Chapter 1
Winnie Talon lay in her bed staring in a daze at the wall next to her bed, wearing a pink silk nightgown. She had moved to this small town in Japan at the beginning of the school year. Right now it was early December, and there was no snow whatsoever, which seemed odd to Winnie, because there was always so much in Canada. She didn't quite feel like getting up now, even though she had school in an hour. Her alarm clock rang and she hit it so hard it flew off her desk onto the floor, still ringing annoyingly, until she kicked it right on the "off" button and the sound died.
Winnie climbed out of bed and changed into a light pink tank top with a picture of a pink man riding on a cloud on it, and was pulling on a pair of dark blue jeans when she remembered that she had to wear a school uniform. She tore those off angrily, and replaced them with the school uniform. She also forgot that they weren't allowed to wear make-up. But being as lazy as she was, Winnie kept a light amount on anyway. After brushing her teeth, she combed her golden brown hair in front of the bathroom mirror, where she stared at her brilliant green eyes before placing two pink hairclips in her hair and going downstairs.
Her mother was busy in the kitchen making oatmeal, as her sixteen-year-old sister Brittany, who had short brown hair, sat in the living room eating a very small amount of cereal in a bowl in a sloth-like way. Winnie sat down at the kitchen table, staring at a picture of her dad… she saw it happen… she saw him get killed three years ago. Winnie had been sitting in the back seat of the car going back home; her dad was driving. She loved her dad very much. It was night time when the front of the car was smashed completely off by a drunk driver in a semi… she had seen the wreckage, she had seen everything… and… she had seen the dead look in her father's eyes…
She shook herself back to reality and finished eating her oatmeal. Winnie drained her milk glass into her mouth and picked up her school bag from the floor.
"I'm going now, mom", Winnie announced, kissing her mother on the cheek and walking out the front door. She turned left down the road, walked for a while then turned right onto a sidewalk. There, she walked to for another five minutes until she saw her only friend. It was Hiroko Kokugi. She had a frail look about her, dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Good morning, Winnie" she said as she approached. Her mouth opened slightly, "Why are you wearing make-up? Your not allowed!"
"I barely put any on" Winnie replied, waving her hand impatiently and walking into Matsurayya Elementary School.
"But you'll get in trouble!" said Hiroko, running to catch up to her.
"I'm older than you, I can do what I want"
This was true. When Winnie arrived in Japan, she hardly knew any Japanese, not to mention she was already bad in school to begin with. She had failed grade six once in Canada, and once in Japan, and was turning fourteen next February. Her and Hiroko walked up a staircase together, and as they met the top, somebody said loudly, "Look at her strutting like that!"
Winnie whipped around to look at the tall preppy girls leaning against the wall with superior looks on their faces next to the classroom door.
"What d'you want?" Winnie asked, trying to make herself as tall as she could, even though she was quite short for her age.
"I'd like to know why you failed grade 6 twice! It can't be that hard, can it?" said the girl who was obviously their leader… Winnie paused for a moment, wondering why having the biggest breasts made you the leader of a prep gang.
"I… I don't know", said Winnie finally, staring at the floor.
"It's because you're stupid" one of the other girls said as though it was the most obvious answer. The bell rang for class.
"You're the stupid ones here!" Winnie half-yelled.
"Get lost loser. You're a failure", said the large-breasted one. Winnie felt her face turn red. Not from embarrassment, but from anger. Everything her father had told her came back to her…
"You're important in your own way" she heard his voice in her head… a voice that now seemed so far away. Before she knew what she was doing, she mustered all her strength and slapped the girl across the face, leaving a big red mark on her cheek.
"Let's go, Hiroko", said Winnie said, entering the classroom, Hiroko scampering behind her.
Winnie Talon lay in her bed staring in a daze at the wall next to her bed, wearing a pink silk nightgown. She had moved to this small town in Japan at the beginning of the school year. Right now it was early December, and there was no snow whatsoever, which seemed odd to Winnie, because there was always so much in Canada. She didn't quite feel like getting up now, even though she had school in an hour. Her alarm clock rang and she hit it so hard it flew off her desk onto the floor, still ringing annoyingly, until she kicked it right on the "off" button and the sound died.
Winnie climbed out of bed and changed into a light pink tank top with a picture of a pink man riding on a cloud on it, and was pulling on a pair of dark blue jeans when she remembered that she had to wear a school uniform. She tore those off angrily, and replaced them with the school uniform. She also forgot that they weren't allowed to wear make-up. But being as lazy as she was, Winnie kept a light amount on anyway. After brushing her teeth, she combed her golden brown hair in front of the bathroom mirror, where she stared at her brilliant green eyes before placing two pink hairclips in her hair and going downstairs.
Her mother was busy in the kitchen making oatmeal, as her sixteen-year-old sister Brittany, who had short brown hair, sat in the living room eating a very small amount of cereal in a bowl in a sloth-like way. Winnie sat down at the kitchen table, staring at a picture of her dad… she saw it happen… she saw him get killed three years ago. Winnie had been sitting in the back seat of the car going back home; her dad was driving. She loved her dad very much. It was night time when the front of the car was smashed completely off by a drunk driver in a semi… she had seen the wreckage, she had seen everything… and… she had seen the dead look in her father's eyes…
She shook herself back to reality and finished eating her oatmeal. Winnie drained her milk glass into her mouth and picked up her school bag from the floor.
"I'm going now, mom", Winnie announced, kissing her mother on the cheek and walking out the front door. She turned left down the road, walked for a while then turned right onto a sidewalk. There, she walked to for another five minutes until she saw her only friend. It was Hiroko Kokugi. She had a frail look about her, dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Good morning, Winnie" she said as she approached. Her mouth opened slightly, "Why are you wearing make-up? Your not allowed!"
"I barely put any on" Winnie replied, waving her hand impatiently and walking into Matsurayya Elementary School.
"But you'll get in trouble!" said Hiroko, running to catch up to her.
"I'm older than you, I can do what I want"
This was true. When Winnie arrived in Japan, she hardly knew any Japanese, not to mention she was already bad in school to begin with. She had failed grade six once in Canada, and once in Japan, and was turning fourteen next February. Her and Hiroko walked up a staircase together, and as they met the top, somebody said loudly, "Look at her strutting like that!"
Winnie whipped around to look at the tall preppy girls leaning against the wall with superior looks on their faces next to the classroom door.
"What d'you want?" Winnie asked, trying to make herself as tall as she could, even though she was quite short for her age.
"I'd like to know why you failed grade 6 twice! It can't be that hard, can it?" said the girl who was obviously their leader… Winnie paused for a moment, wondering why having the biggest breasts made you the leader of a prep gang.
"I… I don't know", said Winnie finally, staring at the floor.
"It's because you're stupid" one of the other girls said as though it was the most obvious answer. The bell rang for class.
"You're the stupid ones here!" Winnie half-yelled.
"Get lost loser. You're a failure", said the large-breasted one. Winnie felt her face turn red. Not from embarrassment, but from anger. Everything her father had told her came back to her…
"You're important in your own way" she heard his voice in her head… a voice that now seemed so far away. Before she knew what she was doing, she mustered all her strength and slapped the girl across the face, leaving a big red mark on her cheek.
"Let's go, Hiroko", said Winnie said, entering the classroom, Hiroko scampering behind her.