Disclaimer: All of the familiar characters are property of Meg Cabot, but I own all the new ones and the plot.

Chapter 27

I'm in the graveyard now, where I figure I can be alone for a while and not caught. I have sat down on the ground behind the wall and opened Paul's letter with trembling hands.

It reads:

Susie (I couldn't resist),

I won't keep you out of class long, since I know Sister has given this to you and you are probably skipping even longer to read it, since your curiosity is killing you.

About what you said last night in response to my ranting: I know now that we are two completely different people. I know there is no excuse for what I have put you through since we have met, so I won't offer you any bullshit.

It is my choice to move back to Seattle, and I won't have you thinking that it's your fault—I know you do—but it's not. It's my choice, and my choice alone. I won't let you skip any longer, but I do wish you the happiest life, which I know that I can never be a part of.

Paul Slater

P.S. Father Dom and I talked before he moved on to the next realm; I thought you should know that I apologized and he forgave me. I know you won't believe this, but I was his tie to this world. He needed to make sure that I understood the meaning behind, "With great power, comes great responsibility." And now I do.

Paul sounds really sorry for all the sick and twisted things he's done to me over the couple of years I've known him. If I weren't so wrapped up in Jesse, I would totally forgive Paul right now and go over and make out with him. But just thinking about that makes me feel guilty…

And he's right; I can't believe that Paul was Father Dom's tie to this world…

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

Finally the day is done with and I walk out to the parking lot to find Brad and Kelly making out. Finally, Dopey got his dream girl with Paul gone—I guess word got out.

I'm almost to the car, which David is sitting in looking completely disgusted, when I hear Debbie scream, "YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

Brad and Kelly unlock lips at the sound of the banshee from hell's screaming.

"What did you call me, you ho?" Kelly asks while she flips her hair and walks towards Debbie.

"You stole my boyfriend!"

"Brad was only using you to get to me!" Kelly yells back. Debbie is seething, but then when hearing this her face falls. "Oh!" Kelly lets out loudly, so the rest of the crowd that has congregated around the parking lot can hear. "You actually thought that someone liked you over me? That's so sweet."

There's a collective laugh and one guys yells, "BURN!" But then before anyone can register it, Debbie launches herself onto Kelly. They both collide with the pavement, and Debbie begins slapping the hell out of Kelly while Kelly manages to get a hold of Debbie's hair and pulls hard.

The crowd begins to chant, "Girl fight! Girl fight! Girl fight!"

I look back over at Brad. "Aren't you going to so anything?" I ask him over the chanting.

He just stares at me and then looks at them. Brad's eyes widen as he looks back at me. "Hell no! Suze, two chicks are fighting over me! This is like once in a life time thing!"

I shake my head while grabbing the keys out of his hand. "For you Brad, it is," I say and then hop into the drivers seat and turn on the car.

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

Once David and I get home I walk into the kitchen totally starving. I open the fridge and get out an already made sandwich, then close it and fine Mom sitting at the counter, typing away on her laptop.

"Hey Mom," I say while taking a bite out of the deli.

She looks up and smiles. "Susie!"

"I haven't seen you in a while," I comment and then pour myself a glass of water.

"I know, but all my hard work has paid off, and well today I got a big announcement. I am officially the co-owner of the station!" Mom hops off of the stool with glee and comes over and hugs me. I'm so happy that I actually bounce up and down with her in excitement, like we're two middle schoolers who have just gotten their first kisses.

Andy comes in and I throw him a "help me" look over Mom's shoulder and he nods with a laugh.

"Honey? What's this all about?"

Mom thankfully turns her attention to Andy and then bounds over to him and locks her lips onto his. I bow out gracefully before I can puke, but I have to admit it's cute how happy she is.

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

I walk up into my room and finish eating my sandwich in silence. Then quietly I walk back downstairs and into the kitchen to throw away my garbage.

I find Andy sitting on one of the stools with the phone in his hand and the phonebook out.

"Hey," I say and glance around the room for Mom. "What's going on?"

"Well your mother is upstairs freshening up and I just made a reservation for dinner." I guess he sees my facial expression, because he adds quickly. "For two," and I breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm letting you off. You are now ungrounded and I want you to go out and spend the night with CeeCee. David's already made arrangements to spend the night with one of his friends, and I'm sure Brad can 'crash' somewhere."

"Uh, okay," I say to him and then totally raise my eyebrows as I catch onto what's going to happen tonight. "Ewwww," I say aloud and Andy laughs.

"I was trying to spare you…and get your mind out of the gutter, Suze! Goodness gracious, kids these days."

"Oh please, like you didn't think like that when you were my age," I say in self-defense.

Andy's eyes sparkle, "Okay, so I did, but still, get your mind outta the gutter!"

"Okay! Okay!" I make my way to leave and Andy calls me back.

"Suze, where's Brad?"

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

I leave the kitchen with a giggle at the fact that Andy was impressed that Brad got two girls to fight over him. God, men!

I go up into my room and prepare to call CeeCee, when the phone rings. I pick it up and say, "Hello?"

"Hey Querida," Jesse says in his silky voice.

"Hi," I squeak.

"What are you doing tonight?" Jesse asks me while I sit down on my bed and fiddle with taking off my sneakers.

"I'm probably spending the night at Cee's, because Andy and Mom need the house to themselves." Jesse just chuckles.

"Do you want to come over here?"

I stop breathing and clutch the phone tighter to my ear. "You mean, spend the night with you?" I ask.

