Randomness. Whilst I was writing 'Stuck in Between,' this came to me in a random jolt of inspiration. It was far too different to shove into my other story. Not with the demons and angels clouding the air in the fanfiction either. This is only planned to be small… three or four chapters perhaps? I hope you like it, anyway. Maybe it will be a relief from the millions of twists that 'Stuck in Between' has… I don't know. (Mainly because I know all the twists before they happen, so I'm not so shocked…)

This is set three days after Paul Slater comes back to Carmel within Haunted. AND this story is dedicated to Alda Rethe my most constant and rather loyal reviewer, and Elmers Girl, my sister in our newly formed Fae Coven and in our Chayfamily(fans who love Latin music) I couldn't have continued 'Stuck in Between' without either of you!

∞ Isa ∞

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For the life of me I never thought that it could be
The way it stands right now
Emotions running high
Every night i wish that I
I would tell you how I feel
Those words are here in my heart
Oh the words are just the same part

- Vanessa Williams, Dreaming

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"Suze, Dinner!" My mother called up the stairs. I rolled my eyes and placed the novel, Haunted, on the desk next to my bed. Then I faced the next problem… getting up.

Prone to laziness, I managed to pry myself from my bed. It was difficult, yes, but eventually the dark eyed stare from my window seat motivated me enough to stand and go down to dinner.

I sighed and walked down the stairs in a huff. My mom walked up to me once I entered and ruffled my hair affectionately, I just glared at her. Her face moulded into hurt and I immediately regretted the action.

"Sorry Mom," I muttered yet kept my eyes solely on the ground. "Bad day." That was the only explanation I provided. It had been three days since Paul Slater had arrived at the Mission Academy, and every one of those three days has been hell for me at school…

…But even more so at home. Ever since Jesse kissed me on that lonely night after roaming around, quite reluctantly, in the Shadowlands, Jesse thinks it's the right thing to keep quiet. Not only about his feelings, if there were any, but everything. Our only conversation consisted of me coming home after school, him greeting me, I greet him back, he asks me how school had been, I reply and that's it…

I don't think I can last much longer. How dramatic, I thought after I had said that as a hollow whisper in my mind, I wouldn't kill myself over Jesse not talking to me... but I would sacrifice myself for Jesse. Yet he didn't really need to know that, especially since he hardly spoke a word to me.

Past the pensive barrier, I was urging myself not to scream at him, 'Tell me, Jesse! Tell me your reason! Why do you ignore me? I love you, Jesse! I LOVE you…'

And yet, I knew I couldn't. That was what pained me even more, the fact that I couldn't tell him what I felt. If your wondering why, it's because if I did, there is a chance that he would just laugh in my face, mocking me with his large smiles that usually melted me like chocolate left outside on a hot day. There is also the chance that he might become even more distant than now, if there is such a thing, because now he is pretty damn distant. But I don't want to chance our relationship… If I do, I might never see him again.

Yeah, right Suze. So he's been sticking around here for 150 years just to wait for you to tell him you love him when he doesn't even return the feelings?

There is always hope…

While I was arguing with myself, Andy had put a whole load of gourmet food on my plate. I ate it subconsciously, still listening to the voices in my head nag on and wishing for an escape. More precisely: one with Jesse and I involved in a torrid love affair.

After having a nice shower all the while thinking passionately (as usual) about Jesse and getting ready to snuggle up into my warm bed, I was more submissive when my mom called me again. Although I had my problems, I still felt a little bad for glaring at her before, even though I had apologized. It's just a family thing.

I arrived in the family room, silk blue pyjamas on and an inquiring look on my face – or what I thought of as inquiring, I couldn't see my face in a mirror at the time – set at my mom. She was carrying a package and bouquet wrapped with pink paper. I wondered briefly whom it was from and why she called me down there.

When she saw me, her face cracked into a big grin. "Oh Susie! I never knew a boy liked you enough to send you flowers… and! Oh! Presents as well!" My eyes widened. They were… for me?

Woah.

No, I mean it. Woah.

I flushed red, "Uh… Thanks mom." She handed the bouquet and present to me, still grinning. I could still feel that grin on me as I shuffled up the steps and into my room.

Conveniently, Jesse was there. He stared at me when I walked in. Or, at least, he stared at the flowers and the present, which were covering my face.

I plopped down on the bed, not saying a word and bringing the gifts down with me. It was really surprising. Who would do such a thing? And to me, Susannah Simon, the biological freak even more so?

