To Everyone who is reading their comments and such, uh, be warned, I have 20 oz of Dew and lots of Snow Caps in me…and I'm dead tired…so yes…I will be crazy. Oh, and I'm done with exams now so its Summer baby!

Sania- Genius might be pushing it a little…just a little though! Oh my…I crack myself up…

ATiKTImporta- MWAHAHAHA I love making people suffer for an update…

AWI!- Yes, dear, I know, I am everyone's hero…especially my own…haha…yeah no. Um, thanks babe I love you mooooore!

Madmaddy- MadMaddy, are you actually mad? Or is it just a plot to confuse people like me…people high on caffeine and who should be sleeping…RANDOM that was Ha, watch out…you never know who you might be dancing with. One time at a mixer this really creepy guy started dancing with me from behind and yeah it was weird…

Koizak- Yes dear, it was not Jesse. It is…well…read and you shall find out! I think I will update just for yoooooou. And uh, you know, everyone else who is reading this spiffy fic…

Nikki007- Nuh uh, I get Jesse. And Erik. And Paul. And um. Ok I will share angelic look

Starwolf616- Well dear Miss uh…what do you call someone…wait what am I talking about I totally just lost my train of thought…dude. I am getting obsessed with this Brit band, the Bravery. OH! Dear Miss fan of mine…Erik says he will come visit you tonight if you are a good girl and review my story again 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR!

The eyes that my own stared into were not the beloved deep brown eyes I could stare into for hours. No, these were not the eyes of Jesse…"Erik…?" I whispered, unable to keep the fear out of my voice.

The ice blue eyes rolled at me and he chuckled. "Erik? Did you really believe all that Erik crap, Suze?"

A cold knot of dread and fear formed in my stomach and I took a few steps back from this man. "Paul? How…why…?" What the hell does Paul think he is doing? He…deceived me…

"Susie, Susie, Susie. Don't you remember what I said? I told you I would make you love me one way or another. Now that Lover Boy is out of the picture I can finally have you all to myself. If being Erik and talking to you as him was the only way I could get to you then so be it. But I am here, aren't I? And I got you to dance with me and I am fairly certain you were getting into those kisses. You even mentioned my name in your thoughts." He said with his cocky little smirk.

"First off," I said getting pissed, "It is SUZE. Do NOT call me Susie! Second, what do you mean Jesse is out of the picture? I still love him…I do not feel any different towards him or you now that we kissed. And I only got into the kisses because I thought it was Jesse!" Wait…I did think about Paul while kissing…I was definitely feeling that kiss all throughout my body. Suddenly I frowned and said to Paul, "And hey! Stop listening to my thoughts! If I wanted people to hear them I would vocalize them!"

He laughed again, and said, "Ah, where's the fun in being a shifter if you cannot listen to un-expecting people's thoughts? Besides, you should know by now more often than not I am listening to your mind. You could easily be listening to mine too…" He then grinned a smile that hinted at the type of thoughts he was having. Ew. "You might not feel any different towards Jesse, but how do you know he doesn't feel different towards you?"

"Wha…what do you mean?" I said, sadly soundly way more pathetic then I would have liked. I then got angry again and said, "Of course he feels the same! He loves me." I then started turning away from Paul in disgust. "You know what, I don't need to prove myself to you. I'm going to get Jesse now…he was getting me a drink…" Why has he not come back yet? Come on, Jesse, do not let me down…Paul cannot be right…he cannot…

"If you are looking for Jesse, he is over there with Emily Jung." Paul said pointing towards the left side of the gym near the stage area.

Who the hell is Emily Jung? I glared at Paul and said, "I do not believe you."

He held out his hands in surrender and said, "No need for death looks, I am just telling you how it is. If you do not believe me, go look for yourself."

"Fine, I will." I said icily. Man, if I really did not believe Paul, then why did I feel like my world was about to be ripped in half?

"This my malady." Paul said with a twirl of his cape. I glared at him and his stupid costume. I suddenly was very pissed off at my 'brilliant' plan of going as Phantom characters because that meant Jesse's face was covered making it oh so easy for Paul. Hell, I was pissed at the whole idea of a Masquerade. Why couldn't we just have a normal dance like every other school…"Aw, why the sullen look, Suze? Don't you like the idea of me as Erik. Don't you find it seeexy." He was grinning at me again. God, I hate how he could mock me like this.

"Shut up Paul. I am so not in the mood right now."

"Why not?" he said with his eyes sparkling. "You said you don't believe me…unless of course you are just trying to lie to yourself even though you know I am right…that I am always right in the ways of shifting."

"I said, shut up Paul!" I hissed at him.

He chuckled and said, "I thought so…"

He waltzed towards where he claimed Jesse to be…he was enjoying this way too much. I followed behind him feeling even more sick the closer we got towards where Jesse supposedly was.

With another swirl of the cape he said, "Ta-DA!" Pointing towards another mask and cape dressed boy who was dirty dancing with a pretty girl with dark blonde hair and in a short black dress with black wings. I froze where I was and felt like I was about to throw up all over Paul…especially when I said Jesse run his hands from her hips up to her chest…and then…"Oh my god…" I whispered feeling tears pooling in my eyes. Jesse started kissing the girl's neck. She suddenly spun around to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck and started making out with him still grinding with him. My heart felt like it broke into a million pieces and I stalked towards him and that…that…SLUT! What I was planning on doing I have no idea. All I know is I wanted to get that girl off MY man. And…smack him. How dare he!

