Broken

Chapter: 10

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Chelsea's P.O.V:

I stood outside and watched the car that took Vaughn, until it was no longer insight. After it disappeared behind the trees, I turned around and blinked back the tears. I don't cry often, but the thought of losing Vaughn pulled at my heart, making it feel as if it will rip at any moment.

"Come on honey, its freezing outside," my mother whispered as she placed her hand on my shoulder. I shook her off of me, then looked back at the dirt road. Mom glanced back at Dad sadly and walked back to the house with him. I was alone. I think Mom brought out my jacket, but I can't remember. I was outside for what seemed like days… just standing there and hoping Vaughn would be running back down that old dirt road, coming back to me. But he never did. Soon the crickets began to sing, and the night replaced the day. Shivering, I turned over to my house, knowing I probably should go inside.

"He's not coming back," I thought quietly to myself. I kicked up the dirt out of frustration, letting the tears roll down my cheeks, and silently walked back to my house. I glanced back once more, and some dandelions caught my eye. I bent over in the grass, carefully plucking the wish flower out of the ground. I closed my eyes, wishing for Vaughn back, and then blowing the white, puffy seeds off the stem to slowly flutter back down in the green grass. I giggled; actually believing the wish would come true. Just this once, I can believe in wishes from flowers.

When I opened the door, Mom and Dad must have already gone to bed, but they left a note saying they love me and dinner is in the fridge. I ate the re-heated chicken soup, took a warm bath, and went to bed. The room seemed empty without Vaughn, and his clothes scattered around the floor. Sighing in defeat, I climbed into bed. As I closed my eyes, I thought about the silver haired, quiet boy I met a few months ago, the one who had a terrible home life, and a hard time figuring things out. The little boy who helped me out more than he probably knows.

I smiled. "Goodnight, Vaughn… see you soon."

The next day, I got ready for school like any other day. But when I got there, I felt somehow, detached. I didn't want to talk to anybody… play on the monkey bars, or anything for that matter. I just sat on the bench, and watched my friends play happily without me. My shoulders sank, and I frowned. They don't really need me do they? I guess it doesn't matter; they won't be like Vaughn, or ever come close to being like him. I did notice, however, Sabrina was gone. Heh, she probably stalked Vaughn to his new home. It went like that for the next few weeks. I just sat on the bench, watching everyone else play and have fun. I probably looked crazy, but I didn't really care.

After an especially lonely day, I came home wanting to see Vaughn more than anything. That social worker left her business card, and I decided to call her to get Vaughn's new address. She didn't help much, but she did give me the new location where they moved to… some place called Sunshine Islands. I searched and searched, but I finally found the name Mirabelle Vaults, and the address. I quickly wrote down a letter, put it in an envelope, and waited for a letter in return. It was a few weeks before I got a letter back, but when I did I was the happiest person in the world. I was once again, the old Chelsea. Soon, I was writing Vaughn almost three times a day, and he would write back just as much. He told me he had befriended a lot of the animals, and said I should get a dog or something. This made me laugh. I pictured Vaughn riding a horse and taking care of farm animals like a cowboy… the anti-social cowboy. I liked the new nickname, so I began calling him that… I don't think he liked it as much as me though. I sent him a black cowboy hat even. I think he will like the hat better than the nickname.

Winter came early this year. We kept having blizzard after blizzard, and the mailman couldn't come as often as he used to. I still wrote everyday despite the weather. Our town just had a fierce blizzard, and everyone seemed a little down. My mom, thanks to her energetic spirit, wouldn't have any of this. So, we decided we were going to the airport and take a vacation at a ski resort a couple hundred miles away.

"We might as well have some fun with all this snow," Mom laughed as she packed our bags.

Dad huffed and crossed his arms. Dad was more of a scholar, a very serious man… how my Dad fell in love with my mother, I will never know. "Hikari, the roads are in horrible condition, we might get caught in another blizzard, not to mention none of us know how to ski. This is a horrible idea."

Mom chuckled and kissed Dad on the cheek. "Gill, things will be fine. Don't worry; we'll have so much fun… trust me on this!"

