Janine Sulks
Betrayal, there's no better word for it. You can't trust adults, even the ones who act all sympathetic and kind. I sure can't trust Sabrina Natsume. She said we'd take a trip to the Orange Islands to see Mom - just us two. But she brought along her loud mouthed, vain bodyguard. That's how much she trusts me! So I've locked myself in my stateroom and had a good stewing in my anger.
It's not fair! Everybody has expectations of me and I can't live up to and they refuse to trust me. Not my Dad, my Mom, the Poké Tech headmistress, and not my Dad's mind-reading girlfriend.
The day started out okay, but it got worse by mid-morning. I scared the heck out of a guy heckling me by siccing my muk on him - Nothing like being confronted by a roaring, stinking animate pile of sludge to straighten out your intestines. Seeing that nasty, mouthy kid go white and lose control of his bodily functions was almost worth the lecture and long suffering looks I received from the headmistress afterwards.
Ms. Yamato looked tiredly across her desk and pursed her lips, "You know Janine I'm sure you're aware of how much we think of your skill with Pokémon and your quick, intuitive mind. You are especially talented at using a very tricky class of Poḱemon to weaken and defeat opponents – many young trainers dismiss poison types as weak and slow."
She paused and sighed deeply, "Young people of promise like you Janine don't always live up to their potential or they abuse their skills. Do you know about this former student?" she asked holding up a framed photo of a pert, pretty girl with ample violet hair.
"Not really. What's she to me?"
"This was one of our best students over 20 years ago. A positively brilliant girl named Myiamoto Musashi. She graduated at the top of her class but her impoverished background led her to join a powerful secretive organization called Team Rocket. Heard of them?" She looked significantly at me.
"Uh huh," I mumbled, "You really think I'm destined for a life of crime?"
"Not at all, but you might fail to live up to your true potential. Poor Miya wasted her talent and eventually disappeared while she was still a young woman leaving an orphaned daughter. It would hurt me as much as you if you wound up like Miya," she said sadly. "Young people like you often hurt the ones who care most about them in their haste to break free and be themselves." She stopped and let her gaze linger on another photo on her desk of a pretty girl with blond ponytails. She looked back at me and calmly regarded me for a minute before speaking, "I promised your mom - who taught here for many years before moving on to her destiny - that I would be especially concerned for your well-being Janine. I'm not breaking that promise."
"Why are you telling me all this? I don't want you or anyone else to babysit me. Let me screw up on my own," I snapped.
She changed the subject slightly, "I am concerned about your relationship with your father's new lady friend. Sabrina Natsume is talented but unbalanced. Don't take up with dangerous friends Janine."
"I'll keep company with her if I want to, and I resent what you're implying about my Dad's judgment," with that I turned my face to the wall. She sighed again and sent me out to the front office to have a chat with the Dean of Women.
The rest of the day crawled by. All sorts of little things went wrong – I dropped my backpack in the hall, spilling books everywhere much to the amusement of my classmates; somehow my foot got caught in a closing door, and it still aches; I embarrassed myself on an oral quiz, I can still hear the other kids snickering; and I missed the first bus to the Vermilion Ferry Terminal. I was about as happy as a wet cat when I finally got to the Terminal and saw Sabrina accompanied by a tall, provocatively dressed redhead.
For a moment I was speechless. The blood drained from my face then returned in a red rush. "How could you!" I screamed.
Sabrina was startled. Jessie merely frowned and tensed. "Uh…Janine. I….I'm sorry, but Jessie insisted and I had no idea…" Sabrina stammered.
"You adults never think! My feelings never mattered, did they?" I spat emotionally, "Yeah, 'she's just a little kid', right?"
Sabrina's face took on a look of furious anguish. I could have sworn she was experiencing my emotions. Jessie looked at her friend with alarm and rounded on me with a dark expression of fury, "I knew it! All you ever do is hurt Sabrina! Lay off twerp!"
"Why did you bring along this..this harpy!" I shouted at Sabrina.
"Stop it! Both of you!" beseeched Sabrina in a wailing voice.
We both stared at her in silence, "I'm glad you both care about me, and want me to yourselves, but I can't stand all this emotional thunder and lightning in the air around me. Please try to get along. Janine – I'm so sorry I didn't know you had your heart set on traveling with me alone. Jessie – Don't be so suspicious and mean to Janine. She really doesn't want to harm me."
I looked at Sabrina not knowing what to think. I sucked in air, and let it go with a puff and said, "Gimme my ticket, I need some time alone." I snatched the proffered slip of cardstock and stalked off with my carry on luggage to my assigned room with badly mixed feelings.