The Cult

Summary: Everything is actually going smoothly in Susannah Simon's life. She has a wonderful boyfriend and her stalker finally decided to stop stalking her. What more could a girl ask for? When mysterious people begin to appear in peaceful Carmel California, Suze is given an eye opener to unbelievable possibilities. Maybe being a shifter is more than she'd bargained for. There might be a chance that Paul wasn't exactly lying when he said, "There's more than meets the eye."

Disclaimer: Susannah Simon, Jesse De Silva, and Paul Slater belongs to Meg Cabot (a.k.a. Jenny Carroll)

Pairings: You'll have to read and find out. xD

Rating: T for mild swearing.

Quick AN: This story is told in mainly in Suze's point-of-view, but it may change to one of my own character's. There might also be a third person's point-of-view (which will be classified as "Normal POV".

"talking"
'thinking'

Chapter 1 – The Girl with the Glasses

Suze's POV

Life is good. Dopey is out of town and Sleepy is moving his stuff to his new dorm. Mom and Andy are out of town, something to do with relaxation and vacation time, leaving me with an empty house…almost. There's still Doc, who is doing his usual science stuff in his room, but you can barely tell he's there. You must be wondering who Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc are, eh? Well they're my long-lost brothers that I've been searching for my entire life.

Okay, so they're not my long-lost brothers and I definitely wouldn't want to find Dopey if I was lucky enough to lose him. To make a long story short, I moved to the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea because my mom met and fell in love with a wannabe-comedian carpenter, Andy. They got hitched and poof! I have three new step-brothers. Somehow, she managed to convince me to move with her thus dragging me across the country to this small town all the way from New York City. This place is just so bright.Different shades of gray turned to yellows, pinks, and whites. Talk about a major change. I guess you could even venture to say I miss all the dull, drab colors. Seriously, all the brightness is making me blind!

Back on the subject of my three step-brothers, I guess I should explain who Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc are, I mean their real names. Sleepy is the oldest. His real name's Jake, but Sleepy suites him a lot better since he appears to be stoned all the time, and to think he thought I was the one that was doing drugs. Dopey is a soon-to-be junior in Junipero Serra Mission Academy. It's a surprise that he even passed sophomore year. He's big and beefy, your typical wrestler. I swear he's on steroids or something. He's not the brightest of the bunch, okay, he's pretty dim, but I've seen worse, seriously. Doc, on the other hand, is your average fourteen year old. NOT. He's a freaking genius! He can go on about anything with all this science and technical stuff. Sure he's dorky and all, I would have to say he's the best of the bunch, no offense to Jake or anything. You've got to dig the red hair and freckles, not to mention the sticky-outy ears.

Besides the step-brother factor, notice I said step-brothers, everything seemed to be alright, if you don't consider that I was moved three thousand miles away from my home of sixteen years and my lifelong best friend – okay, my only best friend – to a new and strange place. Not to mention that the moment I stepped into my bedroom, I find there's a hot 18th century haunting my bedroom. Yeah, that's right. You heard me. I said ghost. No, I'm not crazy. That's probably what you're thinking, right? I mean, ghosts aren't supposed to exist! Well, that's where you're wrong. There are ghosts, you just can't see them. Seriously! The only reason I can is because I'm what you'd call a mediator, a liaison between the dead and alive, or, in Paul's terms, a shifter, whatever that is.

Thankfully that job was easier than some of the others. I've mediated tons of ghosts in my time as a mediator, not that I had a choice in the matter, and most of them ended with me beating the shit out of them, not without getting bruises on my part. Father Dominic has always reproved the way I "mediate" ghosts. He thinks we should "talk it out" and help them move on when they're good and ready. Pft! It's not my fault that some of the ghosts, that come to me, for help want something impossible, you know, like murder. Yeah, that's a no-can-do. I'm not throwing away my life to help someone who's already dead move on to heaven, hell, limbo, wherever they're suppose to end up. That's usually when they get angry and violent, which leads to an exorcism on my part and a one-way trip to Shadowland. Fun, eh? Not really, considering my recent project threw me off the roof of my house into a ditch which resulted in a goose egg shaped bump on my forehead. What a great way to thank me for my efforts. Note my sarcasm.