Dad sighed in defeat, knowing when Mom made up her mind, there's no changing it. I was actually looking forward to the vacation. It would be something new to write about in my letters! Mom wanted to leave right away so we could wake up early the next day to get the best hills first, so we left that night. Luckily, it wasn't snowing very hard. We got into the car, and I sat in the backseat while I watched Mom climb in the passenger seat, Dad in the driver's. I guess everyone was tired and grumpy, because it seemed Mom and Dad were fighting about almost everything. I closed my tired eyes, knowing that they'll probably be kissing and stuff the next day.

I woke up to Mom and Dad yelling about directions, and I noticed the snow was falling down a lot more violently than when we left the house.

"Guys… I think there might be a blizzard soon, maybe we should stop for the night," I said quietly.

"Shut up, Gill you're the one who got us lost in the first place!"

"Hikari, this stupid vacation was your idea! You're always coming up with crazy shit like this!"

Mom glared at him. "You never have supported anything I do Gill. Everything is a mistake in your eyes."

Mom and Dad couldn't hear me… I bit my lip nervously and repeated what I said, a little louder than before.

"Hikari… you never make the right choice. You always seem to mess things up! It's not just how I see it; it's reality!"

"I know I messed up you're perfect little life, Gill! But you got me pregnant… we both made that decision! It's not my fault your father decided to give your brother his place as mayor! If you think our child was such a mistake, then you should just leave!"

By now, Mom was crying and everyone was silent. I was a mistake? Dad couldn't be mayor because of me? Dad was griping the wheel tightly, so hard that his knuckles turned white. He was crying too. I've never seen my father cry.

"Hikari… how could you say that," he whispered sadly.

I was staring out the window to try to drown out their harsh words, and as I looked up I saw the blinding headlights of a swerving truck, heading straight for us.

"Dad, look out," I shouted as I pointed to the truck.

Mom and Dad both looked up at the truck, shock and fear in their eyes. Dad suddenly turned the car to the left to avoid the truck. But the roads were too slippery… the car flipped five times, and finally stopped in the snow far from the road.

Broken glass was scattered everywhere, and I was stuck in my seat. Every part of my body was scratched and bleeding, and my head throbbed with the most horrible pain I've ever felt. I slowly crawled out of the car with my elbows, and I stood up carefully looking for my Mom and Dad. The car wheels were still turning, and blood was smeared into the perfect white snow. I looked back and forth, but I didn't see them… they were still in the car. My vision became blurry, so I had to get back down on the ground and crawl on my hands and knees to get back to the car. I saw my Mom and Dad… blood dripped from they're heads and they seemed lifeless.

"Mom… D-Dad… please wake up!"

Mom turned her head slowly when she heard my voice. She smiled weakly. "Chelsea… I l-love you baby girl… thank you."

I shook my head no, "Mom… come on. Get out of the car!"

"Dad! You too, you have to get out!"

Neither one of them answered for a long time. I waited for them to come out for about an hour… Soon, I decided to go get help. They're stuck… and they'll die if I don't get someone! I stood up, knees shaking and blood dripping from my head, and started walking towards the road. I waited for a car to drive by but no car came… Finally, things began to get blurry, and I blacked out, and fell to into the snow.

I remember the sounds of a car pulling up, and people shouting… and many, many sirens. I remember being picked up, and after that everything became fuzzy.

I was sent to Mercy Children's Hospital 82 miles away from where the car crashed. My injuries to my head were very serious and I was immediately put into the operating room, where the doctors tried they're best to stop the bleeding. My arm was broken, and I had severe cuts, as well as a severe concussion, and internal bleeding. After six hours of surgery, the doctors saved my life, but I went into a coma for three weeks. I wasn't expected to wake up.

I woke up at two a.m. The doctors had told me the truck driver was drunk, and had caused my father to turn left suddenly, and that caused our car to flip. My parents were sent to a hospital a few miles away specifically for people who were in critical condition. They died before they could arrive. This is the only thing I know about my past. When I woke up, I knew my name and that was it.

They told me I had been diagnosed with amnesia. I could get my memory back from a few weeks, to a few years, or never. Due to my injuries, I would more than likely never remember. I guess it was for the best. If I remembered my parents, I would be very sad. Sometimes I remember deathly pale faces, trapped in a car and I start crying. But I never really get a good look at they're faces. Sometimes I remember a little boy. And the only thing I really can see is his silver hair, and his mysteriously purple amethyst eyes. Maybe he was important to me before I lost my memory. I guess I'll never know. And strangely, I'm ok with that… if I did remember it would be very sad, and I would probably never smile again.

