"I don't think you're, what do you call it... square? I think you're wonderful! And you can stay here if you want. I understand if you don't wanna go anywhere boring like home. Er... Caramel Cove." Corrine couldn't help but but a bit disappointed. She wanted to show off her old home so badly, like Rolo had done to her but that was a dream for another day.

Something burned in her chest. Chet was saying something about weird things happening between the Salt Bay Turbos. Yet he never explained the situation. What was so troubling that everyone in Sea Salt Bay was on edge?

"Rolo? Please tell me what's going on. Everyone seems so upset lately and I wanna know what happened. Why is everyone being so mean to eachother? And who were the bikers who came to the party? Who are they? What's the deal with that other rich kid? What was his name? Carson?"

Corrine, overloaded with hr own questions, sits on the ground and grumbles. So much was going on. Anyone would be overloaded. Especially if you're thrown into the situation. Though she couldn't imagine how Rolo felt. He must have been exhausted with everything going on.

Role paused for a moment before responding to Corinnes questions. Such questions were difficult to answer, especially in Rolos case. And even if he could answer said questions, he wasn't sure if he would want to. His reticence wouldn't be out of mistrust, but rather, out of a desire to spare the worry that the answers would bring. As a high ranking member of the Salt Bay Turbos, it was Rolos duty to shoulder as much of the burden of the crews dynamics as possible. Though admittedly, dealing with the politics of internal squabbles was not exactly Rolos forte. But seeing as how, at the time, Corinne was the one person in the whole world he trusted the most, he decided to give it a shot.

"Corinne, somthins up. I don't know what and I damn well don't know why, but I know. I can feel it ya dig. The vibe just ain't right no more. It's real hard to explain little lady, but I guess it's somethin you can only see if you've been in the Salt Bay Turbos as long as I have." Rolo attempted to explain.

"I love the fellas to death Corinne, I really do. That's why it's so..... not cool with me. It just ain't the same no more, I dunno." Rolo attempted to explain further.

"But what I do know for sure baby girl is that I bet that rich twerp has somethin to do with it. I don't know what he's plannin but I know it can't be somethin good. That's the thing about that little twerp, he's always plannin somethin. That sneaky little snitch. But do you know the worst thing about this whole thing? I think the boss has gotten in too deep. He insists that we're gonna play the rich twerp but I don't know if that's the case no more. If anythin, I think he's playin us." Rolo explained in as much detail as he could muster.

"And that's why we can't go anywhere just yet. I'm afraid that somethin could happen at any time and that I need to be around to help if it does. But, it just gets so hard ya know. Sometimes I feel like it would be easier to just take off into the sunset and start somethin new. Get a new group of fellas to kick it with. Do somethin with motors and stuff." confessed Rolo.

"Hey Corinne!? Wouldn't it be nuts if I started my own crew?" Rolo asked excitedly.

"Your own crew? L-Like another Salt Bay Turbos but not? What would Switch and Divo think? And that other guy, Chet? They might get really mad at you. But if you really want to, I say go for it! It's your chance to make something big!" Corrine smiles.

"I say do whatever feels good in your heart. If it feels right, then you're probably doing the right thing. Hehe... maybe I could join too. Corrine giggles, jokingly, but not really. She had always dreamed of being apart of small group or gang her whole life. Of course, no one wanted to let her in in fear of her getting hurt or her not being intimidating enough.

"If you made a gang, what would it be called?"

"To be honest little lady. I ain't thought that far ahead yet. But if I were to name my crew anything, I would call us the Metal Monster Mayhem Badass Awesome Club, or somethin. The names gotta be tough baby girl. People have gotta recognize that we mean business." answered Rolo.

"And I don't know what the fellas would think. Maybe some would come with, others won't. Whatever a man chooses is his choice. That's what my pops used to always tell me. And thanks for cheerin me on Corinne, I really appreciate ya." stated Rolo.

He then gripped Corinne by the hips with his hands then pulled her gently towards him. Rolo then gave Corinne a quick and sweet peck on the lips. Even Rolo himself couldn't believe how comfortable he felt around her. Truth be told, stealing secret little kisses here and there was proving to be just as fun as full blown makeout sessions. Perhaps it was the taboo aspect of it coupled with the conspiratorial and mischievous spirit of it all that excited him the most. Unsurprisingly, Rolo was one for breaking the rules. A genuine smile spread across his face after the little kiss.

"With you by my side baby girl, anything is possible." declared Rolo.

---

"Man what's up his butt!? He was totally cool this morning when we were hangin out." stated Switch.

The crew of the Salt Bay Turbos mostly disbanded for the day after Rolo had his little row with Chet. The only ones that remained beneath the boardwalk to hang out were Chet, Switch, and Divo. They mostly just stood in silence, listening to the crashing of the waves whilst smoking their cigarettes. It was Switch though that finally broke the silence.

