A/N: I know, you all hate that I left the story like that, but I hope this chapter will have made it worth the wait.
By the way, thanks to all my reviewers I completely love you guys!
--Chapter 5—
"Dead?" I asked just to make sure I had heard her right.
"Yeah, I know it sounds totally crazy, but we were in a grav-"
"Graveyard. We were in the mission's graveyard" I finished for her.
She shot me a quizzical glance before asking, "How did you know that? Did you have the same dream?"
"I don't think it was a dream Querida."
"Querida? Okay now this is completely freaking me out" she squeaked.
"Sorry, it just…came out. Like out of habit or something" I mumbled.
"No, I didn't mind…it's just, in my dream you called me that all the time" she replied.
"Oh" I happily chimed.
"Order number 48; two caramel macchiatos for Jesse" yelled the barista.
I quickly got up and helped Susannah from her chair before collecting our drinks, and strolling back to the mission's lunch area.
We were about 2 feet away from my usual table when CeeCee ran over to Susannah and threw her arms around her. Susannah did the same, and they both shrieked like tweens meeting a member of their favorite boy band. At that moment I was glad I had offered to carry our drinks until we reached the table, because other wise CeeCee and Susannah would both have been covered in coffee.
"So I take it you two have met before" Adam said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Yeah" CeeCee said, back to her normal demure. "This is Suze!" she said, motioning towards Susannah.
"Awh, yes how could I not remember the infamous Suze" Adam replied, the sarcasm even more notable than before.
CeeCee shot him a dirty look before continuing "I told you guys about her, like what? Months ago?" She asked, turning to Susannah.
"No, it was only a few weeks ago, not even two months" she reminded CeeCee.
"Oh, yeah your right. So anyway, we met down at Peninsula Pizza, and really hit it off. We've been talking ever since" CeeCee concluded, finally releasing Susannah from her embrace.
Adam and I looked at one another, as if somehow trying to ask if the other even faintly remembered hearing about Susannah from CeeCee.
"I told you they'd hit it off" CeeCee chimed, as she sat back down next to Adam on one of the benches.
"Who? Them?" Adam asked, nodding at Susannah and myself.
"No, Father Dominic and Sister Ernestine…of course Jesse and Suze" CeeCee replied.
Suddenly my cheeks turned beet red, and I was unable to even glance in Susannah's direction.
"Too bad though, Jesse. Suze over here has a certain som-"
"NO I DON'T" Susannah interrupted her.
I looked at her, as if trying to penetrate through her mind block, but nothing.
"Please, that guy's got it bad for you, and you know it" CeeCee retorted.
"Umm, excuse me, but what guy?" I asked, in not my happiest tone.
"Just some guy who was practically stalking me when I came here the first time to try and settle in" Susannah said, shooting mental daggers at CeeCee.
"Some guy! SOME GUY! Suze, Paul Slater is not just some guy. He's totally hot, and a senior from RLS. Plus, he's totally in love with you. You should totally go out with him again, unless you know, someone better comes along" CeeCee said sounding very cryptic, yet wise.
"Wait, you went out with Paul Slater!" Adam asked Susannah. "Damn, sorry Jesse" he added.
"Well…yeah, I did…but only because she made me!" Susannah exclaimed thrusting a finger in CeeCee's direction.
"Oh please, don't act like you didn't, or don't actually, like him. Besides he's still trying woo you, and you love it."
"DO NOT. The guy is total nut case, he kept going on and on about how we were meant to be together. Plus, he tried to hump me on our first and last date. Now can we stop talking about this, just the sound of his name makes me feel all tense and paranoid" Susannah barked back.
"He tried to WHAT!" I questioned, anger boiling inside me.
'Whoa, calm down. She's not your girlfriend. If she wants to go out with him, that's her decision…, Ahh, screw it! He tried to hurt her, so I say beat him to pulp!'
"He was really forward, and aggressive, so I had to kind of…well, I pushed him off of me and kneed him in his 'danger zone" Susannah told me a few minutes later as we were walking towards our chemistry class.
