Disclaimer: All of the original and familiar characters are property of Meg Cabot and her series The Mediator, but the plot and new faces are property of me.

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Chapter 5

I wake up at six in the morning and begin my morning ritual to get ready for school.

"God, this blows," I say aloud while messing up on my eyeliner for the third time. "Third time is so not a charm!" I yell at the mirror and throw my eyeliner down on the counter, silently cursing at it.

I finally decide to throw on some grungy jeans with holes in them and my black, leather jacket over a white satin tank top. I slam my feet into some Jimmy Choo three-inch boots, and I sling my backpack over my shoulder.

"We are going to be late!" Dopey says while I am walking down the stairs.

"I'm right here, Dop-, I mean, Brad." I say biting back the urge to just say it to his face.

"What are you a hobo today, Suze?" Dopey says from the driver's seat of the car. He sneers at me, and I shoot him a look of my own.

"Are you gonna be stupid again today, Brad, or is today going to be a rare exception?"

That shuts him up, and I get into the front seat. I smile back at David in the back seat, but he's engrossed in a new book that Andy got for him when they went to the bookstore last night after dinner.

"So, how's the book, going?" I ask Doc, as Dopey backs out of the driveway.

Doc doesn't even look up from it, but answers politely, "Good, I'm really learning a lot!"

Dopey snorts, and I glare over at him.

"What?" Dopey asks when he sees me glaring at him.

"Why are you so mean to David? I mean, one would think that since he's so smart and all, that you your would be down on your knees praying to him."

Dopey snorts again.

"Actually Brad, Suze is right, in the ancient civilizations—" David is cut off—well, we are all cut off (with Dopey cursing very loud), by a black Beemer, which I only recognize too well. Paul.

When we pulled up into the school, and had gotten out of the car, I see Paul lurking around the main entrance, obviously waiting for Kelly. I decide to pass him as quickly as I can.

"Hello Suze," Paul greets to me when I pass him, and he begins walking right along side me. "Have an interesting night, didn't we?"

I stare at him, amazed, "How did you know?"

"I have my secrets," Paul says, and I frown at him. Something I seem to be doing a lot. "Why do you look so sad, Suze?" Paul asks, his tone of voice changing completely. It stuns me so badly, that I stop dead and look up into his eyes.

I don't say anything for the minute or so that we stare at each other. Paul then puts an arm around me, and walks me to my locker. "Is everything alright with Jesse, Suze? You know you can tell me anything. That's what friends are for, you know?"

For a moment I almost decide to tell him everything. Just spill it all, but then CeeCee comes up behind us, removes Paul's arm from my shoulders, and says, "Paul, don't make me kick your ass."

Paul raises his eyebrows at me, and then looks down at CeeCee. She stares at him dead on, and then Paul glances back at me. "I'll talk to you at lunch, right Suze?"

"Um, sure," I say and then thankfully, Paul leaves before CeeCee has an aneurysm.

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"What were you thinking?" CeeCee yells at me while walking to out first period class, Pre Calculus (just what I love to start off my mornings with…not).

"He's okay now, you know Ceece. People can change."

"Oh no you don't!" She says when I try to escape her by going into the classroom three minutes early. "You aren't having feelings for Paul are you Suze?"

I am stunned, "OF COURSE NOT!" I bellow, and some freshmen look at us like we're crazy.

"Okay, well, I have to make sure you know."

"Make sure of what?" Adam asks us while coming up and putting his arm around CeeCee's shoulders. Her face switched to the angry scrunched up one to a calm, relaxed, loving one.

"That Suze isn't harboring feelings for Slater."

"Oh, yeah, I would have to agree with Cee on that, I mean it would be like bad karma or something to go for Paul, when you and Jesse worked so hard to be together."

I lock eyes with CeeCee, "He doesn't know the half of it," she lips to me, and I want to burst out laughing.

But instead, I say to Adam, "You're right, that would be bad karma, and I fully intend on not falling for Paul. I mean after all, I might not live if I do, because of Kelly and everything." They both laugh, and we head into class just as the bell rings.

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Right after third period, I see Paul and Kelly in the hallway on my way to lunch. Kelly is trying to get close to Paul, but he won't let her. I wonder what's going on, when I feel somebody's hand on my shoulder. I turn around and see Jesse.

"Hello," Jesse says, and smiles at me. "Do you think we could go somewhere secluded?"

My heart leaps, and suddenly I get really hot in my jacket, but if Sister Ernestine saw me without my jacket on I think I might just give her a heart attack. I decide to remove it once we are alone. "Um, why don't we go to the graveyard?" Jesse nods his head, and takes my hand.

When he starts off in the direction that Paul and Kelly are in, he just keeps on going, and when we pass Paul, he gives Jesse a once over and a nod of his head, and then shoots me a quizzical look.

Jesse holds my hand the entire way to the isolated graveyard, and we decide to sit on the bench in the middle of the maze of tombs. When he sits close to me, I gain confidence, and decide to take off my jacket. I place it in my lap, and look up at Jesse.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I ask him politely.

"I just," Jesse's eyes glance downward, and I repress a smile. "I just, w-wanted to know if-if you were okay, querida."

"Well, I have been thinking about it constantly today." That isn't so much of a lie, when I had arrived at the Mission it had felt empty, but I had been so puzzled with Paul (what else is new?) to actually give it a second thought. But now that Jesse is asking me straightforward, I kind of want to cry about the loss of Father Dominic.

Jesse looks down at my shirt again. "You should—"

I cut in, already knowing what Jesse's going to say. "I know I shouldn't wear this shirt, but I am keeping my jacket on all day in school, Jesse."

"Actually," Jesse says while leaning forward, "I was thinking you should wear this top more often."

I blush and then breathe in the essence, which is Jesse. His lips are almost touching mine, when out of the corner of my eye I see Paul. Backing away from Jesse, I look over at Paul.

"Yeah?" I ask him with my eyes shooting daggers.

"Sister Ernestine asked me to come find you. She said the matter was an important one." Paul walks up to me, while saying this and takes my hand. "Let's go."

"Wait, can Jesse come too?" I ask desperately.

"No, it's alright, Susannah, I'll just see you at dinner. You're step-father invited me over." Jesse doesn't look at me, but stares at Paul, who is now leading me quickly away from my almost kismet.