Chapter 5
"So," Jesse said after taking a sip of his coffee. This was probably going to be the most awkward conversation ever, but he couldn't help it. "You're a mediator?"
Suze sighed. She knew this was going to come up.
"Yes." She replied.
"How did you find out?"
"My dad died when I was six. He explained it to me. Pops in from time to time." She smiled then, "you met him earlier."
Jesse just smiled back and took another sip from his steaming cup.
"So," Suze breathed out. "Family?"
"Mom, Dad and five sisters. You?"
"Mom, Step-dad and three step brothers."
"Pets?" Jesse asked.
From there the conversation developed easily into a game of twenty questions. They bickered and exchanged banter. Before they knew it, it was time for Jesse to take Suze home.
"Thank you Susannah." He said quietly.
"For what?"
"Jesse smiled. "For making this the best first day back in history."
It was Suze's turn to smile.
"Really?" There was a glint in her eye as she playfully flirted with him. She whispered into his ear.
"Well, I suppose I also have someone to thank for making me feel so welcome."
Jesse's voice lowered as he too started whispering.
"And who's that?"
They leaned in closer and barely tickled the other's lips before Suze pulled away.
"Paul," her voice was back to it's normal bouncy quality. "Duh!"
Jesse literally growled and pulled Susannah to him.
"Don't mention him in front of me. Ever."
Suze just smiled.
"Did you just growl?"
He growled again playfully before leaning down and capturing her lips with his own.
Her lips tasted like strawberries, that's all Jesse had time to think of before losing himself in the sensations of the kiss. They reluctantly pulled apart but rested their foreheads together, needing the contact.
"Thank you Jesse."
"For what?" He repeated her words back to her.
"For making this the best first day back in history."
He pressed another chaste kiss to her lips.
"You're welcome."
Jesse started to back away, down the drive and towards his car.
"See you tomorrow?" He called.
"Definitely."
They smiled giddily at each other before Suze turned around and let herself into her house. When the door was shut, she leaned back against it and sighed, basking in the moment.
"Susie, honey?" Her mother's voice screeched at her. "Is that you?"
Bye-Bye Moment.
"Yeah mom, it's me."
This time her sigh was in irritation.
"Well come in here then, you almost missed dinner."
Suze rolled her eyes. Dinner in the Ackerman household was such a big deal. Nevertheless, she went through to the dining room where Andy, her mom, Brad and her youngest step brother David were.
"Hey, how come Jake isn't here?" Suze wondered out loud.
"He's working." Andy was the one who answered.
"Oh, right. Yeah. I remember."
Her mom decided to play happy families by asking how their first day back was.
"It was okay," Suze told her mom. "I made some new friends, got some new books. You know. Schoolish."
"Oh, that's good Susie."
They were still in the awkward new phase. Though Suze made sure only her mom could get away with calling her Susie by shooting glares at whichever of her step-brothers happened to be around when it was said. Despite the fact Andy and her mom had been married for a while, Suze had finished out her school year at Brooklyn and moved over to sunny California during Summer vacation. The Ackerman boys' were still dealing with suddenly having two women in the house. (As opposed to just Suze's mom).
After everyone had finished, Brad dutifully got up and started dish duty - grumbling, but still doing it. Another Ackerman … thing. Each child took it in turns loading the dishwasher after every meal. Parents cook … Children clean. Or something.
"I'm gonna head on upstairs." Suze announced.
"Okay honey."
That sounded so strange coming from Andy.
"Yeah, right. Bye then."
Suze ran upstairs without another word. Her mom and Andy's new house was old. When Suze first saw it, she was terrified there would be ghosts riddling the place. So far, it had been relatively ghost free.
So, when Suze walked into her - totally girly - bedroom, she froze.
There innocently sitting on her bed was a teenage boy with a glowing aura around him.
"So, you're the mediator." He coolly stated.
"Yeah, that's me. Why are you here."
The door slammed shut accompanied by a shout signalling Jake's arrival home.
"That's my bet." The ghost said.