep telling myself that.
Out of nowhere, he stopped abruptly halfway through the isle and stared blankly at something in front of him.
"What's the hold up, I'd actually like to sit down you know," I hissed as I gave his back a little shove.
He moved aside to reveal a seat in front of him where Cee Cee was sitting, patting the seat next to her and coaxing me to sit down. I let out a frustrated groan and raked my fingers through my hair. The thing was, I would have practically ran to the seat that my friend was holding for me… if it weren't for the person already sitting there. Someone of whom Cee Cee didn't know, I was pretty sure, she was petting the crotch of.
