Introduction - Coming Up:

To listen while you're reading:

Good girls - 5 seconds of summer.

I was looking out the window of my dad's car, with my head resting on the glass, returning to where I would not have liked, and the truth is that I don't remember much, after these fourteen long years; We haven't been here since I was a little girl, I'm not saying this is something bad, can be an opportunity really beautiful, but I miss my home so much; We had left our home in Boston, Ms, because my father had received a new job offer at a high school, and he had decided to bring me with him, in his old but glamorous red car, whom he sometimes treated like a newborn baby, and my old van that was hitched in the back. The good thing about traveling with my dad is that he let me play all the Lana del Rey's music that I wanted, but after these three days locked here, I think anyone would get tired of that; We're on our way to my great-grandmother's old house.

-What's the problem, honey?- My dad asked me.

-I'm just thinking about our home.- I said without taking my head off the glass. He already knew that I would have preferred to stay home with my mom and with Louisa, my great-grandmother...

...And I already knew that they thought that being at home, on my great-grandmother's deathbed, would not do me any good, that's the reason why my mother stayed so she could take care of her as she deserved.

-But your mother thought this would help you a little.-

-Help me? With what? I'm just coming to help you with your work.-

-And who could be better than my special girl?, You can also make some new friends-.

My parents, especially my dad, taught me very well how to identify idiots, and at my old school it was too full of them, so I didn't have many real "good friends", but I've always told myself that they're not worth it, not at all.

Of all the cities in this blessed country, we were going to L.A. California, where everyone plan to teach me how to make this world a relatively better place, that's what my father promised us after leaving the air force. Now he had his own "program" to distribute, through his own philosophy, what he had learned in a constructive way and do his best, "Alpha Elite" to that school full of stupid bullies and princesses, or, well that's what I've heard him talk about, so that the weakest people stop going home crying.

He had been called in to channel the brute force of those morons into something "good"; In most schools it had worked, I don't see why it wouldn't here.

Behind us, you could hear the loud panting of my beautiful baby golden, Jackie, one of my best friends in this last time, a dog that an old family friend had given us when we were in Boston when he was just a puppy, being a little dirty and badly injured. That man was the one who told me to name him "Jackie", after his best friend, my great-grandfather. My mother has been working very hard in recent years to be able to open an animal shelter, and name it after him, the man who inspired my love for animals (and many other things)... "MIYAGI"... Just for later my great-grandmother's health to begin to deteriorate more and more. Currently, the project is on pause, but I promised my parents that we would return, sooner or later.

-I think you should have left him at home-. My dad complained, but he knows how overprotective I can be somethimes (according to him, inherited completely from my mother).

-He will be perfectly fine with us- I replied. -Isn't that right, Jackie?, my father looked at me quickly, warning me, normally you would expect me to bark or something like that, but I have been training him a lot to allow me to bring him.

-he will help us protect ourselves-. I said as I stroked his head.

-Just don't let him drool on the seats-.

-Sir, yes, sir-. I used to make that joke sometimes, and dad would laugh even though I think deep down he didn't like it, he would try to forget about the air force a little somethimes and try to teach me how to live my life on my own way.

When we finally arrived at our new temporary shelter, I realized that I had misjudged what my great-grandmother said about this place.

I didn't doubt that the valley was that beautiful, but I only heard it from the distant memories of my parents, who had come about seven years ago, I think it was for a funeral (and yes, again, things of death are not my thing).

I took out all my things that I kept carefully in my van, since I knew I would protect them as always, (I think this thing survived the World War II, LOL) all my clothes, and some inherited from my grandmother (to feel her a little closer to me, as my mother always said), some medals from my father and my great-grandfather, which were considered real diamonds by my parents, that's why they let me bring some, like my own Mockingjays "for some good protection".

Some old bow and arrow, which I'm dying to practice with in our new yard.

Many photos of me, my parents, my great-grandparents, my grandparents... of that sir, Mr. Miyagi, and an old newspaper clipping of Mr. Miyagi with a boy, who my father evaded the topic every time I asked him, and mom, she was almost always busy to talk. The only one who knew how to tell me anything was Louisa, she said that she met him right here, in this town, about thirty years ago, but no one trusted her words much anymore, and she didn't remember his name very well, So... and one of the most important things, the sign I painted with the Californian flowers that we had in my house in Boston, to decorate this new home, with our last name,

"THE McGOWEN's "

because it was either this or painting it on our mailbox, and apparently, we don't have a mailbox here.

My name? Oh, well, you can call me Ann... Ann McGowen.