"I dunno man. I guess the big fella is moody is all. Probably still tired from last night. It got pretty wild, that's for sure." answered Divo.

"Yeah, but it wasn't until the new girl showed up that he spazzed out like that. But to be fair, telling her to go away like that was pretty lame. Especially since we all think she's a cool cat." replied Switch.

"For once Switch I agree with ya. What do you think boss, I mean Chet? Should we let her hang with us outside of school during our club only meetings? She's totally cool and everything, and Rolo seems to be even crazier about her than the last one." explained Divo.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Maybe you were right before Divo, about being worried and stuff. But above all else, we gotta respect each others decisions, no matter what, cuz that's what brothers do." stated Chet.

"Damn straight. said Switch.

"Amen." said Divo.

Chet sighed before continuing. "I don't know what Rolos damage is to be honest. But I think we should just give him space, for now. Oh and rules are rules, we make no exceptions." Rolo conceded.

It wasn't unusual for Rolo to become enraged seemingly out of nowhere but for Chet himself to square up against him like that? Murmurs circulated amongst the crew about a possible schism in the group. But Divo and Chet knew more than anybody that such a thing was unlikely. In a one on one fight, Rolo could defeat Chet simply by the virtue of his massive size. The role of leader though fell on Chet, for he was, pound for pound, the fiercest and most skilled fighter the Salt Bay Turbos had. He was also a heck of a lot more level headed than Rolo, which gave him a much more legitimate claim to the leadership. For a long time Rolo was completely supportive of the arrangement, for even he was willing to admit that he lacked both the patience and the work ethic to lead. These were strange times though, and nothing was certain anymore. As far as anyone was concerned, anything could happen, no matter how unlikely.

Corrine blushed and covered her beet red face. "R-Rolo! You can't do that, what if someone sees?!" Corrine cried out. Luckily, no one was around them, but she swore to keep their love a secret. At least from her brothers. Though she would be lying if she said she didn't like a little public display of affection every once in awhile.

"B-but uh... let's work on that name, ok?" she stuttered, still blushing.

Charles wandered around the area of Lovers Haven with his faithful bloodhound Lucius in tow. The lean and stout hound sniffed the ground diligently for any interesting and unusual scents. A gift from his father for his twelfth birthday, Lucius was one of the few possessions that Charles treasured. A strong and intelligent animal with a regal bearing, it possessed the qualities that Charles admired the most. Like most loving pet owners, Charles felt more of attachment to his loyal bloodhound than any person he knew. For those who knew Charles the most, it was obvious that the reason behind the attachment to his bloodhound was more than just its "regal bearing".

The clearing itself was a lot less spooky during the day, but no less beautiful. The rocky monolith of Ghost Rock itself did not glow in the light of the sun, though it was majestic all the same. Admittedly though it was getting quite hot in the early afternoon sun. Charles wished not to spend any more time there than was absolutely necessary. He wasn't exactly the camping type. It was either first class or nothing.

All of a sudden, Lucius began to bark excitedly. He then pulled on the black leather leash that was bound to his red collar. Lucius pulled Charles along on the trail of the scent.

"What is it boy!? Charles asked his pet.

Lucius led Charles away from the monolith of Ghost Rock and into one of the surrounding thicket of trees to the north of the area. The trees were extra thick around this area, making it a tad bit inconvenient to traverse. It was a few meters in that a very small clearing was found in which stood quite a stunted tree. The diligent hound walk towards that tree amidst the thicket then pawed at the base of it. The pawing then became a dig. A few moments later Lucius unearthed something rather interesting. Such a find brought a mischievous smile to Charles' face.

"Good boy! Who's a good boy!" praised Charles whilst he patted Lucius lovingly.

Charles then lifted the camera that hung from a strap around his neck. He took as many pictures as he felt he needed to. Those Salt Bay bozos were way too easy to manipulate, it seemed. The ease of which almost negated the fun of it all, well, almost.

Antonio took a deep breath of fresh air and breathed out. The only time he felt less stressed was when he was alone. Or at least alone in the junk yard. Antonio sat on a pile of old mattresses, contemplating about his life and were to go from here.

He had never really thought about his future. When he was in The Dragons, he thought he would die before finishing highschool. The awful fights the dragons had gotten into killed most of his friends and people he cared about. Once he moved away, he somewhat lost his purpose in life. He missed belonging to a gang. A tough one at that. He needed to find someone to hang with.

He sat up and stretched, scratching his back and trying to get his mind into something happier.

"Think, Antonio, think..." before he could come up with anything, he heard a couple voices coming towards him. What were they doing on his turf?!

"Yeah, I know, it's crazy right? Something is up and I wanna find out." One called out.

