Chapter Ten

I woke up late the next morning, which was not unusual on a Monday. I raced around to get ready for school, and I would have been late for class, but I was lucky to have a later class Fashion 203: Design Skills and Application, which was pretty much the same as one of my other classes, but I had to take both in order to get my degree. I probably should have gotten a dorm, but when I saw how drab they were (um, there was some brown sticky stuff on the floor under a girl's refrigerator, and I think I saw a mouse, and I know I saw mold growing on one of the walls), I managed to convince Mom and Andy to let me stay with them. I have to pay them rent (to teach me responsibility, as an apartment complex or mortgage company won't let me stay in an apartment or a house for free), but I have plenty of baby sitting money saved up. Since my rent wasn't that much, I bought a car so I could drive to my school. It was a hassle, but I didn't want to move away from Jesse or the beach, so it was worth it to me.

On my way out of the door with a bagel and my books, my mom handed me a letter from Gina, which had arrived on Saturday, but my mom had forgotten to give it to me.

I went to my car, and although it would delay me, I read it anyway.

Suze,

Girl, we haven't seen each other in a ridiculously long time. I'm heading your way, dude. I'll be in Cali on June 12, so look out for me! We have a ton of catching up to do.

As it turns out, I'm not studying to be a brain surgeon. I think knowing your future somehow allows you to change it. But you can't change the mediator thing, can you? You're stuck with it, right? Well, it must be cool to see ghosts and stuff, right? I guess not, as you would see them ALL THE TIME.

She was right. I could not change the fact that I was a mediator like she could change whether she would be a brain surgeon. And it did get old, you know, talking to dead people all the time. The only perk I'd ever received for being a mediator was the whole time-traveling back to Jesse's time and accidentally bringing his body back to the twenty-first century. And really, that wasn't exactly a perk, it was just an accident. It was a very good accident, but still. It's not like I got any brownie points off of it. I read on.

Speaking of doctors, isn't your boyfriend, the Famous Jesse I've heard so much about (who you are, by the way, going to introduce me to as soon as I get there. I want to see if he's nearly as hot as you've said), studying to be a doctor? Is Jesse The One, you know the One you're supposed to love forever?

Jesse was actually hotter than what I'd let on to Gina. I just didn't see telling her in a letter exactly how hot he was. Frankly, I didn't want her to meet him. I knew she'd think he was hot. Plus, I was scared she'd try and flirt with him or something. But, Jesse was The One. I knew it. I'd never told him that though. I figured it would make good conversation on our wedding night, if we ever got married. Of course, part of me didn't want to tell him at all; I half-wanted to keep it a secret. I read on.

Well, I haven't succeeded in finding a new boyfriend here in New York since James and I broke up, so I'm going boyfriend (as well as outlet) shopping while I'm in Carmel to see you. Are either Brad or Jake available? Because if they are, I'd be glad to renew acquaintances with them!

Um, ew, I thought. I so didn't think I wanted to give Gina an honest answer to that question.

Nothing really would have worked out between James and me because he's one of those band types who only really cared about his music. And his pot.

Ew, I thought. Why would she date such a guy? I read on.

I only wanted to date James for the experience of dating a musician. He was really nice, and he showed me a lot of really cool music. I'm going to bring my CDs to Carmel with me so you can hear what he listened to aroundme. I didn't really like much of it at first, but now I really like it. I think you'll like some of it, too.

Back to Jesse...What's he like? And if you met him when you first moved to Carmel, why didn't you introduce me to him when I came out to California that one time?

Um, that's because Jesse was a ghost then, and I couldn't introduce you to him, I thought.

And don't forget, Simon, you're going to tell me all about that mediator thing. Or I get to go on a date with Jesse! Just kidding, girl, but I really want to know about the mediator thing.

XOXO,

Gina

PS you really need to tell me EVERYTHING that's happened since I last saw you. I mean it. Don't worry, I'll share with you!

There would be no getting around it this time. I mean, Gina already knew. CeeCee knew. It was time I told them all of the truth.

I also needed to pay Father Dom a visit. I hadn't seen him in a while.

I cranked the car. I decided that I could e-mail my professors to get my make-up work. I needed a personal day off from school.

I pulled up to the mission. I hadn't been there in a while, and it hadn't changed much. Then again, it was built in the 1700s, and all they'd done in that time was add electricity and indoor plumbing (thank God. I don't think I would have been able to attend a school for two and a half years if I'd had to use a stinky little outhouse and use a corncob or paper that wasn't even fit to write on to you know….)

I sneaked my way past the novices (not an easy task). They were good at spotting and I slunk my way to Father Dom's office. I knocked on the heavy wooden door.

"Father Dominic?" I said.

"Susannah. What a lovely surprise. Did you bring Jesse?" He said. He looked genuinely glad to see me.

"Nope. I'm all by myself. Hope that doesn't bother you. I cut class today because I wanted to come see you."

"Susannah." He looked stern.

"What?"

"You shouldn't have skipped school to come and see me. What are you studying?"

"Fashion design."

"I could see you designing clothes." He chuckled.

"How is Jesse?"

"You know, same old, same old. Studying hard, working hard, petting that stupid cat Spike," I said.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be a great doctor someday, Susannah. And as for Spike, that is a terrible name for a cat, but the cat is a terrible cat," he said, smiling. He'd been very glad to get rid of Spike, "that infernal animal" is what Father D had always called Spike. I don't blame him. That cat was just weird. "Well, Susannah, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, whatever happened between you and that girl?" That's what I'd gone to talk to him about. I was really curious.

"Susannah, now is really not the time. I have much paperwork to do for the annual charity auction…" he trailed off. He was lying.

"Father Dom."

"Why does it bother you so?" he asked.

"I just want to know! I'm not leaving until you tell me."

"Well, all right, Susannah, since you won't leave until I tell you, I suppose you should know." He took a deep breath. "Her name was Gemma. I was twenty, and she had been fifteen when she'd died of polio, seven years before. I met her when I began to observe teachers at this school for college. She'd been hanging around watching the students and playing pranks. We fell in love shortly after, but it was the wrong thing for me to do because I was keeping her from moving on. I convinced her to move on, and that's when I decided to become a priest." He looked happy and sad at the same time, wrapped in his memories.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"It might have never worked anyway. She and I fought a good bit, but we were crazy about each other."

"Father Dominic, my friend Gina is coming from New York, and she wants to know about the mediator thing, and CeeCee is coming home in July, and she wants to know about it, too, and I don't really want to tell them, but they both are really good friends. What do I do?"

"You tell them. And, Susannah, you really should tell your mother. She has a right to know."

"No way."

"Susannah, what would you do if you were to marry someone who was not a mediator? Would you just not tell them?"

"I don't have to worry about that."

"How is Mr. Slater? I have not heard from Paul lately," he said.

"He's fine. He's at Harvard, studying to be an evil lawyer who keeps rich celebrities out of jail. He's coming back to Carmel in July. He wants him, Jesse, and me to get together sometime. Dr. Slaski's health is getting really bad. He doesn't have much longer to live. Doctors are really surprised that he's still alive," I said.

"Well, I'm afraid I have much to do today, Susannah. Come back to see me again soon," he said.

"Bye," I said. I then decided to head home to get my bathing suit, and then I'd spend the rest of the day alone on the beach, soaking in some nice sun rays. I needed a well-earned break, after all.