'Long time no see, eh?' is something I shouldn't be saying, because it'll still be a little bit before I'm actually back to writing. I decided to edit this because there are only about three days left in the school year for me, so I had a bit of time. I re-posted this because FF has been screwing with me, really. I click the freakin' "update chapter" button, but nothing happens XP. Ah, well, at least I finally got to edit this, as I'd been itching to do. Enjoy.

*NOTE* Erm, I've been seeing this in some reviews, so I'm typing this now, and only typing this once. Despite their eery similiarities, this plot has nothing to do with Megurine Luka's The Tailor Shop on Enbizaka. Honestly, I had no idea what that was until somebody told me.


Devoted

Tick. Tick. Tick. The monotonous ticking that came from the clock on the wall resonated through the empty kitchen. Chelsea Mivolister stood at one of the sinks, humming a cheerful ditty while washing dishes and placing them in the washer. It was 11 o'clock on a Friday night; while people were out partying and having fun, Chelsea was stuck at work finishing up the last of the dishes. For the past two weeks, Chelsea had been the one to lock up every night. Her job as a chef was one she enjoyed immensely, but lately it had been cutting her time with her boyfriend, Vaughn.

Stuffing the last of the dishes in the washer, Chelsea smiled to herself as she thought of him. Just thinking about him would make her day better. He was an avid animal lover, and worked at a pet shop a few blocks away. He had well defined features, and his purple eyes and silver hair stood out among the crowd. Hard-working and strong-willed, it was no doubt that he was absolute perfection.

Stepping out into the night, Chelsea slid the key into the lock of the back door and turned it, taking it out and stuffing it in her pocket when she heard the reassuring click. Pulling on her hood, she started walking back to her apartment. When she rounded a corner, she stopped short at the sight of silver hair. Next to him was a head of long, black hair.

No. No. It can't be him. It can't. Chelsea tried to comfort herself, but when she got closer, she gasped and tears sprang in her eyes. Her vision was blurred, but his face was unmistakable. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and blended in with the shadows, pulling the hood farther over her head so her face was shielded.

From afar, she watched as he slid her arm around her waist, pulling her closer. They gazed lovingly at each other, and continued walking down the near-empty street. The woman was pretty; she had long, dark hair tied back with a pink bow, and round glasses. She wore a purple dress and a matching pink sweater. She definitely wasn't the sexy kind of attractive, but more like a cute, mouse-y kind of attractive. How long has he been seeing her? How long has he been cheating on her? Were there other women? Chelsea seethed with jealousy. That should be her in his arms. That should be her kissing him. They neared the corner she was hiding behind, and she quickly ran away, back to her apartment.

The next day at work Chelsea was distracted with her thoughts, accidentally letting the casserole burn and overcooking the pasta. All day she had asked the same questions, only to shoot herself down each time she asked them. Should I confront him? Break up with him? There it was again. Those questions. She shook her head vigorously, hoping to get them out of her mind. She couldn't break up with Vaughn; he meant so much to her, and it would only break her heart even further if she talked about it with him. So, It was decided. She would wait and see if he cheated on her again, then decide. Smiling for the first time that day, Chelsea finally started to focus on her cooking, dumping the burnt fish in the trash and starting over again.

The next week was pure bliss for Chelsea; she hadn't seen Vaughn with another woman yet. Though she still hasn't been able to meet up with him, she decided to give him a call during her break on Saturday to see if they could get lunch. The phone rang twice before he picked it up.

"Hello?"
"H-"she stopped short, finding herself unable to speak.

"Hello?" He inquired again. "How d-"

Before he had time to finish his sentence, she hung up, snapping her phone shut and sinking back into her seat. Why am I so nervous? Not long after her co-worker, Natalie, came back with their food.

"Here's your chicken wrap. I also picked up today's newspaper. Can you believe the story on the front page? Some woman was murdered not too long ago. They found her body dismembered and lodged in a suitcase." She took a bite of her sandwich and scanned the article. "She was still pretty young. It's a shame that somebody would have to lose their life at that age."

"Yeah, it's a shame," Chelsea muttered. She frowned at the stale taste the wrap left in her mouth.

"It gets even worse!" Natalie exclaimed. "She had a teenage kid, too. Can't imagine what life would be like without my mother."

Chelsea opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the alarm on her cell phone. She hurried to turn off the annoying beeping; a signal that their break was over.

