Many people think they do not belong in a certain environment at a certain point of their life. It's common. Pensuke is a boy who knows that feeling extremely well, a bit too well. His whole life was hiden to him, and he lived his life almost blindly. When reporter Pent Harlowus asked many students who studied in Pensuke's school about the boy, many responded that he was not normal, and was far from 'cool.' Obviously, Pensuke struggled with everyday things that many people would consider easy, and yet he was very bright and logical. Pensuke's life would change completely on his fourteenth birthday however. It would change greatly.


The one thing I can say is on my mind all the time is my name. Pensuke. Many people decide to call me other things, like Penny, which I, by the way, hate, yet I truly prefer Pensuke, and I've adopted the nickname Pen by those who don't completely hate me. In fact, my parents even call me Pen, and I when asked for my name, I always say Pen. Another thing that's probably on my mind is where I live. Japan. Though I love the place, I feel it is the wrong
environment for someone like me to be in. And well, I'm not sure 'someone like me' even exists. I got that often from my parents. "You're very unique!" they would say. I knew it was true, and yet I hated that fact. It haunted me. Forever.
I moved very often. In fact, in my life time, I've moved 26 times. Since I'm 13 ( I'm turning 14 tomorrow. ) that's basically twice a year. No one ever believes me when I tell them how many times I've moved though. Why
would they? They're normal. They wouldn't know.
Like I said... I'm turning 14 tomorrow, and I'm not as excited as I should be. 14 is in fact my favorite number, and I feel that 14 years old is when a boy becomes a man. Yet, I'm not sure how this will change my life.
Many people, including myself, already consider me to be a man, and age is but a number. I could pass for 16, if you ask me. Maybe even 18, though never ever 19. I'm just tall and mature I guess.
Today is February 17. Things aren't going well here in my city of Kyoto. The economy is suffering greatly, education is losing its' value, and natural disasters are hitting more often.
I don't really bring it up in conversation a lot, but I do think about Kyoto's situation a lot. I feel like I can improve it, yet I feel I shouldn't and I'm too strange to do anything. One of humanity's flaws, if you ask me. Everything has to be normal. If anything is different, the environment becomes strange and can lead to unstability. I, morally, don't agree with it but I am human after all and I have to accept it.
I did not have school today, and I was very thankful for that because I was inviting a friend over. Yes, a friend. That's what I call her anyways. Her name is Zoey Rivers, and she is very charming and sweet. She pretends to
be agressive but she's very gentle, but strong! I'm not sure I'm in love with her since the word love is so misused and yet so right. How can I feel when I'm uncertain? I really hate the flaws of humans. Anyways, it's now 16:00 and
I told her to come at 17:00. I really hope she shows up.
At 15:30, I started making brownies. They should be done at around 16:20, and I made sure they were Zoey's favorites. The brownies were quite expensive too, and I only used the finest ingrediants I could find. Of course,
given Kyoto's current state, that wasn't as fine as it was as it would be inthe past, but the ingrediants were as exquisite as can be. She deserves the best. She is the Golden Girl, after all. The ruby rose of my heart.

