A/N Here is the next chapter! Sorry for the looooooooooong interval but exams came and stuff so…you get the picture. I know, you guys are thinking "This girl's excuses are sooo getting old" and I am sorry. Summer hols are in a week and I have two whole months in which I'll be free to write! Plus I was having a major writer's block. I have to thank Querdia1607 for giving me an idea on which to start. Anyways, enough babbling and start reading!
Suze's POV
"Hagh!" I cried as all the air stored inside my alveoli rushed out of my body. Mama Mia, this hoopskirt business sure was nasty.
It was our fifth day at the de Silva ranch. After hearing our (and Anthea's) story, Mr.de Silva had finally believed us. Grudgingly, I must add. He had immediately set off with Jesse for the other de Silva ranch owned by Maria's dad. Ha! That would teach that bitch. What her punishment would be was beyond my imagination. Hmm…what were the 1850 penalties for infidelity -though Jesse and Maria weren't exactly married, but whatever-? Twenty years in exile? I wish.
During my five days in the past I had learnt exactly how boring life in there could be.
There was absolutely nothing to do except embroider little forget-me-nots onto tablecloths (something which I can't do to save my life), cooking (the trait for which has passed on from my mom to me), and looking after the cows and butter churns and other dairy stuff (gross).
Jesse wasn't here so I couldn't exactly look forward to spending the days with him. Paul divided his time between his room and the stables and a quarter of it was spent with me. I had to admit; at least seeing him there around the ranch was a source of comfort for me 'cause then I would feel like I wasn't stranded here in the past with no way out and back to my family.
I busied myself making friends with Josefina (or Jo, as I called her- Josefina is too long to be convenient). She turned out to be a very fun kind of girl. Not the girly, oh-I-am-so-helpless kind of girls I thought all nineteenth century girls were like. We spent most of the day in my room with me showing her the different twenty-first century gadgets (she had almost fallen off the bed when I demonstrated to her how the TV and the clap on-clap off lights worked), her telling me stories of their life on the ranch (and me asking questions specifically about Jesse-What? So sue me. I needed to know.), or me doing my schoolwork while she looked on or explored my room. One day, she had even taken me on a horse-riding trip around the ranch. I wore one of her cotton day dresses that day since people would be seeing me.
On the second day, I had brightened up a bit when Marta, Jesse's eldest sister, had mentioned that we were going to the market. Ah! Some shopping at last. Now this was more my thing.
But when we got to the market I realized that my wish of walking through a dust and pollen-free building for a few hours and looking through glass windows was not going to happen. Far from that, in fact. It was more like a village square where people got together to gossip about whose daughter had been gifted a dress of the finest silk from Spain and whose slave had run off with whose cowboy. The only things we could actually buy over there (for females) were ribbons, bonnets, dresses, and hoopskirts.
That brings me to what was happening at the moment. All the de Silva women had taken it to heart to fit me into one of those nightmare- inducing things that they called hoopskirts. Apparently there was a ball being thrown by this family called the Andersons. I recalled Jesse mentioning them to me in the O'Neils' barns.
Anyways, back to the topic.
"Oh! I am so sorry, Susannah!" said Mrs. De Silva as she tried to fit the hoopskirt down my head in a less painful way.
"Its OK" I grunted, trying to remain polite. I really liked Jesse's mom, she was a great woman, but at that time my patience was wearing out. I mean, seriously, what wouldn't a girl give to simply slip on a sleek cocktail dress, put on a pair of dangerously fashionable Jimmy Choos, grab her Prada clutch and head for the party down the block?
After about fifteen minutes of tough work on Mrs. de Silva's and Marta's part and loads of grumbling on my part, the piece of metal had been fitted around my waist. To say I couldn't breathe would be an understatement.
I had been reluctant to let the de Silvas spend their money on buying me dresses which I would never wear again but they had been very insistent.
"You cannot stay at home and you very well cannot go out into the public wearing…er…your clothes" said Marta. "We will buy you whatever you need. Its not like we are poor anyways" she finished with a smile.
So, here I was wearing a big, fairytale-like silk ball gown of the lightest shade of pink. I had protested against that very color which nearly drives me insane in my room but Jo had said that it complimented my brown hair. The neckline was slightly sweetheart shaped and was rimmed with even lighter shaded lace. The bodice was tight around my upper body and formed a V-shape as it dipped into the two-flounce skirt. Each flounce was bordered with lace. The sleeves were more like ruffles with satin ribbons at the edge.
When it came to my hair and makeup, however, I had to give the red light. After much fussing, Mrs. de Silva and Marta allowed me to style my hair by myself.