Anyway, back on the subject of the 18th century hottie in my bedroom, his name's Jesse, or Hector De Silva to be exact. He was apparently murdered in my bedroom a hundred and fifty years ago by his fiancé's lover. Yippee. The good thing is he's not one of the violent ones. The bad thing? I fell in love with him. Yeah, you heard me. I fell in love with a ghost. Talk about a dead relationship. Ha! Suze did a funny! Okay, back on the story of my pathetic, loveless, sixteen-year-old life, I managed, somehow, to meet my stalker, Paul Slater, who kindly informed me that I'm a shifter, not a mediator, whatever that means, after babysitting his little brother, Jack, at one of my summer jobs. The only good thing about him is he can see the dead just like me and Father Dom. The bad thing is he's totally hot, completely sadistic, and obsessed over me. Another point for Susie! Not. I mean, he threatened to exorcise my boyfriend, back when he was still a ghost that is, if I refused to take shifter lessons with him. What a great way to make a girl like you, no?

I know you must be wondering about what I meant when I say "back when my boyfriend was a ghost". Well, I mean exactly what I said. My boyfriend was a ghost. You know the 18th century hottie Jesse De Silva that I told you about, the one that haunts, I mean used to haunt, my bedroom? Yeah, he's my boyfriend. I guess the relationship isn't so dead now, uh? That leads to what I mean when I say "life is good." Let me elaborate on that. Suze is home alone, not counting Doc, with a hottie boyfriend during summer vacation. Yeah, you know what that spells? D-A-T-E. That's right, I said DATE! Now that my former-stalker, Paul, finally decided that he wouldn't interfere in our relationship anymore, Jesse and I had gotten rather cozy, if you know what I mean.

Now all I have to do is put on my bikini top and sarong so we can head to our picnic on the beach. I hope Jesse likes it, I mean he's so proper. He thinks the t-shirt and boxers I where to bed is revealing. I guess it can't be helped that the girls in the 18th century cover their bodies 24/7, including full-body underwear. Jesse's starting to get the 21st century way of thinking and talking, even though he messes up the lingo sometimes, but at least he's trying. Anyway, back to our current predicament: which pair of flip-flops should I wear for our date? I know it's petty, but it's our first date and I want to look good for him. I know he loves me either way, whether I look like I'm a hobo living off the streets or a total beauty queen, but I'm a girl and I want to look good for our first, official date.

Examining my selection of shoes, I definitely ruled out my favorite Jimmy Choos. I don't want to mess them up with all the sand and stuff not to mention boots and sarongs definitely don't match. I finally decided on a pair of yellow flower flip-flops to go along with my electric-blue sarong and sky-blue bikini. Taking one look at myself in my bathroom mirror, even I had to admit I look good. I'm no Miss America but this'll have to do for Jesse. My chestnut hair fell in waves around my shoulders bringing out the green in my eyes. Flashing a brilliant smile, I hurried down the stairs and grabbed my keys. Yeah, you heard me. I said keys. I finally got my license a week ago after passing my driving test with flying colors. It's got to count for something at least. Dopey had to take it twice to pass. Okay, so doing better than Brad isn't anything to be proud of, I mean, I'm almost better than him in everything except wrestling, not that I wrestle.

Shouting up the stairs, I informed Doc that I'm going out on a date with Jesse. Doc was the only one who knows that Jesse used to be a ghost. It was one of my earlier mediations when I met his mom, and to say I got into something over my head was an understatement. The lady talked in riddles and I accidentally mixed up her "Red" with Red Beaumont, a business tycoon. It doesn't help that I was dating his son at the time, but it couldn't be helped. Needless to be said, we broke up afterwards, not that I was sad or anything. I still have Jesse.

