I missed you

Chapter 2

My jaw dropped. Just what happens to a VOCALOID when they get shut down?

Miku looked at me. Her sleepy look slowly formed into one of confused fear. Her eyebrows tilted upward, and her lips parted.

"Who are you?" she quivered.

How was I supposed to respond to this? My best friend didn't know who she was or who I was. She was scared and she had all the right reasons to feel as such. Miku woke up in an unfamiliar place, supposedly not knowing anything, and she had to feel like shit after suffering a supposedly unrecoverable error.

This was worse a lot worse than I ever thought it would be.

I thought as soon as Miku woke up she would be the same Miku. Asking for leeks and wondering where her friends were.

Did she even know she had friends? Or was she completely and utterly alone inside of her head?

Miku's lips parted slightly and I knew I had to react before she did. I slowly put my hands up, as if that would help and called out to her, sounding more unsure than I meant. "Miku-"

Suddenly, as if she were a strike of lightning in a thunderstorm, the frightened teen looked around, and upon seeing the front door, made a run for it.

I was able to grab her arm at the exact moment she turned the knob on the door. Thankfully, it was locked. However, she kept turning the doorknob in every possible direction. Pulling, twisting, and tugging on the knob desperate to get out.

And away from me.

"It won't open!" She gave the doorknob one last twist and pull then let out a cry. "It won't open!" she sobbed.

I could only look at her. My face hurt from my eyebrows being turned upwards so much. I was so worried about her before but now somehow, I found myself being even more worried than ever. Miku never shed a tear around anyone unless she was overjoyed. Right now, she wasn't happy. She was scared and she was suffering.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and repeated her name, as if saying her name would be the antidote. She continued to openly sob as she slid onto the floor in a heap of tears and long blue hair. She kept her head down, her tears falling on the floor and her grip loosening on the door knob in defeat. She slid her free hand under her bangs and over her eyes, tears falling through her fingers.

She didn't even know she could just twist the lock and open the door.

I gently took the hand that was on the doorknob into my own and slowly got down to her level so I wouldn't startle her even more.

I was gentle as I wrapped my arms around her and allowed my fingers to lock with hers. I pulled her close so until I had her in a full embrace and I let her cry into my dirty oversized shirt while I held the back of her head with my other hand.

And she let me.

At first she was tense. Her shoulders shaking and her body trembling so much.

I wasn't sure what to expect anymore.

"Miku…" I started softly. "Miku, sweetheart, I need you to calm down."

She let out a silent scream that sounded more like a short squeak. I had to wonder. What would the other's do?

I sat on the floor, pulled her into my lap, and began to rock her while she covered the entirety of her face with her hands. "Shh… it's going to be alright, but you have to calm down." I spoke to her as gently as I could and tried to keep my own fear and worry from showing. The last thing I want is for her to feel like all of this is her fault.

At times she would get so worked up she would thrash her limbs and I would get a hard punch in the jaw a couple of times. It was hard to hold her when she would do this, so I held onto her tighter.

I was holding her so tight i was afraid I'd break her bones, but the tighter I held onto her the more she seemed to relax into my arms. Before I knew it, she had fully relaxed and had a hand gripping the back of my shirt and the other pulling it down on the front. If she ripped it I wouldn't mind as long as she had a sense of security.

We sat there for a few minutes before Miku's stomach gargled and I realized our biggest problem.

No food.

I wasn't sure what to do since Miku was a dead giveaway for anyone and everyone to recognize who we were. I just had to get a few piercings and start stretching my ears but 1. I'm really not wanting to poke Miku with a needle at the moment, and 2. Unlike myself, she was beautiful and I didn't want to ruin that.

Miku was now sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and a cup of hot water, wrapped in the thick blue comforter I stole from the house. It was Rin's. It has oranges on it.

I saw it and thought "i'm taking that."

I sat on the worn down couch, one leg crossed over the other and pressing my middle finger to my temple, thinking loudly as I watched her smile after taking another sip of water.

"We can't go out like this."

The last thing I wanted to do... and it seemed like it was the only option.

