Keep in mind, any Japanese name or word mentioned are according to Google Translate so don't think that everything Japanese in this is 110% accurate.

"What are you doing, you bitch?"

"Hey everyone, the witch is back!"

"Stop looking at me, four eyes, get lost!"

"Whatcha reading now? Bleach? You should just go ahead and drink some, haha!"

"Tina, don't sit next to her. She's scary!"

"You're such a let-down,"

"I can't imagine how your sister can tolerate you leaving such a bad impression of her."

"You should just die."

"Nobody loves you."

"Trust me, you're better off dead, you Japanese-speaking freak!"

"Whitney! Whitney, please! Wake up!"

With a jolt, the slim, pale, black haired girl sat up, crossing her legs and covering her face with her hands. She didn't want him to see her like this, not again.

Whitney "Witch" Whitman, a tall, reasonably mature girl, has been excluded from her old classmates in times past. They were either afraid of her, or loathed her. Those days were supposed to be behind her by now, but there are some things that can't be forgotten so easily.

Beside her bed was her childhood friend, Tristan. Even when the students started ignoring or picking on her, he stayed by her side. Call it petty, but that was the main reason she admired him as more than a friend. Not because he was cute, sexy, or had a nice voice or personality (though she couldn't deny he had a few of those traits), but because of his courage. She wanted to be strong like him. But, truth be told, she thought that she only dragged him down and held him back. Not that she ever heard any rumors of him, but she did hear some about her sister.

Her sister Janet was in California as a model for just about anything related to beauty products, and everyone at her old school knew it, using that against her any chance they could get to see if they could get a reaction out of her. She would sometimes hear them insult Janet behind Whitney's back because of how ugly of a witch Whitney was.

She unconsciously played with a strand of her hair. Janet's hair was a brilliant blonde tint that was curled at the ends that reached all the way down her back. Unlike her sister's, Whitney's hair was perfectly straight except when it rained it sometimes gained a wavey appearance, and was as dark as charcoal. Janet's face was smooth and flawlessly free of any blemishes, while Whitney's was also smooth, but extremely pale, as was the rest of her skin. Her thin nerd rimmed glasses lay folded on her nightstand along with a tissue box, while Janet could somehow pull off contacts, which Whitney couldn't tolerate.

"Did you have that dream again?" Tristan asked her sympathetically.

All she could do was nod slowly, choking back her sobs. She thought she was so weak, and it disgusted her to no end.

Tristan was so strong, unlike her. She wanted to be like him. She wanted to be strong like him. She wanted to feel appreciated by more than just her friends. Her mind made this up long ago, and her vision has only focused on this singular goal.

He sighed softly, a sad gleam in his eyes, drawing her attention away from her thoughts, "I see..."

Whitney blinked back her tears, burying her knees into her chest. Her bed springs creaked as Tristan unexpectedly sat behind the girl and pulled her to him, her back to his chest. Her checks dusted with crimson out of embarrassment and her heart pounded when his breath tickled her neck.

"I'm sorry," he uttered. "That.. that I couldn't help you... all those times-"

"It's not... your.. f-fault, Tristan," Whitney managed between fits of sobs, "None of it's... your.. fault. Be-besides, that's all in the past now, right?"

"Mmhmm,"

"Th-this is Japan now. Nobody will recognize us here. They.. they won't make fun of me... like before.. and..." She paused here, shaking away the horrible memories, "..and.. neither will he.. he.. he's gone now. It... It'll all be okay... Right?"

Tristan smiled, resting his head on her shoulder, "Right. It's going to be okay now. You're safe with me now, Hoittonī."

The pounding in Whitney sped. It wasn't often that he would use her Japanese name (or at least what Google Translate claimed her name was in Japanese) anymore because of people teasing her for it when they moved from middle school to high school. But now that they were in Japan, she predicted that she'd perhaps hear it a little more often like when they were kids.

But hearing it instead of Whitney pleased her. She didn't like how her name sounded. It felt like it had an uptight, stiff sound to it, unlike her somewhat innocent, naive personality.

"And Shārotto too, right Torisutan?" She asked him playfully.