"Is that why everyone is acting weird? I just thought it was a full moon until their behavior continued."

"HEY!" Antonio yelled. "What are you doing here?! This is my turf! Buzz off!" Anotio picked up a metal pole and pointed it at the two bystanders. The boys put their hands up in fear.

"Hey, hey, hey! Chill out dude we mean you no harm! But, could I ask what you're doing here alone?" The one with the green eyes asked.

Antonio puts down his pole and tosses it aside. "Well, uh, I've been thinking about joining a gang or making my own. Just like old times before I moved. What's it to ya?"

"Joining a gang, huh? That's new..." The boy with brown hair rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, dude. Maybe he can join us? He seems super tough." The two boys take a few steps back, whispering to eachother. They come back smiling.

"Ok, you can join us. Welcome to the Slicks, Antonio. Tomorrow night, meet us here at the junkyard, ok?" The boys wave and take their leave, disappearing behind the garbage.

Antonio didn't quite know how to feel. On one hand, he finally gets to join a gang! His life is back on track! But he couldn't tell if this was a trap or if the strange boys were serious. The only way he would find out was to come back tomorrow night.

"Drop down and give me twenty! You worthless maggot!" yelled Chets father.

"Sir yes sir!" Chet yelled in response.

It was yet another daily drill. Everyday, at the crack of dawn, Chet was ordered to wake up and run twenty miles before breakfast. His father always followed him like a crazed stalker during these runs. This was to ensure that Chet neither snuck off nor slacked off, not even for a second. And if that wasn't bad enough, there was the dreaded battery of drills at the end of his run. It starts off with fifty push-ups followed by a hundred crunches and two hundred burpies then finally, fifty chin-ups. Such a grueling daily morning regimen was hell on Chet but there was no other choice but to obey. For you see, Chets father was a gruff and stern military man of a respectable rank. A true American hardass, he took no sass from anybody and demanded the very best at all times. Of course there were instances when Chet tried to rebel, many in fact. The thing was though, that Chets father, despite his age, was still a very fit and strong man himself. His years in the military have drilled into him the finer points of hand-to-hand combat. And so if Chet ever acted up, his father would put him into a headlock then force him to do twenty push-ups. Which is exactly what happened.

"What is your major malfunction soldier!" yelled Chets father.

"Being a stupid kid! Growing up and uhh stuff sir!" Chet yelled back back.

"You think I was born yesterday you worthless maggot!? Drop down and give me another twenty!"

"Sir yes sir!"

And so right as Chet finished his twenty push-up penalty, he was forced to do yet another twenty. Chet was beyond agonized by such a request yet he dare not let it show on his face, lest he incurred even more wrath than he already has. His arms, shoulders, and chest burned and strained to their limits just when he reached his fifth rep. Half-way trough his sixth rep, Chet collapsed onto his families front lawn. He panted heavily as large globs of sweat ran down into his eyes from his hair. This was too much, Chet thought to himself. This crazy old man is trying to kill me.

"Get back up you candy ass piece of trash! And give me my twenty!" yelled Chets father.

"Yes sir." answered Chat in a defeated tone.

"What was that you piece of crap!?" demanded Chets father.

"I said sir yes sir!" yelled Chet, much more loudly this time around.

"That's better! I'm going to make you into a fine soldier yet! No more prancing around with those homosexual little boyfriends of yours! Come hell or high water, I'm going to turn you into a real man!" declared Chets father.

"Yes colonel, thank you colonel!" yelled Chet at the end of his tenth rep.

Yeah right, Chet thought bitterly to himself. If he kept this insanity up any longer, he wouldn't live long enough to be a man, let alone a so-called "real man". It was the colonels plan for Chet to join the military as soon as he finished high school. Such a plan though, didn't suit Chat at all. He was a rebel and a leader at heart. What he needed was to be free to choose his own destiny, or so believed. But until he graduated high school, he decided that he just had to endure the old mans insanity. By then he would hopefully have enough money to move out of town and open a garage in LA. If all went to plan that was.

And so Chet struggled to finish his new set of twenty push-ups, though he got there in the end. Chet was then promptly dismissed so he could get himself some breakfast and get ready for school. He knew not how nor why but for some reason, Chet felt more determined than he ever felt before.

Ralphie and Spoon were hanging around the docs around five in the morning. Both of them were holding hands and staring at the sun rise. Ralphie was resting their head against spoons shoulder, sighing happily. Ralphie was certainly at their happiest when they were with Spoon. Spoon removed her face mask and kissed the top of Ralphie's head.

"Spoon, do you think we'll be together forever?" Ralphie asked.

Spoon nodded and grunted.

"Spoon, do you think we'll get married?" Ralphie asked.

Spoon hesitated, but nodded and grunted again.

"Spoon.... do you think Corrine will ever forgive us?" Ralphie trembled.

