Chapter 5

I have been a mediator for as long as I can remember. In that time I've come across some odd things, like poltergeists similar to those out of Ghostbusters, a vampire who really wasn't a vampire, pissed off RLS Angels and other unsightly ghouls. But this one…Bloody Mary (or rather BM for now on. Maybe if I stop evoking her name, she won't actually come out to play so to speak) she takes the cake. She had me scared. So scared in fact that I was contemplating moving to another state and never looking in another mirror again. Which is saying a lot because I tend to be a tad vain when it comes to my looks.

I swallowed loudly. I was standing in front of the mirror that was dripping in blood. I shutter to think whose blood it is. As soon as my brain began to function after the shock of seeing "scared yet" in the mirror, I had jumped out of my bed and threw back the curtains letting the sunlight come in.

I had to make sure my eyes where not playing tricks on me. Much to my chagrin, they aren't playing jokes. My eyes I mean.

I studied the mirror, trying to stay calm. Mary was nowhere in sight but apparently; she had a grudge against me. Perhaps she was angry because I managed to stop her from killing Tiffany?

This brings me straight back to square one. Why would she want to kill Tiffany? Or Jenny?

Gathering up as much courage as I could, I grabbed some paper towels under my bathroom sink and wiped down the mirror. I would probably have to get a new one because honestly, I just don't think that when I try on new outfits before dates with Jesse, I will feel the same. Yeah I know, I'm being pretty self-absorbed right now. I like to think it's because of the whole BM thing knowing when I sleep.

I chucked the towels and tried to think about what to do next. Then it donned on me. Doc. He could help me again like he did before.

I wandered over to his room knocked on the door and entered. He was, as I suspected at his computer doing a school project that wasn't due until before Christmas break.

"Hi." I said and sat down on his bed trying to ignore the fact that I was being hunted by BM.

"Hey Suze. Need help with something?" He asked and turned around.

"Well…" I began and flashed him a smile. "You know how I asked about Bloody Mary before?"

He nodded and pushed his glasses back up on his nose.

"Can you look and see what will happen if you happen to, I don't know…" I paused searching for the right words. "What happens if you look Mary in the eyes but manage to come out unscratched?"

He frowned.

"Suze what-"

"This is strictly hypothetical." I said before he could say what I knew he was going to say.

He paused ready to say something but changed his mind.

"I'll do some research and find you when I come across something."

I nodded and got up to leave.

"Suze…If you're in trouble you can always tell me." He said before turning back to his computer.

I nodded again and walked away genuinely touched by his concern. But honestly, how was I supposed to tell my stepbrother that BM had it out for me?

.OoOoOoOoO.

"I'm bored." I complained to Jesse as I crinkled up my straw wrapper feeling the sheer tedium. I had decided to keep the fact BM was after me a secret. I mean, what could he do about it? Jesse I mean. He could not very well, keep her from coming after me in the middle of the night. All he knew was what Father Dominic had told him, which was basically that I saved Tiffany from being BM's next victim.

I could use Jesse as a distraction though to keep me from thinking about it, her being after me I mean, which is how I found myself at The Clutch after dinner. Before I had left, Doc had promised me that when I got home he'd have some answers for me.

"Well, querdia, tell me about your day." He said as he fussed over his own homework. He was typing up an essay due tomorrow.

"My day was good. How was yours?" I asked staring at the part of his face that showed up over the laptop he was using.

He didn't even bother looking at me. It was as if he didn't hear me at all.

"Ok so I'm talking to myself?" I asked Jesse's forehead.

He grunted in response and continued to type. Clearly, he was listening to me speaking. Not.

"Well so today I saved a cat from a tree and then Paul and I eloped." I took another swig of my drink, waiting for him to answer.

Much as I expected, Jesse grunted in reply. I rolled my eyes and propped my feet, decked out in my new brown Guess boots, on a chair next to me.

The annoying bell jingled as someone walked into the coffee shop. Lazily glancing over to see who jingled the bell, I saw much to my surprise CeeCee and Adam come in. Adam waved as he saw me and they walked over and joined us at the table.

