Hello, my little marshmallow chiclets! (did I steal that from lolly? If so, it was sooo longago.) Finally is my next chapter! I didn't get my usual numero of reviews, but I waited long enuff and so I FINALLY got one of my much-solicited reviews, and I posted. Or… am posting. Anyway.

REVIEW SPIFFIES:

Mrs. Nikki Slater: Sorry I didn't update very "soon"… I had my reasons… trust me… I did. Seriously. Keep reviewing, though!

Alenor: ty 4 reviewing and not like… badly… you know… "you SUCK! YOUR STORY SUCKS!" although you might start saying that… nowish.

Brat is a Rose: thank you, thank you! Sorry this wasn't really "soon"… see above.

mandieC: big smiles! That is all:-D

moovalous3: a story just isn't "reviewed" until catie reviews… at least, that's how I ended up thinking, somehow… lol. BELIEVE me I sympathize about being late with the posting… heh.

And phishphood: FINALLY! And no, for the LAST time, I was NOT thinking about YOU and other jesse when I wrote this! I have officially revoked his title of "jesse" anyway. Although he can still have the scar and deadness if he wants. Just not the ghost bit.

Superthank you to everyone who has me on alert or favorites, or the story on alert or favorites, you are the rockinest people who ever were not meg cabot. Or myself. Ell oh ell. Alright! Time to post! And maybe work a bit on chapter 30… or 31… yes, I think I'm ready to start 31. yes, it WILL be that long, but I'm thinking only 1 or 2 more chapters after that… if you hate me, review and tell me WHY! Same if you lurve me! Same if you are totally indifferent to me! Please review? Please? I am in sheer desperadoes! Ell oh ell.

2 b honest, I had absolutely no idea what was going on through the beginning of this chapter. The good bits can't happen till at least a week l8er. So I'm putting some conflict in. I'm in the mood for either excessive violence, or kissing. Could go either way. Or both, if I can swing it. Don't get your hopes up, though. :-D THIS JUST IN! this has gone from "filler" to "major plot turning point." Naturally, since I can't get through a DAY without having some MAJOR, LIFE-CHANGING EVENT! Well, maybe not. But whatEVER. Anyway… you're about to hate me even more than usual…. And finally… the ACTUAL STORY. After 1 ENTIRE page of intro.

A couple of days later, Jesse was helping Claire out at home. I was (re)reading the Harry Potter books. Suddenly, there was the sound I had come to recognize of a lock being opened from the inside and the door opening. "Go away!" I called, with no doubt as to who it was.

He walked in. "Hey, Inigo. Diego came cryin' to me with something about the daughter of one of the idiots he killed. Was it the William Golding? Or the movie?" He flashed his million dollar smile, earning a scowl from me. "So, you haven't been alone for quite a while."

"I know. Jesse's helping Claire out."

He raised his eyebrows. "Is he, now?"

"Don't bother, Paul, I trust him."

"I see. Like he trusts you."

"He does trust me!"

"Should he?"

Silence. He had me there. "I don't mean to pry…"

"Too late."

He just smiled. "I do not mean to pry, but you don't, by any chance, happen to have six fingers on your right hand?"

"Do you always begin conversations this way?" I pulled the covers over my head. "Go away."

He pulled the covers off. "No." He got into the bed and pulled the covers up over us both. I whined and went to get out of bed, only to find my arm being held in.

"What do you want, Paul?"

"Well, I want to screw you, put Heather in your body, and screw both of you."

I bit my cheek scowling. "Well, as to the first part, no. The second part, no. Third part, definitely not. Never gonna happen. Get away from me."

"What's that you say? Come closer? Well, if you insist."

"No!" I hit his hand and pulled my arm away.

"Come on, Suze, you know you want to."

I stalled for time. "In your family, I'd rather screw your brother. Then your father. Then your mother. Then your grandfather's friggin' corpse." Only I didn't say "friggin'". "Then anyone else I could possibly think of, then… kill myself with an Atom Bomb."

This seemed to amuse him vastly. Well, great. I threw the covers off, never mind that I was in my stupid pajamas again, though at least this time they were comfy and warm instead of just cute and thin. (A/N: Kissing or violence? Hmm…) I stalled more. "So how'd you get the ghastly ghostly trio?"

