The Girl He Knew Somewhere

Eighteen

"I REMEMBER WHERE I HAVE SEEN ASHLEY BEFORE!!!'"

Mike groaned and pulled the duvet over his head. Micky frowned and took hold of the end of Mike's bed and started shaking it!

"Wake up!" Micky cried. "I just remembered!"

"What's going on?"

Davy and Peter rushed into Mike's room, surprised to see Micky practically shaking Mike out off his bed! Mike gave an angry groan and turned to switch his bedside lamp on! He groaned some more as the room lit up, then glared up at Micky!

"Micky! It's 4:30 in the morning!"

"Hey, Micky! You okay? You're shaking, man!" Peter noticed.

Micky couldn't help it! He beckoned for Davy and Peter to come over.

"I remember where I saw Ashley before!"

"You do?" Piped up Davy and Peter.

Micky nodded and told them everything. From when he was on Circus Boy, to how he saw Ashley.

"I just remember how shy she looked!" Micky told them. "She was tugging at her hair. I asked her if she wanted to come and see the elephants. I remember she was a bit nervous at first, but after a while, she seemed quite relaxed!"

"Wow!" Said Peter. "To think you both first met when you were kids!"

Micky nodded. He wanted to tell them that he had just kissed her, but decided not too.

"Does Ashley know? Shouldn't you tell her?" Mike asked.

"I'm going to go tomorrow!" Mike told him. "I don't care if that snobby old bag tells me to go away, I am going to see Ashley and tell her everything!"

Ashley sat in her bedroom, thinking back to that kiss! She had been surprised at first by it! But, it felt nice. She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him back! She still felt butterflies when she thought off it.

Yet, she had to go back to London.

Ashley blinked back the tears. She never really cried, even when her parents had died. She didn't cry then. Instead, she'd switched off. At the funeral she had stood with her grandparents with a blank expression on her face. Like, she wasn't really there. That her parents weren't really dead.

It wasn't till she reached her teens that the blanking out started. They had moved from London and when they settled in America, Ashley suddenly felt alone.

She couldn't explain what it was. It was like she would remember being in one place, only to suddenly end up somewhere else and not knowing how she'd got there.

It had been scary. She'd even ended up in hospital a few times. Her grandparents had tried to get her all the help she needed, but Ashley didn't attend any of those meetings.

It was when she started listening to The Beatles that she soon fell in love with singing. That made her feel better. She'd met Bill at a small gathering once. She was singing for the guests. When he mentioned about her singing at a small cafe she jumped at the chance.

Eventually, she started becoming a different person outside off home. She sang at nightclubs, had a laugh with Bill and enjoyed the many new bands she heard.

Then, she met Micky, Davy, Peter and Mike. They made her feel special. They actually cared about her. They made her laugh. The more time she spent with them, the more her sadness disappeared. Her grandmother had noticed the change in Ashley.

And Micky made her feel special. She loved his goofy moments. He would do James Cagney impressions, pull funny faces, and just randomly do something silly to annoy Mike!

But, there was another side to him. When he listened to Ashley, he would really listen. Like tonight, when she'd told him about her parents, there was concern in his eyes.

He let her speak. He never once interrupted her. Then, he kissed her.

Her first kiss.

She awoke with a jolt! She'd had a dream. Not a good one either. She dreamt that she saw Micky. Only, as he stood there, he started fading away. He didn't move. He just stood there, staring at Ashley as he slowly started to disappear!

" Micky! Don't go! I need you!" Ashley cried. She'd tried to run to him, but her legs wouldn't move!

She'd woken up just as Micky vanished!