Spoon squeaked and shook her head. She knew the consequences of being friends with someone who was close to the Salt Bay Turbos. Slicks and Turbos never got along. The slicks were like the outcasted outcasts. The ones who never got a happy ending. The ones who climbed up the mountain to be second best. The ones who were regarded as a joke to the rest of the town. But they were family, non the less.

If someone found out that they were friends with someone on the opposite team, they would get kicked out and beaten. They would have to keep their relationship a secret with Corrine.

"Spoon, let's take our mind off of the negative. You seem to be zoning out." Ralphie snapped in Spoon's face. She flinched and growled. Ralphie quickly kissed her cheek and she immediately started to blush. Ralphie began to laugh and hug her.

"Do you think we could be friends with the Turbos?" Ralphie asked. They hated the fact that these two different gangs had to fight so often. If they could come together, they could become a powerful team and take over the town. Maybe they could take down Charles. Ralphie always knew something was up with that rich kid.

Spoon nodded and snuggled close to Ralphie. Ralphie decide to enjoy their date with their girlfriend.

"....and that is why Swedish meatballs will be taken off of the schools menu. We apologize for any inconvenience." droned the lunch lady.

Her voice was a perfect representation of how the entire student body of Sea Salt Bay high felt at the time, which was both agony and disinterest. The Monday morning assembly was an endless cavalcade of mindless droning of unimportant issues that concerned no-one at all. This was especially true in a school such as this one, where gossip was everyones favourite hobby. A hobby which was practiced religiously. The assembly commenced as soon as the first bell rang so not everyone had the chance to gather into their cliques for gossip just yet. This contributed greatly to the extra tension in the air. Such tension was noticed by the various teachers that lined the outside of the assembly hall. More than one reprimand was shouted as the occasional student threw a piece of paper here and there. Not to mention the rising and falling of murmurs that drowned out the speaker at times. But besides that, it was a typical morning assembly. Well, almost typical anyway. What seemed like an eternity later, the lunch lady ceased her droning and waddled off of the stage.

"Thank you miss Levenstein. I know this measure is drastic but I'm sure such drastic action will cut down on food related fights in the foreseeable future." said Principal Stern as he reached the podium.

"I've got some Swedish meat balls for her." whispered Switch to Divo as he grabbed his crotch.

"So you like em old and saggy huh. What happened? Couldn't get it up for Cynthia? She wasn't old and saggy enough for ya?" Divo whispered tauntingly.

"She was practically trying to rip it away with her mouth it was that hard! And what did church girl do!? Pray to Jesus that you had some more hidden away somewhere!? Because that's one prayer that ain't gonna be answered." Switch chided in return.

"Hey! Fuck you dude! At least I don't have the entire HIV alphab..." said Divo before he was interrupted.

"Quiet over there! Or it's detention for a week!" shouted one of the teachers.

"Shit!" Divo whispered to himself.

Principal Stern cleared his throat loudly before he continued to speak. "As I was saying, please don't forget to give your parents this weeks school newsletter. It is a very important issue that I'm sure they would be greatly interested in reading."

A loud murmur arose briefly before the principal spoke again.

"And now, please put your hands together for sheriff Waxley. He's come to visit our fine school this morning to deliver a rather important message. Pay attention now, you may just learn a thing or two about community spirit and local pride." announced Principle Stern.

The small town sheriff then walked up on stage and approached the podium. He then shook the principals hand with vigour. Dressed in his standard issue uniform, Sheriff Waxley exuded an aura of true authority over the students gathered there that morning. None of them dared interrupt this speaker.

"Good mornin students of Salt Bay High! Wonderful morning we havin this fine day. I'm sorry to say though, that the news I bring ain't so wonderful. For you see, some rather troubled youngsters have done something very bad on Main Street on Saturday. But let me tell you children that that ain't the worst of it." said sheriff Waxley ominously.

Both Rolo and Switch blanched noticeably.

Corrine nearly fell asleep in her seat. Everyone's voice so so monotone and bland. She couldn't figure out how people could be so unhappy. She figured it would be a rather boring day.

Corrine's head perked up when she heard the sheriff's voice. She had never met him before or even seen him around. She didn't see many police officers either. Corrine had heard about the incident with tires but didn't think it would get too bad. She didn't quite understand what was going on but she decided to listen in for once.

"Unfortunately, in light of these menacing antics, the city council has begun to consider placing a curfew on the youth of the town. That means that anyone under the age of eighteen who's caught on the streets after dark will be taken into the station. Once there they will then be charged with disorderly conduct." continued the sheriff.

