Hating Winter
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Deanna Aldridge, Grade 10
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Short Story
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2011
Leah was a quiet student. She always kept to herself and never talked to anyone apart from the teacher when she was asked. It wasn’t until she met the Mexican exchange student Leticia. Leticia was an outgoing girl. She was the type of girl that was friends with everyone. People would smile when she walked into the room because they knew she would make everyone happy just by being in their presence. Leticia had long brown hair down to her waist. Her eyes were the brownest of all browns and her voice sounded like everything she said was a song.
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It was the start of June. Leah glanced over her shoulder and let out a long sigh as she gazed out the window only to find the drizzle of rain hitting the cracked pavement. “I want every student in this class to write an essay on your favourite thing about winter.”, announced Ms Kyval- Leah’s English teacher. Leah looked out the window again only this time she saw a grey sky and not the littlest bit of sun to be seen. Leah hated winter. Everything about winter made her feel sad. Dark cold days sent shivers down her spine. How could she write an essay on winter? Winter was the saddest months of the year. Leah sat back into her chair. She closed her blue eyes and began to forget about her English class. The voice of her teacher slowly drifted away and she remembered back to the days her parents were alive. Happy thoughts echoed her mind. She thought about happy things and soon her face was filled from ear to ear with a giant grin.
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“Leah. Care to explain to the class why you are allowed to be the only one not paying attention?” asked Ms Kyval.
“Sorry Ms. I’ll pay more attention. I promise...” Leah replied with a shy voice. She glanced around the room and saw every person’s eyes fixed on her. Leah sat alone in the back corner. She used to have a lot of friends. She was a smart outgoing person that everybody liked to talk to. However, the day her parents died made Leah change. She lost hope in herself and sank into a world where nothing around her mattered. She went to school, did her homework and went to bed. Leah was a miserable teenager who was in need of help.
As Leah walked home that night, the rain trickled down the front of her face. She wiped away her fringe that was now hanging over her eyes soaked from the rain. “BUZZZZ. BUZZZZ” went her mobile. Leah looked at the screen. It was her Aunt. Leah had moved in with her Aunt after her parents had passed away. “Hello.”
“Leah, for goodness sake. I’m worried about you! Please hurry home, it’s now 5:00 and you finished school at 3:00. It doesn’t take you two hours to walk home.”
“I’m sorry. I just had a bad day...”
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Leah decided that she better start to head home. Her hands were covered in goose bumps from the cold but she didn’t seem to mind. Leah hated winter but the cold didn’t bother her. She was used to the cold as she lived a life that had nothing but cold thoughts. It was June two years ago when she found out her parents would never be returning home. After this day Leah hated to see bright colours. It made her think about what she missed the most. Everything around her was a grey blur as she walked home.
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The next day was the same as every other. Leah sat down outside under an old oak tree. Alone. Like usual she watched everyone walk past. They would stop, point and laugh. Then they would walk off. Leah knew they were looking at her but she was so used to it that it didn’t bother her anymore. She started to eat her salad sandwich when she noticed a new face looking across at her. Leah looked at the girl. She didn’t recognise her at all. Leah turned away so it didn’t look like she was staring but as she turned to look at the face again the girl was gone. Leah was sort of sad in a way because no one ever smiled at her and when she saw this unfamiliar face smile at her, Leah felt like she hadn’t in a long time. As the bell rang Leah slowly made her way back to her locker bay. “Another boring English class. Great...” Leah said to herself, soft enough that no one heard.
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Leah was sitting at the back of the room in the right corner like she did every English class. No one ever sat next to her so she always had a spare few seats.
“Hola, may I sit down?”
Leah snapped out of her trance and looked into the now recognisable eyes that belonged to the girl she saw at lunch.
“Umm, sure...I mean, yeah if you want.” Leah answered still puzzled why this mystery girl wanted to sit next to her of all people.
“Gracias.” Replied the voice of the new girl. “My name is Leticia.”
“I’m Leah. Are you new to this school? I haven’t seen you around.” Asked Leah. Wondering if she was asking too much information that the new girl would want to move. Leah liked the feeling of having someone sit next to her. She didn’t feel as lonely as she usually does.
“Si, I’m the exchange student. I just arrived from Mexico the other day. It’s really nice here.” Leticia said giving Leah a smile showing all of her white teeth.
Leah wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t had a conversation with a person her age for nearly two years. So instead Leah just smiled.
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“Listen up everyone. I want you to turn to the person next to you and do a sort of interview. Seeing as we have a new student in this in this class- Leticia, I think that this is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow class mates.” Explained Ms Kyval. Leah was so used to working on her own that she took her book out and began to write up an interview about herself. It startled her when Leticia’s beautiful voice spoke.
