Chapter 3

I walked briskly down the hallway, fuming angrily. How dare he- how dare Paul Slater insult me. He thought he could come in here all sleek and suave and snatch me up and start things over again, but oh no. This is where it ends.

As I struggled to balance the stack of text books and binders I was totting around, CeeCee ran up from behind me. I guess I must have been walking pretty fast, because when she finally caught up beside me she seemed to be breathing heavier than usual.

"Su-uuu-ze!" CeeCee accented as she kept my pace to walk with me. I normally would have been more helpful and slowed my pace, but right now I was too mad to think about other peoples walking speeds. I came to a sudden stop beside my locker and proceeded to jam my books inside. At last, CeeCee had her chance to speak.

"Suze! My gosh you can walk fast- Suze what was that about?" When I didn't reply right away (I pretended to be absorbed in applying Pink Charm lip gloss) she prompted her question again, this time with more detail.

"Suze, back there in homeroom- who was that? Well, I mean, I now know he's Paul Slater, but Suze! What was with the word-whipping? You two were arguing and Kelly was flirting and- YOU'RE GOING TO HIS HOUSE? SUZE! WHAT'S GOING ON?" Her tone got deeper and her voice louder, so I decided not to delay it any more.

"CeeCee calm down, okay? No need to get all rallied up, I'll explain." CeeCee narrowed her eyes so I didn't pause for too long. "Like I said, I met Paul at the resort over the summer. At first he seemed nice, so I let him take me out for a burger, but then he… he…" Oh my, how to go on from here? I very well couldn't tell her about being trapped in the land between life and who-knows what. Oh no, she wouldn't get it. I needed to say something else. Maybe I could say he raped me? Okay, no. That'd just get unnecessary rumors started.

"He just was very jerky on our date, and he wasn't very nice to other people…" Other people like Jesse, whom he tried to kill. Well, not technically, since Jesse is, of course, already dead.

"So we just kind of ended things after one evening, because I never really saw him again and, quite frankly I didn't want too." CeeCee looked satisfied, but her expression somehow told me she wanted to hear more.

"So, when I saw him today, ironically, he asked me if I wanted to come over and… and…" I stuttered, my mind racing more an excuse. I couldn't say it was for school, classes hadn't even started yet! What could I say?

"…look at his hot tub. Yeah, because you know how Andy built a new one in our back yard? Well Paul has a, um, similar make, except his has an extra… extra foaming function. You know, like a bubble bath sort of thing. There's colored foam too, apparently. So I said yes because Andy wants to look at putting in some new features so…"

"Hot Tub? Suze are you and Paul, are you two, you know…" CeeCee blushed and her voice softened, "…doing it?" As she said this, I dropped the tube of gloss I had been holding and Adam approached us from behind. His eyes, like mine I'm sure, widened.

"Doing WHAT?" Adam asked, his voice squeaking. "Suze… CeeCee… is there something you want to tell me?" I rolled my eyes and CeeCee giggled. I did not find this funny at all, but CeeCee probably just wanted to look appreciative of Adams jokes since he, after all, is her object of affection.

"You know that guy we saw Miss Susannah with this morning, Adam?" I shuddered as she toyed with my name. "Well she knows him from over the summer- they went out once- and now she's going over to his house after school. To go in his hot tub." Smirking, CeeCee delievered my story to Adam, who, in response, slapped my back and widened his eyes even more.

"WHAT? Simon! Woohoo! What is going on with you and him? Did you guys have some fun over the summer? Did you have some R-rated action with the guy? Give us details!" He was disgustingly giddy, and his expression reminded me of a 12-year-old who had just found out that her crush secretly sort-of liked her. I rolled my eyes again.

"Adam, please, nothing, and I mean NOTHING happened. I don't even like him really, he's a jerk. And, I am NOT going in his hot tub- I'm going to look at it. For Andy, he needs some information on foam dispensers. Well, that was before anyways. I was going to go to his house, but know I don't think I will because he's too much of a rude jerk for me to stand an afternoon with him."