Almost in unison the entire student body of Salt Bay High collectively raged in protest. Shouts of accusations of fascism and various swear words were issued from random students throughout the hall. Try as they might, the teachers couldn't console them. One student even called the sheriff a pig and a mutha fucka. That student was promptly removed from the hall by a very angry teacher though. The general murmur of the crowd was even louder than it was before. So loud that not even Principal Stern could be heard. Those in the front row could see a vein popping out of the side of his head. The sheriff himself though, calmly assessed the situation. He realised that the crowd has just received some rather shocking news. Perhaps, he surmised, it would've been more prudent to wait for the commotion to die down a little. But seeing as how he was dealing with high school students, that didn't seem likely. The sheriff knew all too well that if you gave a teenager an inch, they would take a mile. And so he decided to contain the situation the only way he knew how.

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU MAGGOTS! shouted Sheriff Waxley. The ferocity he gained from his days as a commanding officer on the front line served him well when it came to crowd control. The assembly quickly fell silent.

"That's better. Now don't y'all fret now ya hear? Because the city council doesn't have the power to pass such a motion on a mere whim. They have to put it through a ballot first. So ya'll better be on your best behaviour now. That is, if you want to keep your night time privileges. The motion goes to ballot at the end of the month. I hope I've given y'all a lot to think about." explained the sheriff.

Almost at once the murmur erupted once more. This time around, it was a lot less tense. Many of the students felt that the city council didn't have the balls to go through with such a measure. Others though, were slightly more pessimistic about the whole situation. Both Rolo and Switch felt way too tense to say anything. Chets head spun from the anxiety he was experiencing at the time. All Divo himself could do was feel forlorn.

"Shit" he said quietly to himself once more.

Corrine sat near the tulips during her break, sandwich in hand, still pouting about the possible curfew. She thought she had escaped the curfew her father placed on her back in Caramel Cove. Now she has to go through it again? That just wasn't fair!

A few minutes later, Spoon and Ralphie came walking by, noticing Corrine's angry, albeit cute angry face. Ralphie couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Corrine! What's with the frown?" Ralphie asked.

"Oh, hi Ralphie! Just mad about the curfew that might be implemented. I hate it..." Corrine pouted. She crossed her arms and gave a big huff.

Ralphie couldn't help but laugh. "You're so cute! Even when you're mad you make everyone smile!" They grab Corrines cheeks and squish them, cooing at her doll like face.

"Hey! Cut that out! Let me go!" She whined. She was used to it but it still annoyed her.

"Aw, ok. I'll stop. But yeah, I'm a little upset at the curfew." Ralphie continued.

Spoon grunted. "Oh, Spoon is mad too. We won't be able to hang out on the beach anymore." Ralphie translated. "Let's just be on our best behavior until it passes." Ralphie and Spoon sit next to Corrine, chatting about the new curfew until the bell rang.

"What the shit dude!?" exclaimed Switch.

"Yeah! I mean everythings fucked now!" declared Divo.

"Everything is not fucked now Divo. Just chill the fuck out alright. We've been through worse." placated Chet.

"Like what!?" asked Switch.

"Look the point is that we'll figure something out, we always do. The Salt Bay Turbos can rise above anything! And besides, it goes to ballot. It may not even pass." explained Chet.

"And what if it does!? The only reason why we are even working with that rich wiener is because of those mad shindigs! If this curfew happens then they ain't happenin no more ya dig!?" Divo voiced with frustration.

"Look guys, this ain't a bad thing. My plan is so close to bein...." Chet began before he was cut off.

"Oh here we go with this fuckin plan again! I'm beginin to think that Rolo was right, that you really don't know what you're doin. That your rich little wieners stooge. Maybe you don't got what it ta.... accused Switch before he too was cut off.

During Switchs tirade Chet finally lost his cool. Out of pure rage he decked Switch as hard as he could in the cheek with his right fist. Switch was then launched off of his feet and fell on his back. Luckily, he landed on a freshly tilled garden next to the parking lot. This softened that fall but the punch still hurt like hell. A few of the Salt Bay Turbos ran to Switch to help him onto his feet. Divo just stood there, looking completely and utterly shocked. He couldn't believe what he just saw. Sure, the boys roughhoused a bit every now and then, but this? Divo has been in more than a enough fights to know it when he saw one. This was more than just a fight, Divo surmised, this was a feud.

"If you don't think I should be leader anymore than take it from me! I fuckin dare you!" threatened Chet menacingly.

Switch merely looked at Chet with a mixture of shock and genuine hurt in his eyes. He had the look of someone who had just been betrayed by one of the few people in the world he trusted. He cupped his bruised and bleeding left cheek with his left hand. The shock of what just happened drowned out the pain, for the most part.

"B-b-boss? What the?" was all that Switch managed to say.

"Oh suck it up Peggy Sue! If you want to know what my plan was, then listen up!" announced Chet.

