Chapter 2

I didn't sleep one bit.

This is just getting ridiculous. I can't even sleep soundly like I used to anymore. I kept tossing and turning and sleep wouldn't come. It was 2 a.m. and I was still awake. I just can't seem to get over these nightmares. The sun was beginning to rise so I got up and went to the bathroom. Because of these stupid nightmares I now have dark circles and bags.

Bags!

I got ready for school. I have to say that my ensemble was awesome even though I was lacking sleep. I looked great in my black suede Nine West boots, accompanied with my Citizens of Humanity skinny jeans and gray BCBGMAXAZRIA Jersey and Charmeuse Top.

Mornings in the Ackerman house are the craziest. Andy, my stepfather is a master cook. And not just in cooking he is also a carpenter.

Yeah no joke.

He owns his own business and his own home improvement show -that airs only locally- but he makes my mom happy so I've learned to endure it.

Once we finished eating breakfast Brad, David, and I headed for school.

School is actually the place where I'm calm and all my problems just melt away. Sounds crazy doesn't it. Here I have my best friends CeeCee and Adam - Now a happy couple- and Father D. who is the first person that I've ever met that has the same "gift" -as he put it- I have. Which is communicating with ghosts.

I'm not kidding.

We are called mediators. Which if you think about it, it kind of suits what we do. We get visited by ghosts who have unfinished business and we have to finish said business for them so they can move on.

Sounds easy right?

Well you couldn't have been more wrong.

The sacrifice that a teenage girl like myself has to pay to have this "gift" is quite big. But that has changed.

Before I couldn't do things a normal teenage girl could do, like going on a date or have a boyfriend because I was helping ghosts. I never had a normal teenage life. Until now. Ghosts don't bother me as much as before.

I mean with 4 mediators at their service you can really just pick and go.

Oh yeah did I tell you that Jesse is a mediator?

Yeah well that shocked me too when I found out, but it made me eternally happy at the same time. I mean now Jesse, my Jesse can see ghosts. Just like me.

Who's the fourth mediator you ask?

Well he is the captain of the tennis team, a model student at Junipero Serra Academy and he is dating the most popular girl in school. He also had a crush on me -borderline to near obsession- but now we are really good friends.

"Hey, Suze." Paul came up to me while I was heading for my locker.

"Hey, Paul." I said cheerfully.

Paul is also a mediator. Well he prefers to be called Shifter. This is another one of my "amazing" talents. I can go in and out of the spirit plane. But that comes with a price.

"So how's life? It's been a while since we've talked." he said.

"Yeah it has been. My life is great." I grinned remembering of Jesse.

"I can tell." Paul grinned back.

When Jesse was in coma where I almost lost him forever, Paul was there supporting me. When Jesse woke up he realized that we couldn't be what he wanted us to become. And since then things have been a little awkward. I think the only time we actually talked after the incident was at the winter formal.

"So how's Jesse? I heard that he got a hefty amount of money."

"Jesse's doing well. Wait….where did you hear that?" I asked shockingly.

"Suze, there's nothing in Carmel that is a secret. Well….except 'our' secret." he said with a wink.

"Yeah well it's still a little creepy." I said while reaching for my Trig textbook.

Paul chuckled.

"So how are things with Kelly?"

Paul suddenly stopped smiling.

"Good…" he said in a low voice.

Well this is weird. I could have sworn that they were doing great.

Was I wrong?

"What's wrong? Did you guys have a fight or something?" I asked.

"Hey! Did you know that we have a new student today?" he said changing the subject.

"Paul…." I started to say right before I saw CeeCee running towards me and almost crashed into me.

"Suze…" she said still panting.

"Well good morning to you too Cee." I said sarcastically.

"Forget about that! Listen….you won't believe who came back to school?" she said a little less breathless.

Before she could say who it was, it was already too late.

"Hello Suze." said a male voice that hunted me in my sleep. The same voice of the creep that tried to kill me and the people I care about.

The voice of someone that I hated so much that it was hard to contain myself and not kick his ass in front of the whole student body. Also the voice that as of till now made me fear him even more than in my nightmares.