Yay! I promised myself if I could get all the research done and the first page of my report written, I would let myself write another chapter.

I'm going to write a terribly long rant now, so just skip ahead to the -$- if you actually want to read the chapter.

WHO THE HELL CARES ABOUT MARS! Sure, we may evacuate there in the next billion years, but come on! We get it! Our lives have been completely screwed by machinery (except you, lovely computer. Oh, how I love my computer) and pollution! The next planet we're going to go trash is probably Mars! There's the bottom line, so why do I have to write such a goddamn long essay on it!

Okey dokey, all done. Here's my chapter, typed up on my beloved computer (her name's Henrietta after the lovely Meg Cabot's kitty).

-$-

"No way, Suze. You're not leaving me. Not this time," Paul growled.

His firm grasp around my upper arm tightened. I should have felt afraid that he would hurt me, but instead I only thought shallowly about how Paul was touching me.

I looked into Paul's hypnotic blue eyes, trying to hypnotize him right back into letting me go. I didn't want to leave, but at the same time I knew I had to. I didn't want to feel what I was feeling right now, which was the sparks flying around my arm where Paul held it.

I wanted to go back to Jesse and not feel like I was practically cheating on him.

With this thought in mind, I tried to fight back.

"Paul! Let go of me, you ass!" I screamed, attempting to wrench my arm from him.

He stood back, a strange look in his eyes. He said nothing in protest as I reached for the doorknob.

However, when I was nearly into the hallway, I heard him murmur softly.

"I thought cursing you to lose your powers if you ever left me was enough. But now I've decided it's not."

I froze fearfully for a moment. However, I then realized it was best to just flee the scene and hope I wouldn't be hurt.

Paul didn't try to stop me as I walked down the hall towards the staircase. I was afraid he would try to chase me down the hall (God knows he would be able to catch me), but the door to his room remained firmly shut.

In the cab on the way home, I mused over what Paul had said. It wasn't enough? Was he really so crazy that he thought cursing me wasn't enough?

When the cab pulled up in front of my house, I paid the driver and ambled up to the door. I wasn't sure if I wanted to face Jesse or hide.

However, when I saw his worried face in the window I decided I most definitely wanted to hide.

"Querida! Where have you been! You've had me worried to death for over two hours!"

I felt like a teenage being yelled at for being out past her curfew.

"I know, Jesse, I'm sorry. I was…." I trailed off. Should I tell him? I knew if I did, he would beat the living crap out of Paul.

I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

However, in the end, I decided I had to tell him. I was already keeping so much from him about the party, and if this was hanging over me too I don't think I would be able to take it.

"I was with Paul. Paul Slater." I said lamely. As if that would soften the blow.

Surprisingly, Jesse did not scream and yell as I had expected. Instead, something much worse happened.

He stood completely still. His face turned a shocking white, then a red deeper and more intense than I knew human faces could turn. His lips became a tight line and then completely disappeared.

His eyes. I couldn't even describe the fury I saw in them. His eyes showed only anger and hatred.

No, I was wrong. There was something else there too.

Love. And concern.

My eyes began to dampen, but I forced myself to go on. "I have more to tell you, Jesse, but I need you to calm down first."

He turned away from me, his shoulders rising and falling evenly. We remained in this awkward, frozen scenario for a few moments, but it seemed like those few moments were my entire life flying by.

I didn't know if he was trying to calm himself or was only getting angrier. However, when he turned around I could see it was the preferred option.

His eyes and mouth were still the same, but at least his complexion had turned a bit more normal.

"Yes. I am ready to listen." He said in an oddly tight, strained voice.

I continued on, my voice being extremely high pitched and wavy.

"There is something I never told you. That party you sent me to after graduation while you studied…. Well, I saw Paul there. He spiked my drink and then took me back to his house."

At this point I couldn't keep talking because tears began streaming down my face at the look on Jesse's face. It was a look of pure hatred, something stronger than what I had ever felt in my life. I was so afraid, afraid because I did not know who Jesse was angry with.

However, all I could do at this point was continue.

"At his house, he cursed me. He didn't want me to leave him and wanted me punished if I ever did. The curse was that if I married you, I would slowly lose my mediation powers." I said this part quickly, for I knew it was the part that would be the most upsetting to Jesse.

I was right. He tuned right back in to the Red-Giant star-faced man I had seen a few moments ago (A/N: CURSE YOU, SCIENCE!)

For a few minutes, Jesse was silent. Then he managed to murmur out, "Where. Is. He. Staying," in a barely audible voice.

"Paradise Inn," I squeaked automatically, then instantly regretted my words.

Oh, crap! He's going to beat the hell out of Paul!

"Get in the car, querida." he said shortly.

"Jesse, no! Just stay here a minute, think it over!" I was openly sobbing now.

"NO!" Jesse yelled. I silenced immediately. I had never heard him raise his voice.

However, he seemed to flinch as those his own words had slapped him.

"I'm so sorry, querida. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just…" he didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he marched over to the kitchen door and flung it open. I knew he would find Paul one way or another, so I decided it was best to follow him and try to make the damage a little less fatal.

Neither of us said a word on the long drive to the Paradise Inn. When we arrived at the front desk, Jesse spat out Paul's name and the woman gave us his room number.

(A/N: I don't know if they would just give out that information, I've only stayed in a motel/hotel a few times.)

When we reached 201B, Jesse knocked heavily on the door.

I heard Paul mumble out a, "Yeah?"

Jesse looked to me and I looked back for a moment. Then I walked over to the door and called out, "It's me, Paul."

I heard him scurry towards the door. He pulled it open with a happy cry of, "Suze!"

However, when he saw the party accompanying me, he grabbed my arm and yanked me inside. Then he shut the door with a finalizing shut in Jesse's face.

"PAUL!" I screamed as loud as possible. "WHAT THE FUCKING HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

I needn't worry, however, because at that moment a horrid crash came from the doorway, and there stood Jesse, breathing heavily. He'd broken the door down.

And he sure as hell didn't look too happy about it.

-$-

I know this sounds like the climax of the story, but it isn't. I wouldn't make it THAT short!

Please, please, please review! It helps to know people are reading my story!

And I'm really trying to make the chapters longer. I'm just too impatient to remain sitting for that long! Heh… okay…. yeah…..