THEN CAME YOU
Chapter Two: Plan A
Suze
On the matter of my sister and Scum-Bag-Slater, I tried my best not to act rashly. CeeCee and I discussed it at length and sadly got to the conclusion that I was going to need reinforcement if I was to defeat the forces of Evil. So I had to go to the three dwarfs – a. k. a. my stepbrothers – for help.
"All right Suze, spill it." Sleepy said that Wednesday after dinner. We had gathered in his room because it's the only one in which Hailey doesn't just brags in on account of how once she just walked in without knocking and found Sleepy doing the dirty with his girlfriend.
Since then, she knocks before entering Sleepy's room. Hailey doesn't bother to do so with the rest of us who still are – and in Dopey's case always will be – virgins.
Anyway, IO went ahead and explained about Hailey and Slater.
"Okay, here is the thing." I said completely serious trying hard not to think when was the last time Sleepy changed his bed sheets. "I know for a fact that Paul Slater is secretly dating Hailey."
"Slater? As in Scum-Bag-Slater?" Sleepy asked.
"Yes."
"We have to tell mom and dad, right away. Slater is bad news." Sleepy said.
"We can't do that." Said Doc.
"Why not?" asked Dopey.
"Because the more we say she can't date him the more she's going to want to date him." I said. Like seriously, they have been living with Hailey and me for the past four years and they still don't understand anything about girls! Well, Doc understands a little, but he's a genius, so it doesn't really counts.
"So what do you propose?" Sleepy asked.
I can say a lot of things about Sleepy, some good, some bad… but I know one true: he takes seriously the whole 'Big Brother' thing, even if he isn't my brother.
"Well…" I said, drawing out the letters as long as I could. "I got an idea."
.-.-.-.-.-.
Paul
I could see Suze's hand all over the business. Seriously, it was ridiculously obvious. Like suddenly Brad Ackerman –and the rest of the wrestling team – wanted to be my friend. And the other Ackerman boy – the nerdy one – was always trailing along after Hailey. And then at lunch Suze and her stepbrothers would confer together for moments, looking all suspicious and stuff.
It soon became clear that if I wanted some quality time with my newest girlfriend, the lovely Hailey Simon, I was going to have to get a move on with my plain to keep Suze too busy to notice her little sister's doings.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Jesse
"I've told you, Slater." I was saying. "I don't need your help to get a girl."
"I could make it easier for you." Slater was insisted. "I know someone from the inside that could pass on some info about the lady in question."
"I might not be interested in 'the lady in question'. And I certainly wouldn't want or need your help if I did were interested."
"Would you at least talk to Hailey?"
I shook my head and walked away. Seriously, that guy was annoying.
"Jesse." I head Father Dominic call me as I walked pass him in the breezeway.
"Yes, Father?"
"How are you? Are you adapting okay?"
"Yes. Thank you for asking, Father Dominic."
"Good, good, that's good." He said and then hesitated a little, he was about to ask something, I knew this well enough, I hadn't been going to the mass to this basilica for more than half of my life and not learned a thing or two about good, old Father Dom. "Listen, I know you're busy with your classes and all that, but I was wondering if you would mind a little bit of extra work."
"Um…" I wasn't sure, last time he had tricked me into helping him to decorate the whole basilica for the Christmas festival. "What kind of work?"
"Tutoring. I know of certain student who could use some help in Spanish, and I couldn't think of a better person to do it than you."
Spanish. Ha! That was easy. "Sure, Father Dominic, it will be no problem."
"Thank you."
"Hey, this kind of thing looks good in the college applications."
"Indeed it does, but you will also be doing a great favor to the young lady in question. Anyway, I'll tell her to meet you at the study hall for sixth period."
"Fine."
"Well, now, run along, child, run along."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Suze
"Father D!" I wailed indignant. "I don't need a tutor!"
"Susannah, you have been getting C – in Spanish. I know it's not tragic but it's lowering your average grades. And with the schools you're applying to, you better have the best grades you can pull off."
"I know. But a tutor?"
"He's a very nice young man and I'm sure he will be of great help to you. Now, come along, he's waiting for us at the Study Hall."
I grunted something intelligible but never the less went with Father Dom.
"Father Dominic." A deep, masculine voice greeted Father D as we walked into the Study Hall – a fairly empty Study Hall, might I add?
"Oh, Jesse, punctual as usual." Father D said and turned to me. "Now, Susannah, this is Jesse De Silva, he has very kindly agreed to help you with Spanish.
