Author's Notes!

This is a shocker, right? So, first thing's first...

We're right in the middle of summer, yet the one-shot I've written is the complete opposite of that. I know, it was quite an oxymoron to say the least, but I can explain. I've started this draft December last year, and since then, the whole writing process was erratic. At one point, I've thrown the towel and just let it sit for a while before returning. And so, it reached until today. I pondered whether postponing the publication, but since I've written almost nil this month, then I might as well use this one.

I'll use some head-canon regarding Bonnie's backstory from my earlier stories. The lyrics that I'll be using is the modified and translated lyrics of Ikimono Gakari's "Last Scene" so any credit this may garner is to them. Special thanks to Cthulhu rex for your tireless suggestions and ideas. I enjoy reading them all, so this is for you! :)

Let's put those coats on the rack and sit down, relax, and enjoy! This is kmtdiccion and I am proudly presenting a special short story titled...

"Winter's Lie"
Part One
by: kmtdiccion

-0-

"Hey, what's the first thing you think about Winter?" An innocent brunette asked softly while the watching the first snowflake glide gently in front of her. Her sisters were too preoccupied with their own world while their mother was making sure that the youngest of the siblings has her bonnet placed properly over her crown. From the moment she first took sight of the season, Bonnie had a slight admiration on how serene the snow looked from her eyes, and she wished that all her winter nights in her life would be the same.

-0-

Bonnie just turned seven when she started to hate Winter.

Although she's perfectly nestled on layers of blankets and comforters, the large room she's residing in felt colder than ever, especially when she could subtly hear noise from the other side of the wall she's leaning on. Two adult voices were slowly ramping in volume as she tried to close her eyes and cover her ears, not really wanting to hear anymore of the biting blizzard that's happening inside her home.

She may not understand some of the words that they spew, but she doesn't have any doubt in her mind that her parents are fighting for the umpteenth time. She could easily feel the vitriol and hate flowing, even though she's a few feet away. The wind outside howled, fitting in with the dreary atmosphere. Bonnie didn't want any of this. The temperature's gone down, the outside looked dark and chilly, and there's no one else she could turn to.

Not to her usually snotty sisters, who would dedicate a significant part of their time poking fun at her.

Not on her stoic father who was always busy and out of their home.

And especially not on her affable mother who would always shower her with empty love thru gifts, to the point that it felt suffocating for her.

It was at this point when she suddenly heard something banging on the wall. The shouting increased tenfold while sounds of vases breaking and dull thumping exploded. Bonnie quickly hid under her pillow and tightly shut her ears. She vainly tried to get the thought of the fight off her mind, but the sounds only grew louder. Tears started to pour from her eyes as she muttered to herself, repeating the only wish she wanted for the season that is supposed to be joyful.

"Please, don't go. Please, don't go. Please, don't go. Please, don't go. Please, don't go..."

There were footsteps thumping behind her door, followed by a couple of cries and protest. The masculine voice, however, shouted with anger "Don't you dare try to stop me, woman! Let go of me!" His order was immediately followed with a hysterical cry. And then, another round of braking noises could be heard. The commotion happened for a long while until she heard the door being closed shut hard. There were still muffled cries, but they were now partially subdued after a while.

Returning to complete silence, Bonnie thought that the coast is clear, and so she finally let herself lose on her curiosity. Gently opening the door, the sight that greeted her was etched for the rest of her life. Laying down on the carpeted floor is her mother, whose face is slightly bloated due to the bruise, comforting her two hyperventilating sisters, whose eyes are red from all the crying. The entire hallway was littered with broken wood and vases. The table was upturned, and the pictures hanging on the wall are gone.

She couldn't take it seeing them like that, even though she didn't like them.

Letting out the building sadness inside, she rushed towards her mother and bawled, hugging her body with all her might. The matriarch of the family easily accepted the contact and embraced her. Their family had been a dysfunctional one, but deep down, Bonnie cared for them. And seeing them down in ruins while the blizzard blew all around their home left her with the impression of Winter never really gave her any good. It was cold. It was lonely. It was depressing.

And soon after, she realized that even within her family, she will still remain solitary.

Bonnie was eleven when her weary heart started to see a small ray of hope.

Her family went back together. That should've been a happy thought for her, but unfortunately, she was anything but. Just like before the fight even began, her family returned back to their usual selves, as if that one intimate moment never happened. In fact, things went for worse.

Lonnie and Connie is currently in Middleton High, but their conquest and rule of their time in middle school is known by everyone. So much so that they expect her to follow suit. And in an instant, Bonnie was hurled into the vast world of tween interactions. At first, the thought of making new friends and enjoying school life was tantalizing for her. She picked up ballet classes, started to talk to new kids, and pushed really hard to join the cheerleader corps. The praise she gets were like music to her ears, as she would rarely get anything out of her hard-work from her family.