"What do you think about a hair cut?" i asked softly.

She turned her head and looked up at me curiously, then ran her fingers through one of her very long pigtails.

"Will it be like your's?" she asked, obviously not wanting it as short.

We really were different, which is why we used to fight all the time.

I shook the thought out of my head literally. The last time we got into an argument, she disappeared. I didn't want to think about that right now. Hell, I didn't even want to think about food right now but at this point both of us were starving

"Only if you want like mine." She looked unsure, so I sat up. "Look, I know you're kinda iffy. I promise it won't be any shorter than right here." I pulled my shirt up and poked my belly button, looked at her, and forced a smile. No matter how bad I was feeling, I couldn't let her know.

She smiled a bit back at me" "Ok." She said softly.

I pulled my shirt down and got on my feet, holding my hand out to her. "Come on, girly."

Miku giggled and took my hand then let me lead her to the bathroom where I sat her on the edge of the tub then rummaged through the drawers to see if I could find anything I could use for Miku's new style.

Miku sat surprisingly still as I delicately chopped her hair was a shaving razor I found in a dusty drawer. Had to fight a spider for it. I won. It was a pain to clean but I wasn't going to put a dirty razor in Miku's hair.

I cut it slowly. Allowing her to look in the mirror every time I did a trim. It was a long process, but honestly, it wasn't bad. The worst part was having to clean up all the trimmings of blue hair on the floor.

I cut from her ankles, to her knees, her hips, and her belly button. This is where she became uneasy but I was able to cheer her on and keep her happy. It was hard to stay positive though, because Miku kept looking down at the locks of hair that covered her toes and littered the floor. I felt bad, I felt like scum, but it had to be done for her safety.

We stopped a little below her chest. I know I told her now shorter than her navel but that was still pretty long. I then began to shape her bangs to which she would scrunch her nose often from the tiny hair tickling her nose.

I kept pausing to check to see what adjustments could be made. Once I was satisfied, I cupped my hands around her cheeks and blew gently on her face to brush away some pieces of hair. I gave her a smile as I stood up, offered her my hand, and said. "I want you to close your eyes."

Miku seemed hesitant but did so anyways then gave me her hand.

I pulled Miku to her feet then spun her around so she was facing the mirror.

"No peeking!"

She laughed and covered her eyes with her hands.

I let out a soft laugh between my teeth. "We're gonna step forward. One... two... three... ok, ready?"

She gulped, but her smile never left her face, then she nodded. I placed my hands over her own and gently took them into mine as I lowered them away from her face. When she saw herself her face lit up.

With just a cut and some homemade salt water, Miku's hair was gorgeous. It fell down over her chest, hugging her slim figure, and it was wavy due to the salt water and somehow seemed a bit thicker as well.

Miku's eyes lit up and she turned her head to look at me in awe. "Amazing!" She exclaimed.

But I wasn't done. She wouldn't be Miku without her signature ponytails. I gently ran my fingers through her hair as I carefully placed two half ponytails on each side of her head, then tore a piece of the pink curtain and made two long ribboned bows I used to tie around her pigtails.

"Ta-da!" I exclaimed with my hands out.

Her jaw dropped into an open smile and she gave a couple small bounces, squealing loudly. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned into me when I wasn't expecting it. Both of us nearly fell to the floor, but I was able to catch her and hug her back.

I made her happy.

So why do I feel so guilty?

I gave Miku a pair of black leggings and a maroon hoodie along with a pair of severely worn out black bans. I just slid a Brick and Porty sweatshirt over my head and changed into a pair of black sweatpants and dirty babidas.

"Look at me." I put her hoodie up over her head, and cupped her face in my hands. "Your name is Ami, and my name is Komo. We met at the arcade. I'm taking a video and photography class at the local college and you're a stay at home gamer. Here." I handed her my old red gamegirl advance. "Play Super Princess Sisters ok? I picked the game out myself, I think you'll like it." I gave her a weak smile.

I let her think. Her eyes rolled around the room in confusion. She pointed at herself then at myself. I merely mumbled "Let's go."