In my room, I took a strand of my hair and twisted it around my index finger, trying to decide whether to straighten it or let it remain wavy. I wanted to look really good tonight for Jesse.
I laughed as I remembered the way Ghost Jesse used to criticize my wardrobe and fashion sense. Lets see what he says when he sees me in this dress, I thought. My smile faded as I realized that I was actually thinking about that Jesse. Ghost Jesse. My Jesse.
I turned towards the window seat, half expecting to see him there, one leg on the seat the other on the ground, the leather-bound copy of Critical Theory Since Plato propped up on his lap and Spike sitting beside him.
That was it. I started crying. Everything, all the caged emotions, they all came rushing out. It was like a dam blocking the currents of a great river had given away at last to the water's raging torrent. A great sense of loneliness washed over me. All I wanted at that moment was to relive all those little moments with Jesse.
The first time I had met him as I had entered my new life in Carmel; he, Father Dom and I climbing down a steep cliff on that windy night; how all the pain from the bruises and scars on my face had disappeared the moment his calloused fingers had softly grazed my cheek in the hospital room; my small hand in his large ones as we tried to find a way out of that cold, misty place called Shadowland; his lips on mine, his strong arms encircling my waist like he would let nothing get to me…
My door burst open and Jo ran in. I hastily wiped away my tears and forced on a smile as I turned to her. But she was a smart girl.
"Suze?" she asked (I had managed to persuade her to call me by my nickname). "What's wrong?"
"Nothing" I answered. "Just remembering my family in the future"
She narrowed her eyes. "You are lying. Your eyes are too red. You couldn't have been crying so much for such a reason. Tell me what happened."
I sighed. This girl seriously reminded me of Gina. Demanding and to the point. "Look Jo, you won't understand. OK, what if I told you that I will tell you sometime later? Will you not tell anyone or question me about it?"
Jo raised an eyebrow. But I guess I must have looked a sight, because she then softened her look. "Fine. But Suze, you have to tell me if something is troubling you, alright? Promise?"
I nodded. "Promise. Anyways, what did you come in here for?" I asked.
Her soft smile brightened and she said "Ummmm… actually I was...er… wondering if you could style my hair tonight"
I raised my eyebrows and started laughing. "Sure I'll do it for you. "
I got out of the chair in front of my dressing table and let her sit on it. I leaned over her shoulder and smirked at her through the mirror. "We'll make you look so hot that even those nineteenth century gentlemen won't be able to keep their dirty eyes off you."
Half an hour later the two of us made our way down the wooden staircase. When we arrived in the living room we saw that everyone was already there. Our footsteps made all of them look up. And gasp. Well, except for Paul, that is. I saw that Mrs. de Silva's and Mr. de Silva's eyes were on Jo. I had to admit, I had done a good job of styling her.
Her normally unruly raven curls were now stick- straight. I had taken a small amount of hair from each side and pinned them together behind her head at the middle with my tortoiseshell clip. I had also drawn a line on the rim of her lower eyelid using an eye pencil, subtly bringing out her hazel eyes. To her heart-shaped lips, I had squirted on a hint of lip gloss. The overall look was very simple and angelic yet carrying more of an allure than any other girl from the time (well, duh, it was modern stuff I had applied on her). I was scared to apply more makeup on her, not wanting everyone to think of her as a soiled dove.
"Josefina! Your hair! How…?" cried Mrs. de Silva.
I laughed. "It's called a straightening iron, Mrs. de Silva. You can use it to straighten curly hair. It's a modern appliance. Of course the effects are only temporary."
She only stared.
Jesse stepped forward, smiling. "She looks beautiful, Susannah. You do seem to have a hand for this."
But I now had eyes only for him. I didn't hear what he said. He was looking…can you say gorgeous? Oh my god, all the girls will so want to steal him away. That's when I realized that for the first time, I was going to have a competition with other girls to win Jesse. Before, I was the only one who could see him and talk to him so I had nothing to worry about. Now though…I gulped. But I was sure Jesse truly loved me. The Ghost Jesse at least. The Human Jesse was the exact same person. What difference would there be?
I diminished all those thoughts and started out the door with all the de Silvas and Paul (who was looking hot but kinda weird in those super tight pants-imagine a curly haired Zac Efron in a huge baggy shirt, super tight trousers and a cravat).
As I looked at Jo though, I couldn't help but remember the promise I had made to her earlier in the evening.
A/N Whoa! My longest chapter! Decided to be nice and not leave you guys hanging off the cliff this time. Don't know about next time though…;) You know what to do, the button is right there below!