Unfortunately, like any vacation, it has to end some time.

Little by little, she started unraveling of the story behind being a 'social elite' and was disheartened to realize that all it was is just using others for fame. The first few friends she made turned out to be fake, as she heard them talking back at her. The boys who would sometimes ask her out were only in it for her status as a Rockwaller. And slowly, her bright dream of having a happy school life started to sink down. She didn't stay on one clique, as they eventually push her out. Bullies started taking notice of her, sometimes taking her entire lunch money away with force.

As days pass by, Bonnie sank deeper and deeper into her depression until her savior arrived.

In front was a large girl holding a her up against the lockers. She was whimpering from the force but the big one still holds her tightly. She wanted to scream for help, but unfortunately there's no one in sight. The way she's looking at her brought up memories of her broken family, causing her to hyperventilate and cry unconsciously. "Give me your lunch or you'll be hurt." A big girl threatened a little brunette.

"S-Sorry, I d-don't have any." Bonnie cowardly answered.

Her face exploding with anger, the big bully smashed her to a locker, which elicited a yelp from her. She went closer to her face and whispered "You don't have any? That's too bad. Start your prayers, Bonnie." Bonnie saw her winding her big meaty hands, aiming at her delicate face. She closed her eyes, wishing intently that it will not hurt that much. Anticipating her fist, she pleaded in her mind: "Oh Please! Don't hurt me. I promise next time I'll give them to you. Just don't hurt me. Please! Help!"

The girl's arm was swung halfway when she heard one boy screaming "STOP!" The two turned their heads and saw a freckle-faced boy staring at the giant girl. She let go of Bonnie and charged towards the boy. She barked "Hey you! You're not the one who'll boss me around. Get ready for some pain!"

The bully swung her right fist and connected to the boy's gut. He grimaced in pain when the big girl punched at his face. This made the boy fall down. The amount of punches he got today took a toll on him. The bully went on top of him and start battering the defenseless lad. Ron tried to defend himself by raising his arms to catch the punches aimed to his face, but he was completely overpowered by the large girl. This commotion went on for a minute until the Guidance Counselor noticed them and broke the two up. The bully was sent to the office while the boy was sent to the clinic.

Inside the clinic, the brunette sat on one of the empty seats while the nurse started taking care of the boy. Bonnie's little mind was trying to soak in all events that happened. She was sure that she'll be pummeled down, but the boy on the bed stopped her before she could land it. Her thoughts were plagued by questions, "Why did he do it? Why did he chose to help me? Did he know me?" were among those, but since he's still busy with the nurse, she couldn't get any answers.

She sat there for a long while, looking at them with concern. When the nurse was done, she got her clipboard and went to the teen girl. "Can you please sit here for a while to guard the boy, if you don't mind? I need to pass this to the guidance counselor." The school nurse asked.

"O-Oh. Sure." Bonnie halfheartedly replied. "Be right back" She rushed out of the clinic room. And without delay, she walked out of the room

The teal-eyed girl sat on a chair, looking with great concern in her eyes, near the boy's chair. The two sat in awkward silence. Bonnie don't know what she should say to him. She bowed her head down, crying because of the thought that he will blame her for the mess he's in. She was startled when she heard him saying "H-Hey, Are you okay?"

She looked at him and saw him smile, and for a moment, Bonnie felt like she should do the same. "An infectious smile, perhaps?" With her lips curled slightly, the brunette apologized "I-I'm okay. Thanks and I'm sorry." The boy's brow rose slightly and asked "It's my pleasure and... why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry. Because of me, you w-were..." Bonnie closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly. She felt like she reverted to her toddler self, looking over his bruised face just like how her mother once looked. He waved his hands in dismissal and said "No big! That's okay."

She peered at him, trying to find any form of lies, but the smile on his place looked to genuine to deceive. Bonnie has been with many of her so-called 'friends', but none of them looked as genuine as the freckled boy in front of her. "R-Really?" She softly asked, a bit hesitant on his claim, but all he did was nod his head and said "Yeah."

The brunette was definitely floored. She didn't expect that he'll be that forgiving to her, as if the beatdown earlier didn't happen. He just smiled at her. Bonnie's eyes were now watery and was about to cry when he asked "Uh... What's your name?"

She wiped her eyes and replied "My name's Bonnie. Bonnie Rockwaller."

He then offered his hand, his face slightly twitching from the pain, and said "I'm Ron. Ron Stoppable." The brunette smiled back, this time in genuine happiness, and shook his hand. Bonnie felt a million times better than a while ago. She felt like breathing in some fresh air, a million times better than how she greets other people. Her ears perked up when he asked "I hope we could be, you know, friends."

