A new story I thought up…I hope you read and enjoy. ;)

Summary: "I got over you. Now get over yourself. Did you really expect me to never move on?" Chelsea questioned. Vaughn? Didn't have an answer. VaughnxChelseaxDenny

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Chapter 1: Time To Say Good-Bye

Reality Check: People come and people leave.

It hit her like a physical blow.

The massive swell of emotions twisting her thoughts was a foreign concept to her. First, guilt for not noticing his depression before; sadness to say farewell to her first and best friend; and anger settling in when she realized Vaughn was acting irrationally to the entire situation.

Chelsea dropped her head down, avoiding his gaze. No matter, Vaughn would wait patiently. He always did; towering above her, the very essence of calm. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from his friend.

When her eyes lifted slowly and locked with Vaughn's the breath was forced from his lungs at the cold, burning intensity there. Her dancing summer sky eyes were eerily replaced with hard and glassy sapphire ones.

But for one instant she was too shocked to control her stoic expression and Vaughn saw it; a split second of hurt and absolute betrayal that cut through his heart like the sharpest of knives.

Then Chelsea's eyes narrowed, rage contorting her features into something Vaughn would have found ugly had he been capable of thinking her so.

"Why…?" Chelsea croaked, "Just because they don't understand everything about you doesn't mean they aren't trying! Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe your parents don't comprehend the way you are because you never give them a chance too?!" Now, she was yelling.

"It doesn't matter. I'm sick of them and their shallow, rich behavior." Vaughn stated with finality.

"Vee," Chelsea pleaded, "you shouldn't run away. It won't solve anything. The only product would be loneliness. Is that what you want? Scamper away from a loving and comfortable family, friends who care for your well-being, an animal dealer job you love, and even…me?"

"It's only a little while." Vaughn compromised.

"Why should I believe anything you say to me now?! Huh!? All you're ever gonna do is push people away, even if you have to physically leave them behind in order to do so. That's it. Gray and Cliff care about you, your parents Anna and Basil, your sister Mary, and most of all, I do Vaughn. I care about you."

Vaughn didn't respond, knowing it was futile if he did.

"Whatever Vaughn. I guess it doesn't matter. I don't matter. Your friends don't matter. Mineral Town doesn't matter…" Chelsea babbled, her mind fogged by hurt.

Vaughn stiffened, as if her words had hit something. The cut became deeper now…

"I didn't mean to hurt you -" He started.

"Hurt me? That's ridiculous." Chelsea cut off, starting to become quiet as the seriousness of the situation settled in, but at the same time contorting her face into the cruelest smirk he'd ever seen her wear.

"I'm the furthest thing from it." Chelsea lied, "If anything, I'm pissed off to the point I wanna see you go…If you think you hurt me, then you fooled yourself more than you fooled me into thinking you ever cared about my feelings." She was lying through her teeth, and Vaughn knew that.

It hurt him that she was getting defensive, but he was helpless now. There wasn't anything he could say that could repair the deep rift settled between them now. All he could do was stand there, and take it all.

"And you didn't even tell me? What the hell is up with that? Everyone else in town knows you're leaving tonight except from me…That stung Vaughn. It really did." Chelsea confessed.

Vaughn recoiled and took a step back as if struck, biting his lip down so hard he tasted copper.

"Is that all?" he asked icily. He may be feeling uncomfortable, but he didn't have to show it.

Yet, those were the words that broke her. Chelsea's knees gave out and she sank down to the sand with a soft thud, holding her hands over her mouth to muffle her sobs, shoulders shaking with the effort. It wasn't supposed to happen like this! How could he turn on her so quickly after all they'd been through?

Minutes passed in tense silence, her broken weeping and the crashing waves the only audible sounds. Vaughn was watching her, she could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't raise her head from her hands, too overcome by how quickly and horribly everything had spun out of control, just like she'd feared.

Eventually, the tears slowed to a stop and she stood back up, her glare scathing Vaughn, but at the same time showing sadness.

Chelsea didn't fight him, just pleaded him to stay in Mineral Town with her eyes.

Vaughn wasn't even looking at her, but staring down at his dark boots. He knew what he would see if he would just glance upward. He would see it in her blue depths, behind the burning anger; confusion and disbelief… deep, deep betrayal. It cut Vaughn again, ground the sharp edge into his bones.

More awful silence continued on the dark evening, and Chelsea would have let out a sob if her constricted throat had allowed her to do so.

She closed her eyes as the burning in her lungs and the throbbing in her temples became almost unbearable, tears streaming freely down her reddened cheeks again.

Vaughn took a deep steadying breath before he spoke, "Zack is waiting with the boat. I have to go."

Chelsea then remembered they were standing outside on Mineral Town beach. She looked up at the dark sky to see there were no stars; just black abyss. Great, She thought.

Then she spoke the last word to her best friend, the only thing she could think of to say to him.

"Leave." She said harshly, her voice strained and heavy. Her quiet but firm words shocked Vaughn into lifting his head in her direction. The strained, weary note he heard made him almost feel guilty for departing and for a split second he wanted to close the space between them and comfort her, console her, tell her they would see each other again.

But he was too unsure. He'd turned his face downward again, unsure of what he should say… If he should say anything.

Vaughn remained stone cold and silent though, refusing to look at her. He lingered another moment, urgent yet hesitant, taking her in one last time with calculating, lavender eyes. Then biting his lip again, he turned and walked slowly through the trodden sand to the dock waiting on the other side of the beach.

When he reached it, he turned around against his better judgment; only to find Chelsea was already gone. Walking slowly back to her farm for a sleepless night.

So, how was it? This is just the beginning to everything, and the rest of the story won't be as dramatic, but it shall contain some drama. Nothing's perfect, right?

R&R please. ^ ^