"Shifted through time and brought them back from the Shadowland." I tried not to look too shocked at this. "But you can stop stalling now. You're only prolonging the inevitable."

"It's perfectly evitable, and I want to prolong it indefinitely." He chuckled and moved to pin me. While I fought him off, I worked on the best course of action. I'd have to call a ghost, but who? I didn't want Jesse to see anything that might hurt him more, and Tim was out since he and Jesse were friends. You don't call your dad for this kind of thing, either. By the time he finally managed to stick his tongue in my mouth, I had decided, albeit reluctantly, on who to call. The response was almost immediate.

"Paul!"

Paul broke away immediately, even though I involuntarily followed his head up a bit. "Heather! I… It's not what it looks like!"

My, how the tables had turned. "Not what it looks like? You mean you weren't just pinning this whore to the bed? How dare you!"

I suddenly had a breakthrough. If I could break them up, Paul would rather have weak-willed me in my body than strong-minded Heather, who could oppose him properly! I assumed my best "Heather" voice. "Paulie! She just called me a whore! Are you dating her or something?" Straight face, Suze, straight face. This was very much not what either one had expected.

"I… uh… what?"

"Are you going to let that bitch call me a whore?"

"Are you going to let that whore call me a bitch?"

Paul looked back and forth between us.

"Paul!" we both exclaimed at once. Although I came in slightly late, making sure to match her words. "It's either her or me!" Paul stared, agape. This was clearly not how he'd pictured his day going.

"I… um… what about Jesse?"

I made my face one of pain. "We broke up. I didn't want to say anything… to you… I was… trying to play hard to get… because… I know you like that."

"I… wow… wait, no! I'm not falling for the same thing twice!"

I sighed exaggeratedly. "I was kissing you that time when I saw Jesse behind you. I tried to turn the tables when I found the knife in my pocket. I had to be mean or he'd dump me! But he has anyway." I made my best sad puppy dog face. "And now I can't have you and I don't even have Jesse anymore…" I trailed off and rubbed my eyes. "I've ruined everything!" Learning how to fake cry had been possibly the best use of my time that didn't involve Jesse. And I was subtly making sure that even if Jesse came in again, he could recognize anything I said as a flat-out lie.

"Don't you even try it, little missy!" This was funny, as the speaker was still a teenager and I was the better part of 30. "Paul is mine!"

"Did it look like he was yours when you came in?"

"I bet you tricked him into it!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!" This was going nowhere fast. But she saved it. "Paulie, tell her you like me better. Tell her you think she's ugly and stupid and her ass is too big!"

"Suze, I think you're… I think… you're… gorgeous and your ass is perfect."

"What!"

"What happened to 'smart'?"

"I wanted this to be honest…" I tried to muster a realistic sounding laugh. Paul squinted at me. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah… Just… rebounding."

"I see. Nice pictures of Jesse in the front room, by the way."

"Yeah…" As a grand gesture, I walked out to the front room and took both the pictures down.

"Here, let me help you with that." Paul took the ancient miniature and moved to tear it.

"Wait!" He raised his eyebrows like 'I knew it.' "It… umm… has historical value! I want to sell it… to a museum!"

"Aha. Well, this other one certainly doesn't." He went to tear it up.

"No! Umm… I like to have mementoes of my past boyfriends."

"Like who?"

"I only have one past boyfriend."

He snorted. "Anything of his you'll destroy?"

"Umm… he didn't exactly have possessions?"

"Fine. But how do I know you're really over?"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Nope."

"Oh. I see. Come on, though, Paul! I told you Jesse and I were over!"

Paul twirled his finger. I turned around. Uh-oh. Well, I hadn't called him, so Paul must have.

"Susannah…" His eyes were moving from me, to Paul, to the empty spot on the wall. "Dare I ask…"

"Oh… It's you…" I tried to sound unenthusiastic, which was hard, because… you know, it was Jesse. "I was just telling Paul how we'd broken up, but he doesn't believe me. Don't even think, Buster, about saying we're still together just to make Paul mad at me." Jesse didn't know what to make of this, but I turned toward him and gave him a pleading look.