Bonnie was silent for a minute, not quite sure she heard him correctly. But when she did, she went near him, hugged him, and replied "Of course, you dummy! After you saved me, I'd be stupid to not be your friend." His face registered his goofy grin which made her giggle. He returned the favor and wrapped his arms around her and then joyously shouted "Booyah! I have a new friend."

"A new friend, indeed..." Bonnie thought with glee while chatting about their lives, a bit hopeful that she may find something meaningful from now on.

Bonnie was twelve when she decided to become an Ice Queen.

The cold dark winter has come back, and now it's freezing the tan-skinned brunette with a vengeance. This is the only thing that Bonnie Rockwaller is thinking. Sure, she had her share of someone turning up against her or left her alone, but this one hurt her way more than she imagined. Vengeance feeds from her tears, letting her heart wallow in misery. She was having the time of her life with Ron. Bonnie never had that much fun in a long while. While she was fixing herself up, she recalled what transpired and the words they said to each other. And the mere thought made her cheeks flush. "W-What am I t-thinking?... Even though he seems nice, I just can't believe I would blurt out those things in front of him..."

But when she went out of the comfort area, the youngest of the three Rockwaller siblings gasped when she suddenly felt her body slammed on the wall. Her eyes went wide when she saw the familiar face of the bully she met a few days ago. Bonnie tried to wiggle out of her grasp but she was too strong and her hold on her was too tight to do anything. "Aww, you poor girl. I haven't got to beat you down earlier because of that loser Stoppable." The bully spat his name like it was poison. But, she grinned at her, making her shiver in fear "But now that your little boyfriend is out of the way, we can be... acquainted better, don't you think?"

"N-No!" Bonnie closed her eyes, shaking in fear, and waited for her to strike, hoping she wouldn't be as hurt as she feared when she heard a voice that distracts her.

"Leave her alone." The bully tried to reason out but she quickly cut her off "I said NOW." And with a grunt, Bonnie landed with a soft thud on the grass. When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw the towering girl with long flowing brown hair and dark green eyes. She saw her hand extended in front of her. With years of isolation from others, the girl was too cautious to take help from others. So, she stood up by herself and said "T-Thank you."

"Don't mention it. My name's Amelia. Amelia Rodriguez." The beautiful girl named Amelia greeted.

"Bonnie. Bonnie Rockwaller." She replied, shaking her still extended hand. With eyes slightly shot up with curiosity, the Latina asked "Rockwaller? Are you familiar with the Rockwaller twins that are on top of Middleton High's Food Chain? You know Connie and Lonnie Rockwaller?"

"Yes. They're my sisters." The smaller brunette replied, not liking where this talk is going.

"Oh. then I really did chose the right one for the job." She said before grabbing her shoulders, forcing her hazel brown eyes to her greens. "Look, it is, like, unwritten law that the Rockwallers are destined to be the top of the chain, and that includes you." Bonnie's eyes went wide and was about to argue when she placed her slender finger on her lips "I don't know how low you think of yourself, but you are born for great things. When your sisters graduate, you need to take over their position as the top dog of the social ladder. But you need allies, allies like moi."

"You?"

"Yes, of course!" Amelia smiled "For you to become successful, you need to surround yourself with people who wield influence to those below. There are the jocks, the cheerleaders, the beauty queens, and the student government officials. Since you are within that group, that will be easy." When she saw a bit of apprehension appearing on her features, she soothed her and tried to convince her "Don't worry, I will be your friend, your true friend. I know what happened, and I just knew that Stoppable will never stick to you."

"What are you talking about?" The Rockwaller youngest's temper was starting to rise. Although what she said is too good to be true, she was a bit skeptical about her claim about Ron, the one who just saved her from bullying. But when she lead her towards the main passageway towards the gate of the fair grounds, she saw Ron talking to a girl who was stuck to something she can't see inside their car. She can't believe what she just saw. Ron, the one who said was happy to meet her, left her to deal with someone else.

"T-Then... Then... All that he said to me... was a lie? N-No..." Unconsciously, Bonnie's hands were curled up into tight balls, her knuckles turning white. Of all the betrayals she felt, this one hit the closest. She let him in, only to see it pulverized. "NO! I will no t cry. I will show him how wrong he was in messing with me. I will hurt him like how he hurt me." Rubbing her tears roughly, she turned back to Amelia, who was silently amused by her transformation, and said "Tell me what to do, Amelia."

-0-

"Hey, what's the first thing you think about Winter?" An extremely jaded brunette muttered with vitriol while watching the first snowflake glide gently in front of her. After everything that happened to her, the joy and fascination that she had with the season has became a frigid snowstorm of hate. Her sisters are still living on their own bubble, ridiculing her every move. Her parents continue to shower her with everything but the thing she needed the most, and worst of all, that one small ray of hope has been completely covered, leaving her alone in the dark. Bonnie used to have a slight admiration on how serene the snow looked from her eyes, but now, all that she wished for right now is for it to stop.