"Hi." I said to the two of them as they sat. I hadn't seen or spoken to them since I saved Tiffany in the bathroom that morning. Jesse, being the oblivious person he is when he's working towards his life goal, kept on typing.

Adam raised an eyebrow towards Jesse noticing his lack of focus of the world around him.

"He's busy with homework. He probably doesn't even realize you're here." I said.

CeeCee and Adam exchanged a glance and looked over at Jesse again. He was still in Jesse land typing away.

"So Suze, I can't believe what happened with Tiffany." Adam said still staring at Jesse.

"What do you mean?" I asked and chewed on my straw. Nervous habit I suppose.

"I heard that she called Bloody Mary-"

I shivered as he said her name and tried to avoid looking at the mirror that was placed on the wall opposite of me.

"and when she called her she was there." Adam finished not noticing my shiver.

"Yeah. I guess she was because next thing I knew she was screaming." I replied not really wanting to go into further detail.

"Good thing you where there Suze." CeeCee said staring at me. "Suze, will you go with me to get a coffee for me and Adam?" She asked.

I nodded and got up with her. As soon as we were out of earshot and vision from the boys she yanked my arm and dragged me over to an empty table, violently shoving me into a seat.

"Ow. CeeCee what is wrong?" I asked rubbing my arm where she grabbed it.

"You saw her didn't you?" She hissed and sat down next to me.

"Saw who?" I asked.

"Bloody Mary."

Again I shivered.

"Yeah…I saw her in the mirror when I came out of the stall." I replied.

CeeCee basically knew I was a mediator and could see ghosts.

"Oh man…Suze what the heck is going on here?" She asked looking concerned.

"I don't know. But I think there's a connection between Tiffany and Jenny." I answered.

"What about her other best friend?" She asked and slouched in her chair.

"What other best friend?" I asked thrown off. I had just assumed that Tiffany was her best friend.

"Stephaine…Her best friend since they where born?" She said looking at me like I was stupid. Maybe I was. I mean, people could have more then one best friend I suppose.

"What about her?" I asked getting confused.

"Well, if there is a connection between Tiffany and Jenny then there must be a connection between her and Stephanie too. Like maybe Mary is going to go after her next?" She asked and slouched in her chair.

Huh…Now that was something to think about. I had a sudden thought.

"Cee, do you think Mary could be getting revenge?" I asked.

"Revenge?" She echoed.

"Yeah…Like that's why she targeted Tiffany and Jenny. And possibly Stephanie." I answered.

"Revenge for what?"

"I don't know. Have the three of them been involved in anything?" I asked leaning closer to CeeCee.

If the three of them got involved in something and possibly pissed Mary off it would make this whole thing make sense. And because I stopped Mary from killing Tiffany Mary gets mad at me and wants me dead too for interfering.

"Like what?" She asked catching on to what I was saying.

"Like anything."

CeeCee tapped her hand against her chin. Then she got up, not saying a word and wondered back to the table with the boys leaving me to scramble to keep up.

"Jesse. Do you get wireless?" I heard her ask as I walked up behind her.

Jesse startled that someone was speaking directly to him, glanced up and nodded.

"Can I see your computer for a minute?" She asked.

"Sure just let me-"
Poor Jesse didn't get to finish his sentence because CeeCee had already snatched his computer and sat down, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

"What is she doing? And what happened to the coffee you guys where getting?" Adam asked me.

"I have no idea. And get it yourself."

"Dios mio she types fast." Jesse said incoherently.

"Thanks." Cee said. "Is this what you mean Suze?" She asked and turned the screen towards me.

I looked at the screen and was instantly overwhelmed.

The headline read, "Local Teen dies in car crash."

Below the headline was a picture of Tiffany, Jenny, Stephanie, Jason and another boy, who I could only assume was Stephanie's boyfriend with the way her arm was wrapped around his shoulders.

Even farther down was a picture of the victim. And that victim was BM, the girl who I had seen only hours before in my bedroom and in the school bathroom. Only in this picture, she wasn't a monster. She was a teenage girl laughing at whoever was taking the photo.

"Oh my God." I muttered and swallowed. What the heck is going on?