So, it was my birthday on sunday. Another year older, 20 to be exact. And as a special birthday treat for myself and you guys I decided to post the next chapter earlier than I thought I would. So here it is, enjoy:)

Chapter 5

"What do you mean, she's special?" Ashley was confused, and it was apparent by the way she was squeezing the fabric of the couch that she was also more than a little bit scared of the reply.

Anabelle fidgeted in her seat.

"Spencer's been different since she was a kid. I'm not exactly sure when it started, but when she was small she used to see things that people couldn't possibly have seen happening."

"What, you mean even when she was blind" Ashley asked confused.

"No, this was before she was blind. You see, Spencer didn't become blind until she was five, and even how that happened is a mystery to us. But before she was blind she'd know things that were going to happen even before they happened. "

"Like a psychic, you mean."

"Not quite, she didn't have visions or anything, it was sort of like instinctive...like she just knew. I remember one time we were out in my backyard playing. We were picking daisies, I was 8 at the time and she was 4, and all of a sudden, completely nonplussed, she told me that she liked big red balloons but that she didn't like it when they popped. Ten minutes later, a red hot air balloon crashed into our next door neighbors yard...the guy in it died. I never told anyone that."

Anabelle stared out the window while Ashley was frantically trying to process this information, her mind going a mile a minute. From what she could gather, Anabelle was telling her that Spencer was some sort of clairvoyant. She was confused, her logical mind was telling her that things like this didn't exist, but she couldn't shake off the feeling she had had when they were out in the garden. And looking back on it she realized that the feeling she had had was one telling her that there was danger, but at the same time she couldn't pull herself away. It was like she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

"Does it still happen...I mean...can she still see things?"

"I don't know. After her dad and Clay died, and she lost her sight she never told me anything anymore."

"Wait...what? How did her dad die, and who's Clay?"

"Clay was her adopted brother, and they both died in a car crash a couple of months before her fifth birthday."

"Did Spencer predict that as well?"

"Yes." Anabelle answered with a wry smile.

They both sat in silence, each of them in their own thoughts. Ashley staring at a picture of Anabelle and Spencer at the beach, Spencer looking to be about 8 years old. Ashley couldn't help but wonder what that mind was thinking as she ignored the camera and scooped sand into a bucket, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. And her heart wrenched at what kind of childhood she had, maybe it was even worse than hers.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Ashley looked expectantly at Anabelle.

"There is one thing...but I can't be the one to tell you. Spencer has to, I can't be the one to tell you."

Anabelle shifted her gaze to her lap quickly, but not quickly enough that Ashley didn't notice the tears forming in them.

"Hey...whatever it is, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay." Ashley whispered placing her hand over hers.

Ashley left Anabelle's room worried. When she'd asked to be told more about Spencer she definitely hadn't expected that. She's not sure what she expected but it wasn't that. And her confused mind was giving her the sudden urge to just walk to Spencer's room and ask her if what Anabelle had said was true, but once she reached the outside of her door she just couldn't muster up the courage. Spencer was already hurting...she didn't want to add to that. So she went to bed, her mind boggled down with thoughts of death and Spencer. All of this was hitting to close to home for Ashley. Her dad had believed in things like this and her mind automatically took her back to her 10th birthday.

"Ashley...look up." Her dad was holding her close in his arms, sitting on the steps of their porch. Ashley looked up, noticing the bright stars and the way they seemed to move amongst themselves like they were playing tag.

"The stars are so bright, daddy." He laughed.

"Oh those aren't stars, baby. Those are angels. You see, everyone has their own to take care of them...yours is up there somewhere, and do you know how to find it?"

Ashley squirmed in his lap, anxious to know how to find her guardian angel. "How!"

"Well...you've just gotta find the star that you think is the brightest...and that's your angel." He smiled.

Ashley looked up, and it didn't take her long to find one star that out shadowed all the others with its brightness, twinkling so much it was almost as if it were winking at her.

"It's that one, daddy!...It's that one." Ashley pointed to her star of choice.

"That's your angel baby. Whenever you need help, all you've gotta do is ask it and it'll be there. Now what are you gonna call it?"

Ashley thought for a while, mentally asking her angel to tell her what its name was.

"Mia...I'm gonna call it Mia."

Ashley woke with a start, momentarily wondering where she was before the events of yesterday came to her mind. Thoughts of Spencer flooded her brain as she showered, and she wondered what she was doing at that moment. The act of getting dressed was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Ashley!! How's life in the country? Have you gotten eaten by any goats yet?"

