A/N: hey! so i LOVE this chapter, and something in my gut tells me you will too ;) its a certain part that all ChelseaxVaughn fans will CRY about! i hope...if im a good enough writer to make you cry:) am i? tell me in the review!

oh. and this chapter is for FerFrie D. that review made me literally laugh out loud.

enjoy my favorite chapter! (at the moment)

Ten

He wants me back? I asked myself. He…hasn't gotten over me?

"You don't understand," I whispered to him.

"What don't I understand?" Drew said. "Tell me, and I will. I'll do whatever it can to make it work."

I breathed. "I'm here, looking for someone. He's out in the city and I'm terrified on where he might be. And I need to find him."

"Who is he?" Drew said. "We'll help you, we will."

"His name is Vaughn," Julia stepped forward. "And she likes him."

Drew looked at her, and then at me, his dark eyebrows raised. He quickly whispered, "Have you…kissed…him?"

"I was drunk," I sighed. "But yes."

"Chelsea," he took my other hand now, "a drunk kiss doesn't mean anything. We can do this. We can-"

"Drew," I pulled back to free my hands. "When I broke it off in high school, I meant it. I never wanted for us to get back together, whether 'fate' brought us together or not. I like Vaughn a lot, and you suddenly appearing in front of me will not change that."

I stalked out of the lounge, hearing Holly and Julia short on my tail.

We arrived in the city late that night, and we had to rent out a motel. Julia promised we would search for Vaughn in the morning. I wasn't sure how we were going to find him in the large city, but we were determined. When we got to our motel, it was slightly disgusting and surely nauseating. Holly actually gagged when we walked in.

"It smells like Grandma's house," Holly held her breath, walking in the next room. "Is there any Lysol or Febreeze or something? Oust even?"

"Uh…there's a spray bottle full of water," I looked on the shelf to see a pink spray bottle. I opened the cap and smelled it. "It's…lemonade."

"Spray it," Julia said, "it's something to smell other than this filth."

I nodded and went around the room, spraying the lemonade. It honestly did make the room smell nicer, but it could've been a lot better. The bed was slightly disgusting, and there was only one, and it was a twin bed. So we took the comforter and called and asked for two more. We decided to sleep on the floor, because that was probably better than getting 'bug bites' because they're living in the mattress.

"This is disgusting," I looked at Julia, "you couldn't have found a better motel?"

"Hey, we got off that boat at one o'clock in the morning, you were basically relieved when we found a motel this close to the dock."

We all just smiled, when I said, "Alright, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. So goodnight!"

We closed the light and fell quickly asleep.

It was the next morning, and I woke up to the sound of mice skittering inside the walls. The thought terrified me, and I jumped up, as well as Julia and Holly. We all looked at each other, and charged out of the disgusting motel.

"Where would he be?" I looked at Julia. "He's your cousin. Figure it out."

"Yeah, but he's your crush," Julia sighed. "I mean, it's a huge city. He could be anywhere."

I looked up into the sky and saw as the clouds began to cry above us. The rain seemed to bounce off my skin, or it would glide down it gently, slowly.

Rain.

The last time I saw Vaughn in the rain, it was one of the first times I interacted with him. I knew then he found me particularly annoying, but I tried. We were at Meadow Island, just sitting there, on the opposite ends of the island.

Rain.

I had originally lived in this city ever since I was nineteen, when I moved out to live at Sunshine Islands. And I remembered that there was a park downtown, with open space, and every time in the rain, Holly and I would go down there and splash in the puddles. No one would ever go there because no one in this city rarely ever left their homes in the rain. So the park was deserted, except for a few people who liked to walk around in the rain. It hit me then.

I knew where Vaughn was.

"I know where he is," I whispered.

Julia's and Holly's eyes bulged out of their skulls, and they looked at me, shocked. I just smiled and said, "C'mon."

We all ran, and we went on the side of the street and called a cab. A taxi driver pulled up beside us and we all crawled in the back seat. I looked up to the cab man and smiled."Deryl!" Holly and I chanted at the same time.

He looked back at us and smiled, showing his missing front tooth. "Why, is it no one other than Chelsea and Holly! I haven't seen you darlings since Katy's last birthday party five years ago!"

"Deryl, we're kind of in a rush, but we'll catch up, okay?" Holly said.

"Alright kiddies, where are you headin'?" Deryl looked at us.

Julia and Holly looked at me. I grinned and said, "Roosevelt Park. And step on it."

"The park?" Holly raised a brow. "Why would he be at the park?"Deryl just nodded and sped off, trying the best he could to get to the park as fast as possible. I just looked at Holly and said, "He likes to be in open space, especially in the rain."

"That's right," Julia recalled in a whisper, "he's always on Meadow Island in the rain."

