So forgive me, please. The whole tone, point of view, everything changed in this chapter. But I'm going to keep it omniscient narrator throughout the rest of the story. Meaning it goes into every character's thoughts and isn't so narrow. Thought it'd be easier this way.I just didn't like the format of the story before.

All this is during the summer after Suze and Paul's senior year.

Chapter II- Cold Feet

And I feel so mean, I feel in between
'Cause I'm about to give you away- Ex-girlfriend, No doubt

Still night of the same party

Jesse found her sitting on the dock, shoes off, legs swinging over the incoming waves. Before he could even touch her shoulder she murmured, "I always feel you. Even before it's realistic to know you're there, I do." Her blood red painted toenails dipped into the ocean and out, indecisive in what position to rest. There is a quiet rhythm to him and I, she thought—an unspoken peace.

He knew, at once, something was wrong. Her eyes were downcast, and even as he sat beside her, fingers soothingly making figures to her back, they remained contemplative. "Querida," his low baritone voice tickled her bare shoulder and ear, as he leaned his head against the side of her face. That timbre and word, the two things used only for her was her undoing. The anguish of what was to be said made her sink into his warmth and pull her legs from the cold water.

"I've made a decision. Finally. About the future. My future." He studied her face. "I'm going back to New York." A small smirk fleetingly graced Jesse's face before disappearing. His expression chilled her to the bone, because all she could see from it was Paul. And that overwhelming thought was tucked away deep in some crevice of her mind.

"So you're taking a year off, then returning to college? I hardly think your parents would approve of this Susannah." He had moved away from her.

"No, I'm going to a college there," Suze pulled a small brochure from her pocket, it was crinkled and her sweaty palms were not helping the state of the brochure any. "Look, I mean, doesn't it look interesting? Lots of majors for an undecided, and plus instant roommate in Gina. What more could a college freshman want?"

He didn't bother to unfold the brochure but held it in a tight fist and stared blankly, angrily into the night. "What about a boyfriend? No—don't bother answering that one." He slipped his fingers around hers. "I don't understand this, querida." His deep eyes were begging for an explanation.

She sighed. "My home is New York. Sure I love my family and you, but home, home is…" He finished, "Home is where you make it. Home is the place where everyone you love is existing."

"Could you leave here?" She bit her lip. Trick question, but so to the point. She knew she had him. "No, …you….no." he replied softly.

"See?" She said poignantly. "But I can. And I think that means something significant..something.."

"Hey, hey Jesse!" A beefed up jock from the senior class waved his arms at Jesse from the sand. "Dude, we need another guy for sand volleyball. You in?" Jesse stood. "Not at …"

Suze smiled at him slowly. "Go on Jesse, we have the whole summer to hash this out." "Susannah," She frowned at him.

"You heard him, the jocks need you. Now go make your woman proud. Expend some testosterone. Get rid of stress. Prove your manhood." He kissed the crown of her head softly and flashed a blush-inducing smile her way before running towards the ultimate game of volleyball.

Suze picked up her shoes and walked back. She sifted through the crowd in search of Ceecee. She found her in a line for the restroom and snickered at the annoyed look on her face. "Restroom line, hm? You know if you really had that bad, there's trees across the street."

Her eyes snapped at Suze. It was at that moment that Adam appeared. "What's this about using trees? Ladies, I for one would be happy to be your friendly guide to the pleasures being alone in a forest can bring."

"Yeah it'd be great. You'd lead us into the forest, assured and cocky, and then when we realized it was nighttime, you'd pee in your Hanes underwear and hide under the leaves crying like a baby."

Suze's eyes lit up with Ceecee's examination. "Hanes, huh? Good to know Adam doesn't go commando, Ceecee." With that her white friend began to murmur and Adam just wrapped an arm around each girl smirking.

The morning after

Paul's head hurt. He grimaced against the bright light of the morning as he slowly searched for the right key to his door. What color is that stupid key? Go in, go… Paul grew to a certain amount of frustration that he slammed his fist against the door, and it opened. He smirked at that. I even have the touch with doors. Yeah, his angel whispered quietly, that or you just need to buy a better lock. He snickered quietly to himself.

He took a step in and become at once frozen. The last person on Earth he expected or wanted to see stood before him in all her glory. She threatened the air out of his lungs and immediately made him wonder what substance he smelled like and how quickly he could get it off himself before she noticed. He immediately began to peel off his t-shirt and headed towards the laundry room at a rapid pace.

"Paul Njord Edric Slater the third, stay put."

"What do you want, mother?" He threw his shirt into an empty laundry basket. Her heels clicked against the wood floor and she warily moved through the hallway following him.

"You were accepted to Harvard. You somehow seemed to maintain a decent GPA, though not from your own brilliance, but rather your fear. Reflect upon it again, and summon up enough effort to pass through one more obligation." At some point in their conversation his teeth began to grind. His bloodshot eyes, the similar copy of the woman standing before him, flickered over her own face. She looked vaguely uncomfortable, but somehow totally condescending. He had no idea how she did it. Her expensive shoe tapped compulsively as he snatched the paper from her fingers.

