Sixteen-year-old Robert E. Lee Bender, Bobby Lee for short, wasn't happy, in fact he was downright pissed off. First off, he was no longer living in rural Georgia, redneck country, but now he's living on the Gold Coast of Australia with his mother, Kara, since his old man shot himself. Kara had abandoned him when he was five and Tucker, his dad, was never right in the head since coming back from Afghanistan. Stupid PTSD. He enlisted the day after 9/11. He still wears his dad's military dog tags. His family goes back to the American revolution. Hell yes, he comes from a family of rebels and badasses.
Ever since he got here, he discovered his mom was weird. For she was always freaking about full moons as if she was a werewolf or the fact, she couldn't stand getting wet. Now she's starting to rag on me that I should be more careful around full moons and water or any kind of liquid. Let's face it, mom is just crazy as a rat in a tin shithouse.
Just this morning, before school, Kara started in on him about tomorrow night being a full moon and it's imperative to not get wet. Same old shit, different day.
"I'm not a werewolf, Kara so just get off my back, Bobby Lee yelled. Just to let you know that I must report to school at 7-3 for eight hours of Saturday detention.
"What did you do now"? Kara asked.
"I told the vice principal to kiss my ass", answered Bobby Lee. That Vernen guy is such an asshole.
His only normalcy is hanging around with Ivy and her girlfriend Jasmine, his stoner buddies. They sure know how to get the best weed.
That afternoon, Bobby Lee is shooting pool with Ivy and Jasmine
I have a surprise for you. Tomorrow after you get done with your Saturday detention, meet us at the marina. We want to take you someplace where weed grow in the wild and it's some primo shit. I'll blow your mind.
I'm always up for another mind-blowing experience, answered Bobby Lee
The next morning, Bobby Lee shows up at the school to begin his all-day detention, today he is surprised to see that there are six other kids in the school library with him. Two blonde boys and a dark hair boy and two blonde girls and a dark-haired Asian girl.
Before Vernan arrives, he discovers their names are Zac, Cam, Erik, Odina, Weilan, and Carly.
Bobby Lee opens up Skoal tin and pops the chew between his cheek and gum "So, what are you guys in all day detention for", asks Bobby Lee.
"Ewe, Thats totally gross", said Carlie.
"What, you afraid of Dick out there?" asks Bobby Lee.
At this point, Mr. Vernen steps into the school library. "Bender, spit that out. You know the rules", asks Mr. Vernan.
Bobby Lee flips him off.
Do want another detention next Saturday, demanded Mr. Vernan
"Yea", Bobby Lee replied.
"You got it Bender. Are we finished this. Spit it out now'!
"Fine, Replied Bobby Lee. He spits the wad to the floor. "Go screw yourself, Dick", reply's Bobby Lee.
"I told you to spit it out", ordered Mr. Verman.
"So, I did. You never said where. You should've been more exact, asshole", Bobby Lee shot back.
"That's ever more gross than what you're chewing", claimed Ondina.
"you've earned yourself another Saturday", offered Mr. Vernan
"Do I look like I give a shit", Bobby Lee shot back.
Please don't. "You're going to get us all into more trouble", pleaded Carly.
"Show Dick some respect", Bobby Lee responds to Carly.
You've just earned yourself another one, Bender. That puts you at eight. That's two months of Saturday detentions. Are you done now.
"Yea, answered, Bobby Lee.
"Good. You mess with the bull, you get the horns every time", answered Mr. Vernan giving the horn hand symbol.
As Bobby Lee calms down, he finally notices the rings that Weilan and Oldina are wearing with the blue stone in the middle. The same ring that his mother owns. That ring that he had stumbled on less than a week after he arrived on the gold coast and the same ring that he had put on his finger for shits and grins. He remembers that after he had done this, the blue stone started to glow very brightly. He immediately pulled the ring off his finger and returned it to where he had found it, totally freaked.
Ever since that fateful day, Robert E. Lee Bender, Bobby Lee for short, a southern boy from rural Georgia suddenly became enamored with the ocean where he could spend hours looking out at it as if it was calling out to him. Water or swimming was never his thing back in Georgia. His" thing" was hunting, fishing, shooting pool and smoking weed with the old man. He knows something has been happening to him. He has no idea what that is but he's soon to discover.
End of chapter one