"I can't believe you figured that out," Holly said.

"She knows him," Julia responded, "she knows him well."

I just bit the inside of my cheek and breathed out a large gust of air. I just smiled, showing my pearly whites, when Deryl began to slow down. I looked out the window to see the park, just how my memories recalled it. I looked out the window and saw no one through the foggy glass. I quickly stepped out into the rain, looking. I couldn't see him from where I was. I needed to go inside. By myself.

I bent down and looked back inside the car, Holly and Julia just looking at me, prepared to get out. I told them to stop.

"I need to find him myself," I said. "Just let me do it."

And without argument, they exchanged a quick glance, and nodded at me. I slammed the taxi cab door, and charged inside the tiny park.

I looked around, finally getting past the trees that outlined the borders of the park. I looked to my left to see the open field, with a beautiful wooden bench and some smaller trees around it, but there was no one. I looked to my right to see the land elevate and the stone wall. There was a small well.

I walked up the elevated land and stood next to the stone well. It was overflowing with water, and I looked at the top to see a white bandana.

He was here.

I took the bandana in my hands and gripped it, the water pouring out of it like juicing an orange. I looked around, to see a body in dark clothes sitting at the corner of the park. His back was facing me, and his Stetson was off of his head and his gloves were beside him. As I was watching him, he threw off his vest, and then took off his black shirt. Concerned and amazed at the same time, I slowly began to walk towards him. He threw off his boots, leaving him just in his pants. I finally was behind him, feeling my chestnut hair stick to the sides of my face, as well as my clothes. They were apart of me.

I bent down beside him and he didn't dare make eye contact. His hands were dug through his silver hair, which sparkled even more when wet. He just breathed deeply and whispered harshly, "Why are you here?"

"We were worried about you," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. He quickly flicked it off. "What's your problem?"

"My problem is-" he stood up, anger sparkling in his purple eyes. I quickly stared down at his semi muscular body, but then met up with his eyes again. "My problem is you!"

"Me?" I screeched. "How am I the problem?"

"Because!" he threw his hands up in the air. "Ever since you decided to move here, and become my "friend"…everything about me has seemed to change."

"Change?" I wondered. "Like what?"

"Everything!" he roared. He stepped up to me, gripping my shoulders tightly. "I wasn't meant to settle, Chelsea. I'm a wanderer. I travel. I don't just live in one place…but you're making that impossible for me to do."

"Why am I making it impossible?" I wondered. "I just moved here looking for a simple life, taking over a farm and raising all the islands."

"You're doing more than that to me."

I looked at him, and blinked. I stuttered when I asked, "W-what do you mean?"

He sighed, and squeezed his eyes shut for a second. When he opened them, his enraged look that clouded his eyes soon became this heartfelt look. One I hadn't seen on him before. "You've made me become this person that I never thought that I would be. But…I can't be that person."

He stormed past me, and without a second to think, I turned around. I gripped his hand, and twirled him around. I brought him close to me, our chests touching. He looked down at me and whispered, "Chelsea?"

I quickly grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips to meet mine. When our lips touched, I felt a sudden rush through my blood that caused me to tingle. My body hummed in pleasure. I got off my tip toes and took my lips away from his and looked at him, and finally realized;

What did I just do?

Vaughn looked at me, his eyes wide, but his cheeks darkening. I bit my lip, embarrassed and nervous. What would happen?

The rain seemed to feel like bricks against my skin now. I continued to stare at him, and he stared right back at me. He stepped back, not turning away from our magnetic connection. He took in a breath and whispered, "Chelsea…"

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I'm sorry."

I stormed off past him, and soon began to run. I threw his bandana on the ground, when I finally arrived at the taxi cab and got in the door. I breathed, feeling the cool rush of the air conditioning, realizing I was drenched. I looked over at my sister and my friend, both of them with concerned faces.

"Was he there?" Julia wondered.

I nodded and choked out, "Yeah. He was."

"And?" Holly urged.

I just gulped and swallowed the words that wanted to come out of my mouth. I just put on a fake smile and said, "Nothing. D-Deryl, take us back to the dock, please."

Holly and Julia looked at me, their eyes saddening.

"We're…going home."

We arrived at the dock, the blue boat finally pulling in. We were getting out tickets, unable to get the express boat. We wouldn't arrive at the islands until early the next morning. We then saw a body get out of a yellow taxi.

Vaughn.

He was dressed and soaked, and I heard Julia cry his name, as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in a tight hug. He seemed uncomfortable and fidgeted to get out from the hug. It was only three o'clock, and Vaughn was coming back. He usually took the latest boat to the island, but I guess today was an exception. He threw me a look that wasn't angry, or sad, or happy. It was just…nothing.

And it struck me right in the heart.