He stepped to the side of the scene and held his arms open, addressing the entire crew.We're going to destroy Charles Lancaster the douche once and for all! Cuz I've left a little surprise at his clubhouse on Saturday night! I scattered it all over the place where it can't be found! Once the police get in there with a sniffer dog then boom! Bye bye insufferable little shit weasel. But if he wants to not be someones little prison bitch, then he gots to do whatever the hell we want! Not only that, hes gots to give us whatever we ask. And you all know that that wiener has a lot!"

A murmur of confusion spread amongst the assembled crew of the Salt Bay Turbos.

"So what you're saying is that your plan was to extort Charles with blackmail, based on some lie that you made up!? A lie that is really really fucking serious!? Like big trouble type shit!? asked Divo incredulously.

"Think about it boys! That arrogant little asshole and pieces of shit like him are the reason why this school is so shit in the first place! Why everyone is so scared shitless of doing anything to stand out. Of doing anything to assert their individuality. Pieces of shit like Charles are the reason why Salt Bay High is a fucking prison! Seriously, fuck that guy!" raged Chet.

"I don't know man, I mean shit!" said Switch.

"Yeah dude, I didn't sign up for this shit. I just wanted to hang out and ride motorcycles and stuff." confessed Divo.

"I case you haven't been paying attention you little nub, we are the baddest gang in town! Guys like us always get what we want! And we are so close to gettin everything we ever wanted! If you're too chicken shit to support your brothers on the cusp of glory then you can just g...." lectured Chet.

"Alright! I get it! I'll shut up now." placated Divo.

"Well, as long as we get everything we want then I don't see a problem with it." admitted Switch.

A positive murmur arose amongst the rest of the crew at Switchs line of reasoning. It seemed that Chet was finally winning everyone back onto his side. His rage and anxiety began to subside.

"We'll go confront him after school and blackmail him then. That little wiener will be begging us for mercy. It's so close now boys! The muthafuckin bonanza!" announced Chet triumphantly.

"I beg to differ!" Charles announced as he approached the parking lot.

The shock of the arrival of Charles onto the scene was overshadowed by the Chets shocking revelation alongside the bitter, hateful violence amongst close friends. But still, everyone there was shocked all the same. During this whole fiasco, both Switch and Divo wished for the same thing. They wished that Rolo was there. Where was that big, lovable lug anyway, they wondered.

Ralphie and Spoon were sitting next to Corrine, waiting for the lunch line to shorten. All of them were gossiping about their past week at school and how things have been topsy-turvey since day one. Corrine took about if her tea sandwich and smiled.

"I like sitting alone with you guys! It's nice and quiet!" Corrine said.

"Heh, yeah... speaking of happy, you've been awfully happy lately. Like, more so than usual. Did something happen this weekend~?" Ralphie teased.

"N-no! Shut up, Ralphie... Corrine blushed.

Ralphie laughed. "So something did happen! So?! Did you go somewhere? Did you go on a date? Tell me!" They begged.

Spoon grunted happily while eating her bag of chips.

Corrine looked around nervously and sighed. She leaned in close and whispered, "Ok, you guys gotta keep this a secret. No one else but you can know since you're my best friends." The couple nod and listen in.

"So, I went to a party on Saturday. And... um... I kissed someone... his name is Rolo..." Spoon spat out her drink. Corrine kissed one of the toughest members of the Salt Bay Turbos?! She couldn't believe her ears. She really was with the Turbos after all. Or at least on their side.

Ralphie was in utter shock. "Oh my god! Really?!" he shouted. Corrine shushed him.

"SHHHH! No one can know! It's secret! You can't tell anyone!" Corrine pleaded.

Ralphie and Spoon excused themselves to go get their lunch. They still couldn't believe their ears. While Ralphie was sliding over to the these course for their lunch tray, they bumped into something rather... soft? With one look, Ralphie's face went pale. Spoon looked up and for once, she was terrified of someone else.

"S-S-S-Sorry!! I-I didn't mean to bump into you!" Ralphie stuttered.

Rolos train of thought was lost as he bumped into some random girl. He was so startled that he almost fell over backwards after he literally jumped in his boots. She then stammered out some kind of apology rather nervously. The girl looked like a total plain Jane to Rolo. She would be pretty enough for some guys he knew, no doubt, but redheads weren't his type. Her glasses did nothing for him either. Overall though, Rolo surmised, that if was desperate enough then maybe.

"Whatever" said Rolo rather gruffly in response.

But then he saw it. It looked kinda like a masked troll doll with short black hair. It seemed to be staring at him with a cold and empty expression. The like of which creeped Rolo out more than he liked to admit. For once, it was he that was intimidated by someone else. It looked kinda like a picture he once saw. A picture that brought back spooky memories of something mysterious yet sad. A picture of which escaped Rolos memory at the time. And so there he stood, staring at god knows what. Completely oblivious to the fact that Corinne was standing nearby.

