The Mediator : Showtime

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(A/N: Okiee! Next chappie! Second chapter today. It's not a very big achievement. I mean, they're all short. Very short. So please forgive me?

Sorry for not updating any sooner. I had no access to the internet for the last… 3 days.

Mrs. Nikki Slater: thanks!

Roxy Slater: thanks! Nice pen name, btw.

Seabiscuit0810: thanks!

PixiePam: lolz. Yeah, I really appreciate all the reviews! Thanks my reviewers again!

Kat461: aww, you're too sweet. Thanks!

Adeline: thanks!

BillThePonyLlama: ADAM ROCKS FATHER DOMINIC'S WORLD. What the heck am I saying? Oo having a little… craziness.

Jeese's Querida: well, you all get to find out who the ghost is in this chappie… happy readings!)

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This chapter is dedicated to Cristal Sung. Cris, it's so sad that I just got to know you better these past few months. Keep riding for me. I'll always remember the stables and I'll always remember you. Keep on riding! Horseback riding pride! I will always read your fanfics, girl. You can count on me to review every chapter you write. And I hope you do the same for me, too. Honor roll for the rest of your life!

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Chapter 10

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Suze's POV

I blanched and stood back, my eyes darting to Father Dominic back to the ghost. Should I make a move? What if I scared the old priest? I mean, it's not like he sees teenagers talking to seemingly nothing everyday. What if I freaked him out to death? He's like, old and everything…

Not that he was unhealthy. He seemed very fit for his age. But if I started talking to thin air, I'd probably be expelled or put on probation because of alleged mental problems.

Not a good way to start in a new school.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Father Dominic squinting at me.

"Ah. I thought so," he murmured. Thought what? Wait…

HE CAN SEE GHOSTS, TOO?

"What? You see ghosts, too?" I asked, disbelief running through my body.

"Yes. And it seems that you can, as well." I stared at him.

"I'd never believe that my new principal could ever see ghosts." He frowned slightly at my tone of voice.

I mean, seriously. I know I'm being rude and that he was a priest, but think about it this way. Would you expect your principal to be able to see ghosts?

Um, no. I don't think so.

Well, that's just me. But whatever.

"It turns out I do," he replied.

"Hey," I heard a smooth voice say. "What's your name?"

I turned around. The ghost that was leaning against my locker was grinning at me.

In a flirty way.

Purr.

"Suze. Suze Simon. You?" I asked, looking at him from the corners of my eyes.

"Derek Freeman," he replied, standing up and offering a hand. I shook it. His touch gave me the shivers.

Good ones, not bad.

Long time since I felt those.

It was only then that I noticed that this guy was hot.

Almost as hot as Jesse.

Brown, long-ish hair, blue eyed, and tanned, this guy could only be a surfer or a jock. He seemed intelligent as well, unlike most jocks I knew back in NYC.

Okay. Don't glare at me like that.

I mean, come on. You can't blame a girl for checking out someone hot. And I mean it. This guy was no doubt totally considered a hottie when he was alive.

I flashed him my best smile.

Didn't I tell you to stop it? I'm a teenager. A hormonal teenager. I can't help it when a good-looking guy pays attention to me. Flirting is just reflexive.

"What are you still doing here in the land of the living?" I asked. His expression turned puzzled. He shrugged.

That brought attention to his shoulders. Ooh… big.

His shoulders, you perverts.

"I just died a week ago. Hiking accident. Ever since then I've been here, but I don't know why I'm still here. Father Dominic here doesn't know either," he said, jabbing his thumb at Father Dominic.

"Really, Father?" I asked, turning to him. He nodded.

"Yes. I've been asking him whether or not he had some unfinished business. But he and I can't seem to find anything. And…" his voice trailed off as he put a finger to his lips. I looked at him confusedly.

"Dominic?" A short man with a large moustache opened a door opposite my locker and leaned out.

"Hello, Edward. I've just brought you your new student. This is Susannah Simon," he said, ushering me forward.

"Hey," I said.

"Hello. Welcome to the Mission," he said to me.

"Susannah?" I heard Father Dominic say.

"Yeah, Father?"

"Can you come to my office at around three?" he asked. "I need you to… sign some important transfer papers."

"No can do, Father," I said, smiling sweetly. "My ride leaves at three." He smiled.

"All right, then. Come after lunch. I'll sign a late slip for you."

"Okay. Buh-bye now!" I said, wiggling my fingers in goodbye to Father Dominic.

I turned around to see every pair of eyes on me. I raised an eyebrow. I guess you weren't supposed to wave bye to your principal in Carmel. And you weren't supposed to wear black.