"No." Jesse says and my heart rate falls. "Querida, you know we can't do that."

"I know," I whisper softly into the phone and then crash back onto my bed.

"I meant like just to hang out and then I would, of course, drive you to CeeCee's house."

"Sure," I say and then sigh.

"Susannah? Are you okay? I know you are disappointed in the fact that I won't allow you to sleep over—"

I interrupt him—he always thinking everything's about him, doesn't he?—"Jesse, Paul's moving back up to Seattle."

"Oh," is all Jesse says and I can tell he's a little relieved.

"Jesse, I don't know why, but I'm sad. And he wrote me this letter and everything and well I feel as if I'm losing someone close to me. What will I do without my Shifter Lessons?" OH SHIT! I just told him about the Shifter Lessons. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

As if reading my mind, Jesse says, "Don't worry about it, I knew about them."

"Oh. How?"

"Susannah, does it really matter?" He asks with a sigh, and I can tell he doesn't want to tell me. And for once I drop it.

"No," I say and then we arrange for him to pick me up in an hour. In the meantime I call Ceece and make sure I can stay over at her house. She says sure.

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

While I pack up for the night, I'm thinking about Paul and how Dr. Jacobs is the only other shifter I know. Maybe I should call him and see if he wants to talk for a while about, well, shifting, because I'm not sure he knows all the stuff that Paul knows on the subject.

I fish out his card from my many pairs of jeans scattered on the floor and dial the number. He doesn't pick up. Probably dissecting some body, I think and wait for the voicemail to beep.

Finally, it does, and I say, "Hey, Dr. Jacobs, this is Suze Simon. Um, I was wondering if you possibly wanted to get together and grab from lunch sometime and talk about our similarities." I laugh at myself for being so careful. "Only if you want to," I add for good measure and then give him my number.

I hang up the phone and then resume packing. There's a knock on my door and Doc comes in to ask if he can get a ride over to his friends. I tell him sure, and then he says that Jesse's here. I light up immediately at just the sound of his name and then I bound down the stairs with David in my wake.

Opening the car door, I throw my stuff in the back and kiss Jesse full on the lips. Thankfully David takes his time getting into the car and making sure not to look at us.

"Can we drive David to his friend's?" I ask Jesse while buckling up.

"Of course. Where does he live?"

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

Once, we drop David off, Jesse and I speed away to his house, where, even before he can shut the engine off, I kiss him.

I hear him gasp into my mouth in surprise and then easily wrap his arms around me, allowing his fingers to touch every inch of my back. I'm practically sitting on the shifter, and let me tell you it's not that comfortable.

I pull away, "Jesse."

"Susannah," he whispers in my ear and then kisses me some more, and I'm lost in it. But then I gain some consciousness back and tell Jesse that we have to go inside and finish this. He's only too happy to oblige. He runs around picks up my bag and then opens the door for me. I get out, making sure my skirt (I wore my shortest skirt…and okay, it just so happens to be plaid, coupled with knee socks and a white tank top that has a neckline that plunges way down) rides up a little bit.

I sway my hips while walking in front of him up the stairs to his house. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time. I turn around and place my back on the door. He fumbles with the keys while looking into my eyes.

"Oh Jesse," I whisper into his ear and then kiss the lobe. He shudders, but manages to open the door and walk through it. I walk in behind him and take my bag from his fingers. Placing it on the floor near the door I think what's the point in bring it in, when he's just going to drive me over to CeeCee's later in his car. But then I feel the heat of his gaze on me and turn around to see him staring at me.

"Susannah, you need to change," he says huskily.

"Into what?" I ask dumbfounded.

"Into anything besides that," he says while removing his eyes from my chest and looking down at his feet with a blush across his cheeks.

"Okay," I say and pick up my bag again and walk past him. But I don't get far, because Jesse grabs my arm and swings me back towards him, our lips locking together. It takes my breath away.

His arms wrap around my waist while my hands drop my bag and drag themselves through his hair. Jesse's lips feel so good on mine that my knees are practically buckling. Then he flings himself off of me, and points to the bathroom door.

"Now," is all he says while breathing heavily and I pick up the bag, go in, and change.

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

Jesse and I hang out after I change into some jeans. After hanging out, watching a movie, and ordering Indian food, Jesse says that it's time I went over to CeeCee's and he fetches my bag and we walk out into his car.

In CeeCee's driveway, Jesse kisses me lightly on the lips. I want more and can tell that he does too. "Susannah," he starts. "I know you don't want to wait, but please, will you wait for me? Can we wait?"

I smile up at him, never thinking he would ask something of me. "Of course I will Jesse," I say and then kiss him on the cheek. "I can wait until we're engaged."

"Married, you mean." Jesse says.

"Engage, married, same difference," I say with flick of my hand as if to say "whatever".

Jesse just chuckles at me and says good night.

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

CeeCee's mom drives me home the next day and I find a package on our doorstep. It's labeled to me from an anonymous sender. I run into the house and up the stairs. The second my door is shut I rip it open and stare at the contents inside. It's copies of all of Paul's shifter stuff. Copies of everything. I rifle through it, pausing every now and then to look over some stuff, trying to find a note. But there is none and I can just hear Paul's voice in my head saying, "It's self-explanatory," and I grin like an idiot.

The End

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

AN: Please tell me if it wrapped up any lingering questions for you. This is my last chapter (if you coulnd't tell with the whole "The End" at the end) and I want it to be great—so any feedback is of course greatly appreciated. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

It's been a blast!

Sarah