A Wolf's Only Winter

Chapter 1: Winter

November 1st, I'm supposed to take my medication today. Grabbing my sweater, I quickly look through my packed wardrobe and find the bottle with the sphere shaped pills. I take one, hoping this time I won't get an attack when I hear my mom yelling from the kitchen. "Aiko! Hurry up. You are going to be late again!" I simply sigh. "I'll be there in a second" I answer as I put my sweater on, swallow the pill, and head downstairs. Each step made a squeaky noise that I've always hate. It echoed through the rooms of the house and my room got the loudest.

I come down and see my mother waiting on the kitchen table with my father, who stayed as silent as ever with the tv on. My dad is not very talkative, I rarely see him say a phrase or two, my mom, on the other hand doesn't stop exasperating me with her nonsense.

"Take your lunch and head out now! I don't want you to get another referral for being late!" My mom yelled at me while I grabbed the bag with my lunch in it. My dad stayed silent, reading his perfectly placed paper and drinking black coffee on his favorite mug. A dark blue mug with two tiny wolves playing around. I gave it to him on father's day about six years ago and he uses it almost every morning. I looked at him and told him that I would be home late because of trumpet practice after school, he looked at me and nod. With that I stepped out of the house and headed towards school.

I have my own route to get to school. I don't live in a bad neighborhood; two story houses on every street lots of trees around, and a few, but quite, expensive cars, also the crime rate is very low, but I like to walk by myself. There was no one around me on the route that I take, no cars, no people, just the sound of my sneakers as I stepped on the gravel. It was a cold day, good thing I wore my sweater or else I would be shivering all the way, I hope it snows. I overheard the weather report about a snow storm coming soon. Apparently it was going to be a big one, like the one dad told me about when I was around nine years old. Apparently the storm happened on the day of my birth.

"It was a cold day like any other during winter. Your mom and I where at the hospital waiting for your birth when the storm began. The storm was heavy and strong. It shaked the whole town, blocked bridges and streets in immensely, white mountains, the worst storm we have had in years. There were a lot of malfunctions and shutdowns around the city including the hospital we were at. It made the process of birth harder, but you were able to survive. Aiko, you are just as strong as that storm. Don't forget that."

My dad has told me that story multiple times. He does whenever I doubt myself and I memorized it. He always starts to tear up after saying my name. I've never asked him why, but i probably should, soon.

Now that I remember, yes, in fact the date for the upcoming storm is the twenty-fourth of November, a day before my birthday. Seventeen years later and it decided to appear again. I wonder if it is going to be as bad as the one that dad told me. If so, school will be canceled and I'll be able to stay home. On the bad side I won't be able to go to the lake for a while. I guess I'll go a few more times before the storm breaks.

I kept walking, so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize I had already arrived to school. Õkami' Tsume, or Wolves' Claws high school; a school for Wolf beast-men only. I could see a few students in the entrance, so I'm not late. I hurry to my classroom, running, ignoring everyone that made eye contact with me, I didn't feel like talkimg either way. As soon as i said that . . . "Aiko-san! Not so fast!" I could hear Xian Adachi, running next to me.

"So you came in late too, glad to know am not the only one" he said, but i refused to reply back. He gave me a disappointed look and kept running next to me. Only took a few seconds before he smiled again. That's normally how he is. I guess you can say he is my only friend.

We soon arrived to class and the bell rang a second after. "We made it" I say with a bit of triumph and exhaustion. We sat on our seats, left corner at the back, close to the door. Cold seats that should be replaced soon, one day my fingers are going to go right through the wood. Our teacher, Mei-sensei, a female-wolf, looked at us in disapprobation untill she finally started the lecture. Exited for another day in school. In case you didn't notice that was sarcasm.