---

"I couldn't help but overhear your little disagreement. But it was obvious that you were all talking about me. So I felt that I just had to step in. Hopefully we can clear a few things up between us." Charles explained.

"What the fuck are you doin here!?" asked Chet in agitation.

"Watch that language, that's very unbecoming of a member of the New Royals." reprimanded Charles sarcastically.

"Actually Charles good buddy. I'm glad you're here. Us fellas were meanin to have a little chat with you about somethin." said Chet with feigned levity.

"That's quite a happy coincidence. There's something rather important that I wished to share with all of you." responded Charles with genuine levity.

"Oh really!? Well that's too bad. From this moment on, we'll be the ones askin the questions. We'll be the ones makin all of the demands!" Chet announced confidently.

"And what makes you think that? What gave you such a dumb idea?" asked Charles. He was beginning to enjoy himself.

"We left a little surprise at your clubhouse. Or should I say, all over your clubhouse. For you see little Charlie, we're all really sick and tired of your shit, and we ain't gonna take it no more. So here's what's gonna happen. Either you give us ten million dollars and the deed to your little club or else we'll make a very interesting phone call to the cops. And even if you buy your way into a softer sentence, think of the blow it will be to your precious reputation." threatened Chet.

Charles gave a short but derisive laugh before responding."That's quite a story Chet. But there's one thing that you forgot to add. A very important detail that takes it to that explosive conclusion that we've all been waiting for. And that is that I knew all along. I knew about your secret little scheme Chet. A scheme so secret, that you had to keep from all these clowns. A secret that was too big for your little brain to handle, it seems."

The entire crew of the Salt Bay Turbos were so stunned by the revelations that were revealed that they simply stood in silence. Not a word was uttered by anyone. "What the fuck?" was all that Chet could muster.

It was the moment that Charles waited for. The moment that he patiently bided his time for. A moment that was so beyond satisfying to Charles, that nothing else could even possibly compare. It was the moment when the predator finally caught its prey. When the talons and the teeth sunk into flesh, killing the prey quickly yet mercilessly. Charles himself could barely stifle a bout of maniacal laughter.

"Yes, I knew what you were doing all along. And you wanna know the something really interesting? Not only did I expect you to pull such a foolish and a rather amateurish little grift, I was hoping that you would. Why else would I leave myself vulnerable to the likes of you? You fools really thought that I would trust you all so easily? Not after what happened to the Old Royals I won't. Not in a million years. explained Charles with grandiosity.

"But, how? How the fuck!?" asked Chet incredulously.

"On Sunday I scoured my clubhouse and found some of your magic powder sprinkled here and there, as expected. Some of it well hidden enough and in large enough quantities so as to make it look like I was hoarding some myself. But you see, just like you, people follow the money. And so it wasn't long until I got a confession from my bartender about your little plan. So naturally he wanted to keep his job and not go to jail. And so he sang. He sang his little heart out." Charles explained further. He relished every moment.

"That fucking snitch!" Chet exclaimed aloud.

"What the fuck are you talking about!?" asked Switch.

"Yeah, what the hell Chet?" asked Divo.

"And that's not even the best part. No, the best part was when I followed your gigantic walrus up the mountain road that Saturday night. He led me right to the point where you hid your stash. He and trash girl simply wanted some alone time but little did he knew, it would cost him more than he bargained for. Where is he anyway? It's a shame that he isn't around to hear about how badly he screwed his own friends over. Charles explained with glee.

"He went to Ghost Rock that night didn't he." said Chet with obvious anger in his voice.

"Don't fault him too much Chet. Love makes one do crazy things." Charles said wistfully.

"Anyway, back to the story. On this stash I found a vague note. The note didn't say much mind you, but it was the final piece of the puzzle. And so with your dubious history, the bartenders confession, the fat lardos stupidity, and that vague note on the stash, it's obvious to all that the onus of the magic powder no longer fell upon me, but instead, upon all of you. That means that I hold your collective balls in my hand. And if you all don't want to be tried as adults, then I suggest we cut all the bullshit of being equally in co-operation with each other and realise the truth. That I own you all now and there's nothing you can do about it. So cry all you like. I can hand your balls over to the police on a whim. So shut the fuck up and do what I say, or I will end you all." threatened Charles dramatically.

Not a word was uttered by a soul, not a single one.

"Shit." Divo whispered quietly to himself, yet again.

Corrine happily walked over to Spoon and Ralphie, wrapping her arms around the two and laughing.

"Aw, gee! You introduced yourselves without me? Thats mean~!" Corrine teased.