Jesse looked over in interest. "What do you have there, Querida?" I looked up, quite surprised at, not the fact that he asked, but the fact that he called me by Querida. The nickname I missed so much… he hadn't called me that since the day we kissed…

I said truthfully, "I seriously do not know." Then I looked down at the gifts. The flowers in the bouquet, I saw now, were lilies. My eyes widened even wider than before.

A smile lit up on my face. "My favourite." I sniffed them. They smelt like the perfume from Ice Culture: Lily my grin got wider. Someone surely knew how to please me.

I placed them next to Jesse, who was now sitting on my bed beside me, staring at me. Not at the presents, but at me. As if he wanted to see my reaction…

He couldn't be the one, who sent them, could he? I would have thought this, if I had thought that he liked me anything but as a friend. Maybe he was just wondering how much of a freak I was.

I unwrapped the present. It was a box of Roses… the chocolate kind. I fell back on the bed, holding the box to my heart. "Yum!" I exclaimed in bliss, I was aware that now Jesse really was looking at me weirdly. I sat up and asked, "What?"

His gaze was averted. There seemed to be pain in his eyes. "Nothing." My eyebrows furrowed. What was wrong with Jesse?

I put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, cheer up." I was still grinning, he flashed me a small smile and pointed to something amongst the ripped wrapping paper.

"What is that, Susannah?" I looked over at it and picked it up, looking quizzically at Jesse who just shrugged. It was a card.

Emerald eyes so fiery and deep,

Yet to see a day in which they weep,

A strong woman under a façade of mystery,

If I dare chance upon her my hope will be history,

My beloved Susannah don't you see?

How beautiful you are, to the world and to me…

Your Secret Admirer.

My eyes narrowed and I rounded on Jesse. "How did you know THAT was there…?" He looked confused but then saw my eyes and let out a snort.

"I would not send you poetry, chocolates and flowers, Susannah." My hopes with Jesse were crushed yet again. I wanted to scream:

THANKS JESSE. YOUR SOOO ASSURING!

Well, I would show him how much I didn't care – which really, considering I was head over heels in love with him, wasn't very much – or at least pretend I didn't care. I ripped open the chocolates and took a Turkish Delight out, unwrapped it extremely slowly and shoved the small, dark brown chocolate in my mouth.

Then I took out another one, this one was Cherry Ripe and held it out to Jesse. He looked at it, confused. Then said slowly, looking again a little bit sad, "I cannot eat, Susannah." I rolled my eyes. I had seen ghosts eat before, weird yes, but possible.

"You can eat," I said in a tone just reeking with all-knowing smart-assness, "Just you won't taste anything and the contents of the food will be materialized to Shadowland where it will bounce around for a while," I took a breath, "and then it will advance, like ghosts do, to another plane of consciousness or heaven or hell or whatever."

Eyebrows raised, Jesse still stared at the chocolate. I unwrapped it and shoved it under his nose. "A tasteless chocolate is better than no chocolate." I grinned at the changing looks on his face.

Then Jesse did something I would have never thought him to do. Sure, I had provoked him, but that didn't mean that he should suddenly do that… not that I didn't mind.

I guess I should tell you. It's a little embarrassing for me to reveal though.

He lowered his head to where my fingers held the chocolate in my index finger and thumb. Then, he enclosed his mouth around the chocolate – and my fingers. My eyes widened to a considerable extent as he removed the chocolate with both his teeth and tongue – which suddenly gave me shivers in places I didn't want to talk about – and after gulping it down like I did to the Turkish Delight moments ago, lingered for a moment.

This shocked me, but interested and excited me also. The shivers grew as he withdrew his face to look back at mine… black eyes hypnotized me. My whole body seemed quite numb now.

But I had to pretend I didn't care… maybe if I played hard to get, I had thought at the time, Jesse would come around and spill his feelings to me romantically and passionately and stuff.

So, with all the strength I could muster – strength I would rather be using with things involved with my tongue: a make out session… or eating chocolates, either one – I looked at my hand with – fake – disgust.

"EWW!" I screamed, giggling as I did. Jesse jumped, startled. He had obviously not expected me to be disgusted by his actions.

Okay, I wanted to ask him, so it's against the rules if you kiss me but it's not against the rules to lick my fingers?