"How dare you, I think is the better question." A voice whispered in my ear as a hand grabbed my arm.

"What the hell do you mean by that, Paul?" I said spinning back towards him folding my arms in a huff.

He half smiled and said, "Well you brought this upon yourself. You cannot blame him…not really at least." He looked over at Jesse and Emily who were really going at it and said, "Hey, you want to how them how its really done? We could so beat them…" He traced his hand up my arm to my shoulder. "We could show him what we really did at those shifter lessons…"

Paul's face was getting closer to mine and I found it really hard to breathe. Of course all the air I wad breathing was the smell of Paul…oh God…how I have always loved his smell…Ah! Suze! Snap out of this! You are just pissed at Jesse…you do not like Paul…but…I have always liked kissing him…he is so good…makes me feel so…wanted. "Wait…"I finally got out forcing myself to back away from Paul and his intoxicating scent. "Wait…how did I bring this upon myself?"

Paul sighed and said, "I told you the Love spell that brought Jesse back to life had consequences if you did something wrong. And yes, they can be fixed, but it takes work." He must have noticed my confused look because he added, "Look, its like this. He came alive because you Love him. As in real true Love. As in you would never do anything to hurt him…including kiss another guy…"

My eyes widened as I started to make connections. "But…you…you tricked me!" I shoved him away from me…even though Paul being as strong as he is, he didn't really move at all. "You knew this would happen! You just had to get me to kiss you so he would leave me. You…bastard!"

"No, I just happened to decided to pretend to be Erik and get you to think he was real and think he would show up at the dance which just happened to be what Lover Boy was coming as." He said way too sarcastically for my taste. "Duh. I planned this all out as soon as I found out you were making him come as the phantom. Lucky for me it worked!" he said looking back to Jesse and Emily who were still making out.

"But the kiss meant nothing." I said not getting how a trick kiss could do this.

Paul shook his head and said, "It meant something. Every single kiss we have ever shared as meant something to you, and you cannot deny that. A kiss that means nothing cannot be filled with as much passion as you kiss me. It might not be love but it is filled with another power equally as strong as Love. Lust."

He had me there. Lust always did seem to overcome me whenever Paul was being sweet…or looking hot…or…just being Paul. But I sure as hell was not going to admit to that.

I lowered my eyes and sighed sadly. A tear finally escaped from my eyes and fell down my face. Oh god, I do not want to cry at this dance…people will be all like oh my god whats wrong? I want to leave…

Paul frowned slightly and said, "Hey…hey now. Don't cry Suze…"He wiped the falling tears from my face. He then chuckled…yet again. I shot him a look of dislike and he said hurriedly, "No! no, I am not laughing at your crying. I am just thinking about how I was comforting you not that long ago because you were crying about Jesse."

I wiped my eyes with my hand and said, "yeah but that was because I thought Jesse and I had no real future together, him being a ghost and all. Now it is because he…doesn't…love me…" My voice cracked at the realization that the man I have given my heart to, has thrown it all away. I began to cry harder and let out, "Oh Paul!" and flung my arms around him and started sobbing into his shoulder. His body tensed at first but slowly started to relax as his arms slowly snaked around my waist, giving me the comfort I so desperately needed.

Paul—

Ok Paul, you are playing with fire here. You finally have her in your arms, with her own free will, but it is only because she is crying because of Jesse. I let out a sigh in my mind and thought, oh well, might as well enjoy this…knowing Suze, it will not last long…

Jesse—

I went off to get drinks for Susannah and smiled to myself. I was actually having a great time with her and couldn't wait to get back to her and kiss her the way I have wanted to kiss her since…well…I met her. I guess now that I am alive and I know things are done differently now then when I was originally alive, I feel more comfortable showing her the passion I hold. I went to the concession stand and asked for two soda. As I was walking back I felt a hand on my back. I spun around and saw Emily Jung smiling up at me. I smiled back and said, "Hey Emily"

"Hey Jesse…" She said pulling at her very short dress a little. I innerly frowned at her clothes thinking how inappropriate it was for a school dance. "I was wondering if I could dance with you…or would your girlfriend be against that?"

Would Susannah care if I just had a little innocent dance with a friend? I don't think she would…"No, that is fine with me."

She gave me another smile and said, "Great." She then took the drinks from me and set them on a nearby table and wrapped her arms around my neck and started swaying to the song. I put my arms around her and set them on her back making sure they were not too close to her butt. I did not want to be rude…plus that I know Susannah would not like.

By the end of the song, Emily and I were totally lost to the music. She was gazing into my eyes…almost lovingly. I knew a half smile was playing on my lips…and I slowly lowered my head towards hers. Her eyes began to close as she leaned in towards my lips. Just as our lips met my mind screamed, "What are you doing? You are in love with Susannah…you are going to ruin everything! Paul warned you both the bond of Love between you two could easily break and there would be consequences! DO NOT KISS EMILY!" Sadly the other voice in my head beat the other voice with a "Dios…Emily is hot…"

Short? Yes. It is. I will write more soon! But I am going to a friends house now. BYE!

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