With a beep, I unlocked my Volvo beetle. Did I mention I love my car? It's a cute, tomato red Volkswagen Beetle. It isn't much, compared to Paul's black BMW, but it'll do for transportation. Reversing out of our driveway, I drove down to Carmel Beach, one of Carmel's main attractions. Finding a parking space, I hopped out and pulled out my pair of Chanel sunglasses from the glove compartment. Putting them on, I eyed the beach with unhidden eagerness.

"Querida!" I heard a familiar voice call.

Beaming in happiness, I whipped around and saw a sight for sore eyes.

"Jesse!" I cried happily as he ran up to me. His hair was as luscious as ever. His brown, soulful eyes stared out at me with unbidden love. He was holding a large picnic hamper under his right arm.

"Have you been waiting long, querida?" he asked softly as he shifted the picnic hamper slightly so he can put an arm around me.

"Not all, Jesse. I just got here."

I couldn't hide my excitement as he led me down to a secluded spot on the beach. A blanket awaited us as he led me over. The waves lapped the shore softly and rhythmically, setting the perfect atmosphere for our first date. Helping me sit on the soft blanket, Jesse put the picnic hamper carefully down in front of me before placing himself beside me.

"Feeling hungry, querida?" he asked as he opened it. The mouth-watering aroma of quesadillas wafted out.

"Very."

Taking out some disposable paper plates, he served me before taking for himself. Lunch passed in a blur of talking, eating, snuggling, and kisses. What more can you ask for on date? Tilting my head slightly, I gazed into his pools of molten chocolate, drowning in his gaze. Before I knew it, I was lost in our kiss. His lips massaged mine softly as one of his hands fell to my waist, contrasting greatly with my pale skin. I moaned softly as he nibbled on my bottom lip. Suddenly, a bout of swearing interrupted our kiss.

"…stupid fucking bastards! What the hell do they have to do thi – oh!"

'Oh!' is right. Thanks so much for ruining our perfect kiss. Scrutinizing the stranger standing a few feet from us, I noted that she was a pretty girl. A pair of Gucci sunglasses was balanced precariously on head, pushing back a curtain of shiny, black hair. Her almond-colored eyes were tilted slightly at the corners indicating Asian decent. She was clad in faded jeans that hugged her figure nicely, but not too tight. She's wearing a black, sleeveless turtleneck silk shirt and a black leather jacket.

"S-sorry," she stammered as her pale mocha-colored skin darkened as she blushed prettily, "I'll just leave now."

Spinning around quickly, she stumbled towards the rocky pier.

"Um, it's okay, right Jesse? We were, um, just leaving," I babbled as I elbowed Jesse in the guts, indicating he can say something, anything.

"Y-yeah. Susannah's right. We weren't doing anything…" he trailed off lamely. Sighing exasperatedly, I rolled my eyes.

'Men. They're impossible.'

"It's okay. I didn't mean to end up here. I was looking for…err…someone."

She looked nervous for a split second before an emotionless mask fell on her face, preventing us from reading more into her actions and words. Her once warm almond eyes were steely as she stared scrutinizingly at me. I shifted uncomfortably, snapping her out of whatever she was thinking. A smile split her face as she beamed warmly at me. Slightly unnerved, I grinned weakly back.

"Sorry, I was just caught up on my thinking. I'll just leave now," she said cheerfully as she disappeared behind some rocks.

"That…was strange," Jesse murmured as he stroked my hair lovingly.

"Strange is an understatement, Jesse," I answered dryly, wondering why she was staring at me like that. I think I've officially cracked. I'm so paranoid nowadays. Shaking my head, I smiled up at Jesse.

"I think I should head back home. Doc's at home alone. I think he might like some company."

"Of course, querida. I won't keep you from him," Jesse answered lovingly as he stood up. Getting up, I helped Jesse roll up the blanket and pack the leftover quesadillas back into the picnic hamper. We strolled along the shoreline towards the parking lot. Kids ran past us, giggling and laughing as they splashed each other in the waves. Everything seemed so warm. Life seems almost perfect at times like this.

It was way too soon that I find myself standing next to my car.

"Drive safely, querida," Jesse said as he leaned down to steal one more kiss from me. Melting into instant I-love-Jesse goo, I kissed him back before he pulled back lightly.

