I slammed the door a thousand times
What's mine is mine
What's yours is mine
It's a long walk uphill
Sit back I'm taking the wheel
Paul's hand was wrapped around my wrist. I stared at it, an unwavering tan against my own slightly brown skin.
"Jesse's dead." He said softly, looking into my face. "But that doesn't mean you have to act like you are, too."
I looked up quickly, and protested. "I don't! I-"
But he cut me off, by leaning towards me, and covering my lips with his own. It wasn't a bad kiss. No, actually it was one of the best kisses I'd had, considering I hadn't had much experience. Technically it was my third kiss. He was a better kisser than Tad… but not at all better than Jesse. My eyes flew open. Jesse… Even though he wasn't exactly acting like it, he had kissed me. That had to show that he had some feelings for me right? So what was I doing kissing Paul back? What was I doing with my arm around his neck? What was I doing kissing Paul, but thinking about Jesse? In a small part of my mind, I was thinking, ha, this will show Jesse that if he doesn't get me first, someone else will come along. But I knew that was totally wrong. I knew that that wasn't right… I mean, how would I feel if Jesse was flinging himself at some other girl? Even if it was a ghostie like himself. Because that was what I was doing. Flinging myself at Paul when Jesse wasn't around. Sure, he had kissed me first, but wasn't I kissing back? I knew I was. So I hesitated a moment, and then pulled away.
Well, I tried.
So many highs so many lows
You move too quick to ever show
Exactly how you feel
So I'm takin' the wheel
She started to pull away, but my hand was wrapped possessively around her wrist. And the fact that I was laying on top of her probably didn't help her out much either. I continued kissing her while she tried to get away from me. She managed to pull away for a second and choke out, "Get off me."
"Come on, Suze." I said, out of breath. "Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about this all afternoon."
"Actually," She said, still trying to push me off, "I really haven't. Now get off of me."
She turned her head to the side, twisting underneath me.
I kissed any part of her I could, her neck, as well as the lobe of her ear. She kept thrashing and I tried to get her to calm down and reason with me.
"Is it because of the student government thing?" I kissed her neck again, wondering what de Silvia would think if she came home with a hickey. "Because I could care less about being vice president of your stupid class. If you're mad about it, just say the word, and I'll drop out of the race."
"No, this has nothing to do with the student government thing." She said, twisting her wrist to the side. I held it firmly, hoping I could discourage her from moving it.
I looked in her eyes and groaned. "Oh, God. Its not Jesse is it?" I don't know why I bothered asking; because it was obvious that that was exactly what- or rather who- was on her mind. "Give it up, Suze. The guy's dead."
She jumped quickly to defensive mode, and quit wriggling. "I didn't say it had anything to do with Jesse. Did you hear me say it had anything to do with Jesse?"
"You didn't have to." I said grouchily. "It's written all over your face." Then, in a completely different tone, I voiced what I had on my mind.
"Suze, think about it. Where's it going to go with the guy, anyway? I mean, you're going to get older, and he's going to stay exactly the age he was when he croaked. And what, he's going to take you to the prom? How about movies? You guys go to the movies together? Who drives? Who pays?"
I saw anger on her face, but I could tell my words were hitting home. And they were hitting hard. I smirked. Truth hurts. "Besides, if the two of you were really right for each other, would you even be here? And would you have been kissing me like you were a minute ago?"
She gave me a very dirty look, and said in a strained but angry voice, "If you don't get off of me, I will jab my thumb into your eye socket."
I laughed, amused. But I stopped when her thumb came out of nowhere.
"Ow!" I yelled, rolling over, my hand over my eye. "What the-"
She grabbed her shoes, and her bag and practically ran out of my room. I swore out loud. "Suze! Get back here! Suze!" I said, getting up and chasing her down the hall.
Everybody says it can't be done
We drive each other crazy but
You're still the one
You make it hard to stay
Harder to run
I positively flew out of that room. I ran past Grandpa Slater's room and heard the faint sound of Family Feud on his television. I pondered for a moment what would happen if I ducked into that room but tore right past it. I started down the spiral staircase until I reached the front door. I went for the door… but suddenly someone popped out at me. I skidded and stopped right before I ran into a three-hundred-pound biker. He had tattoos all down his arms and a handlebar mustache. He crossed his arms in front of me. Oh, and did I mention that he was, unfortunately for me, dead? I cursed the fact that I was a mediator- no shifter- once again. If I had been like any of the other girls Paul tried to seduce or whatever he did in his free time (I didn't want to know), then I would be so out of there.
"Where'd you come from?" I asked in surprise.
"Never you mind that, little lady," He said. "I think Mr. Slater'd still like to have a word with you."
No, really? I looked up and inwardly groaned. Speaking of the devil… of the spawn of Satan. Take your pick. He still had his hand over his eye. Good.
"Suze. Don't go."
Its not like I can. "Minions?" I called up to him, my voice a few pitches higher than usual. "You have ghostly minions to do your bidding? What are you?"
"I told you." He answered matter-of-factly. "I'm a shifter. So are you. And you are way overreacting about this whole thing. Can't we just talk, Suze? I swear I'll keep my hand s to myself."