"Oh, so you don't like him?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Why do you ask? Do I detect a hint of…jealousy!" Susannah asked with an expression of mock shock.
"I…no, it's just…he should know better than to try and force himself on lady."
"Are you sure?" she questioned, as we stepped into Mr. Edward's chilly classroom.
"Uh huh" I nodded in response.
"Oh, too bad…I like a little jealousness in men" she said, sauntering off to an empty table.
About every guy in class dove for the empty seat next to her, but she shooed them all away, and motioned for me to come sit by her. The grin on my face was a dead give away of how happy I was, so I quickly took the seat next to her and mentally added, "Okay…I'm a little jealous, but only because you agreed to go out with that boy in the first place."
"Jesse" Susannah sighed "I only agreed to go out with him because CeeCee built him up to be some kind of god, plus he kept pestering me until I finally gave in. Besides I didn't even stay for our whole date. After dinner he drove to this secluded point along the Pacific Coast Highway, and tried to…well get in my pants. But after that I stomped off to the nearest pay phone and begged my step-brother to come get me."
"Really?" I asked aloud.
"Yeah, I'm telling you the guy is total perv. That's why I'm done with guys like that."
"Like him, how so?" I questioned, suddenly thinking I may actually be like Paul Slater.
"You know…the school ruler. The guys that are perfect in everything, and get all the girls to fawn over them. Thetotally materialistic, possessive, conceded people; they drive me nuts" she scoffed.
At that I let out a sigh of relief and looked over at Susannah. 'I can't believe it's really her. All the dreams must mean something. But…are they part of a past I now know exists? Or are they perhaps part of a future I'm meant to spend with my Querida?'
Suddenly I was drawn out of my thoughts as I felt a smooth leg caress my own. Gently the smooth skin brushed against my leg, causing me to shiver in delight. I looked down and saw that the leg belonged to Susannah. "Nombre de Dios" I mumbled, as the leg continued to graze mine.
'Is she doing that on purpose! Should I somehow respond, or reciprocate the action?'
"Umm, hey Jesse…can you help me out…my shoe fell off and I can't reach it" Susannah whispered to me. That's when I noticed her left, black, heeled sandal just out of her reach.
'Relax De Silva; she was going for her shoe.'
So being the gentleman my mother raised me to be, I retrieved her shoe and carefully slid it back onto her foot.
"Thanks" she replied, sending me a smile that made me feel all warm and tingle-y. After that, chemistry seemed rather pointless, so I focused on Susannah. I noticed how she twiddled her thumbs and kept crossing and un-crossing her legs when she got bored.
Then, without warning I had another flash-back, I guess:
I was seating on a window seat wearing that weird billowy shirt again. The view was beautiful. I mean, I'm sure the ocean view from the window seat was nice and all, but I was admiring the view of Susannah. She was sitting on a frilly canopy bed, with books and notebooks spread around her. She twiddled her thumbs as she stared intensely at some chart before her. She crossed her legs, giving me a lovely view of her nicely toned calves, and then un-crossed her legs a few moments later. I could feel myself smirking, and continued watching Susannah. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she was clad in some faded plaid boxer shorts and a tiny tank top that revealed a lot of her chest region when she leant down. Again she crossed and un-crossed her legs, making my smirk turn into a grin. Her beauty was pure, radiant, and her smile could make me turn to muss. "Jesse?" she asked, noticing the direction of my gaze.
"Yes Querida?" I replied in a silky tone, I didn't even know I had in me.
"Jesse do you get how to do this?"
"What?" I questioned, snapping back to reality.
"Do you get how to write and balance chemical equations?" she asked, smiling a little.
"Oh, yeah why, do you need help?" I responded, thinking about how I could tutor her, and maybe even kiss her soft, pouty lips-
"No, its just…you kind of spaced out while Mr. Edwards was explaining it. I just wanted to make sure you know how to do the homework" she explained, blushing slightly, and pointing to the worksheet in front of me.
"Oh, thank you."
"No problem" she chimed happily.