He rolled his eyes, not bothering to clover up his giddy grin, "Oh I suppose she's safe too, but it's not like I want to admit that."

"I heard that!" Their other friend, Charlotte shouted from the hallway coming up the stairs, while Whitney's cheeks burned as she over thought the context of what Tristan said as flirting.

As Charlotte leaned against the door frame, her gaze rested upon the sight before her with a mischievous look, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Tristan unknowingly blushed a little, "Nothing!" He replied to the snickering brunette, giving Whitney one final squeeze from behind, getting up before realizing that she still had snot on her face and reached over to grab the box of tissues from her nightstand, handing them to her and tucking a loose stand of hair behind her ear tenderly.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the boy, "Nothing, huh? Unbelievable.."

Reflecting upon his actions, he blushed even harder, "S-shut up, Shārotto."

"Oo, we're using our Japanese names again? Yay!" Charlotte said, fist bumping the air.

Whitney giggled a little, before stopping to try and remember when the last time she had actually smiled and giggled was. Unbeknownst to her, Tristan heard her and kept himself from showing his delight he felt from hearing the sound of her joy.

"Anyway, let her get dressed already, Tristan," she winked at him , before addressing to Whitney, "Your mom's making pancakes!"

Whitney felt that yearning tug at the corners of her mouth again. Pancakes were unarguably Charlotte's favorite food, especially when it came to Whitney's current caretaker.

"Hoittonī?"

A black haired boy with dark colored eyes and tan skin made his appearance. He was Whitney's new foster brother, Hisoka, who along with his mother and family, have lived in Japan all his life. Hisoka has been very reserved from the situation with Whitney since the beginning. He isn't that good with some English, but usually knows what she and her friends are saying. She wondered before if it had anything to do with that she was good with Japanese while he was still learning English, but he seemed to not carry such intentions.

"Really? Like the Gym Leader?" He spoke in Japanese.

(I kid you not guys, Google translate actually was accurate as I looked through more sources. Apparently multiple Hoittonī characters in Japanese anime/manga are Whitney in English soooo....)

The three swivelled their heads toward him at the mention of "Gym Leader", thinking, "So he's into Pokémon..er, Pocket Monsters too?"

His mother, seeing the regret on her son's face from exposing his interest, stepped up, "Well, Whitney does mean Hoittonī in Japanese."

"Oh, so we were right," Tristan thought aloud.

The widow and her biological son gave puzzled looks, before he and Charlotte went on to tell them about how they loved manga and anime growing up that they called each other by their names in Japanese. Whitney didn't have much to say as the two pretty much jumped straight to the point.

Tristan, Charlotte, and Whitney have known each other since they were in grade school as orphans in the same foster care institution. Janet was much older than them and got out of the system ages ago. It wasn't unusual for them to end up moving from household to household, especially for Whitney. Whenever Whitney was planned to be transferred to a home far away, Tristan would always somehow manage to convince Charlotte to beg with him to transfer to homes near Whitney's new home, despite if they loved their current guardians or not. Whitney knew if she were in their shoes, she wouldn't have had the courage to stick out for her like they did and risk their lives for her.

At the foster care institution that they were at, they occasionally had the constantly moving kids request places to move to, and that's how they got to Japan. The institution really stretched their luck with being able to find foster parents to register from foreign countries since it was initially founded in America only. In order for all of them to go, Tristan and Charlotte had to wait with Whitney in her new foster home with Hisoka and his mother until the other two foster homes in Japan complete their registration. Akiko, the mother, luckily didn't mind the arrangements and Hisoka hadn't objected to it, verbally at least. Hisoka and Tristan currently shared the same room and Charlotte slept in the guest room which use to belong to Akiko's eldest son who's now in college. Whitney resided in the room which has been set to be her permanent room for as long as she remained here.

After a delightful pancake breakfast, it was time for them to head out for the beginning of the year at their new school--- Kaimei High School.

Braving a smile, Whitney braced herself for even more than the lashing sting of insults and harassment.

But little did she know, this day would mark the beginning of a very different experience that was ahead of her.