"You should get going."

"Mm, yeah," I answered as I smiled goofily at him. Unlocking the door, I slid inside. The interior was stuffy from the afternoon sun. Jesse waved from outside the window. Sending him one last smile, I started my car and reversed out of the parking space.

"Goodbye, querida," he mouthed as I drove off. Slowing slightly, I blew him a kiss before giving him a finger way and speeding up once more. Pulling into the driveway of 99 Pinecrest, I parked car before leaning back into the seat and sighing dreamily. The date was perfect, if you don't count that chick intruding in the middle of our kiss. Frowning, I remembered the girl. Something about her screamed supernatural, even though I couldn't put my finger on it. Shrugging it off, I brushed off my instincts. It's probably wrong, anyway. The only supernatural ones in Carmel is me, Paul, and Father Dom, if you don't count all the ghosts. Besides, why would my instincts react to a simple girl when nothing even sparked my interest when I met Father Dom and Paul?

Shaking my head, I decided to leave it be. This was just too weird for my liking. I don't know much about this situation, and I'm not going to drive all the way out to 148 Scenic Drive just to ask Paul about this feeling. Shoving open my car door, I slid out and slammed it close. Making sure to set my car alarm, I headed towards the front door. Fumbling with my keys for a minute, I finally unlocked the door and walked into the cool, air-conditioned room.

"Hey David! I'm back!" I called. A muffled, "Alright!" floated down the stairs. Grinning widely, I headed up the stairs and entered my room. A vast mass of pink assaulted my eyes. You must be wonder why I, the punk, have pink in my room not to mention a canopy bed. The answer's one word: Mom. She's always wanted a normal daughter to gossip with, but I didn't turn out that way, did I? I'm a complete and total freak that can see ghosts, and gets brought home tons of times by the police to boot. My favorite color is black, not the all-time girly color pink. I'm not popular and wouldn't be caught dead in a cheerleader uniform. My mom, once, installed a separate phone line for me when I got into high school saying that boys would be rushing to call me and take me on dates. She was beyond disappointed when Gina was the only one who used it to call me. Need I say more? I'll never be the daughter she wants me to be.

Sighing tiredly, I flopped onto my bed without bothering to take off my bikini and sarong. Turning my head, I stared vacantly at the window seat. Smiling lightly, I remembered the first time I met Jesse. Andy and Mom were showing me my new room. I was just looking around hoping there wasn't a ghost in the house. Imagine my displeasure when I saw Jesse sitting on the window seat Andy built for me, next to a massive bay window, in all his glory of a white, frilly shirt and tight pants. Some way to meet your boyfriend, uh?

Sitting up, I decided I was procrastinating enough as it is and decided to change. A slip of paper on my coveted window seat caught my attention. Furrowing my brows, I tried to remember if it was there before. Shrugging nonchalantly, I shuffled over and picked it before proceeding to read it.

You've been cordially invited to meet The Cult at midnight tonight at Big Sur, also known as 'The Point'. Don't be late.

The note wasn't signed.

'Big Sur? The Point? Isn't that where all the couples go to make out?'

Now this was getting weird. One, what is The Cult? Two, why Big Sur? Three, how the hell did they manage to put this slip of paper here and how do they know me? This was getting weirder and weirder, and to think life was almost normal, as normal as it gets. I'm guessing there's a lot more to come, and boy was I not wrong.

Author's Note:

This is my first Mediator fic and I think I'm making this chapter as a basic intro that goes over the gist of Suze's life up to this point. :D Suze is 17 and going into her junior year at the Mission Academy. I hope you guys like it. If I got anything wrong, please point it out. I don't have my own copy of the series (Oh the horror!) but I'm trying to piece together by hunting down small details. Dx I would really appreciate it if you can give me any of the following information:

1. Where are Suze's main hangout points? (Besides the Coffee Clutch)

2. The abilities shifters have that Paul had taught her and the ones she could do.

3. When Suze and Paul's birthdays are. (If they were ever said)

Thanks a bunch. :)

Please R&R!

Rand-chan