Ralphie gave Corrine a forced smile. They were terrified in the inside. This was who Corrine was dating. Ralphie still couldn't believe it. Their heart was racing and their hands were clammy. They could feel their face go pale. Ralphie took of their glasses and cleaned them, obviously feeling uncomfortable. But there was something about his stare that was off putting. He didnt glare at Ralphie, but seemed to be just looking at him, observing him. Ralphie brushed it off, hoping they wouldnt get beat up.

Spoon on the other hand, was ready to strangle Rolo. Her eyes were full of fire. If she stared at the wall for too long, shed burn a hole. She couldn't believe that one of the main faces of the Salt Bay Turbos was checking out her Ralphie! If it werent for Corrine and Ralphie in front of her, she would kill Rolo. But Corrine loved Rolo, so maybe she would just have to give him a piece of her mind instead.

"Hehe, if you didnt already know, these are my two best friends! This is Ralphie, and this is Spoon!" She pointed to the two of them.

Ralphie couldnt stand it any longer. "H-H-Hey Corrine, um, uh... could you get my glasses cleaner? M-My glasses fogged up..." Ralphie asked.

"Sure thing!" Corrine happily skipped away to Ralphie's backpack. Ralphie sighed in relief.

"L-listen... I don't want any trouble with you... O-O-Ok?" Spoon pushed Ralphie aside and stood on her tiptoes right in front of Rolo. She pulled down her face mask and growled.

"Leave my Ralphie alone. Got it, tiny?" Her voice was much deeper than expected. This was the first time she had spoken to anyone else besides Ralphie. She put her face mask back on and furrowed her brow. Ralphie stood there in shock. They had never seen Spoon so mad before. Before Ralphie could say anything back, Corrine skipped back to her friends. Corrine handed the green cloth to Ralphie. Ralphie smiled and began cleaning their glasses frantically.

"Hey, hey! Let's all sit together!" Corrine suggested. "Come sit with us, Rolo! It'll be fun!" Ralphie and Spoon looked at eachother, then back at Rolo, waiting for his response.

"Oh! Uh, hey there Corinne baby." responded Rolo in surprise.

He was so engrossed in the creepiness of the masked girl that he didn't notice that Corinne was standing nearby. Suffice it to say, it was a pleasant surprise. What was she doing with these freaks anyway? Rolo always believed that Corinne was way too much of a cool chick to hang with the loser crowd. But alas, twas a day of startling revelations, more so than he realised at the time. It was then that Corinne introduced the two weirdos as Ralphie and Spoon. Man, even their names are weird.

A moment later, Corinne left for some reason. Rolo knew not why for he paid little attention to what was being said at the time. He just couldn't get past the awkwardness of the situation. The plain Jane redhead looked like she was about to pee herself, but the masked girl. Her expression never changed, not even for a moment. Rolo was almost certain that she neither moved a muscle nor blinked an eye the entire time he was there. And all the while, her penetrating and intimidating stare never left him. All of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, the troll girl spoke.

The sound of the masked girls voice was so unexpectedly loud and deep that Rolo let out a slight yelp of surprise. It called him tiny!? What the heck!? But then it hit him. This must be what people call irony. She called him tiny because he was so big. Normally, he would've found such a comment funny if not for this girl and her unrelenting and threatening stare.

Almost as quickly as she left Corinne returned. She then happily invited him to sit with her and those things. Apparently, according to her, it would be fun. On one hand, Rolo wouldn't be caught dead with such losers. On the other hand though, he didn't want to disappoint Corinne. And so he reluctantly accept her invitation. Rolo hoped aginst hope that nobody important caught him in the company of the geek patrol.

Corrine nearly dragged Rolo to their table, happily singing. Ralphie walked behind Spoon, holding her hand. Corrine sat next to Rolo while Spoon and Ralphie sat on the other side of the table. Corrine leaned in close to Rolo giggling happily.

Spoon and Ralphie looked at eachother awkwardly. They barely knew what to say to make conversation. How could they? If they said anything wrong, Rolo could easily ruin their little to no reputation. And possibly call them out for being slicks, ruining their cover.

Ralphie coughed and smiled. "S-So... um... how long h-have you and Corrine... you know, been together?" They asked quietly, making sure no one would hear. Spoon glared daggers at Rolo while Corrine looked at him, beaming with excitement. Though it was unusual to see him without his friends.

She wanted to ask but she remembered what happened at the beach. Corrine shut her mouth to let him speak.

Rolo did not know how to answer the red heads question. Wasn't their relationship supposed to be a secret? But then again, it could very well be an open secret. Many people saw them leave the party together on Saturday night. And Salt Bay High is notorious for it's gossip after all. Judging by these two though, it didn't seem like they had a very wide social circle anyway. So in a way, it didn't seem like a big deal that they knew anything. And so he decided to answer her question.

"Well, me and Corinne have been together only for a couple of days. She's one cool chick." responded Rolo.

All the while, the masked girls glare never left him.