I gave an undefined grunt for answer. And Father D left.
"Very well, Susannah, let's get started." Jesse said.
"Suze." I corrected.
"Su-sa-nnah." He said, carefully enouncing each and every syllable. "'Sooze' sounds most vulgar."
"Does not."
"Does too." He said and there was a very final note in his voice. Jesse pulled back my chair and I slumped down on it. Then he sat down and began to skip through my Spanish text book, and amused little grin in his face, like he was saying 'this book is so dumb'.
"Well then," I said. "I can I call you Dickhead? I find Jesse so…"
"I find my name perfectly acceptable." Jesse interrupted, finding a page in the book and reading what it said. "Now, sit straight, shut up and do as you're told."
Was it really my fault that I began to call her every other bad word I knew in French? See, French is easy. CeeCee takes French and last year she went for ten days to France with the French group and learned a lot of French swear words. Words that later she related to me.
Why didn't I take French? Why did I choose Spanish instead?
Oh, yeah, Sleepy took Spanish and said it was easy. That's why.
I had thought 'If it's easy for Sleepy…"
Was I ever wrong?
"Nombre de Dios." Jesse said. "Me parece que te dije que te callaras."
"What?" I asked completely confused. I think he was saying something about… a street?
"Exactly." He said in a superior tone.
God, I hate him.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Hailey
Suze was SO going to pay for this!
How dares she!
Like I couldn't totally tell it was all her doing.
Like isn't bad enough that everyone knows I'm related to Miss Le Freak, a. k. a. Men-hater-Suze Simon, now she goes middling in MY business.
So, to confront her, I waited outside the Study Hall for her, and sure enough she walked out with this cute-but-really-not-my-type guy, the new transferred student. Suze seemed a little unhappy. Good.
"Suze!" I called since she didn't see me.
"Oh, hey, Hailey." She said as if there was nothing wrong whatsoever with the world.
"How dare you?"
"What?" She asked in the bored tone of hers. "What do you want?"
"What do I want? WHAT DO I want?
"It seems to me that you understood my question.
"ARGH! I'll tell you what I want I want you to stop messing with my life!"
"Um… whatever you're talking about."
"You know good and well what I'm talking about!" I yelled outraged, thankfully there weren't any of the nuns around to write me up for yelling in the hallway. "Like suddenly out of the blue Jack wants to spend 'quality time with his little sister' and David is following my every step. And BRAD! Of all people I can't believe you ally with BRAD! You hate Brad."
"Dopey – I mean, Brad, can be a lot of things but he's way better than Scum-Bag-Slater." Suze said, completely and infuriatingly calm.
"You're just jealous, that's it. It has to be."
"Jealous? About what?"
"You're jealous that mom loves me more, and Andy likes me better and I do fit in here. And that I'm not afraid of men."
"I'm not afraid of men." Suze said with a little smile. "I feel pity for the genera as a whole, actually."
"ARGH! You're impossible! Why don't you do us ALL a BIG, BIG favor and move back to stinky New Your City all ready!"
With that I stormed out. Sometimes I just can't stand Suze! She can be so….!
Anyway, I was pacing in the breezeway, trying to cool off before going to class, when Alan McTavish showed up. Shy, nerdy, Alan McTavish.
"Hey, Hailey." He said shyly. He has been asking me out since the eight grade.
"Hi, Alan." I said in a tone that I hoped indicated I wasn't in the mood for talking.
"Um… hey, I was wondering if you… you would consider going to the movies with me this Saturday."
"Sorry, Alan, you know I can't date unless Suze has a date." I answered, which was the truth but not the whole truth and nothing more than the truth. I mean, I like Alan but he SO not the dating material.
"Oh." He said a little put off. He was about to walk away but then stopped and this big, goofy grin lit up his face, he was cute, I must admit, in the nerdy sort of way. "What if I got your sister a date?" He asked all hopeful. "Would you go out with me then?"
"Sure." I said because the chances of him getting Suze a date were just the same of him every dating me: NONE.
"All right, Hailey! I'll let you know!" He said, all happy as he began to run to his next class.
Whatever.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Alan
YES! I got a maybe from Hailey! Now all I need is someone to take Suze out… um… I think I'm going to need reinforcements.
Oh, and speaking of the devil here he comes, my big brother: Adam McTavish.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Notes:
Sniff, sniff. Cry, cry.
I had finished this chapter hours ago but it got erased.
So this is the second go, sorry if it sucks.