Chapter 1
Jay feels gloomy about going to school because she doesn't like it.
She hasn't made any friends until now.
She's half American and half Korean.
Jay lived in Seoul for fourteen years, but everything changed when her mother moved to Oklahoma after divorcing Jay's Korean father. Her father had asked for the divorce, saying he no longer loved her mother. After all, Jay and her mother packed their big bags and left Seoul behind. No one told to Jay what had happened between her parents.
They said it was an adult matter...
Jay didn't know what is an adult matter...
She just felt it might be some bad thing...
Jay can't speak English. Oklahoma is a big city, but it doesn't feel comfortable for her. Jay looks like her father—sharp upward eyes and plain looks. She doesn't like her face, but she accepts it as the fate she was born with.
Edmond, Oklahoma, is a small, lovely town with stunning scenery. Her mom was born in New York and studied at Peace University. That's where she met Jay's father, and they fell in love. Jay's father was a graduate student at Peace university. After graduation, they got married and moved to Seoul.
Mom always says,
"It's up to you to choose whether to live happily or sadly. Don't be afraid of what's ahead. You're a special girl, and you can handle anything. I love you."
Jay trust her Mom.
So Jay tried to cheer herself up, hoping everything will be OK. But on her first day at school, no one seemed interested in her. Only one girl, Jill, came up and asked, "Where do you live?" Jay hesitated, unable to answer right away. That moment made things even worse for her. All her classmates looked at her, but only a heavy mood came down there.
After that happening, no one came up to Jay or asked her anything. Being ignored had quietly become part of her everyday school life.
Jay studied English day and night. She excelled in Math and Science, and her teachers praised her for it. But at school, she remained speechless. She ate lunch alone and spent break times reading books. Her classmates laughed and played, full of youthful joy— but Jay felt distant from it all.
Her mom works as an editor at Lights Publish. Though she's busy, she always makes time to hug and kiss Jay. Jay is shy and introverted, often staying home alone.
One day, Mom brought home a kitten for Jay. She named him Benji—after Jay's beloved dog in Seoul who had passed away 3years ago. Jay hugged him softly with warm kiss. Benji's soft purrs and gentle face lifted her spirits. For the first time in a long while, Jay felt relaxed with a real friend, Benji.
At school, teasing is against the school rules, and most classmates are ordinary. Jay is used to being by herself. She wasn't bullied, but the chronic, quiet ignorance started to hurt deeply.
A sensitive 14-year-old… whether in Korea or America, it's a time of delicate emotions and inner sensitivity. Adolescence is something everyone must pass through, including Jay.
Jay had an unstable mind to shake easily from deep heart...
She felt comfortable being alone for a while, but deep down, her heart whispered that she longed for a friend.
Jay said softly to Benji, who lay curled in her arms,
"I need a friend who can speak out heartily and have fun like classmates."