The brownies are done, and it's now 17:10. She's late. Of course she is late. My heart stops. I hear a chime, it was the door bell. The simple and boring, loud noise assaulted my ear drum, yet I was so happy to hear it. That meant she was here. In my house. Wanting to see me! Me, of all people! I ran out of the kitchen, leaving my brownies on the large, wooden table to cool off and into the living room, where the front entrance was. I opened the door, and it creaked as I did so. I didn't care though. I'd be with her.
"Pen! I missed you!" Her sweet, soft voice said in an excited tone as she hugged me. I couldn't do anything but hugged her back. In fact, I wanted to. Her long, brown hair was neatly combed with a hairpin on the front. She didn't usually wear hairpins. She had been wearing purple jeans and a small blue jacket with a red blouse underneath it.
"I missed you too, Zoe.." The words slipped out of my mouth, almost rushed and raspy. God, she had no clue how much I missed her.
"So, you called me over? What for?" She asked moments later, ending the long hug. I was a bit sad the hug ended, but that was a silly thought. I thought of what to say before I said it. I wasn't going to announce my feelings yet. No, not yet. I glanced towards the stairs that led to the second floor where my room was, as well as my mother's room. I cleared my throat hapilly.
"Oh, well I was bored and figured you were too, so I called you here so we could play some music together or just hang out!" I said. I made a good lie too fast, in fact, I always did that. There was hardly a moment of truth. My mother always said lying was the worst thing I could do. However, killing and drug dealing was way worse in my mind, don't you agree? Zoey smiled and nodded at the idea. We both walked up the recentally painted stairs, the paint dried off yesterday in fact. It was now painted green and matched the mint walls. It was almost like walking in a forest. After we climbed the stairs, we turned left and went directly into my room. It was perfectly clean, awaiting the arrival of Princess Zoey. Everything was put away, and in the center was two guitars, a piano and a harp. The first thing I grabbed was my old, green guitar signed by all three members of Rush. The signature of Neil Peart was the biggest and I had starred at it for a while.
The fact that Zoey was here soon changed my focus though. I was centered on her, and I started playing an old tune I remembered. It started out slow, and stayed that way except for a really fast part in the middle. Every note was high and played quickly, never flowing, making the melody ring out. My grandfather taught me before he died. This was the last song he taught me. That was the song's name, my mother named it. "The Last Song." It reminds me of the end of the world, how even though the world is ending we're all happy to be together and to have progressed this far. I started thinking about it, the end of the world. If I spent it with Zoey, I would have died from happiness. Zoey soon picked up my other red guitar. It was her personal favorite and, don't tel her but, I bought it especially for her. She played chords that matched the song and both our instruments and our souls were in sync. I smiled, and she looked at me as if I was crazy. My gray eyes were usually empty and blank, but they were showing themselves, almost covered in tears. I put down my guitar and started playing "Melody of Lute." It was another depressing song, but it was fast. The fast, sad song was at variance with Zoey's slow, happy song. She had switched from chords to 'Wind Scene." I remember that song from a game I used to play. Chrono Trigger, I think it was called.
After we played a bunch of music, Zoey and I just chatted. I sat on my bed and she had sat on my computer chair. My computer was playing music, usually songs of Ai Otsuka and we shared many great laughs. I wish I could stop time. I almost shed tears. I wanted to, but her strength didn't let me. I laughed some more, sometimes out of no where. But she didn't care. I loved her, and there was a big chance she loved me back. But we could not be. I don't think so, at least. I thought she needed someone normal. I thought Zoey WANTED someone normal. I, Pensuke, was not good enough for her. I would never be.
"So, it's your birthday tomorrow, huh?" Zoey asked, smirking. "I'll get you a present." She said. I looked at her eyes. Her words were almost like a dream. She remembered, and I never even told her when my birthday was. Amazing. I nodded, and smiled.
"Yeah! You don't have to, if you show up, that's the greatest present anyone could ever give me." I meant it. I forgot about the brownies, but it felt as if I had just ate them with her, the warmth in my stomach.

Maybe I'm right. Maybe I love her for the sake of loving her and being normal, not for who she is. I shake off my thoughts as I wake up on the cold morning of Februrary 18, my 14th birthday, the day that will seem to never end. I get out of bed and without energy, I put on my school uniform and I decide to skip breakfast. I always do, actually. I looked out my bedroom window out to the sky. I could tell it was about 4:00. I remember that sometimes, I even stay awake till four on the weekends. That thought scared me, but I had school today and had to sleep early. There was no way I was going to waste time sleeping three hours away.
I started playing music aimlessly, but that only entertained me for a while. As I was about to turn on the television, I heard our annoying door bell. Who would come at this time of the day? I sighed and walked downstairs, slowly so that I would not fall. As I approached the door I forgot to look at the peephole and just opened it. I almost fell down from shock and swallowed a huge gasp. It was Zoey, already in her school uniform. She had something in her hand made of gold. As I looked closer, it was in the shape of a girl. She held it out to me, waiting for me to take it. It was a statue.
"Your present." She tilted her head and smiled with her eyes closed. I took it, and looked at it. I wondered if it was really solid gold. I thanked her, and she nodded and went back off to her house. That was a bit strange.
It was time for school, and I had been all set. I started walking to school, and I had brought the little statue with me, carrying it in my hand, treasuring it. I went through a boring day of school, as always.

HIS 14TH BIRTHIDAY IS ON THE SAME DAY AS MINE :O Feb 18th Fabulous.
Also, I forgot to mention, due to the fact that His Birthday Overwhelmed me, It was an Enjoyable read much better then any book i've read in the Last Week,
Also, better then Anne Fine books