Overreacting to him shoving his tongue down my throat? Well… I did kiss him back, a little. "Where have I heard that before?"
I shouldn't have listened to him in the first place. I'll keep my hands to myself my butt!
You and me we're quite a pair
We make a mess out of thin air
You know I love you still
But I'm takin' the wheel
Everybody says it can't be done
We drive each other crazy but
You're still the one
You make it hard to stay
Harder to run
It's a knock-down drag-out fight
Tongue-tied and twisted we can go all night
You're comin' with me and here's the deal
Baby slide on over
I'm takin' the wheel
So many roads we're left to take
So much history to make
We bend but we don't break
She glared at me, and then turned around, and as much to my surprise as his, she hit Rusty, the biker in front of her, my so-called minion, with her shoe. I heard it thunk as it collided with the side of his head. She pushed him to the side, and ran out the door. She ran down the steps and I followed, calling after her, "Suze! Suze, come on. I'm sorry about what I said about Jesse. I didn't mean it." She turned around and for a second, I thought she might come back At least, until she put her finger up at me. And let's just say it wasn't the first one.
"Suze." I took my hand away from my eye. It was still sore, but I could deal. "At least let me drive you home." I figured she would agree, even if she wasn't happy about it, because it was at least five miles to her house.
Obviously I don't know her too well. "No thank you." She said, slipping on her shoes. "I prefer to walk"
"Suze." I called down to her. "Its like five miles from here to your house." I said, hoping to convince her.
"Never speak to me again please." If she weren't so mad, this would be almost funny. All this over a dead guy. A ghost, per say. Because of what I said about her 'boyfriend'.
Get real.
Everybody says it can't be done
We drive each other crazy but
You're still the one
You make it hard to stay
Harder to run
It's a knock-down drag-out fight
Tongue-tied and twisted we can go all night
You're comin' with me and here's the deal
Baby slide on over
I walked down the road, praying that he wouldn't follow me. He didn't. And I was overly relieved. Because I knew if he tried coming on to me again, I would probably just give in.
Once I was out of sight of Paul's house, I did what I had been wanting to do. I pulled my blistered feet out of my Jimmy Choos. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" My toes were ripped apart. No way could I walk in those. I wondered why anyone would pay six hundred dollars for them. I know I didn't. Sure they were stylish. But comfortable? I wish.
Stupid Jimmy Choo. If he had made these shoes comfortable, I wouldn't be walking on the scorching street in bare feet. I started searching for a pay phone near by. "Stupid Jimmy Choo." I mumbled. It was his fault… wait, if Paul hadn't tried to sexually harass me, I would be walking home. "Stupid Paul." Than as an after thought. "Stupid Jesse." If Jesse hadn't been avoiding me for the past few weeks, I would have had to go to Paul to get attention. Then I sighed, and said to myself. "Stupid Suze. Stupid, stupid Suze." How could I be so dumb as to let Paul talk me into going over his house? Into his bedroom? On his bed? I should have known that he had other plans. Involving my mouth. And I don't mean talking about shifting powers.
But why did it seem that even just for a second there… I had liked it?
And leavin' this crazy tug-of-war
Only makes me want you more
You're comin' with me that's how I feel
Baby slide on over
I'm takin' the wheel
I watched her walk away, and then whirled around and stormed to my room. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" I yelled, hitting my pillow in frustration.
Why was she so hung up on a dead cowboy? He couldn't do for her what I could. Not even close. So why did I feel so inferior? I should have known that she was in love with him. I should've known from how she had went back- into Shadowland of all places- to save him. Risking her life. I had just thought that he was a close friends. But I thought wrong. As was clear. She preferred a ghost. A stupid freaking dead guy over me, Paul Slater. I had the other girls swooning with a smile. Why was she so different? Why did I care? But deep inside, I knew. If she was like all the others… She wouldn't be Suze. She would be boring. She would be just like all the rest.
Mark, Pop's assistant poked his head into the doorway.
"You okay? He asked. "I thought I heard yelling."
"No." I said bitterly. "Just peachy."
"Oh." He said, and looked around. "Where'd your friend go?"
"Oh. She's gone." I said, knowing how true those words might be.
He nodded and walked out, shutting the door behind him. And I flopped onto my bed, my face in my pillow.
Why did she have this effect on me?
I slammed the door a thousand times
What's mine is mine
What's yours is mine
It's a long walk uphill
Sit back I'm taking the wheel
I kept walking, mentally ticking off names in my head. Who could I call? My mom? Never. She'd ask to many questions and probably kill me besides for agreeing to go to the house of a boy she'd never met. Jake? No. Again, he'd ask too many questions. Brad? No, he would just as soon leave me stranded, as he happened to hate my guts. Adam? It was going to have to be Adam, I decided. Then I looked up and saw the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.
The Sea Mist Café.
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What do you guys think? The lyrics are to the song "I'm Taking the Wheel" by SheDaisy. It always helps to play the song. I heard it and I was like, wow, this is so Suze and Paul. It describes their relationship perfectly to me. Well, review please. My first fic on this site. Enjoy. Love ya'll!
-Katie