I crossed my arms, a sign that my false tale was over. I need to start thinking up of better excuses, or else who knows what people might be saying about me. The bell rang, signaling the start of the first class, and so my friends and I departed without further comments.

I wondered what those two were saying about me. Rather, I wondered what Paul was saying about me, what if our stories contradicted somehow? Knowing Paul, I'm sure they would. He'd twist the story and make it sound like… like… Oh, I don't know.

Sighing, I slunk into my seat and automatically stared at the clock. 9:30 am. Oh what an exciting day.

As the final bell of the day rang, I hurried to collect my stuff and headed out the doors. However, I was abruptly pulled aside by an unseen hand. Panic raced through me and I thought that, perhaps, another ghostly being had sought my help. Perfect. I didn't want to deal with anything right now, I just wanted to escape school- before Paul saw me.

"Hey!" I gasped, stumbling to the side. I regained my balance and turned to face the hand. It was very tanned and very strong, I instantly knew who it was. "PAUL! What are you- I told you that I'm not coming with you! I changed my mind, I don't care about the Mediator stuff that you know, I'll just figure it out on my own."

Paul's blue eyes met mine and they filled with laughter and plea. I tried to look away from him, because he was just so attractive, so tempting, I wanted him. No, I didn't want him. I wanted Jesse, but Jesse didn't want me. I wanted Paul's body- I wanted to roam it, touch it, taste it. But I didn't want Paul, oh no. No Paul for me.

"Suze, what happened this morning was an intervention, okay? I didn't mean what I said, and I know you don't, either. I'm sorry, and next time I'll lay off the remarks and try to defend you a bit better or something, okay? I was just caught up in everything- new school, first day, I tend to get somewhat… jittery. But I'm sorry, just like I am about everything else. I don't want you to be mad, I'll make it up to you… somehow. Forgive me." He leaned over and kissed my hand, all gentlemanly.

My hand tingled with the moisture of his lips. It felt so nice, so warm… I gasped. I shouldn't be thinking this, I should be… leaving. I wretched my hand away from his clutch and twisted my body away, trying to avoid looking at any part of Paul's anatomy whatsoever. I turned my head to the side and started walking away.

"No Paul, you can't make anything up to me. You can't do anything that would make me want you." As soon as I realized what I had said, much too late, I whipped around to face Paul, who was grinning, and tried to recoil what I said.

"I mean, you can't do anything that'd make me want to come with you. I don't want you, at all. I want nothing to do with you, okay? So just leave me alone!" I tried to hurry off, but then Paul said something else.

"Suze, what if I told you about things that could possibly… possibly be helpful to Jesse? Things that could help you help those poor, pathetic ghosts that come to you for advice? I can tell you how to get up there-" he pointed at the ceiling, indicating the endless hallway I had been trapped in just weeks before. "-without exorcizing yourself. It's easy, you just need my help."

I heard him, loud and clear. Help Jesse? What did he mean by that? Could I make Jesse alive again, in present day? What did Paul mean? I was curious, so, so curious, but I didn't want to answer to eagerly. I didn't want Paul's help- well, I did, but not if it meant nearly being killed by him again.

"Paul, if I agree to let you teach me, you have to promise not to hurt Jesse, or myself, alright?" I know, a verbal promise with Paul means basically nothing, but still. I needed some form of agreement, and I didn't want to be all super-protective and write things down. Paul would just laugh.

The two plush, perfectly shaped lips that belonged to Paul Slater formed the words for me as I faintly heard the words… I was, I am ashamed to say, looking only at his mouth.

"I agree Suze. I won't bother Jesse… and I won't bother you. I will simply help you, nothing more." He had stopped smirking, so I took that as some progress. His signature grin was embedded in my head like the Cheshire Cats- when he's gone all that's left is the smile.

"Okay. I'll do it." Paul nodded, hiding a smile, and reached for my hand. I didn't take it. Paul thought he had me now, he thought he could control me- just because I had agreed to take Mediator lessons from him. Well, he wasn't getting anything. I was only his student, not his friend.

I brushed away his hand and hurried my pace so I walked a few steps in front of him.

"So, where's your car?"