A/N: So I tried to make a character that people could relate with for this story. There will be much more to it than just your basic unrequited love story. I have a plot here. Anyway, we'll see if this one flies. There will be action later on and stuff, just gotta get the groundwork laid. :)

"Chloe." Shuiichi grabbed her wrist to stop her from running away.

Chloe hid her face, not wanting him to see her tears. "Just let me go." Her voice wavered uncontrollably.

The sweet red-head smiled softly, pulling her back to him. "I'll never let you go." He murmured, tilting her face up to his. He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Chloe, I-"

"CHLOE!!"

She jerked awake when she felt someone slap her cheek. "What, what?!" Her brown eyes blinked open, her arms coming up to defend herself.

"Get your lazy butt out of bed. You're running us late." Her mother commanded, leaving the room.

Chloe rubbed at her cheek, hurt and annoyed at having been pulled out of such a wonderful dream. She yawned and looked over at her alarm, surprised to see that it was five am; her mother usually got her up at four. With a sigh she threw off her covers and hopped over to her wardrobe. She pulled off her tank top first, pausing a moment to look at the bruise on her ribcage. She winced when she touched it; it was still sore to the touch.

Hearing her mother's footsteps she quickly pulled on her school uniform and shoes, ran a brush through her hair, grabbed her books and shoved them in her back pack, and shrugged on a jacket while she hurried out. "I'm ready." She pulled her backpack, standing still before her mother.

Her mother eyed her up and down, then finished pulling on her own jacket. "Let's go."

It was a cold, brisk walk to the store. Chloe shivered inside her clothes, shifting her weight back and forth in an attempt to stay warm as her mother unlocked the front doors. They stepped inside; it wasn't much warmer. Chloe headed to the register while her mother went in the back to turn on the heat and start up the store.

Chloe unlocked the register and tied an apron on herself, dusting off the counters and logging in to the system. Her mother came out of the back also wearing an apron and went to the front to unlock the doors. Chloe yawned and pulled out a magazine to pass the time until the first customer came around.

"Chloe, take the garbage out. Once you've finished that you can restock on the canned goods aisle – it's getting low." Her mother came behind the counter and shooed her out.

Chloe tied off the garbage sack and lugged it out. She was almost to the alleyway when she caught a flash of red up the block. "Shuiichi-!" She gasped, ducking quickly into the alleyway so he wouldn't see her. Her heart was beating wildly. Had he come home from college for the weekend? What was he doing in the neighborhood? Why had he been heading this way? She peeked around the corner, a tingling spreading through her body as she watched him approaching. His hands in his pockets, his jacket, his scarf, his gentle face... Chloe forgot herself for a moment and just gazed at him, a dopey smile crossing her face.

When his eyes started to come up she retreated into the alley, dumping the trash in the dumpster and zipping around to the back door. He might be coming in the store! She thought joyfully, stopping by the bathroom for a moment to check how she looked. 'Like I just rolled out of bed...' She thought ruefully, trying to make her hair any sort of decent by pulling it back into a ponytail. No such luck, unfortunately. It still looked a little wild. "Whatever." She muttered, skipping into the storage area. She grabbed a box of canned peaches and headed out to the front, her eyes darting around the store as she searched for him. He was quite tall, but then the aisles were taller.

With a resigned sigh she went into the canned goods aisle, glad to see her mother had gotten the ladder out. She pulled a knife out of her apron pocket and sliced the top of the box open before shoving onto the tray at the top of the ladder. She climbed up and moved the few existing cans over to make room for the new product. Shortly thereafter the bell over the front door chimed. She twisted to see who it was, but the door was hidden. She'd almost convinced herself it couldn't be him when she heard her mother exclaim "Shuiichi! What a pleasant surprise!"

Chloe felt as if her heart should stop beating. He was really here? She ducked down to hide, daring only to peek over the top of the racks. There he was, standing at the front register chatting with her mother. 'I think I might faint...' Chloe attempted to calm herself, but still not daring to stand up straight.

"Thank you. I decided to surprise my mother and come home for the weekend."

His calm voice sent chills down Chloe's spine and her heartbeat quicken.

"That was nice of you. How are you enjoying college?"

"Very well. My professor's are all quite knowledgeable, and the resources for my research are excellent."

"That's good. I haven't heard any stories so I assume you've been behaving yourself."

He smiled. "Of course. How is your daughter? She should be graduating after next year, is that not so?"

Chloe nearly died. He remembered what year she was in school?

"Oh yes, she's slogging her way through high school. Although, if you ask me, she'd do well to get a tutor. Her grades aren't nearly all they could be."

Chloe glared at her mother. 'Of course they aren't, because I have no time to study well because you have me working here whenever I'm not in school!'

"That's too bad. She always seemed very bright. Perhaps she just lacks method in her studying."

"Excuse me Shuiichi."

Shuiichi walked away from the counter as another customer came up.

Chloe leaned against the aisle, her heart erratic. Shuiichi had talked about her. He'd even complimented her! Her hands moved subconsciously, placing more cans of peaches on the shelves. She thought she might die of giddiness. Shuiichi had remembered she existed!

"Excuse me."

Chloe heard the words, but they didn't register in her brain. She sighed happily.

"Miss Scott?"

Her eyes darted down to the speaker, a flush rising in her cheeks. "Sh-shuiichi." She stuttered, smiling nervously down at him. "H-hi." She swallowed hard, trying to act natural.

He smiled back at her. "I didn't mean to startle you."

She shook her head jerkily. "You didn't. I was just...thinking." She shoved another can of peaches on the shelf, pulling on her courage to speak; he spoke first.

"How is school going for you?"

She blinked, trying to get her frozen brain to melt into action. "School. School is fine." She licked her dry lips. "How's college?" She spoke quickly so he wouldn't leave.

He took a couple things off the shelf and placed them in his basket, smiling indulgently. "Intellectually stimulating. It's a very nice campus, I enjoy studying there."

"That's good." Chloe wished she had more to say, but nothing would come to mind. She'd rehearsed dozens of speeches when she was alone, so why wouldn't any of it come now?

"Do you happen to know if there are any more cans of baby corn in the back?" Shuiichi asked, motioning to the empty shelf.

Chloe looked where he pointed, her brain catching up slowly. "Oh....yeah. Hold on." She scrambled down and jogged towards the back of the store. "Don't move! I'll be right back."

She returned shortly with another box, again slicing it open at the base of the ladder. She lifted it again and came over to Shuiichi. "How many did you need?"

Shuiichi took a few out and placed them in his basket. "Thank you very much Miss Scott." He smiled and turned to walk away.

"It was good seeing you." Chloe's legs felt like jelly. She set down the box, not sure how strong she was at this moment. She'd just talked with Shuiichi again. He hadn't been home in a few weeks. It felt like ages.

"Chloe!" Her mother called from the front.

"Coming!" Chloe whirled to run, forgetting how close she was to the ladder. She collided with it hard, and the half-full box of peaches came toppling down. She screamed as she saw it coming, then everything was darkness.