The last few minutes of class were rather quiet, as everyone raced to finish their homework. Susannah and I both completed our worksheets before packing away our things and preparing for our last classes.
"So what do you have next?" Susannah asked, grinning a little.
"I'm helping Mr. Ochoa with his last period Spanish class" I replied trying not to sound too smug.
"Whoa, so you're like his aide?"
"Yeah, pretty much" I responded.
"Oh, too bad I take French" Susannah cooed before sauntering away.
"Nombre de Dios" I breathed as she swayed her hips, walking confidently out into the breezeway.
Last period, was very dull. All Mr. Ochoa had me do was make copies of worksheets and his syllabus, then separate his class work packets, from his home work packets. When class was finally dismissed, I helped Mr. Ochoa tidy up his classroom, while we talked about our days.
"So…who is she?" he asked, clearly enjoying the look of confusion and panic on my face.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Who is she? I can see it in your eyes, you're practically glowing, plus you pretty much smiled through the entire period" he said almost taunting me.
"Oh, no…we're just…Susannah" I sheepishly admitted.
"What about Susannah?" she chimed from the door way. I turned a deep shade of red, before being able to face her.
"Awh, so you're the new girl" Mr. Ochoa stated, giving me an approving look.
"Yes sir" she replied, then turned her attention to me and asked "Ready?" She flashed me another heart-melting smile, temporarily paralyzing me.
"Of course" I said once I could think again, before gathering my belongings and walking over to stand beside her.
"Adios Jesse, adios novia de Jesse" Mr. Ochoa called after us.
"What did he just call me?" she questioned as we walked towards the parking lot.
"Umm…my friend. He said 'bye friend of Jesse" I quickly lied.
"Really? I could have sworn novia meant like bride or something."
I nearly choked on air upon hearing that, before coughing out, "I thought you took French."
"I do, but my uncle married a Hispanic woman, my Tia Sophia and last year at Christmas she tried to teach me a little bit" she explained.
"Oh" was all I could manage to choke out.
Just then we reached the student parking lot, and I pointed out my car. "She's not the newest or the nicest; but she's loyal" I said describing my 2001 Toyota Corolla.
Susannah smiled at me and I gently placed my hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the car. However her smile suddenly faded when we heard a boy calling after her. She shot me a fearful glance, before we turned around to see a guy jogging towards us calling "Suze! Suze, wait up!"
I noticed Susannah tense up and I protectively pulled her into my arms, as the boy reached us.
"Well, well, well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Come on babe, I've got the drop top parked over by the entrance" the boy said trying to grab Susannah. She quickly burrowed into my chest, and I held her tightly.
"I don't think she wants to go with you" I spat at him.
"Who the fuck are you? You can't tell me Suze here doesn't want to go with me, because I know for a fact that she does" he retorted.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Susannah said through gritted teeth.
"Come on baby, don't be that way" he cooed.
"Leave me alone! I never want to see or hear from you again!" she yelled back.
"Oh come on Suze…you think Ricky Martin here can offer you what I can? Please, he's wearing clothes from Old Navy."
'Hey! Old Navy is perfectly respectable place to shop! I cannot believe this boy is talking to Susannah like that…has he no respect?'
"Oh he's much better than you'll ever be! Besides, I like Old Navy" she hissed.
I smiled down at her, feeling practically giddy, before remembering to continue glaring evilly at this hijo de puta.
"Suze don't be a bitch! Just get in the damn car" he demanded, again trying to forcefully pry Susannah from my arms. But I saw him and knew he would try and hurt her so I quickly took a step back, dragging Susannah with me. "Don't you ever talk to her like that" I yelled, with coldness in my voice I didn't know I had.
"You know what? You can have her…for now. I'll be back though, don't you worry. I'll be back for you Suze" he wailed as he made his way over to a brand new Mercedes-Benz convertible.
"You better not; for your sake Paul!" she called after him.
"That was Paul?" I asked raising my eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's the sick pervert that stalks me."
"Do you think he's dangerous?" I asked pulling away slightly, to look into her eyes. She however, snuggled back against my chest and replied "I…I don't know."