Anderson living

It's like home, but better. We serve…

"I already have a job, mother." He tried to place the flyer back into her manicured fingers.

"Who said anything about a job? You are scheduled to volunteer there Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays from 9A.M.-2P.M. You will go, Paul. Do not think there is any excuse, familial relations has no meaning to your father and I. Just remember Dr. Slaski."

Her heels tapped as she walked forcefully towards the door. She turned back to look at her son leaning against the laundry room door jam, the said paper lying on the floor. Her lips slathered in red lipstick pursued then opened.

"Wondering about the will?"

He had to laugh at that. "Oh, please fill me in. I'm dying to see how the old bastard got out of this one."

She shared in his mirth for a moment. "He managed to give all of his money to some random occult group of some sort. Started with an S I believe. This house will be destroyed in a week, better start packing."

She swung open the door. "Regarding your smell—hear this. You get caught by the police and again the tradition stands— familial relations has no meaning."

He sneered. "Oh, mother, just when I was thinking we might hug goodbye."

And with a slam of a door, she was out of his life again. He marched towards the liquor cabinets and pulled out the most expensive looking wine. Every inch of his skin was on fire. And now, he had the itch. There would be no stopping until the itch was under control. He threw the bottle at the refrigerator and pulled out another bottle. He was lost in the sensation of anger and hate and destruction, continuing to throw out the contents of his grandfather's entire liquor cabinet.

He shivered and fell to the ground with a new bottle of vodka in hand. He took a long swig and felt the alcohol burn down his esophagus. The itch had left him completely alone to a destroyed kitchen. "Family obligations. My fear. How lovely of her to remind me."

It had been long since the itch had come upon him. Following the itch had always been that memory that followed— a regurgitated dream. Among the glass and the odd smell of all the combined liquors assembling on the floor a small piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

"Who am I to break tradition?" The memory darkened the room and sent him to a place he had no need to go.

Paul was running again.

It was a long tunnel surrounded in glass to each side. In mid stride, he fell to the ground. Slowly rising he gazed into the windows; on the right side of the tunnel water sloshed against the window. Through the murky water he saw him, his brother, Denton in his crib.

His body was sucked inside the scene. And then, Paul was back in his parent's mansion, only three years old. It was Christmas and the tiny toddler room was fully decorated for just the occasion. He went towards the crib and poked a hand through the bars. A tiny hand rapped around his own. The room smelled of baby powder and life.

Two voices outside the room grew louder.

"I want to move on, shifter. I've told you that before. I've been here for a year now! A year! I think you're lying to me that you cannot find the information about my murder."

A strong deep voice replied. "You know nothing."

Dristan began to suck on Paul's fingers. The voices seemed to be coming closer towards Dristan's room.

"I warn you," the haggard voice continued. "You've forced my existence on this planet long enough. It is only fair I pay you back for your good deed."

The door to the nursery abruptly opened and Paul stared upon a middle age man, who was quite obviously dead. The man all at once was near the crib grinning glibly at Paul, before lifting his brother. Paul struggled against the man's leg. "'Dats my brother!"

The man swiped at Paul, and he quickly found himself sucked inside the tunnel staring through the glass at the scene in horror. His tiny body was lying on the floor unconscious, and the ghost was chocking his young brother. His grandfather came into the room, and Paul found himself sighing in relief. It would be all fine now.

"Put him down, Jason."

The baby was writhing and crying loud sobs. "My murder for his. That should give me vengeance."

And then there was silence.

Suze's house same day

Suze scrabbled through her room throwing clothes and shoes. Her lovely step-brother yelled at her from the bottom of the stairs. "Hurry up Suze! I, am not going to be late on my first day!"

She snarled at her closet. "Dress code policy—Only black closed-toe shoes. More hours than I could ever want. Super. Fantastic. And I start on a Monday to top it all off. Who picked this job out?"

"SIIIIIMON!"

She threw another pair out. "That's right, that would be me. Good going sister. Come on black closed toe shoes. Be a dear, appear." She arrived at the final pair of shoes in her closet.

"Gaaaaahhhh!" She screamed. Brown closed toe shoes. She could've sworn she had black. And that meant only one thing. Borrowing a pair from her mother. If the outfit was bad enough, now she was going to be wearing a pair of older women type shoes —a size too small.

She shoved them on her feet and winced racing down the stairs.

Brad arrived at her work place in record time slamming on the brakes at the front entrance. Apparently creating quite a scene for when Suze stepped out of the car all eyes were on her filled with curiosity. She glared at Brad, and he shrugged. "At least now you'll have something to talk about."

With that he zoomed away. She sighed staring up at the sign. "Ready or not here I am Anderson living."

There you go my lovelies. This chapter is occurs late in the night of that same party and the day after.