I return home to an empty house, which honestly surprises me more than anything else.

"Dad?!" I call out, but the only answer I get is pure silence. And then...

"Mia!!!"

Knowing what's coming, I brace myself, but it goes to waste as I'm soon tackled to the ground. The air gets squashed out of me and a pain goes through my ribs.

"Alec, you idiot! Get off me! You don't jump on someone who just got out of the hospital with a broken rib!"

Alec gets off me quickly then pulls me up to my feet. I take in a breath of air but before I can release it, he pulls me into a hug.

At least this time I can breathe.

He steps back and grins at me. "Sorry, Mia. I just got excited."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "I can tell. You're lucky the cut on my head isn't a concussion," I say, walking into the kitchen

He waves me off as he follows me. "What does it matter?" he asks, grabbing an apple off the counter and taking a bite. "So, where's lover boy?"

I cringe as he talks, but thankfully all the food stays inside his mouth. "He dropped me off, but he had to go to some family thing. Said his parents were mad for him not coming home for a week and a half."

"And that's his fault?" He pauses, before saying, "Well, it kinda is since he was driving the car. He didn't have to stay with you."

"It's not his fault," I say simply, opening the fridge and pulling out the milk.

"He was driving, Mi, so inadvertantly it is his fault."

I shake my head, having to energy to argue as I grab a cup from the cupboard.

The next few minutes pass in silence, me drinking my milk and Alec eating his apple. The only thoughts running through my mind are about the nurse. As random as that may seem. That's all I've been able to think about. She won't even be that old, so it will most likely happen in twenty or thirty years, which is kind of creepy to think about.

I glance up at Alec and I'm thrown off balance for a moment. I stare at him longer and soon the feeling passes, which I'm thankful for. I keep looking at him, wondering what that was, until he raises an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong, Mia?"

I shake my head and try to get rid of that feeling. It was weird, but I know that I've felt it before.

"Let's go watch a movie or something. You can pick," I add, knowing that'll easily persuade him.

He jumps up and is out of the kitchen before I can say another word. I laugh and follow him out, placing my cup in the sink.

By the time I get out to the living room, a movie is already playing on the TV. That was pretty dang quick.

"Where's Elizabeth?" I ask, taking a seat next to him.

He shrugs, pressing play when it reachesthe main menu. "I'm not sure. I told her I was comimg over and she said she couldn't come."

I start worrying, naturally. I frantically pick up my phone and send her a text, 'Where are you?'

It only takes her a moment to respond, 'at home doing homework'

'Can you do it later? Alec and I are watching a movie and we'd love to have you here'

'Wish I could, but my mom won't let me leave til it's done. Sorry'

'Ok :('

I place my phone down and scoot closer to Alec, stealing half of the blanket he has, enjoying its warmth. We watch the movie in peace and by the time it's over, Dad walks through the door.

"Hey, sweetie," he says, walking over and kissing the top of my head as if he didn't leave me at the hospital. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," I snap.

Dad raises his eyebrow at me, but thankfully says nothing. He just walks up the stairs and I hear his bedroom door close.

Alex sighs, pausing the movie and turns to look at me. He waits a moment before saying, "I think you're overreacting a bit here, Mia. Ask him to explain, maybe. Or give him time to do so. He might have had somewhere important to go."

"So important that he didn't visit again?"

Alec freezes for a while before regaining his cool, smiling lop-sidedly at me. "Look, I'm sure he had a reason-"

"A reason?! I was in the hospital for a week and he only visited once, Alec! Don't tell me he had a 'reason'!"

After I woke up, I was in the hospital for a week more, just healing. Josh never really left my side, except to get food and use the bathroom. Hr didn't have to stay, but he did. You'd think that if Josh could drop everything, then so could my own father.

Tears start to blur my vision and I soon find myself in Alec's arms "It's going to be fine, Mia."

"Ever since I met Josh, my life has become so dramatic!" I yell, pushing myself out of his arms. "I now see people dying! My dad leaves me, pretty much alone! I have a 'true love'! I don't know what's going to come next! Will the sun fall from the sky? 'Cause at this point, that's the only thing that could be more outrageous than what's going on right now!"

