A.N - Yeah, this chapter is short, I know. Next one will make up for it - hopefully.

Thanks to everyone whos been reviewing. Makes me smile when I get them.

If i can. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Double-O-9-and-a-half for inspiring me to make the Jesse/Paul hate bit more physical. D

Chapter 9

"Susannah!"

She heard his voice call her name, trying to get her attention. But she didn't want to talk. He had, effectively, lied to her. Paul hadn't only mentioned shifters to him, Paul had showed him how to do it. And he had. For someone named Georgie. No, she didn't feel like talking.

"Susannah?"

His voice sounded small and pathetic, even to his own ears. Was she ignoring him? Or could she genuinely not hear him?

"Tough break."

Jesse gritted his teeth at the sound of the voice. Paul.

"What did you say to her?"

Paul smirked. "Oh, a bit of this, bit of that."

"I'm serious, Slater. What. Did. You. Say?" Jesse hissed out in his anger at the other boy.

Lunchtime was over then, all the students started filing out to their next lessons.

"Oops, sorry," Paul said in mock sympathy. "Ran out of time."

Paul turned around and walked away with the rest of the students.

Jesse growled in frustration.

"Oh, yeah, Jesse?" Paul spat out his nickname while turning his head back slightly as he spoke. "Be prepared to talk about Georgie."

He paled at this news. He wasn't ready to go into it, he'd eve said so at lunch - before this mess with Paul.

"Oh," Paul added. "And that you've shifted. I thought you'd have told her that for sure. 'My first trip to shadow land was to save the love of my life'. Something to write home about, don't you think?"

Jesse grew angry then. Paul had taken it too far. He could deal with telling her about Georgie but this? Susannah would think he lied to her. His fists clenched together at his sides. All it took was one look at Paul's smirking face and he let loose, punching the boy's nose so hard that he fell onto the floor.

"You deserve everything you get." Paul said hatefully, stemming the flow of blood from his nose while getting up off the floor. "And when you two finally do break up - officially, because I'm sure you have already - Suze can move onto a real man." He puffed out his chest as if to prove a point.

Jesse didn't even reply with a degrading statement, as he normally would have - hitting him where it hurts. He was just standing there, arms hanging heavily at his side ; fists caked with a thin layer of the other boy's blood.

Paul walked back over to Jesse and slapped his cheeks succeeding in jumping the boy out of his stupor.

"Stay away from her." Jesse warned confidently before turning away and running towards the one person he'd always been able to rely on, leaving Paul staring confusedly after him.

---------------------------------

"I don't know why he does it," Jesse complained from his seat in front of the desk. "I really don't. Why does he hate me so much to do this to me? To Susannah. Why, Padre?"

Father Dominic remained quiet throughout the boys story, processing all the information that was being given to him. Jesse's was certainly … different then any of the other student's lives. Except Paul, of course, and now, it seemed, Susannah Simon.

"I think," the principal began softly. "That the best cause of action right now would be to talk to Miss Simon. Tell her everything. Then you can both deal with Paul."

Jesse nodded, agreeing with the man. He had to work things out with Suze, that was certain. He had to tell her about his past.

"But it still doesn't explain Paul's hatred of me." Jesse frowned.

"No, that still goes unexplained," Father Dominic agreed. "But that will have to do for now. Letting Miss Simon know everything should probably be your main concern."

Jesse smiled at how close the man's thoughts was to his own. "Yeah," he stated. "Before Slater manages to convince her to try shifting would probably be best. She doesn't need to know what it's like." Jesse's eyes glassed over as he remembered his own shifting experience.

"Perhaps, you should take the rest of the day off?" Father Dominic offered, concerned for the young man in front of him.

"No. I'll go. I've got Spanish now anyway. Thank you, Padre."

The principal merely smiled as Jesse left his office.

------------------------------

He was a fool for thinking he was going to be able to pay attention to the lesson. Jesse rolled his eyes at himself. He was just glad School was over soon. Then he could sort things out with Suze.

Dios, he hoped she saw things his way. If she broke up with him and started going out with Paul instead … Well, he'd kill him for one. Paul, that is.

Again he wondered why Susannah meant so much to him. He'd only known her for a day. He'd been drawn to her since he'd found out there was going to be a New Girl attending the Junipero Mission Academy. He felt like he knew her a lot longer.

He sighed and put his head in his hands. He really couldn't wait for the end of school.

Just one more lesson.