“You don’t want to work with me then?” she asked innocently.
“Uhhh... I’m sorry. You want to work with me?!?!” she replied surprised with what she had said.
“Yes, I would love to get to know you. You seem so very quiet and I think that if I got to know you, you would be so much more, how do you say it. Outgoing.” She said with a polite smile across her tanned skin.
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Leah smiled back. She was quite shocked that the new girl had figured her out with just one simple conversation. It surprised her and she couldn’t stop thinking about how she wanted to know more about Leticia, only Leah hadn’t talked to somebody in so long she didn’t know what to say...
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It wasn’t raining on the way home but it was still dark and cold. Leah wasn’t thinking about the cold or winter though. She was thinking about Leticia and how she was so nice to her. Leah felt good about herself. For once in about two years Leah was smiling about something that had happened at school. When Leah arrived home she told her Aunt about Leticia and how she listened to her. She told her Aunt that Leticia was from Mexico and spoke Spanish. She also explained that Leticia had listened when Leah told her about how her parents died and that she missed them. Leah went to bed after that but she lay there for hours thinking about what she and Leticia would talk about tomorrow.
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“Don’t you ever get scared when you dance in front of people though, Leticia?”
“No. I think it’s the best feeling because I get to show everyone what I enjoy doing. I hope that others will like the dance and want to be like that one day.”
“Oh... I could never be like you. You’re so, so...”
“Si?”
“You’re so outgoing and happy. Everyone talks to you. No one talks about you behind your back. People like you.”
“Leah, I’m sorry... I will how do you say it? I will now stop talking.”
“No, it’s not that. I just mean that, oh don’t worry about me. Why don’t you go and hang around with your other friends from your maths class?”
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Deep down Leah hoped that Leticia would stay with her under the old oak tree. The only other friends she had were the birds that would chirp away in the tops of the trees each lunch time. Leticia looked at Leah and smiled. She said “I will go if you want but I enjoy your company. You are such a nice person to talk to. Leah, if you let me I will help you bring back your confidence I know you once had!”
Leah looked up. She stared deep into Leticia’s sparkling eyes. They reminded her of a necklace her mother use to wear. She took a deep breath and replied to what Leticia had said. “I don’t know. Nobody really likes me...”
“It’s not that they don’t like you, it’s just that... well I would say that they are inseguro.”
“Inseguro?”
“It means unsure in Spanish. I think that people are unsure what happened to the girl you once were. It’s not that they don’t like you or think you are weird I think they are more confused. If I help you I’m sure I can bring back your confidence. Los amigos se ayudan unos a otros en situaciones dificiles.”
The bell rang. Leah and Leticia walked back to their locker bays giggling and laughing. Leah felt once again that she had a friend. Her heart was starting to mend.
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It was the start of July. Leah and Leticia had known each other for a month now. Leticia had settled into her new family she was staying with and Leah was beginning to come out of her shell a little. Leah was sitting in her English class one day. Ms Kyval was instructing her class to finish the essay on winter. It was due in two days. Leah hadn’t started. She tried to explain to her teacher that she hated winter, but Ms Kyval said that she would just have to find something she liked about it. Leah was angry and hurt. Thinking about winter made her think back to her parent’s funeral. Sitting in the cold with her black umbrella watching her parents being placed into a deep hole in the ground. Once again Leah thought about how much she hated winter.
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“Leah, wake up!” Leticia said as she shook Leah from side to side.
“I wasn’t asleep. I was just thinking...”
“Sorry, it looked like you were.” Leticia’s voice whispered back quietly. “So what have you written your essay on?”
“My essay... good question. I haven’t started yet.” Leah answered back wondering what she was going to do about it. She thought she had better start tonight. She really had no idea what to write about though. Her mind was empty. Nothing but sad memories lurked her brain. She let out a deep sigh.
That day at lunch Leah and Leticia sat under the oak tree like they always did. Leticia was telling Leah about her friends she had made from other classes. All Leah could think about was the essay she could no longer sink deeper into her mind as it was due in two days.
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“Do you think that he does, though?” Leticia asked Leah. Leah looked up and quickly replied.
“Do I think what? And who?”
“I’m sorry, I was just rambling on like I always do... are you okay?”
Leah sighed and then told her about the essay she had to write. Leticia seemed confused and asked Leah why she hated winter so much. Surely there had to be more than the fact she hates the rain.