I know. Due to nerves, I just wore black, hoping to camouflage with the people. Back in NYC, black was the color you see the most.

But here, I guess I just stuck out more.

I saw lots of pastel colors, but the darkest color I saw in the whole group was khaki.

Holy crap.

I am so fitting in.

"Well, class, this is Susannah – " he started.

"Suze," I interrupted, shooting daggers at everyone in warning. No one gets away with calling me Susannah.

Except for a certain hot ghost who lives in my bedroom.

I do not take kindly to being called anything other than Suze. Unless, of course, it's complimentary. Sexy, cutie, and babe being part of that list.

Not like anyone ever calls me that.

"Right. Suze Simon. She's our new classmate. Now why don't you go find a seat, Simon?" He turned away and starting chalking something onto the board.

I looked at the crowd. There were two seats available. One was next to a preppy blonde who seemed to be very popular.

Typical dumb, blonde, popular girl. No offense to blondes. I know a few pretty cool blondes.

The other was next to a girl who was so white that she had to an albino.

I kid you not. An albino.

I have never seen one in person before.

Forced to choose between an undoubtedly very annoying preppy and an albino, I, of course, chose to sit next to the albino.

"Oh, go ahead and sit next to the freak," the preppy snickered.

"Freak? I don't see any freaks in here," I replied. "Oh, wait. I do. There's you."

The girl grew red in the face and was about to open her mouth to say something when I cracked my knuckles and glared at her. Her mouth abruptly snapped closed and she swung around to face the front.

But not before I caught her expression.

Fear.

Oh, yeah.

I leant back on my chair and tuned out, but not before I noticed the albino blushing so hard she looked like a tomato.

Hmph. Gratitude for you.

At the end of class, the albino stood up and glared at me.

"I don't need any help defending myself. Especially not from people like you," she spat out.

I looked at her boredly.

"I wasn't defending you." She raised an eyebrow.

"Then why did you say that to Debbie?"

"Because," I said, "Debbie is a bitch." The albino's face lit up into a wicked smile.

"Alright. You win. Can I see your schedule?" I raised my eyebrows at the abrupt change of subject, but I handed it over to her. She skimmed through it quickly.

"Looks like we have all the same classes," she said squinting at the sheet of paper. "Hey, you want to hang with me? I'm Cee Cee, by the way."

I looked at her in surprise. The only person to have ever asked me that was Gina, but that was only because she's my best friend. Could I already be making friends this early in the day?

Rather have a friend than no friends.

"Sure," I said, grabbing my schedule back and standing up.

We had walked down halfway down the breezeway to our next class when Adam from the office came up to us.

"Hey, Cee Cee. Hey, Suze," he said, falling in step with us.

"How did you know Suze's name?" Cee Cee asked.

"We know each other from way back," he said, winking at me.

Cee Cee looked at me with an expression nothing short of jealousy.

"Nah," I said quickly, in surprise. "We met this morning when I had to visit the principal. This dude here," I continued, jabbing a thumb at Adam, "was, I think, in trouble from a nun named Sister Ernestine."

"The broad," he said solemnly, nodding, with a ridiculously serious facial expression.

Cee Cee smiled, looking like she had to resist the urge to laugh at his facial expression. "All right."

I sat next to Cee Cee through English and World History and sat with her during lunch. Adam joined us as well. When Adam stood up to get more fries, I watched as she gazed adoringly at Adam. Suddenly her face was contorted into one of horror.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, jumping up and pointing at Adam. At least, that was what I thought she was pointing at.

I whipped my head around. But Adam was alright.

But not the girl standing behind him. Who, consequently, was Debbie.

She wasn't alright. Because, what Cee Cee and everyone else in the lunch yard saw, Debbie was in trouble.

Not in 'trouble' as in 'doing-something-worth-getting-in-detention' trouble.

In trouble because the water fountain that was right next to the corndog stand that Debbie was standing by had exploded.

And the head of a sculpture of an angel that had been standing at the center of the fountain was hurtling straight towards her.

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(A/N: Whee! MUCH better. It's starting to get interesting!

CLIFFIE! I OBSESS OVER CLIFFIES! FWAHAHAHAHAHA.

Okay. I shall stop now.

Review please?

CRIS! ARE YOU HAPPY I DEDICATED THIS CHAPTER TO YOU? Lolz.

Sorry Karen again that you had a really boring chapter! Don't worry! I still luff you 3 in a non-gay way!

R&R.

Hugs and kisses xoxo,

hypeRactiVe toKeNgiRL)