Not very surprising that it went to her, is it? Of course she's right after Corn

So, enjoy the first part of Gum's story

My name is Gum, and I'm currently trying to comfort someone who's mourning over the loss of someone we all held close. This is my story

I had lived in an orphanage all my life. I was an unwanted child, from what the orphanage people told me, born to a prostitute mother and an unknown father. I had heard that she had considered abortion so many times just because I was keeping her from doing her job and making her loose money.

But, sometimes I wished she had gotten that abortion, because I hated the world. The other kids at the orphanage always hated me, and picked fights with me all the time. I gladly gave them what they deserved (usually a punch to the face or a kick to the groin), and didn't care about the stupid consequences that I got every time, because I knew they totally deserved it

But because of my little sense of justice, I had been expelled from too many schools to count. The people in charge of the orphanage were starting to get really mad at me, and finally sent me to the last school I hadn't been expelled from in Tokyo-to. And that's where my life changed

When I walked in the first day, I saw a boy punch another boy in the stomach in front of everyone, and everyone just laughed like it was funny. I was fuming, but I didn't show it. I just calmly walked in between the two boys and said "Pick on someone you can actually fight" crossing my arms and trying to look tough

"Sorry, I don't fight girls" The boy retorted, and I gave him what he deserved, a clean kisser right in the cheek, and when he was down, spat the gum that I was chewing on him. I turned back to the boy everyone seemed to ridicule, and I could see why. His lips were bigger than most people. I sighed, people were so stupid to make fun of someone or beat someone up just because they were different.

"Thanks" I heard him mumble, and I smiled

"No problem" I turned around and walked off. He could probably handle the rest himself, he seemed pretty tough to take a hard punch to the stomach without falling over and curling up into a fetile position. But, I saw him again at lunch, by himself. Did this school really hate him? I sighed and ran over to the empty table he was sitting at and sat next to him

"You eat alone too? Don't you have any friends?" I asked, and he shook his head

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow, even though I already knew the answer to that question

"I have big lips"

"That's stupid" I rolled my eyes and let out a quick 'huff' of warm air "By the way, what's your name"

"I don't like saying it. . ."

"Come on, tell me"

"It's stupid"

"I promise I won't laugh" I pleaded

He sighed "Cornelius" Wow. . .I blinked. No wonder why he hated his name. That was the stupidest name known in man-kind. Well, except for mine, but I'm not telling you mine. Of course, I couldn't say that was a weird name, because I promise him, so I just smiled "Can I call you Corn?"

"Sure. . ."

"Call me Gum" I grinned. Gum was the nickname I had been given at the orphanage, mostly because I always chewed so much gum (and got in trouble a lot for it by the teachers, but I really didn't care). After that, I told him about how I wanted to become a Rudie and stuff, and he seemed to be very interested. So, I just had to ask him

"Do you know how to roller-skate?"

"Yeah, why?" He had cocked his head

"Why don't you become a Rudie too?"

"What?"

"A Rudie. I mean, no one cares what you look like when you're a Rudie. I mean, look at Poison Jam and the Doom Riders"

"Poison Jam? Doom Riders?"

"Right. . ." I sighed, and explained to him about those two gangs, and how hideous they both are, though the Doom Riders were actually pretty weak. Then, I told him to meet me a Shibuya Terminal that Saturday, exactly 4 days from that day. It should have been enough time for us to get everything we needed.

When I got back from school that day, I almost instantly dived into my room and went into my little hiding place so no one would find me. It was a secret room that was connected to my room, and no one else knew about it. It was pretty small, but it was big enough for me to be able to stand up. I had kept everything that I was going to use when I became a Rudie. I stripped off my clothes and put on a short mini-dress and a cloth helmet with headphones built inside, and a wristband that had a portable radio attached. I had known about Jet Set Radio for a long time, learning about it from a girl in the orphanage, and the only girl the new that she was going to go Rudie

"Gum, are you in there?" someone knocked on the secret door

"Yeah, why Mew?" Mew was the only person I ever talked to in the orphanage, mostly because she was really nice and stuff, and didn't care that I had a short temper

"Headmaster is in a pissy mood again, can I come in with you?" Headmaster was our nickname for the person in charge of the orphanage

"Sure, just make sure to put it back on properly"

"Thanks" Mew came in and closed the door and gasped a little when she saw me "Wow. . .that looks good on you. Did you make it yourself?"

"Yeah, though I had to pay for someone else to make these" I pointed to the cloth helmet and the radio wristband

"But still, it must have cost you tons" Mew examined it closely

"Like you wouldn't believe" I sighed

"So, finally decided when you're going out?" She stood back up straight and pushed her light blue bangs out of her face

"Saturday"

"Are you sure you're going to be fine alone?"

"I'm not going to be alone. A guy name Corn is going to go with me"

"Corn? When did you meet him?" Mew cocked her head

"Today"

"Today? Are you sure you can trust him"

"He's cool, I saved him from getting a good beating from another kid at that new school I'm going to"

"Mmmm. . .but still"

"I promise you, I'll be fine" I grinned

"Fine, promise me one thing" Mew clasped her hands behind her back

"What?"

"You'll still be alive by the time I become a Rudie too"

"You bet" I gave her a thumbs up. Yep, things were definitely looking up from that point. Boy was I fucking wrong