Jesse POV
Father Dominic seemed stressed today. I wasn't the only one who noticed it. Susannah came into his office while I was there and picked up on it immediately.
"Hey Father Dom. What's up. You're fiddling your cigarettes again," she said staring at his hands, which were indeed holding a cigarette box. She didn't even look at me, though I knew she knew I was there. She'd been ignoring me ever seen, well, since she told me she loved me and I, being the idiot that I am, said nothing in return.
"It's nothing of importance, Susannah."
Susannah just stared at him then in her semi-irritated voice she said, "Bull."
Father Dominic sighed. "I have a daughter of a friend's friend coming to stay with me for a while. She has," the father paused, "some problems that make me a tiny bit nervous. That is all."
"Just tell her if she hassles you too much tell her that I'd be oh so happy to you know, fix her, physically."
"Susannah!" the father cried. Susannah grinned her eyes sparkling. Father Dominic looked nervous again quiet quickly. "Not that that will help her any. There hasn't been a day she wasn't in detention her whole high school career it seems. She's even less tolerant of bully teasing than you are. It comes with the territory of her family I guess." Susannah now looked very intrigued. Again Father Dominic sighed. "Ignore me, please Susannah. This girl brings much turmoil with her. I must ask you though, to try and be kind to her when she arrives. And don't mention her home or family. It will be too hard on her I'm afraid. She's already had to change much of herself and her life we don't need to make it even harder on her." Susannah nodded though she had a devious look to her eye. "Was there something that you wanted to talk about Susannah?" the father asked.
Finally Susannah met my eyes. Anger, pain, and sadness streaming from her eyes held me transfixed. "I had a visit from a ghost," she said turning back to Father Dominic. "He wants to know where his body is. He wants it to be found. I think he was murdered, but he's one of those picky ghosts. Can't talk about his death or just refuses to. Personally I'm starting to think they just want to make our job harder than it already is."
"Susannah, I highly doubt that the ghost is out to get you."
"I didn't say that. I just said they want to. You know, for fun. I mean ghost still have emotions, or at least, I thought they did." I winced at her words. She was no longer talking to Father Dominic or about this ghost. She was directing it at me.
"Susannah tell this ghost that you need a few days time. I know someone who might be able to help, but I must talk to her first."
Again Susannah looked intrigued by the father's words. "Know another mediator you're holding out on?" she asked with interest.
"No," the father answered. "I just know someone who might be able to help." He refused to say more no matter how much Susannah bugged him. It was very unusual for the father. He was never very secretive. Eventually Susannah left. The father turned to me. "Did something happen between you two, Jesse?" he asked.
"She told me that she loved me."
"Oh dear," the father breathed.
"I didn't say anything back," I told him miserably.
"Jesse," he said before being interrupted by a novice walking in.
"Father," the novice said. "Someone named Jill Smith told me to tell you that Cassandra would be arriving in two hours."
"Thank you Sister," Father Dominic said smiling but visibly paling. Once the novice left he muttered under his breath "Code names! She has a code name!"
"Father," I said startling him back to the present, "who is this girl that is coming and why does she share a name with the Greek god known for physic abilities?"
"Her name's Jessica, not Cassandra. I am going to tell you some things in hopes that you can help. Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone, especially Susannah." At my nod he continued, "Jessica has a very special ability, which I can't not tell you, but it has put her in grave danger. Due to this danger and some family issues she and the rest of her family have decide that it's best she leave. Over the summer she changed her appearance and when school started again did not go to school. I met her about a year ago at a Christian conference in Indiana. People that Jessica works with contacted me three weeks ago asking if it was all right that she stayed with me until she goes to college. She has no idea with whom she is staying with at this point. Until a few hours ago she had know idea where she was moving to. She was simply told that she would be staying with someone that she met once before. Her family and friends have no idea where she is and she's not allowed to have contact with them until… well, until as she put it to the people she works with, till the world allows her to have a life. From what I know of her she is much like Susannah was when she first moved here. She can not see ghost, though.
"Jesse, I have come to trust you enough to ask you. Please stay with her for most hours a day. I know that you can't protect her as well as you do Susannah because you can't touch her, but Jesse, she needs someone to watch her and I simply can't do that at all times." I raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Jesse, I'm asking you to live with her," the father said with obvious regret. "Just like you did with Susannah. Only this time she won't be able to see, touch, or hear you. Just protect her." I nodded in perfect understanding.
