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Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Meg Cabot (except Rachael)

CHAPTER 4

RACHAEL

I was woken up to hysterical sobs. Great. I sat up groggily, and clapped on the lights. A girl about my age was standing near my bed, crying her eyes out. I checked my watch. It read

5 am. I brushed all the hair out of my face and looked at this girl a little closer. I could see she was about 15 years old. She had long, curly red hair. She wore glasses, and was very pretty. She could have been a model, if she wasn't, you know. Dead. I don't know if she realised that I was looking at her, but she stopped crying, saw I was awake, and stood up shakily. I got up, crossed the room and sat myself down on the window seat. I don't think she realised that I had acknowledged her presence, since she sunk down into my desk chair again, and went right on crying. After a few minutes I got pissed.

"Hey," I said, not very nicely. She looked up.

"You- you can see me?" she asked, uncertainly.

"Yeah." I said. "Yeah, I can see you."

"But- but you're the only person who- I mean- how..?" she trailed off, helplessly. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, despite the fact that she had woken me up at five o'clock in the morning.

"Yeah, that's my job. I'm a mediator. Or a shifter, whatever you prefer. I'm supposed to help you to heaven or hell, or your new life or whatever. I'm Suze, by the way."

She smiled back. "I'm Rachael. But um… how do I get there?"

"Well, what's holding you back? From going to heaven, I mean."

She looked cross. "I don't know. Aren't you the one who's supposed to know?"

I sighed. "No. Well, yes, but you have to tell me what's holding you back. From going up there, I mean."

"Oh. I don't know. I mean, I think I know what's holding me back."

I nodded… "And…"

"Well, I went to see a physic once, she was pretty nice, until she told me that I'd only have one love." Ooh… this sounded interesting. "And she said it would last until the end of my days. Or-" she gulped. "For all eternity." Okay, this girl was starting to freak me out. I swallowed. Hard.

"Oh." I said. It came out strangled.

"What?" she said indignantly, eyeing me strangely.

"Nothing. It's just that – well, the same thing happened to me."

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah."

"And…?" she prompted me.

"Well, I've already met him, actually. But er… there's only one slight problem." She looked at me, as if to say "go on". "He's not really alive." She gaped at me.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Did he die?" I found this an extremely amusing question, considering the fact that I'd just told him he wasn't really alive. I smiled.

"Well, yeah. But it was a really long time ago." Just then, Jesse materialised next to my bed.

Rachael screamed. "Holy shit." She muttered under her breath. I smiled.

"Rachael, meet Jesse. Jesse, this is Rachael. Jesse, I was just telling Rachael about you."

"Oh?" He said, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. She was telling me about how you're erm… really nice and all." She said catching my warning glance."

Jesse relaxed. I could tell he was relieved.

"Well, then I think I'll let you two señoritas be." And he de-materialized.

"Is that…? Is that him?"

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "That would be him. But I don't think that's the issue here. We were talking about you?"

"Oh. Right. Well, as I was saying. The whole meeting the love of my life thing must be holding me back, because to be honest, I don't think I've ever met him. I've never even had a boyfriend yet, actually." She said, blushing. I gaped at her.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No." She looked dead serious.

"Wow." I said. "No offence," I added quickly. "It's just that, I mean, I seriously think you could be a model." She smiled, flashing pearl white teeth.

"Really?" She asked, pleased.

"Yeah." I wasn't lying either. She really was pretty.

"Thanks." Then she looked sad again. "They offered. The companies, I mean. My mom wouldn't let me. She's dead too."

"Oh." I said. "I'm really sorry."

She shrugged. "I think I've started to get used to it. There was a car crash." She swallowed.

"You don't have to tell me." I said quickly.

"No, no it's okay. I have to tell someone."

"Okay…"

"The road was slippery. It had been raining. We were going quite fast. My little brother Johnny was asleep, and my little sister Alice was screaming for some cookies. My dad was driving, yelling at her to shut up. She started crying. Mom started fussing over her, wiping away her tears and stroking her hair. My dad was trying to concentrate on the road. I saw it before anybody else. There was a huge truck, coming our way. He honked his horn, I screamed for my dad to dodge it. But it was too late. I was blinded for a second by the light. Alice was clinging onto me. I heard her scream out for my mom. Then I felt the crash. I closed me eyes. When I woke up, I was dead. I called out for my mom, but she wasn't there. I was all alone. All these paramedics were carrying my body into an ambulance. I watched as they cleared the wreck. No one survived."

I watched her wipe away the tears that had been threatening to spill. "I'm really sorry." I said, laying a hand on her shoulder. She hugged me.

"Thanks."

Now, most of the time I don't like being touched. Especially when it comes to ghosts. Excepting Jesse, of course. But this time I didn't mind that much. That was because I was beginning to find that she was a really nice person.

"Hey," I said. "Don't worry about it. I know a place you can stay, for a while, before meeting your prince charming." I said. She smiled a watery smile.

"Thanks." She said, hugging me again.

"No problem," I said, hugging her back. "Everything will be fine."

And for once, I was right.

(A/N: I know this chappy is kinda short and boring, but it'll get better, promise: ) Review, please! )