My breathing becomes labored and tears pour out my eyes. My knees buckle and I begin to fall, only to be caught in my best friend's arms again. Alec lifts me up and sits down on the couch, with me in his lap. My face is buried in his shoulder as I sob loudly. He strokes my hair, whispering comforting things in my ear.

After thirty minutes of crying, I find myseld drifting off to sleep, and I willingly succumb.

•••

I'm pulled out of my dream by a voice, talking quietly. I squish myself as close as I can against the couch.

"That's exactly what happened." The voice pauses. "Of course I'm not making this up...What do you mean that's not good?"

By this point, I've drawn myself awake enough to register that it's Alec's voice. I groggily open my eyes, stretching out my shoulders.

"Well, what do we do now? Send her to some insane asylum?"

I freeze at his words. Who is he talking to? And about what? I lay completely still, determined to find out what's going on.

Alec scoffs, "Good luck with that...Of course it'll work, as long as you prepare her enough she won't end up going crazy. Just do it soon-"

I sneeze unexpectedly, cutting off Alec's words.

"I'll call you back."

Soon after he says that, his face appears above mine and he smiles. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you have a nice nap?"

I roll my eyes and sit up, pushing him out of the way. "Didn't someone have to kiss her to get her to wake up? And if you kissed me-"

Alec immediately puts his hands up in surrender. "No! I didn't! I promise!"

I chuckle," I know, Alec. Who were you talking to?"

Alec shrugs, sitting down next to me. "No one special. Just Josh."

The gears in my head start turning. Why was Alec talking to Josh? And why about sending someone to a crazy center? "About...?"

Alec tenses momentarily but recovers fast enough to answer, "You."

"So you're planning to send me away to an insane asylum?"

Alec's eyes widen and he shakes his head abruptly. "N-no. I was joking, Mia."

I raise my eyebrows, waiting for him to go on.

Alec sighs, "He just called your phone, but you were sleeping, and I figured you needed it, so I answered. He answered back with a co fused hello, then I told him you were sleeping. He then-"

"Alec!"

"What?" he asks, looking over at me curiously.

"I don't need every stupid detail. Just tell me the gist of it."

"Well, we talked for a bit, then he asked what we had been doing. And I kind of mentioned your odd behavior before we watched the movie. You know, when you were looking at me weirdly. He suddenly began questioning me on every detail. What did your face look like? What were your hands doing? Stuff like that. Then he told me that that's the sign of.something not-so-good."

"Oh, yeah?" I prompt, crossing my arms. "And what is that?"

Alec bears his eyes straight into mine. "That you need to get your visions under control."

All humor is washed out of me. Is something wrong with my visions? Will they be getting worse? Will they happen every single time I have eye contact with someone else?

My head starts spinning and I groan. Didn't I just talk about my life not being able to get more complicated?

"And how, Alec, am I supposed to do that?"

"He said you have to talk to his mom."

A sense of dread fills me. "I have to talk to his mom? As in, Josh's mother? The woman that gave birth to him?"

Alec smirks slightly, amused at my words but soon nods his head. "That's what he told me."

My head falls back against the couch and I let out a prolonged sigh. "This is great. Just great. I've already seen enougn deaths to last me a lifetime and I have the possibility to see even more?"

"You've only seen two," Alec points out. "That's not that many."

I return his comment with a glare. "Well then, why don't you try it? Why don't you try seeing someone die, and you can't do anything about it?"

Alec sighs, running his hand over his face. "Mia. I'm not saying that what you've had to do isn't hard, because I'm sure it is. I'm just saying that they could be worse."

"I guess you're right."

"I always am."

I scoff, shoving his arm, but since he's sitting down, he doesn't fall over. Plus, I'm not really that strong. "Lower that ego, there."

After a few seconds of just staring at each other, we burst into laughter.

It takes us a minute to calm down, and when I do, I grin at him. "Thanks for that laugh, Alec. I really needed it. And don't you dare say anything about knowing that I did."

Alec closes his mouth and rolls his eyes. "It's the truth."

"Sure it is."

Alec places his hand on his chest as if he's offended. "Ouch, Mi. That's harsh. I'm just trying to be a good friend."

I smile at him, leaning my head on his shoulder. "I know."

That wasn't the best chapter ever, but eh. I'm pretty excited for the next few though! :)

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