"Wouldn't dream of it. And I'll be taking my pictures back. I was just off with Claire when someone called me in." I wondered if he knew he had just saved the life of my pictures. I pouted a bit and handed them both to him.

"I was just gonna burn 'em anyway." Jesse took the pictures, shook his head, and disappeared.

"Stupid cowboy, huh?" Testing me, or trying to earn my sympathy? Probably the former.

Had Jesse really gone, though, or was he still hanging around? Given that I was alone with Paul and a very disgruntled Heather, I went with the latter. "Yeah… I can't believe I really thought I loved him and that he was the coolest guy ever! When clearly it's you, Paul. I mean, you're smart, and funny, and hot…" (A/N: Is this Suze talking or me? I'da included "rich" in there. But then, I think Suze is really talking about Jesse. I'm not. I hate Jesse. Hate him hate him hate him he SUCKS. Really… :sniffs: I do… Right… :sniffles: now where were we?)

"And alive?"

"Yes you are, Paul. And rich too." I tried to giggle. (A/N: since when is tina so EVIL? Oh.. sorry… that's the story going on in my head… I'll write it down someday. Apologies. Keep sidetracking m'self…)

"How 'bout a kiss to seal the deal?" Since he was being like this suddenly, I deduced that Heather had dematerialized.

I glanced around uncomfortably, but complied. Paul pulled away, though, when things started to shake. "You dumped her, Rico, you said so yourself. So stop acting like a jealous boyfriend."

"Yeah, Jesse, stop acting like a jealous boyfriend!"

Things just started shaking harder.

"Jesse, if you don't want to see kissing, you might not want to be here…"

"Yeah. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." I held back a grimace.

"Please, Jesse?"

"No, no, Suze." Paul was clearly enjoying this. Odd, since Jesse was his best friend… Not really… not even in Bizarro world. "You can't be polite to exes. You have to lay down the law. Suave, go play with Claire. Screw her husband. Well, not literally. Or do you swing that way? I always thought you did." Paul was carefully monitoring my expression.

"Uhh… huh… I… Jesse… Plea—I mean… leave. Ple—"

The things stopped shaking, but I wasn't sure whether he'd left. "Paul," I began suddenly, partly to avoid more kissing. "Do you like me?"

"Umm… duh…"

"He… he. But I mean, do you like me, that way?"

"Suze…"

"Yeah?"

"Are we 10?"

"Sorry…" I was really trying to avoid the L word.

"Yeah, I like you that way, sure. But if you're lying about the cowboy, I'll come after him with a pitchfork. 'Kay?"

"Hah! Lying? About Jesse? No way… we're totally over. Anyway, I was trying to ask, do you like me enough to dump the bitch?"

"Depends. Which one?" His lips curled. "Kidding. I can get rid of Heather in a heartbeat. But I won't till I know you're for real. I'm not as stupid as you sometimes seem to think I am."

"But you won't… suddenly kill me?"

"Not if you don't give me reason…"

"But Heather. She might."

"Alright, alright, I'll get rid of Heather. I can always find another chick. And, if necessary, kill her and put her in your body. Heather's out." Everything started shaking again.

"Hold on… so what do you think of Heather?"

"She's a pretentious drama queen. She actually threatened to kill herself after the 'Suze Incident'. Like she didn't try that before. She's really just a ditz." Things were shaking overtime. Paul nodded, he seemed to have been thinking along the same lines. For no apparent reason, he kissed me. I think he knew Heather was there and felt like making her jealous.

The fire alarm sounded. Seemed like an earthquake, I guess. "Heather! Quit it! We know you're there, and you heard what Paul here said. He doesn't like you anymore. And I bet he never did! He just wanted a ghost for my body! Now go away! Go move on!" She went visible and started crying. Shit.

"Please don't exorcize me again! I just wanted… I just wanted to talk to Bryce! I wanted him to listen to me! I wanted him to apologize! Please, Suze!"

"Wow… I… umm…"

"Suze, it's not our job to help lost souls. Particularly not our boyfriend's exes."

"I… I can't! Look, Heather, Bryce gave me his number at the reunion." She let out a fresh sob. "I can call him for you. Paul, call me, 'kay?"

Paul shook his head and left.

"So, Heather, you want to hurt Paul real quick?"

"Totally."

