Disclaimer: Meg Cabot is the great creator. I only borrow her characters. ;)
Paul's POV:
It was a stormy night. I was trying to get back to my apartment through the rain. I was also sopping wet.
I was on the bus (a/n: I have never actually been to Carmel, California, or even west of Wisconsin, but I'm guessing that there are buses there because there are buses practically everywhere…and even though they kind of live in the 'burbs I'm just gonna take creative license here, okay?) when I saw the prettiest girl I had ever seen in my life board. The bus was pretty crowded, so I slid over and allowed her to take the seat next to me.
We sat a few minutes in silence before she extended a tan hand and said, "My name is Kailey. Thanks for letting me sit next to you…it's storming out there!" She shivered.
I took her hand in mine, which was almost double the size of hers. "I'm Paul. I'm kind of a loner, you know…I moved here about four years ago, to live with my grandpa. He died shortly after, and, well, I've been on my own since." I hoped she would take the hint that I was single. She smiled at me.
"Oh, really? Do you go to college? I'm a junior." Great. The same age as her. "I kind of have the same situation as you. See, my dad died in a car crash when I was really young, and my ma was sick for a long time. She died last month. So my sister Marysia and I have been roomies together. She's three years younger than me."
I took off my leather jacket. "Here, you look like you're cold." I draped it over her shoulders. She smiled that dazzling smile again.
"Thanks," she gushed. She twirled her blonde hair for a second or two before saying, "Sooo…what kinds of things do you like doing? My sister and I were thinking of going to the movies next week. She's got a date, but I don't. Want to come?"
That's how I ended up dating the prettiest girl in town. And let me tell you, it has been great. I thought, I guess I really should get back to Suze, to tell her how right she's been. But will she want to see me after all that I've done? After everything I've put her through?
No, I decided. She didn't.
Suze's POV:
It had been a while since Paul left. All was peaceful again. Jesse and I lived our lives like we always had. We were eating pancakes when it happened.
I recall shoveling them in my mouth, one by one, but of course more civilized-like than the way my stepbrothers Brad and Jake eat, when suddenly…all that I had eaten so far felt like it would come right back up again. I ran to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. Several times.
Jesse came running in after me.
"Querida, are you alright?"
I
looked up at him. "Not really."
Jesse looked alarmed. "You
were okay up until you threw up, correct? You weren't having any
aches and pains, no throat ache, chills…"
I cut him off. "I was fine," I said, agitated. "Up until the barf session. I must have eaten those pancakes too fast, or something."
Jesse still looked worried. He was checking my forehead, and muttering to himself in Spanish. "Well, Susannah," he said, looking at me. "I'm going to go out and get us some more milk, and maybe some liquids for you—" I protested, but he put up his hand to silence me. "Will you be alright alone?"
I gave him a funny look. "I'll be fine."
"Okay. I'll be back in about 15 to 30 minutes." He kissed my forehead and left.
He came back a little while later. I had been watching TV, sprawled out on the couch. He took out the milk from the bag and put it away, along with about 5 bottles of juice, and something else.
"Querida," he said. "Don't get upset. But I think, to be on the safe side, that you should try this." He held out what he had had in his hand. I looked down at it. A pregnancy test. I looked up at him.
"Jesse, do you really think I might be…"
"Susannah. Just try it. Please? I want rule out the possibility, and if you are not, I want to figure out what is wrong with you."
I sighed, and took it. I went into the bathroom, and shut the door. I took the test. It took a lot of courage to look at that thing. I finally took a deep breath, and looked at it.
I fainted.
