SECRECY

Chapter 6

Recovering from the shock of having seen Jesse talking to a ghost, of all things, I worked up the courage to go and talk to him.

I stood up from behind the bush and called out to him. He turned and saw me and his eyes widened a bit. Then he turned back to the ghost and he dematerialized.

I walked over to him and smiled. Trying not to reveal anything, I asked sweetly, "Who were you just talking to?"

He looked nervous for a second. If I hadn't known that he was, in fact, talking to a ghost, I probably wouldn't have noticed the sudden nerve he acquired. "I was talking to no one, Susannah."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, really? I could have sworn I heard you talking to someone." Okay, I was laying it on thick right now. But, nonetheless, I looked around, pretending to try and see someone. But, just like I knew, I saw no one around.

"Susannah, I assure you, I was talking to nobody," he said. He ran a hand through his hair, a sure sign of anxiety.

I cocked my head to the side. "And why are you out here anyway?"

"Susannah—" he was probably about to deny it again, but I cut him off.

"You know what? Forget that. What I really want to know is why you didn't tell me." Okay, yeah, I was being a little . . . hostile, I guess the word would be. But I was a little mad that he hadn't told me that he was a freaking mediator. Then again . . . I don't think I would ever tell him if I didn't know he was also a mediator.

His eyebrows knitted in confusion. But I could tell he was glad for the subject change. "Tell you what?"

I leaned in and whispered harshly. "That you're a freaking mediator, Jesse." Only, I really didn't say freaking.

See, I wasn't really mad. I think I just used that word for emphasis. Like on SpongeBob. You know, sentence 'enhancers'.

Or, that's what I told myself, anyway.

The shock on his face was as plain as day. His eyes widened and he took a step back from me. "Nombre de Dios," he muttered. "No . . . it - it's not possible."

I smirked. "Not possible? Well, to most people seeing ghosts would be thought of as impossible. So why is finding another mediator not possible?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. He blinked a few times before he said, "So . . . that day . . ." he stopped and tilted his head. "You were talking to a ghost that day, weren't you?"

I blinked, trying to figure out what day he was talking about. Then I remembered the day that he first came back and I was in the kitchen talking to my father . . . "Oh," I said in realization, "uh, yeah. That was my father. He, um, still likes to hang around after being dead for ten years."

He just stood there, still in shock about what he just learned about me. I was still in shock about what I had just learned about him.

Then I remembered the other mediator I knew. Father Dominic.

"Come on," I said, breaking the awkward silence. I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me to Father Dom's office.

"Susannah? Why are we here?" he asked.

"You'll figure it out soon enough," I said. The secretary said we could go in and I dragged Jesse in with me and plopped him down in a seat next to me.

Father Dominic looked surprised to say the least. "Susannah, what is going on?" he asked incredulously.

Okay, I'm not one for subtlety, you should know that all ready. I blurted out, "Jesse is a mediator, Father Dom."

Jesse's eyes widened when I said that. Oops, I guess I didn't explain to him that Father Dominic was also one . . .

Telling someone else that you can see the dead without knowing that they can too is probably a bit frightening, considering what they might think of you and how they would act upon those thoughts. Like, say, throwing you in one of those white padded rooms.

Father Dominic turned to Jesse in shock, but also in relief. He looked back at me and asked, "Are you sure?"

I nodded. Then I turned to Jesse to explain. "Jesse, Father Dominic is a mediator, too. That's why I dragged you here."

The relief on his face was clearly evident. He breathed a sigh of relief and said to me, "Today has been a little awkward."

I smiled. "When I first learned that I wasn't the only one out there, I was a bit shocked, too."

His smiled faded a little bit. "Susannah, I knew there wasn't just me. Marta is a mediator, too."

Wait, what?

I guess the shock was evident on my face, since he said, "I just never thought you were one. I guess it just seemed too surreal."

As he was saying that, I was putting the pieces together in my head. Then I blurted out, "So, that's why she told me to go out there and find you! She knew! But . . . how?"

He knew what I was talking about. That I went out there and saw him. He knew that I knew that Marta knew I was a mediator. How? Well, I haven't gotten that far yet. "Susannah," he said, "Marta is very . . . observant. She tends to see things that are hard for some other people to see."

Huh. I wonder what else she has noticed.

Father Dominic cleared his throat. I looked back at him, as did Jesse. "Not to interrupt," he said, "but there are some things I would like to discuss with the both of you."

I nodded, signaling for him to continue. He just told Jesse basically the same things he told me when he first found out I was a mediator. Jesse was listening intently, while I was just sitting there, really bored, staring at a picture on the office wall.

"And, Jesse," Father Dom said, "I would like you to keep watch of her. She tends to . . . not be very peaceful with these spirits."

I snapped my head back to him. "Hey!" I cried. "No, no. They aren't very peaceful with me, Father D. I always tell you that. They like to use their stupid telekinesis and crap to throw stuff at me, so I see there's nothing much to do but to kick their ghostly butts."

Father Dominic just blinked at me. "Yes, of course, Susannah," he said, very sarcastically. Huh. I didn't really know Father Dom was capable of sarcasm.

