Chapter Twelve:
I materialised in Susannah's room some time later when I was sure she would be asleep. It was after all, quite late. To my surprise her bed was empty. I resolved to waiting for her. We needed to talk about this 'Red' person. After almost a quarter of an hour I began to wonder where she could be. 'She has a life other than you' I chided myself. Still, when I thought of Susannah on a date with someone my chest wrenched unpleasantly. I don't know why, and I preferred not to dwell on it. Besides, she may not be out on a date. She may be out with her friends or something. Despite what the old man thought, I was by no means in love with Susannah. She was my friend. And in being my first friend in over one hundred years, I had every right to have strong feelings of protectiveness for her. Didn't I? I heard the crunch of tyres on the gravel driveway and peered out the window. A boy had driven up in horrible monstrosity of a car. Although I wasn't paying particular attention to the car or its driver. I was paying more attention to the person sitting in the passenger seat. Susannah. So she had been on a date. My chest wrenched again at this realisation. I saw the boy lean over and kiss Susannah. Without really thinking about what I was doing, I dematerialised and appeared in the backseat of the car. They kept kissing for a moment, and I was annoyed with how forward the boy was being. Had he no respect? But then Susannah noticed me. She screamed and I assured her not to stop on my account. Although that was all I wanted. For her to stop, and get away from that…boy. She did, and stormed away up the driveway. I followed and said the first words that came to my lips, "It's your own fault". She seemed genially surprised at this. And when I pursued the subject she just got embarrassed. We ended up arguing passionately and stood face to face, neither of us willing to back down. She was as hot-headed as I was, and just as stubborn and determined. And yet, when I looked at her, her face softened. Her emerald eyes lost the glare and sparkled as she stared unseeingly at me. She was deep in thought. I looked at her again, lightly tanned skin beautifully pale in the moonlight and hastily disappeared. For my thoughts were not of anger, not any more. They were of something quite the opposite. And I had begun to worry that I would act on these feelings and do something rash. Which would be unacceptable.