Ashley laughed at her friend Mark's overly dramatic ways, he had a voice that always seemed to pick her up when she was feeling gloomy. And she could just imagine his messy blonde hair and dark green eyes downing a glass of vodka mixed with orange juice as he talked to her.

"Mark! It's good to hear from you, what are you up to?"

"Oh you know, just sipping my special morning drink and wondering how the hell you are? You do remember that you're playing at Mac's tonight don't you?"

Ashley grimaced, she had completely forgotten. With everything that had been going on, she wasn't even surprised. But this was a big night for her, there was no way that she could mess this up. She'd heard from a friend that a record label scout was going to be there, and this was a perfect opportunity to show them what she was made of.

"Yeah, I know." Ashley sighed.

"Are you nervous?"

"Honestly, a little bit. I'm afraid I'm gonna mess things up like the last time."

The last time she had played in front of a scout, she had been so nervous that she had forgotten the chords at the beginning of the song. It had sounded terrible, and the scout hadn't even waited five minutes for her to get back on track before he had left.

"You're not gonna mess it up, okay. The music's in your blood, just go with the flow."

"Thanks Mark. I'll see you tonight." Ashley wasn't a hundred percent convinced by Marks assurances but she was a little bit less nervous.

"Don't be late."

After getting dressed, Ashley made her way up to Spencer's room. It was her day off but she had something to ask her. She knocked lightly on her door, stepping in when she heard the now familiar voice call for her to come in. Spencer was sitting at her desk, dressed in her bathrobe and brushing her slightly wet hair through with a brush.

"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't know you were getting dressed. I'll just come by later." Ashley said, embarrassed when her thoughts automatically went to Spencer not wearing anything under that robe.

"Don't be sorry...It's not like I'm naked or anything." Spencer replied.

Yeah, that's not why I'm apologizing. I'm apologizing for thinking about you naked under that robe, Ashley thought to herself.

"So how did you sleep?" Spencer asked turning in Ashley's direction.

"Pretty well." Ashley lied. "How about you?"

"Good."

For some reason Ashley knew that Spencer was lying too.

"Not that I don't like talking to you or anything, but it is your day off...you don't have to be up here, you know?"

Ashley was momentarily lost in Spencer's eyes, in the way they twinkled a bright blue. And from those perfect orbs, her eyes wandered down to the trickle of water that was slowly running down her neck towards...

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked, concerned at the silence after her question.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." And Ashley had never been more grateful that Spencer couldn't see her at that moment, having just been checking her out and blushing a bright red. "I just...well I was going to ask you if you wanted to come and see me play tonight? You don't have to of course, but I was just thinking...you know, maybe you might like it, and if you don't that's okay too." Ashley trailed off.

"I'd really like that." Spencer replied smiling.

"Okay." Ashley smiled back. "I'll let you get dressed then, how about we leave around 6?"

"Sounds good, I'll be ready."

"Oh and you know, if you don't like my music you can just tell me. I think I respond very well to constructive criticism." Silently telling Spencer that she didn't have to pretend to like her music if she didn't.

"Oh, I think I'd like anything you made." Spencer grinned at her.

Ashley blushed, leaving the room she marveled at how a few words out of Spencer's mouth could make her feel on top of the world.

Hotcutii3: I hope this chapter answered your questions:)

to-you-I'm-chained-and-bound: Hi, new reader! I'm glad you're liking this story:)

Vanessa Riverton: Cliffies, make me bite my nails but i love it when i finally find out what happens lol!

XSamXStutterzX: hmmm, I like the way you think, you're just gonna have to see about Anabelle though:)

spashley20: Ooops, sorry about that lol! Thanks for pointing that out though, I'm gonna be better at proof reading from now on:)

BrEaKiNg HaZeL: Hey Skittlez! I love cookies! If you give me chocolate chip ones I'll give you updates lol! Haha, I'll try to overdose you on this story...that sounds so bad doesn't it! :)

CapActive4: I tend to write shorter chapters, I don't know, it's just the way I roll. But I made this one longer just for you:)

gamin: lol, thanks!

charmedcrazy14: I love your babbling! And I love that you like this story and I hope that you liked this update:)

HaleyXXBrookeAAF: We must be twins because I LOVE cheesecake!! You amuse yourself but you amuse me more:) And I'm curious about this Italian pastry...maybe you can magic a hundred of them through your computer screen to mine! Yeah? Okay, Can't wait!:)

Uber-Monster: Hahaha, a five year old on a sugar high? That's me everyday!

weightofitall: Your two cents do mean a lot, I think you should be my mentor. Are you up for it?:)