I stayed in the hospital for three weeks before they sent me to Wilson Orphanage. I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I had this horrible scar on my head from the accident, but it was covered by my hair… still it made me self conscious. The owner, Mary Wilson, was a scary looking old lady. But she was actually very kind. She welcomed me with a warm smile, and sweetly showed me to my room, where I'd be staying with seven other kids. There were many boys and girls there about my age, and I was happy I could make new friends that were my age.

That night, I met a boy named Mark. He had golden blond hair that fell slightly below his ears, pale white skin and striking green eyes. They were so beautiful, and when he first spoke to me, I couldn't help but staring at the deep green color. He had lost his parents when he was a baby, so he couldn't remember them just like me. We had a lot in common besides that too. We both liked to play tag, loved to read, but hated math and we both wanted to be the same thing when we grew up. We both wanted to be great ranchers in a small town, with a huge farm with tasty crops and happy animals. That was our dream, and sometimes we would stay up all night talking about that farm we were sure we would have someday. He quickly became my best friend.

…

Ten Years Later:

"Happy birthday Chelsea," Mark smiled as he held out a small, sky blue box. I laughed as I took the birthday present and carefully opened it. I laughed even more when I saw what was inside.

"You don't like it. I knew you wouldn't," Mark huffed.

Inside the box was the friendship bracelet similar to the one I gave mark when we were fourteen. We got into a fight a few days later after I gave it to him, and I thought he flushed it down the toilet.

"No, no I love it Mark! It's just funny is all, I wasn't expecting this."

Mark winked as he held up his wrist, showing the old bracelet I gave him… the one I thought he flushed. "I lost it Chels, and I found it a few days ago. Cool huh?"
I giggled and hit him on the arm. "Why'd you tell me you flushed it down the toilet then, you jerk?"

Mark smirked slyly and shrugged. "I was mad."

We both laughed and headed towards our favorite ice cream shop. The past ten years, I lived at that orphanage in this stinky city, making friends and watching them leave. But Mark never left. Mark and I were close, we hung out together for ten years, just being there for each other and having fun. We would always get in trouble for the crazy things we did when we were kids. Like once, I dared Mark to moon the teacher on the last day of school in the sixth grade. He got suspended for the rest of the day, which made no sense, but it was still funny. Over the past couple years, I've seen Mark as more than a friend, and when we were sixteen, we kissed. But we never really talked about that, and we pretended it never happened. But I can tell from the way he looks at me sometimes, he likes me too.

We sat down at the table by the window, the one we sit down at every time we come here, and picked the very same ice cream; vanilla for me, and cookies 'n cream for him. I guess some simple things never change. When the waitress handed us our ice cream and left, Mark sighed and looked at me sadly.

"So, I guess this is the last time I'll see you Chels. You're finally eighteen, and I assume you're not staying here are you?"

I shrugged. "I don't want to stay here, Mark. I hate the city."

Mark smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… you tell me everyday. But where are you going to go?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll go to one of those islands you hear about and be a rancher. You know, follow my dreams? You should try it sometime."

Mark sighed, and then took a bite of his ice cream. I know this is his home, and this city is the only place he's known, but I'm in the same situation. I've never left the city, and I'm ready to go!

"Chelsea… what about us? Are you just going to forget everything?"

"Come with me then," I said simply.

Mark smiled and his cheeks turned pink. He then turned away, looking back up at me with a nervous grin. "Chelsea, if I come with you… I want to; I want you to be my girl friend!"

I dropped my spoon, feeling my cheeks become even more red than Mark's, and I started to smile. "Of course, Mark. I'll be your girlfriend."

We both looked happily at each other, and Mark grabbed my hand and we walked out together, hand in hand. We packed our bags as soon as we got back to the orphanage, and boarded the first boat to a place called Sunshine Islands. The name seemed strangely familiar to me…

I let the cool, salty air run through my chestnut brown hair, and admired the ocean with Mark. Life couldn't be any better. I'm going to a new place, becoming what I've wanted to be since I was eight with the person I love, and a bright future surely ahead. Little did I know going to that island would change me more than I thought.

A/N: Ok, this is where the story finally picks up and gets interesting! Hope you liked this chapter though!

_forevergone123