"Paul?"
"Suze?"
"Something fishy is going on!"
Funnily enough, we said it at the exact same time.
"Paul, what happened to your face?"
I grazed the back of my hand against the bruise that was covering his face. It was shaped like a boot.
It took him 3 seconds to flinch, which was a long time, believe me.
It seemed way weird, so I asked him again.
"Paul, what is wrong with your face?"
"Um, a disagreement with a client."
For the first time ever, I saw fear looking out of Paul's icy-blue eyes.
I opened my mouth to ask him again. Third times a charm. But I got interrupted by Sister Ernestine.
"Student Body Vice-President should not be dawdling in the hallways. Dawdling will result in a detentoin, Susannah. If you get detention you position can an will be revoked."
What do I say to that? I just smiled and walked off.
Paul was right beside me, but now he was gone. Poof, like magic.
The walk to World History took forever.
First I was stopped by Adam, then by CeeCee. After the long journey, I was confronted by a very distraught Kelly Prescott.
"Kelly, what's wrong?"
"Its Paul" answered Debbie.
"What did he do this time?"
Paul was well known for treating Kelly like dirt, whether it was standing her up or cheating on her.
Kelly didn't answer.
"What did he do?"
Kelly's voice trembled.
"He...He, died."
I didn't think that he could die. I mean, us mediators are pretty hard to get rid of. And Paul has the extra protection of being, well, Paul. But I just talked to him. I guess that I was talking to his ghost.
Why didn't he tell me?
Was it that he couldn't tell me?
If so, why?
"Jesse? Jesse!"
I was so sure that it was him, so I ran as fast as I could.
"Jesse, Hey." I huffed and puffed.
Was he avoiding me, I 'm sure he heard me. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen him since yesterday.
For a second I thought it wasn't him.
"Jesse, what happened to you?"
"Querida-"
I just cut him off.
"What happened?" I said in a very harsh tone.
I cupped his -for the first time ever- face in my hands, the way he usually does.
He had a bruise covering his face.
I freaked out when I realized that it was the same as Paul's.
"Jesse, are you dead?"
All I had to do was stare into his eyes, that was how I knew.
They were empty. And scared.
So I did what any girl would do:
I ran as fast as I could so he wouldn't see me cry.