Weird. Oo

"Jesse drool! Jesse drool!" I bolted from the bed, leaving a perplexed Jesse behind – and hopefully dissapointed that I didn't start baring my soul again – and ran to the threshold of my private bathroom, where I approached the taps, spun them around and washed my hands thoroughly, with seemingly no regrets. I did, however, looked down in a moment's disappointment.

Had have I spoken my true feelings, I would have done the classic, 'I'm never washing my hand again.' Yet that only happened when their TV stars shook their hands… Ha! I mock them; I bet their TV star didn't LICK their hand did they?

But why would I want Brittany Spears licking my hand? I thought after a moment…

Eww.

It has been, in one word, summed up; all my dirty thoughts… Eww.

I am such a genius aren't I? As I sauntered back into the room, I saw that Jesse was sitting there, on my bed, having not moved an inch.

His black eyes were focused on something across the other side of the room and his expression was emotionless. Blank. His face portrayed absolutely nothing… nada… zilch.

You get the picture, and so did I. This extremely freaked me out… had I been too harsh on him? Nah, I was only playing, he should have seen that, if he is, of course, as smart as he perceives himself to be.

I know Jesse and Jesse is pretty smart, yet I had never seen him so completely… empty. He always had some expression on his face. Whether it is happiness, anger, sadness or confusion – the latter, of which, occurs a lot.

"Jesse?" My eyebrows were up pretty high, what was up with Jesse?

There was no reply.

"Jesse, please, what's wrong?" I went to sit next to him, once on the bed, I sat in front of him so my face was all he could see. But he didn't even flinch, didn't move a muscle.

Silence surrounded us.

"Jesse snap out of it!" I was getting annoyed; I shook a hand in his face.

Nothing.

I kind of emitted this growling sort of noise from the bottom of my throat. Why. Wouldn't. He. Move. It was starting to peeve me off, and when things peeved me off, they should get out of my way before I either harm them really badly or explode in a fit of yelling at them.

Jesse did nothing towards my threat – the growl – so I did the only other thing I could think of. It seemed weird for me to do this, having just decided I would play hard to get. But if this was the way Jesse wanted it. I would play.

Without mercy.

What did I do? Simple.

I tackled him.

Seems pretty stupid, eh? Me tackling Jesse. I couldn't keep the grin off my face as I backed up against the rod in front of Jesse's view. I also couldn't keep it off as I charged at his expressionless face, pressed him down onto the bed with my body on top of him.

It was then that the giggles started. They were soft at first but then got louder. I was pretty sure that was what awoke Jesse out of his emotionless reverie.

He blinked up at me, once, twice, three times… six more times.

His eyes, like mine had before, widened. "Susannah!" He said from beneath me. I was far too gone though, his eyes were locked on mine and I was on top of him, giggling as I watched him squirm underneath me.

If it weren't so damn funny, I would have been quite flustered by all this. I mean, tackling Jesse with his old fashioned, white, lace blouse, tight-fitting black pants and knee length leather boots WITH spurs. Then you have his gorgeous face, black hair, dark eyes, gorgeous tanned skin and his gentlemanly perspective. Tackling wasn't something you did to Jesse.

I don't know how to say it… it just… wasn't. I found this out when suddenly, with one fluent rolling movement, Jesse was the one on top of me.

We were also now on the floor. I groaned at the fact that my head had just hit hard ground. My hands were automatically reaching for my face as Jesse propped himself up and off of me.

"It's your fault. You should not have tackled me." Jesse was acting weird… unsympathetically. This didn't seem to be like him. But maybe it was my fault. The guilt rush came and this was indeed true.

My face was now flushed the colour of cherry's. "Sorry."

A smile replaced the smallish frown Jesse had on his face. "It's alright, Susannah. You are of youth and it is only in your right mind to do this… fackling."

I snorted, really loudly. "Fackling? It's 'tackling' you doofus." I had a large grin across my face.

My grin got wider when Jesse said, in such an imitation of me I was forced to slap him – hard. "Whatever."

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Good enough for ya? Lol. Fackling. That is officially my favourite word, along with Taffa Beans. Do not ask where this came from… it just, did.

Now, please do me the most ginormas favour: Review. I will add more after I get a wittle bit of feedback. I now must continue with my other fanfiction… Stuck in Between! If you like this than you will surely like that. It may sound a little bit weird and unexplainable in the first few chapters but it evens itself out pretty well, I think.

Review. Review. REVIEW!

Come on… do it. Please? Jks. Lol.

∞ Isa ∞

P.S. Love you all :)