I looked over at Jesse and he looked like he was holding back a laugh. His face was straight, but there was a laugh on his lips.

Very soft looking lips.

Urggh!

No, stop, Suze! What the hell possessed you to think that?

"Susannah," Father Dom said. I looked up and he was looking back at me very curiously. He just shook his head, grabbed a pen off his desk and signed a pass for us to go back to class. "You and Jesse have the same class this period, correct?"

I nodded. He filled out the time and then handed it to me. "Now, go back to class. If any . . . problems arise, come to me."

Jesse and I nodded and went to our next class.

- § -

I had to go back to the courtyard between periods to get my bag and everything, since I kind of left the table and forgot all about my lunch. But when I went there, there was nothing there. Panicking, since my money and everything was in my bag, I went to the office to go and see if anyone had picked it up and brought it there.

I panicked even more when one of the secretaries said they didn't have anything. I groaned and went to class, of which I was late.

CeeCee was in my class this period and she looked at me and pointed to her bag. She passed me a note that said 'I have yours'. I looked back at her and she handed it to me when the teacher wasn't looking.

Huh. I was panicking for nothing. I should have known CeeCee would have held on to it for me. I don't know why I didn't think of it before.

Soon enough, school was being let out and I was ecstatic. Being stuck in that hell-hole is . . . well, hell. And I have to endure it every single day.

When I got to the parking lot to go wait for Jake to come out and drive me, Brad, and Doc home, I realized that his car was nowhere in sight. Meaning, he left all ready.

And I was stuck without a ride home. Which meant I had to walk.

Which also means that my hair is going to get all frizzy and my flip-flops are going to start squeaking.

Ugh.

Well, I mine as well start the million mile trek now. No time like the present.

So I started walking in the direction of the hills, when I heard someone call my name out. Now, usually people call me 'Suze' and everything, so when I heard 'Susannah' I barely even paid attention. Then I was all, 'hey, that's my full name,' and I turned around to see who was calling me by my first name.

And I saw Jesse. He waved at me, gesturing for me to come over. Then he pointed at a car and I realized that he was offering me a ride home. Well, more or less.

Boy, was I ever thankful.

Calmly, I walked over there. "Hey, Jesse," I said when I reached where he was by his car. Which, might I say, was a really nice car. Rare, too, as he so loved to tell me. A '76 Ford Mustang.

Uh-huh.

He opened the passenger-side door for me. I got in and said, "Thanks," to which he just smiled. He walked around to the other side and got in, putting his seat belt on and gesturing for me to do the same.

I was still a little shocked that he actually opened to door for me before I got in. I mean, guys do that sometimes, but sort of in a mocking fashion. Jesse, though, he seemed really sincere when he did that.

I was beginning to realize that Jesse is kind of conservative.

"Any preferences?" he asked, pressing the 'FM' button on the radio. I shook my head and he switched the station to some classic rock. Huh. At least he has good taste in music.

He put the car into drive and backed out of the parking spot. Then he drove out onto the road and took off. The car ride was soothing in a way. I guess it was just how smooth and, well, quiet the ride was. I mean, as opposed to getting a ride with my three step-brothers and their occasional friend who needed a ride.

And the thing is, we didn't speak once of the whole ghost business thing earlier.

Jesse pointed to the Algebra II book in my lap. "I noticed you were having trouble with that in class," he said.

I looked down at the book and then back at him. I felt the heat rushing to my cheeks and realized that I was blushing. "Um, yeah," I said. "Math is really not my forte."

He smiled. "I guess it's a good thing its mine, then, huh?"

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you implying?"

And you'll never guess what he did then. He frigging rolled his eyes at me! If he weren't one of my best friends, I would have made sure he couldn't ever roll his eyes again.

Then again, I wouldn't want to mess up that face.

Um . . . yeah. You so didn't read that.

"Do you need a tutor?" he asked calmly, like he asks people this all the time. Then again, maybe he does.

I looked back at the book. Well, I did really suck at math and I'd actually like to get at least a 'B' the first marking period . . .

"I don't need one," I said. "But . . . I could use one."

He grinned. "Then how 'bout we start today?" And then he proceeded to do a 360-spin around move and headed towards his house instead.

Nah, just kidding. Jesse's too conservative to do tricks with his car, even if it is nice.

Um, just to clarify, I meant his car was nice. Just, uh, clarifying that for you.

"Uh, okay," I said. Okay, what thehell is with all this spontaneous shit? This isn't the Jesse I'm used to . . .

He laughed at my apparent weirded-out-ness. Then he said, "Where would you like to do it?"

And I swear, I choked on my spit. Finally realizing that he did not mean that (although, I don't even know why I thought that he would ever say that and mean it), I said, "Um, I don't care. Wherever is good for you."

Not even realizing why I took me so long to answer him, he said, "I was hoping you would say that." He looked at me at me and grinned. "How does the beach sound?"

I smiled, this time not acting weird or anything. "The beach sounds great," I said.

Disclaimer: The great Meg Cabot owns all of the Mediator characters, plus my life, since I no longer have one.

A/N: Review, my little dumplings!