“I hate winter because...Because it was winter two years ago that my parents passed away. Thinking about winter makes me feel sad. There is nothing I hate more than winter!!” Leah explained to Leticia.
“Oh, I see. I know it must be hard for you Leah, because I know that just spending one month away from my family has made me miss them ever so much. Maybe you can come over to my house after school. I will help you write your essay. I promise. We will find something to write about, don’t worry.” Leticia tried her best to reassure Leah she would be fine, however Leah still didn’t know what she was going to do.
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Leah and Leticia hurried home after school. Leticia’s host family had a spare room so when Leticia came to stay they let her have her own room. Leah was sitting with Leticia in her room. They were eating Mexican Burrito’s that Leticia loved to make.
“These are so nice! How do you make them so fast!” asked Leah stuffing her face with the food.
“They are so simple Leah. I make them all the time back home in Mexico.” Leticia said smiling once again showing off her lovely white teeth.
“Now, I think we should start your essay otherwise we will never get it all done.” Leticia suggested politely. Leah looked up and began to feel sick. Her stomach felt like an empty pit. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought about her parents and how they would be so happy that she had Leticia as her friend. She thought about how much her mum would like Leticia. That’s when Leah realised what she was going to write about.
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“I have an idea on what to write about.” She told Leticia.
“That’s great! What is it?” she asked. Leticia looked into Leah’s blue eyes. She seemed to be shocked.
“Before you came into my life I was miserable. I had no friends, I never talked to anyone and I had an empty heart. It was winter when my parents died, I will never forget it, but it was also in winter that I met you. You’ve helped me move on from the truth. You pulled me up out of the dark hole that I called my life. Leticia, my favourite thing about winter is you!” Leah stopped and took a pause, and then she continued. “I’ve never had a friend like you. You don’t know how much I want to thank you for that. I can’t imagine how I would ever have faced my fears and moved on if it wasn’t for you. I would never have worked up the courage to talk to anyone. I would have just continued living my sad, boring life.”
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Leah looked at Leticia. She gave her a friendly smile. Leticia got up off the ground and gave Leah a warm hug. The girls both looked at each other and laughed.
“Leah, you doubt yourself so much sometimes-” Leah cut Leticia off and continued with what she was saying before.
“Be quiet and except the fact that you’ve helped me so much.” Leah said in a playful voice. They girls both smiled. Leah felt warm inside. She thought about how she hasn’t felt warm inside in a long time. Leah was happy. Her life was good. She had a friend that she loved. The friendship was strong it was like they were always meant to be friends but somehow Leticia walked into Leah’s life when Leah needed her the most.
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It was raining when Leah walked home that day. She was standing under an umbrella looking at a picture Leticia had printed off for her. It was a photo of her with Leticia they took at school under the oak tree. It wasn’t the best picture of them, but it was natural. They were both happy and both laughing. To Leah it was the happiest day of her life. It was the day she finally moved forward and left behind all the depressive thoughts she used to think. Instead she took a step into a new life, one that was happy. A life where her parents were with her guarding her. A life that she had a best friend. A life that she no longer hated bright colours. Leah’s new life was full of bright colours. Leah no longer hated winter, she just hated the day her parents died.
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Leah never forgot the day she had to say goodbye to Leticia. She waved from the airport as the plane took off from the runway. Leticia and Leah both cried as they said their goodbyes that day. As Leah walked up to her letterbox to check the mail, her heart raced as she saw that there was a letter from her best friend. Her face lit up with excitement as she danced back into her house. She thought back to the day she said goodbye. Leah no longer slouched as she walked. Leah was happy. She looked at the letter. Leticia’s handwriting was so recognisable. It was neat and written in purple.
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She had only spent six months with Leticia, but those six months changed Leah’s life. Leah was no longer a quiet student. She was happy and talked to others. People began to see that she was back to the old Leah. Leticia and Leah vowed to keep in contact. The distance wasn’t going to break the friendship they shared.
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Hola Leah!
Como estas? (How are you?) The weather here is so much different from Australia. I bet it’s raining back with you. I am in a nice flowing dress as it is still so tropical. I do miss the cold though. We don’t seem to get a lot of the winter type weather here. I’ve planned with my mama that I come over to Australia for the summer. I cannot wait to see you again. I cannot believe that it’s been six months since I left. It has gone so quickly.
School is so boring I miss being able to talk to you in class. You would always know what to do. I’m getting a lot of homework now too. I’m doing some now whilst eating my Burrito’s that you loved so much. I suppose I should let you go because I need to finish this essay I have to write. I’ll try not to miss you as much this time.
Ama a tu major amigo,
Leticia
xxxx