How stupid am I? I yelled at myself. Why in the world would I kiss him like that?

We all got on the boat, I already feeling queasy, and not because of sea sickness. I immediately walked to the lounge and sat on the comfy couch, Holly and Julia on both sides of me.

"That's Vaughn?" Holly whispered, with a small grin.

I just nodded, not smiling, not doing anything. I felt horrible. I did something so incredibly stupid, it could ruin the friendship I treasured between Vaughn and I. And that was the last thing I wanted, and I was sure of that.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Julia held my chin to look into my sapphire eyes.

I shook my head out of her grip and muttered, "No, nothing's wrong."

"Chelsea."

I looked up to see Vaughn at the other side, sitting at the other couch. My heart thumped out of terror as I just stuttered, "Y-yes?"

"Can I…talk to you?"

I nodded, as we got up and decided to sit at the bar.

I looked over the counter and saw Gordy. He smiled down at me, and noticed Vaughn. Vaughn gave him a nod and Gordy said, "Vaughn…Chelsea…"

"Gordy," I breathed his name.

Gordy just nodded, and sped off behind a door, which read Employees Only. I looked back at Holly and Julia, who quickly shot up out of their seats and darted to the girl's bathroom. Which left Vaughn and I alone in the lounge.

"Vaughn, I could-" he cut me off.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

I was astounded. Why was he sorry? He didn't do anything! I stared at him, and blinked a few times, trying to figure out how those words would make sense with anything. I finally sat back on the bar stool and said, "What? Why are you sorry?"

"I know what…" he was trying to find his words. "I understand where you're…I believe that…Chelsea."

I continued to look at him, feeling my blood turn into thin ice.

"I…can't do this. Not with how much has happened to me. You…you don't want to be involved with a guy like me, Chelsea. I would never leave my burdens on you like that."

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a small smile. "I would take on anything with you, Vaughn. You're my friend. I would never just…leave you."

"No," he whispered, "but I know two important people who had."

"What?" I said, hushed. "Vaughn…"

"It was when I was young," he started, as I listened closely. "And I used to always go to that park; me, my mom, and my dad. We would always play in the sun, throwing around a Frisbee with my dog or playing catch. In the rain, we would just stand underneath the trees and watch the rain fall, maybe even try to catch the fallen drops into our mouths and pretend they were snowflakes. But one day, when I was in that very corner, out in the rain, my parents gave me this bandana, my hat, and a picture…and just left."

"What picture?" I wondered.

He pulled it out from his back pocket and slipped it into my hand. I looked at it. It was a beautiful couple; a blonde, young woman with dark brown eyes and a beauty mark right beside the corner of her mouth. And beside her was a young man with gray hair, almost silver, with blue-gray eyes and a broken smile that reminded me of someone else I knew. The young woman was wearing the white bandana on her head, similarly to how I wore my red one. The young man wore the Stetson on his hat proudly. And I stared at the beautiful couple in the tattered picture, and then looked back up at Vaughn."I'm so sorry…" I said quietly.

"It's alright," he choked out of his mouth. "It was a long time ago…I was really young-"

"Hey, look, it's Chelsea again!" a familiar voice called.

I turned my head and groaned to see the Drew Crew walk into the lounge as if it were their living room. I heard Vaughn quietly mumble, "Chelsea, who are they?"

I just sighed and said, "Kids I went to high school with."

Drew walked up to me, as Vaughn and I both stood up. We stared at him, as Drew said, "Hey, I don't think I met this friend of yours yesterday. Who is he?"

"Vaughn," he said.

I knew what was coming. I saw Drew's eyes flame up as he said sharply, "So you're Vaughn, huh? Trying to take my girl, are you?"

"What?" Vaughn spat. "You're girl?"

"Yeah. My girl." Drew pushed him, and immediately afterwards, punched him right in the mouth.

"Vaughn!" I cried. I looked at Drew and shouted, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

"With me?" Drew came up closer to me. "What are you doing with this freak cow-"

And suddenly, a fist met up with Drew's cheek, and he was on the floor, cringing in pain. I looked at Vaughn in awe as he said, "C'mon, Chelsea. We're out of here."

He took my hand, and led me out of the lounge, and to the cabins.

A/N: did that just NOT freak you out just a little? Hehehe (:

okay, so if i didnt make you cry, which i doubt, then feel free to mention it in the review. or anything else about this chapter that you loved ever so much. because you ARE going to review of course!

right?

if you do, i will love you forever...

and i mean it(:

so the only time ive had an author's note before AND after the chapter! voila to you!

i leave for vaca tomorrow, so it MIGHT be the last day i update until two weeks from now! unless the world likes being nice and will give me wifi in a completely different state of the wonderfully awesome united states of america...

so yeah. review. sorry for babbling(: