Y'all rock, that's all I have to say. :D

Here's chapter 4

Chapter 4

I froze as his fingers grazed the tender spots on my spine.

"Paul?" I stood outside the locker room. It was summer, late August, but he had tennis practice, which had just ended. Tears were welled behind my eyes, and my hand that held the note shook. He turned at his name, saw who had said it, and groaned.

"Suze, go home," he said. "I don't have anything to say to you. Nothing that isn't in that note."

"But Paul," I cried, "This has to be a joke, right?" I held the note up, and he sighed.

"Suze, you know it's not a joke. We're over, okay?"

"But Paul, please, I love you," I said. God, I knew I shouldn't be doing this. I'm not an idiot, contrary to current actions. But why would he do this to me?

He rolled his eye. I looked through the window, and I saw a girl I knew, Laura, waiting at Paul's car. She had obviously just finished field hockey practice. My tears broke loose.

"Paul, why are you doing this? I love you!" He started past me, ignoring my sobbing, but I grabbed his arm. "Why, Paul? What, was I not good enough? Why did you break up with me for her?"

Suddenly, Paul's patience with me, the pitiful ex-girlfriend, snapped. He grabbed my arms and shoved me against the lockers. I cried out in pain, feeling the little locks and handles hit my spine. I twisted my face away from his angry eyes. He grabbed my shoulders and squeezed them, holding me against the wall, keeping the pressure of the locks against me.

"God, Suze, just shut up, okay? We're over. Now leave me the hell alone." He pushed away from me with one last burst of pain, and disappeared. He went over to Laura, kissed her cheek, and climbed into the car.

And drove off, leaving me, crying and clutching my aching arms, wishing I could sooth the pain in my back.

"Susannah, where did you get this?" he asked. I shrugged, avoiding the question.

"I thought it was gone," I mumbled, quickly lunging away from him to put my shirt back on.

Before I could, though, Adam came around and saw. "Oh, man, Suze… and you have more. On your arms." I had worn long sleeved shirts around them for a reason.

"It's nothing," I said.

"Susannah, what happened?" Jesse demanded. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"It's nothing, okay? God, relax."

"No, I'm not going to relax," Jesse shot back. I was surprised. He'd never raised his voice to me like that.

"Just mind your own damn business!" I shouted. Cee Cee and Adam looked shocked. A few people around us looked on curiously. "Nothing happened. I'm fine."

"Susannah--"

"What do you want me to say, Jesse? The bruises are nothing. Now please, just mind your own business!"

"Susannah, they are not nothing. You are clearly keeping something from us. Why do you have bruises on your arms and back? Why did those girls come and say those things to you last night? What happened?"

"God! Just leave me alone!" Our voices had gotten even louder, and I saw someone go to report the disturbance to a lifeguard.

Cee Cee finally intervened. "Guys, stop it. Suze, come with me." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me away, down towards the water on the opposite side of the swimming area. I turned around and saw Jesse, obviously very frustrated, kick his chair and say something to Adam.

"Sit." I sat down on the sand. "Are you okay?" I sighed.

"I told you, the bruises are nothing. I can't even feel them. I--"

"I'm not talking about your back. I heard. As did," she smirked, "half the beach." I blushed. "I'm talking about you. And Jesse."

"What about me and Jesse?" I asked. I could feel my pink cheeks darken to crimson.

"Please. It's obvious he's crazy about you. And you are crazy about him." I raised my eyebrows.

"Am I now?" I asked dubiously, even though I had begun to suspect the very same thing.

She rolled her eyes. "Are you calmed down?" I shrugged. "Can you go back there and not start a fight with Jesse?"

"I didn't start it," I said indignantly. "If he would just leave me alone--" She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Come on. Now, play nice." She pulled me back off the sand, and led me back to our set up.

As we walked, I asked her a question. "Why did he get so mad, if he's so crazy about me?" She snorted.

"You have to ask that question? He got mad because he's crazy about you. You are obviously not telling him something, and he's worried." I reflected on that while we finished the trek up the beach.

Adam had apparently calmed Jesse down too, but he was still brooding. I didn't say anything to him, and he didn't say anything to me. Neither of us were in the mood for swimming or surfing, so Adam went off to the water by himself, and Cee Cee appeared to have fallen asleep.

I had taken my shirt off again, just because I was getting so hot, and I wanted to work on my tan. I laid on my towel, not saying anything, until I heard Jesse sigh.

"Susannah," he started, and I took of my sunglasses so I could look at him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"It's okay, Jesse. I know you're just worried about me." He came and sat down next to me. "But don't. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself, okay?"

He looked like he was going to disagree for a moment, but then finally just gave me a small smile. "Okay."

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About an hour later, I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes, and saw Jesse leaning over me.

"Querida, wake up," he said, smiling. I sat up.

"What did you call me?"

"Come on, I'll drive you home." He offered his hand, and pulled me to my feet. "I'm meeting Jake tonight to work on our project, anyway." I gathered the rest of my stuff, and walked with him to his car.

"Did Cee Cee go with Adam?" I asked as he pulled out of the parking lot. He nodded. "Is there something going on between the two of them?" I asked. He laughed.

"I've been wondering that question for more than three years, ever since I moved here and became friends with them."

"Where did you move from?" I asked.

"Well, I grew up on a ranch about a half a day's drive from here, and my mother home schooled my sisters and I. When it was time for high school I wanted to go to a regular school, but none of the ones in the ranch's sending district were good enough… so I moved down here, and live with my Aunt Elena and Uncle Jose," he explained, navigating his car expertly up the hill.

"How many sisters do you have?"

"Five." My eyes widened. "Marta, Mercedes, Carmen, Elena, and Anna Maria."

"All younger?" I asked.

"Yes. Marta is about your age, perhaps a bit younger, and Anna is 7."

"Do you miss them?" I asked.

"All the time." He pulled onto my street, and continued up the hill. "Now, Susannah, tell me about your family."

"Well, I was born in Brooklyn. My dad died when I was 6, then my mom got married to Andy when I was 15, like, two weeks before my birthday. And that's when I got 3 step siblings, Jake, Brad, and David."

"No blood siblings?" he asked. "That must have been lonely."

"That's what everyone who comes from a big family says to an only child," I laughed. "I was fine. My best friend Gina and her brothers kept me company." By now, we were at my house, our argument of earlier in the day completely forgotten.

Jesse came around and opened the door for me while I was gathering my things, which I thanked him for, surprised.

He worked on his project with Jake while I did my homework, but then when he left he came and said good bye to me.

"Good bye, querida," he said, peering into my room.

"See you later, Jesse."

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The next day, during physics, Cee Cee and I were assigned to work on a project together. "Come on, Simon, come over to my place after school and we'll get started," Cee Cee said. "The bus leaves from the corner at 2:45, okay?" I nodded, and went off to my next class.

I met her at the fountain, chatted with Adam, Rachel, and Jesse for a minute or two, before they all departed to their own cars (how lovely it must be to drive. Paul had tried to teach me once, but got fed up and refused to let me in the driver's seat again after I nearly ran into a garbage can in his precious car.), and Cee Cee and I headed out to the street, chatting and brainstorming on our project.

However, parked innocently was a sight that made my legs stop walking, my mouth stop moving, and, regretfully, my heart skip a beat.

Leaning against his silver car was none other than Paul.

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