Another week had passed, and Chelsea still hadn't seen Vaughn with any other women. Today she had finally gotten off work early and phoned Vaughn, only to receive no answer. She didn't let that ruin her mood, though, and decided to take a walk in the park. The sun was already dipping into the horizon when she got there. The park was almost completely empty, except for two figures that sat at a bench in the distance. She strolled calmingly, enjoying the frosty wind, until she came closer to the two people on the bench. She ducked behind a tree before they noticed her and peeked around the thick trunk. Wait a minute. Was that… Chelsea's hands flew up to her mouth. Though he had a hat on that shielded his facial features, it still failed to hide his silver locks. He sat next to a short brunette; her head was resting on his shoulder. They sat in silence, talking occasionally; from her view, Chelsea could barely see the woman's face.

She appeared to be very young; at least half her age. Chelsea's hands balled into fists, and she scowled at them. Cheating the first time was already enough, but a second time? And with a girl half his age? It was sickening. The more she watched them, the angrier Chelsea got. Her fingernails dug into her skin, but she didn't notice the pain and the warm blood slowly dripping onto the grass. Just you wait and see, Vaughn. I'll be the only woman in your life. I don't care if I have to kill a thousand women; if I can't have you, no one can. Just you wait and see. I'll get rid of this one soon, just like the last one. Once she's alone… The two continued to talk quietly, unaware of the woman hiding behind a tree not too far away, spying on them with a murderous glint in her navy eyes.

Almost three weeks later, Chelsea hummed a joyful tune to herself as she added paprika to her soup. The deed had been done, and she had no regrets; now she was the only woman in Vaughn's life. She tried calling him, but each one went straight to voicemail. She hadn't seen him at work either and he wouldn't answer when she pressed the buzzer to get in his apartment building. Despite this, she was still happy to be branded the only woman in his life; nothing could bring her down.

Near the end of the day, Natalie came up to her once again. In her hand was another newspaper.

"Wow, Chelsea, can you believe it? An eighteen-year-old girl was killed a week ago! This article says she was found in an alleyway; she was stabbed and bled to death. According to this," She scanned the article a bit more. "She was on her way home from school and decided to take a short-cut back to her apartment."

Chelsea lowered her head so it seemed as if she was focused on her soup, trying to hide her annoyed expression. "Wow, it must be devastating for her parents." Why does she always talk to me about this stuff?

Natalie's gasped in surprise as she read the last bit of the article. "Whoa, that's not all! She was the d-"

"Back to work!" Natalie was interrupted by the booming voice of their boss, who stood tapping his foot impatiently. Natalie hurriedly scuttled away, finally leaving Chelsea in peace.

Chelsea sighed with relief at the end of the day and hurried out of the restaurant before she was asked to lock up. She went her normal route to get home, and was surprised to see Vaughn standing in front of a small building… wearing a tuxedo. In the moonlight, his hair glistened, and his purple orbs stood out more than normal. Wow, he looks even sexier in a tux. She giggled and went to greet him before it dawned on her. Why was he even in a tux in the first place? What was the occasion? Was he waiting for… a date? Chelsea scowled and retreated back into the shadows. She fumbled around in her bag until she found her phone, flipping it open and calling his cell phone. His phone rang in his pocket and he glanced at the caller I.D. before answering.

"Hello? Who is this?"

What?

"Hello? Hello? How did you get this number?"

How could he not recognize me? Did he delete my number? Without thinking, Chelsea hung up and ran up to him just as he put his phone away. They stood staring at each other for a few moments before he spoke.

"Hello," he greeted awkwardly. "Um, are you here for the memorial?" Memorial? Chelsea stared at him, bewildered. He must have gotten the idea, because he shifted uncomfortably and looked up before speaking again.

"If you haven't heard about it yet, my wife and my daughter were both recently murdered," A few tears slid down his cheeks. He quickly brushed them away, but to no avail. Even more tears fell from his dull violet eyes and dripped onto the pavement. By now he'd given up trying to hide his weeping, facing directly at her. His features, normally bright and happy, seemed lackluster and exhausted. "This is the memorial we're having in memory of them. Anybody is welcome, so come on in if you'd like."

Another beat of silence, as she absorbed what he had just said. Eventually, he stepped aside and gestured to the door behind him. "It's always nice to have more people. By the way, my name is Vaughn. It's nice to meet you."


So... Were you surprised? I hope so. Oh, how I love situational irony! I've tried to fix some bits, but they still turned out slightly awkward. I hope that's alright. Anyways, I'll see you soon. And when I do, that's when I'll actually get to say 'Long time no see, eh?'