“Ms. Wong over here!  Now that you’ve won the Wimbledon tournament for the eighth time will you retire?” a reporter asked.

“No, not just yet.  I will continue to enter tournaments.  I may be considered a veteran but I’m still only 27 years old.” Lin Wong replied.

“Doesn’t Ken’s re-election provide you enough money to quit all of your sports careers?” another reporter asked.

“That may be so, but I wasn’t always rich, and I’ve worked really hard to get here.”

“Would you sign this for me?” a little girl asked hesitantly.

“Of course…”

“I’m so sorry Ms. Wong.  This girl must have slipped past our security,” the security officer said.

“No.  No!  That won’t be necessary.  I’ll sign it for her.  You know I used to be a little girl like you.  I never thought I would be famous.  That was a long time ago though.  If I hadn’t met Ken I might never have been her today.  What’s your name?” Lin asked the little girl as the security officer left.

“I’m Mei,” the girl replied.

“And you are how old?”

“11 next week,” Mei replied.

“You know I was like you when I was your age.  I didn’t have money, or power.  I didn’t know what to do with my talent, and most importantly I didn’t have any support from my so-called family,” Lin explained, “but that’s a long story you don’t need to know about.”

“No go on.  I want to know,” Mei urged.

“Well, okay.  It all began 10 years ago…”

“Lin!  I want pickles in my sandwich today!” Sun called.

“I don’t want white bread used for my sandwich today, Lin!”  Moon also shouted.

“Okay!  No pickles for Sun, and wheat bread for Moon,” she whispered under her breath.

“Girls!  Time for school!  Lin get the car ready!  You’re driving today!  Sun, Moon make sure you wear those silver necklaces I bought you yesterday!” Min called out to her three daughters.

Lin trudged to the cabinet.  She had to pack her, Sun, and Moon’s sandwiches.  If she didn’t hurry Min would kill her, actually more like ground her.  Ever since she got her driver’s license she had to chauffer Min, Sun, and Moon all around the city.

“Lin!  Where’s my blue hair ribbon?” Sun shouted.

“In the bathroom cabinet, top shelf!” Lin shouted back.

“Uh!  What’s it doing in there?” Sun asked herself without thanking Lin. 

“Duh all hair ribbons are on the top shelf.”  Lin said to herself.

“Sun and Moon get into the car!  We don’t want to be late!”  Min shouted.

“Bye girls!  Have fun!  Good luck at tryouts!”  Min shouted taking the wheel from Lin.

“Lin, do you mind waiting back a few minutes?  We don’t want to be seen with you,” Moon told and asked her.

“Sure, whatever.  I’ll see you at tryouts,” Lin replied.

Lin found a bench and took a seat.  It was like this almost every year.  She watched students walk past her.  Lin, Sun, and Moon were triplets.  When they were little, and her dad was still alive Lin had been treated like a princess.  Like Sun and Moon were treated now.  Her dad had always favored her, so she got extra presents when he came back from his business trips.  Everything had gone downhill when her father, Jin, had been diagnosed when she was five.  Min mourned for a few months until she found out she had been left out of his will.  She was furious, of course she knew being his second wife and bearing him no kids it was expected, but she was surprised all of his belongings had gone to his youngest daughter, Lin.  Min had been furious.  Lin had been locked up in her room for a week out of spite from Min.  She didn’t even try to suck up to her daughter.

Min couldn’t live with the fact that her youngest daughter was beautiful and would soon inherit lots of money.  She fired all of their servants and forced Lin to do all of their duties.  It was and had been like that for the past 12 years.  Sun and Moon had enjoyed being spoiled and not doing anything.  But both were shocked when they learned that they had to go to school with their slave of a sister.

Even though they were triplets those five minutes that separated them made all the difference.  Sun being the oldest, and Min’s favorite daughter, was fair skinned from not being out in the sun very often.  She had light brown hair that was long enough to reach the middle of her back.  Her eyes seemed to be the same color as her hair, a fair brown color.   She wasn’t the brightest student, and she didn’t try.  But she was good at dancing, ballet, and cheerleading. 

Moon was Sun’s personal slave besides Lin.  Moon followed Sun wherever she went.  She was chubby with a dark tan skin. She had dark brown eyes that were as round as she was. She wasn’t at all white like the moon.  She had light brown hair that stopped at her shoulders.  Moon was dumb.  That was why Lin had to do two of every assignment and two copies of all her homework.  Without Lin’s help Moon would have flunked every grade.

Lin was the angel of the family.  She had long black hair that was shiny even when she didn’t brush it, and hazel almond shaped eyes.  She had softer skin than a rabbit, and it was a beautiful color tan (from being out in the sun too much).  She was very tall, almost six feet.  She was very flexible and athletic from running to room-to-room cleaning each one.  Even with all the ugly clothes Min bought her you could tell she was beautiful. 

Min had enrolled all three of her daughters in the most expensive private school she could find.  The only reason she enlisted Lin too was because Min didn’t want her friends to think she couldn’t afford to enroll all of her children.  Seishun was a private high school for gifted children.  Everyone was expected to play an instrument, a sport, and maintain at least a B+ average in all of his or her classes.