Disclaimer: see prologue.

THANKYS FOR THE REVIEWS! ^_^ They were very appreciated! And for those of you who are wondering why Joey's so depressed. you'll find out soon enough.

Winter Paradise (or so they thought) By: Pink Leopard

Chapter 1: A Walk down the Streets

Mai walked down the street, her hands shoved into her pockets. Frustration was building up inside of her. That jerk! That asshole! Who the hell does he think he is?! Small snowflakes covered her hair. She stopped underneath a lamppost and kicked a small rock across the street. I swear. when I get my hands on him I'll. She stopped herself. Wow, okay Mai breath. she told herself. Andrew's an asshole and he's never going to change. You just got to apologize to. She shook her head. "He's just a kid, Mai. Keep telling yourself he's just a kid." She looked up to the flakes falling from the sky. And so am I.

*~*~*

Joey pulled his head back inside the window. The cool air was refreshing and it had calmed him down a lot. His mind was still loaded with thoughts of the day. Maybe I should take a walk, he thought. He was alone in the house anyway. His parents were working late and wouldn't be back until late at night and his sister had gone over to a friend's house. He left his room and climbed down the stairs. He put on his green jacket and walked out the door. A gust of wind came up from underneath him and blew at his face. It was like shards of ice were stabbing at his cheeks. But it felt nice. Maybe I should do this more often, he thought. He began walking down the street. He walked slowly, almost dragging his feet along. It was getting colder by the minute. He passed by Mrs. Okonoya's kids playing in they're front yard. They were watching the snowflakes fall in awe. He smiled as he passed by. He remembered when he felt like that, when the world held such wonders. Things are so different now, he thought, still, the snow hasn't changed. He pulled the collar of his coat up to his cheeks. The cold as still nipping at him. Several snowflakes had found their way into his hair. He didn't mind though, his head did need to cool off. Children were running in the park and trying to catch falling snowflakes on their tongues. With his mood lighting, he smiled. He spotted Tristan and Téa walking down the street, hand in hand. He winced, remembering how he lost his chance within seconds of his confession. He pretended not to notice them (as they didn't seem to notice him at all (which is kinda hard not to)) and continued his walk. His mood had declined once again as he turned into the park. He sat down on an icy bench and closed his eyes. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

*~*~*

Mai turned the corner, away from the lamppost. Her pace quickened as she headed down the street. She wandered into the park mindlessly. She sat under a tree in the fresh snow. It was cold, but she didn't care. She felt so guilty, even though it wasn't her fault. She started swearing at the snow, substituting it for Andrew. Children gasped and people passing by gave her glares and dirty looks. "What are you looking at?" she'd mutter to herself. In three seconds Andrew had single-handedly ruined her social life. She felt especially bad for Joey. The poor kid... I-again she stopped herself. "He's just a kid... He's just a kid..." She looked down at her watch. It was still early in the afternoon. It felt like three whole lifetimes had passed before the end of school. If you stop thinking about it, Mai, it will go away... She stood up and wiped the snow off her bottom. She looked around. Sitting on a bench, she saw Joey. He looked as if she was sleeping. You really should apologize to him... it's the right thing to do after all... She quickly made her way over to the bench. She paused for a second and took a deep breath. Then she walked up right beside him and looked down. "Hey Joey" she said. Joey almost jumped out of his socks when he heard Mai's voice. He looked up at her, shocked that she was even talking to someone as low class as him. He gathered himself and simply said, "What do you want?" Mai lowered her head. "I'm sorry about what happened after school today... Andrew had no right to speak for me... and he had no right to say that to you..." Joey saw the regretful look in her eyes. "That's okay, Mai," he said, giving her a warm smile. "I didn't think you would say something that low. We still friends?" Mai looked back up at him. She nodded, "Of course." Joey's grin grew wider. Another gust of wind blew, sending several flakes their way. Mai shielded her face. The snow was coming down harder. Joey looked up to the sky. The light shower was now turning a storm ((dun dun DUN!)). Little bits of ice were included with it, which stung their faces. "Mai, were do you live?" Joey asked. Mai gave him a funny look. "The other side of town, why?" ((don't that just happen way to often?)) Joey looked around. "I don't think you'll be able to make it without turning into an ice cube. Follow me." Mai didn't ask questions. If you were being offered shelter from a storm, for god's sake take it! She followed Joey as best she could, considering she could only see a few feet in front of her. Before she knew, she was being lead into a house. Joey shut the door behind them and let out a heavy sigh. Mai shook the snow out of her hair. She was freezing and the snow was melting from the heat, making her wet. Joey took off his jacket and looked at her. "If you want, I could lend you some clothes. You and my sister are probably the same size." Mai smiled. "Okay... sure Joey."