Jessie hummed to herself as she strolled down the side walk. Her head was filled with music from her mp3 player and she barely registered the people around her. She wore a size too big black t-shirt under a black zippered hoodie, guy's carpenter jeans held on her lean hips by a braided leather belt, and scuffed boots. Her cell phone hung on a loop on her left pant leg and her pants were dug into the pockets of her jeans.
Her dark blond hair was cropped short and hung around her head in spiky clumps. Her eyes were a dark blue, depending in the light they could be darker or lighter.
As she passed a semi-dark alley, a movement caught her eye. She turned to look as ACDC's Dirty Deeds filled her head. Three of the local punks were messing with a smaller person that was hidden from her view by their bulky bodies.
She pulled her headphones off her ears and slung them around her neck as she walked down the alley. She heard a whimper from their victim and quickly guessed that it was a girl.
"Hey boys!" she called after she'd covered half the distance to the small group. "You really ought to pick on someone who can fight back."
The biggest of the three turned to look at her with a bored look on his face. "Run along little girl before we add you to the menu."
Jessie gave the guy an annoyed glare. Her response was cut off by another voice.
"If you won't listen to a girl" the distinctly male voice said "then listen to me. Leave them both alone." A boy no older than Jessie appeared on the fire escape on the building behind the three guys. His black hair was cropped short but for the rat tail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were hidden behind stylish black sunglasses and he was decked out in black like the guys below.
"Boss" all three guys said, obviously frightened even though they were all twice as big as the boy on the fire escape.
"Get back to base" the boy growled.
The guys dashed off as fast as their feet would carry them. Jessie went over to check on the girl while the guy came down the fire escape.
"Thanks for saving me" the girl said as Jessie helped her to her feet.
Her dark brown hair was split into two pony tails that hung over her shoulders. She wore clothes that were the height of fashion. Other than a few scrapes, she appeared just fine.
"I don't like it when guys pick on people smaller than themselves" Jessie said turning to glare at the boy as he walked over.
"Are you all right?" he asked the girl.
"Yeah" the girl said.
"Why did those goons call you Boss?" Jessie practically growled at the boy.
"Because I'm their leader" the boy said as if she were more than a little dense.
"Well, keep your flunkies in line" Jessie said as she put her headphones back over her ears and walked back out of the alley muttering about incompetent gang leaders.
Clyde sat in bedroom playing with his many pets. His light brown hair was a shaggy mane around his childish face. Because he often played with his pets, he'd long since gotten rid of the carpet as any mess was easier to clean off a hardwood floor than carpeting.
To date, Clyde owned two hamsters, a guinea pig, a cat, four gerbils, a ferret and a macaw parrot.
"Charlie wants a cracker" his macaw said from his perch on Clyde's shoulder. Tuber, his ferret, was having fun playing with Puss while the other rodents chased each other around in their rodent balls.
His pets were his friends because no one really wanted to hang out with him at school. A knock at Clyde's door caused all the animals, except Charlie, to stop and look at the door.
"Come in" Clyde said picking Puss up and cradling the tabby to his broad chest.
The door opened to show both of his parents.
"Can we talk a moment?" his dad asked.
"I'm all ears" Clyde said setting his cat down. All of his pets sat up as if to take part in the conversation.
"We were wondering what you thoughts were on going to camp for the summer?" his mom said uncertainly.
"Who'd take care of my gang?" Clyde asked. Because they were his only friends he referred to them as his gang, like any other high school boy referred to his friends as his gang.
"If you agreed to go, your mother would take care of them for you" his dad said. "It would give you a chance to make some friends."
"When would I leave?" Clyde asked.
"The week after school gets done" his dad said.
"All right" Clyde said.
Zak sat on the roof of the school his back against the fence while he threw a tennis ball at the wall. His white blond hair was military cut. His grey eyes watched the ball blankly as it flew out of his hand, hit the wall and bounced once before returning to his waiting hand. He wore an under shirt and white pants. Next to him sat his back pack under a thick white coat.
A faint jingle came from his back pack and he caught the ball once more with one hand while reaching into his back pack for his cell phone with his free hand.
"Moshi moshi" he said into the phone. Due to his father being a general, he'd lived in many places and picked up many of the customs of the people he was around. While some came and went, certain things had become ingrained into his character such as the Japanese form of answering the phone.
"Same to you son" his dad barked. His father wasn't angry; Zak knew what his dad sounded like angry.
"What do you need, Sir?" Zak asked.
"The higher ups informed me I'd be stationed here through the summer" his dad said. "I thought you might like to go to camp for the summer."
"What kind of camp, sir?" Zak asked.
"Just a regular civilian camp" his dad said. "I'm sure many of your class mates will be there too."
"Sounds like a good experience, sir" Zack said.
"Then I'll get the paperwork in order" his dad said. "See you at home."
"Yes, sir" Zak said.
His father hung up and Zak slid his phone back into his backpack. He stood up, slung his backpack over one shoulder and folded the coat over his arm.
"Good job in practice today" said a teacher Zak passed on his way out of the school.
"Thank you Mr. Sheehan" Zak said with a nod to the grey haired man.
Zak headed for home, stopping at the store for stuff for dinner along the way.
"Mom! Rei took my clothes again!" Cory shouted as she stormed through her house looking for her mom.
"Did not!" her sister responded in kind. "I didn't touch your smelly old clothes!"
"Stop shouting both of you" their mother said calmly as both girls appeared in the kitchen.
"She took my clothes again" Cory said. Though the comment was directed at her mom she was glaring at her sister.
"No I didn't" Rei whined. "You just misplaced you clothes somewhere in that pig sty and want to blame me for everything."
"Cory stop blaming your sister for things and Rei stop whining" their mom said wiping her hands on a towel. "Rei stay out of your sister's room." A look from their mom kept the young teen from speaking. "Cory clean your room and see if you can find whatever clothes seem to be missing. If they aren't in your room then we'll all look for whatever it is."
"Fine" both girls huffed.
"Now get cleaned up for dinner."
Both girls did as they were told.
"I signed you both up for summer camp" their mom said part way through dinner.
"What?!" Cory screeched. "I already made plans for the summer."
"It's all taken care of" her mom said. "You're both going. I need some peace from you two. Your behavior during the school year is enough to drive me up the walls. I won't be able to deal with it for three months.