It was normal day when I got home from school that day. Ms. Steakhouse was waiting on the porch for me, sitting there reading one of her Nora Roberts novels. She was a Nora Roberts addict when it came to romance novels. I ran up the stairway and wrapped my arms around her neck.

"Good lord Kelly, your home on time. How was school today?" she laughed.

"Great Gran, I learned about how to get into college and get my degree in writing." I excitedly exclaimed. Ms. Steakhouse wasn't my real grandmother, but she took me in after my family was killed during Hurricane Katrina. I was living in New Orleans, and I was only in sixth grade. But Gran took me and so did Sookie; Sookie and I got really close, almost like sisters. But I was living with them and I loved Gran and Sookie as if they were my real family.

"Really, you can write?" she teased.

"Yes, and one day you're going be reading one of my romance novels while sipping sweet lemonade. I can just see you sitting in the swing reading a novel by Kelly Ann Smith, bestselling writer." I replied with full hopes.

"I do that, and I will surely love it. I love you're writings anyway; mystery, suspense and the lyrical language use makes me feel as if I'm truly inside the mind of your characters." Gran smiled as Sookie came walking out of the house dressed in her Merlotte's uniform.

"Well hey Kelly, when did you get home?" she asked she hugged me tightly. I was a little shorter than her, so my head just rested upon her shoulder.

"Not long ago. I just found out that I can get a degree in writing and become a famous writer, like Nora Roberts. I was just telling Gran that someday she's going to be reading one of my novels."

"Really, I can hardly read it myself. Is the one you were working on finished?"

"Yep, just have to edit and send off to an agent. But it seems like there's something missing in it; I can't put my finger on it. But anyways, you about to head to work?" I asked as I carried my stuff inside and waved to Gran. Sookie followed me into my pale pink room of colorful Japanese cherry-blossom paintings and one countless movie posters.

"Yea, just 'bout to head out. You need a ride to Merlotte's tonight?" she inquired as she looked down at the family portrait lying on my desk. I turned and gazed at her as I changed into my uniform; five years coming this August had I been with the Steakhouse and without my original name of Smith.

"Yea, I was wondering if you could give me a lift there and then Jason could maybe bring me home." I sighed, turning away from my saddening past. Sookie came up behind me and hugged me again. I knew she was trying to read my thoughts, but I didn't want her to listen. I wish sometimes I was alone, so no one could tell that I was sad, but that wasn't hard for Sookie to figure out.

"Why can't I forget about my past; why does it always come back to haunt me around this time of the year? I just want to be me and not the vision of my past."

"It's ok, Kelly. You don't have to be anything you're not."

I could hear her thoughts too, but my ability was more complex. Not only could I hear people's thoughts; I could see their future before them it even happened. It was scary as a child when I could see the hurricane coming for my family, but I couldn't stop it. I knew that my family was going to die and I was going to live, but the hard part having to live with this gift/curse for the rest of my life. I frowned before I smiled at her; giving her the signal that I heard her thoughts. Sookie hugged me even tighter than before as she looked down at me.

"Say let me do your make-up and hair tonight for work; that can help you get more tips." Sookie exclaimed, trying to make me feel better.

"OK, thanks. And thank you for helping me get this job. I know you must have went through a lot of stress to get it for me." I knew the truth behind that.

"No trouble, I just begged Sam to give the job. He knew you needed the money and that you wanted to go to college, so he was happy to help."

Yea the only reason he was letting me work at Merlotte's was because of Sookie. He had always been in love with and wanted her in many ways that my mind as a writer understood. He wanted to be with her all the time and it got annoying sometimes when I was working that I could hear him thinking and see his daydreams of him and her lying together. Yuck; I didn't like those kinds of visions or thoughts. They were always so repetitive and life-like that it felt as if I were actually there witnessing it. The bad thing was Sookie already knew Sam's thought, but I had visions of his thoughts. She didn't want to, but me having visions of daydreams in his head were even harder to keep blocked out. I wanted to tell her of what he was envisioning them doing, but I guess words spoke louder to her than scenes.

The strange things was we could also talk to each other through our thoughts; telekinesis. That was better than telling that something was going on through words, but in our heads where it was private and no one else could listen.

"Did you warn him about my… well my…gift?" I wondered as she pulled my hair into a ponytail and placed mascara on my eyes.

"I warned him and told him to be more cautious around you. I also told him that you were going to put your guard up and try to not listen to anything that he or the customers were thinking about. Please promise me that you will do that?" Sookie pleaded as I opened my eyes.

"I promise; I just that he won't think about anything strange."

"What do you mean?" I couldn't tell her of his infatuation with her or that Sam wanted Sookie in bed with him every night. She'd killed me if I told her of the visions that she saw in word form and reminder her of his thoughts.

"Nothing, let's go on to work."