"Jesse, please." He popped in immediately. I dashed over, stopped myself, locked the door, and kissed him intensely.

"You were with Jesse the whole time?"

"The whole time."

"So why'd you make Paul dump me?"

"Would you rather have stayed with that backstabber permanently? And it's my life we're talking about, anyway. But we're gonna help you talk to Bryce, OK?"

"OK…"

I put speaker on and dialed a number I found in my phone book. He picked up soon. "Hello?"

"Hi. Bryce?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Suze Simon."

"Whoah! From high school?"

"Yeah. Calling you on business, I'm afraid."

"Business? Weren't you a psychology major?"

"Hey wow you remembered… I meant a different kind of business, but I guess it's that too. I uh… This is gonna sound weird, but I'm calling long distance, so I'll make this quick." Too late. "I've got Heather here."

Heather's eyes shone. "Heather… who?" She bit her lip.

"Heather Chambers."

"She's dead," he reminded me flatly.

"Yes. And she's also standing here. Ghostifully. Let's get past that now."

"Suze… are you sure you don't need a psychiatrist?"

Heather interjected here. "Say… Gucci."

"Umm… She wants me to say 'Gucci'. Does that mean anything to you?"

"What? Wait… wasn't she… she… was saving for… when she…" He trailed off.

"So what did you want to say to him?"

"That I'm sorry. And if I could do it over, I wouldn't have… done that. And maybe we'd still be together now…" she trailed off and started crying.

"Jesse… Can you…?" He nodded and tried to comfort Heather. I repeated what Heather had said and whispered into the speaker that she was crying.

"I… please… Heather… don't cry… I'm sorry too. I should have realized that you had… problems. I was… tactless. I'm sorry."

"Tell him I forgive him if he forgives me." I repeated this, and he, voice breaking, agreed. There was a flash of white light and she was gone.

"She's gone, Bryce. That's what she was waiting for."

"Suze… I don't know how you did that… but thank you…"

"It's my job. Regardless of what Paul says."

"Paul Slater?"

"Oops, I've said too much."

"I heard about him! He was dating… a girl I liked! You still know him?"

"Unfortunately."

"Hey, can you tell him I say I'm still not over Kaitie?" (A/N: So begins my quest to put all my ficcy friends' names in2 my ficcy!)

"Umm… sure… Nice talking to you, Paul."

"What?"

"I mean… Bryce. Sorry… We were just talking about… well, bye." (A/N: Paul was my typo, but I liked Suze saying it.)

"Paul, Susannah?"

"We were just talking about him… Oh, come on Jesse!"

"Speaking of whom… I was, as I'm sure you know, sitting in on your conversation. The more interesting parts included 'stupid cowboy', 'really over', and assorted compliments to Slater and insults to me. Any comments?"

"'Stupid cowboy' was Paul, and I couldn't exactly say 'He is not!', could I? 'Really over' was hardly an insult to you. It was a lie to Paul. And if you noticed, I said some things pointed at you. The emphasized bits? Hot, funny, and smart, for starters?"

"You think all those of me?" He was making that face again, the amused, raised-eyebrowed one. I thought some things about that face I don't think I'll print here.

"Saying 'I think' it makes it sound like an opinion, when clearly it's a fact." He just grinned. "Anything else you'd like to analyze?"

"No, the rest was pretty clear. And there may have been… I don't know… a reason why I was 'acting like a jealous boyfriend'?"

"I didn't say not to be one… I said not to act like one. Like I wasn't acting like a doting girlfriend. But I am. You know that, don't you Jesse?" I made a puppy dog face.

"Yes I do. But it would be nice if you not kiss other men in front of me? Like that? Especially him?" One quick shake of everything, but then it stopped.

"It would indeed be nice. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm alive." He looked unsure whether I'd slapped him, so I finished, "and I'd like to stay that way. And if that means kissing Paul…"

"Of course, querida." He was still frowning, though. I think I've stated before about when Jesse frowned. Still very true. I finally gave in and kissed him. Let's just say… those things I was thinking about before? Some of them happened.

THE END, CHIKADEES. no, not of the story... just till u review... REVIEW! PLEASE! long is preferable, but i'll take anything! even one word! one letter! i just want reviews:makes puppy dog face: