[IC] The Battle of Sea Salt Bay

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine nods enthusiastically. "Yeah! Lets hang out! I mean, who else am I going to hang out with? I'm the new kid. It's gonna go two ways." She starts. She knows how her old school was. It looks like it'll be a similar scenario.

"Either people are going to like me, or people are going to treat me like garbage. I've noticed this school is pretty cliquey, and I probably wont fit in anywhere. So, why not stay with you? Someone who knows me! I hate being alone so I'm just going to stay with you. OK? OK!" She says, not letting him have a say. She smiles a bit too proudly. Its almost like she has the whole thing planned out.

A car horn sounds in the distance. Corrine turns around and remembers her brothers are waiting to pick her up and drop her off to work at the diner before school starts back up.

"Oh dear... My brothers are waiting for me! Well, I'll see you later, Divo! Can't wait for school tomorrow!" She waves and runs back to her brothers' car, running through the Royal's hang out place and dashing away.

[TwelveOf8]

"But hey, Corinne." said Divo. He sighed to himself. Corrinne was in too much of a hurry to listen to him. Divo let out a sigh of slight frustration.

Divo felt kinda uncomfortable when Corinne voiced her assumption. She was a sweet kid and a pretty girl. He really didn't want to break the news to her. He worried that Corinne wouldn't take it very well. Rules were rules after all. Even amongst outlaws. Maybe Corinne could pull through and make it, but only time would tell.

Divo himself remembered all too clearly what it was like being the new kid, especially in a school like Salt Bay High. He remembered meeting Switch and Rolo for the first time. How they introduced him to the Salt Bay Turbos. How they made him go through the Salt Bay Turbo initiation challenges. Those weren't fun times. But it was times like these that people needed friends the most. Sadly though, it took more than just being friends for one to be allowed to hang with the Salt Bay Turbos. He didn't want to tell Corinne the bad news but he also didn't want Corinne to go through what he had to. In order to protect Corinne, he and his friends would have to hurt her, before completely accepting her as one of their own. With such a prospect at hand, Divo felt conflicted.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine sat in the back seat, singing along to the radio. Charlie was humming while Lenny stayed silent. He parked the car near the diner and turned around to face Corrine.

"Kiddo, listen..." Lenny starts. He knows Corrine is a sweet girl, so he'l have to tell her gently. "I know how you can get when your at a new school. You get very excited and you may come off as.. oh whats the word..."

"What your brother is trying to say is not to get ahead of yourself not get into trouble. Focus on your studies, ok? Lenny butts in, finishing his brother's statement. He was right. Corrine did get into a lot of trouble. Especially when it came to the wrong type of people. Before they moved, Antonio had to step in a lot and take care of her little mishaps.

Corrine stared blankly at her brothers, then smiled sweetly. "Ok, I wont. I promise to try my best." She lies. Of course she wont. She lives for trouble! She already has a plan brewing in her head.

"Do you want to go back home and get ready for school tomorrow? I wont force you to work if you have stuff to do." Lenny asks.

"Yes, please." She replies. She should probably sew herself a pair of pants before school starts back up, right? Charlie got out of the car and heads into the diner while Lenny drove Corrine back home.

As they reach the house, Corrine immediately runs up to her room and locks the door. She squeals with excitement for tomorrow. She pulls out her sewing kit and starts making her pants for school. But because her skills are lacking, it takes her all night. The poor thing was exhausted before looking up at the clock. It read eleven thirty. But at least she was ready for tomorrow!

Right?

[TwelveOf8]

"She did what!?" asked Rolo. Taken aback by the rather ludicrous story he just heard.

"Yeah big guy! She totally did!" confirmed Divo. Their reactions were exactly what he anticipated, priceless.

"I got a place for her to sleep!" intoned Switch. He issued another one of his loud, barking hyena laughs.

"Can it ya wimpy perv! I really like this one!" reprimanded Rolo. Ever since they first met outside the club house, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"What are you fools yammering about this time?" asked Chet. Despite being leader of the Salt Bay Turbos, he wasn't above fraternising with his underlings. Truth be told, he didn't consider them underlings at all. To him, they were more like close friends.

"Oh uhh it's just uhh." stammered Rolo. He wasn't terribly quick on his feet when it came to improvisation. When it came to fried cheese though, that was another story.

"We was just talkin about those "choc raisin cookies" that the big guy likes so much." answered Switch. He could barely stifle a giggle.

Chet let out a very loud and boisterous laugh. "Oh yeah, the cookies. Never seen you so excited about em before big guy." observed Chet.

"It's just that I, I really like this one boss." answered Rolo. The colour rose in his cheeks.

"For your sake Rolo. I hope she's wild enough to party with us." counselled Chet. He gave Rolo a pat on the back.

"No need to worry about that boss. She's one wild cat." intoned Divo.

"Oh really? Chet asked, clearly intrigued. "Can't wait to meet her this Saturday big guy." he continued.

"Sure thing boss. Imma introduce you two. I think you're gonna like her." answered Rolo.

"Good man. I'm gonna go check on the rest of the crew. Good talk fellas." said Chet. He patted Rolo on the back once more before leaving the trio.

"You to boss." answered Rolo.

"Yeah, it was cool." said Switch.

"Solid." said Divo.

As soon as Chet left the trio both Switch and Divo burst out in a bout of loud and raucous laughter. The rest of the crew looked over in their direction, clearly amused. Rolo blushed much more noticeably than ever before. Chet just smiled to himself.

"I, I just really like this one boss." said Switch. His imitation of Rolo was, once again, met with a few giggles.

"Choc raisin cookies." said Divo.

Switch and Divo began to laugh even harder. Some of the other Turbos joined in. Roll started to look very angry. He was even clenching his fists. For anyone that knew Rolo, that was a very bad sign.

"Before you get mad big guy. Just remember, you owe us for saving your butt in front of mean little lord fancy pants." reminded Switch.

"Yeah, and we did a bitchin job of it to." stated Divo.

"I ain't scared of that pompous little square!" yelled Rolo. His temper was clearly rising.

"None of us are Rolo! Chet called out from the other side of crews hangout spot.

He dropped his cigarette onto the ground before stepping on it with his boot, burying it into the sand. "He's gonna regret the day he messed with us! announced Chet.

The roar of their cheer could be heard by passers by who were walking on the boardwalk above them. The clear blue skies smiled down upon the defiance of the Salt Bay Turbos that day.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine groaned softly. She slowly got up from her desk. She must have fallen asleep while working on her clothes for school. But she doesnt remember laying down on her desk or finishing her pants. She glances at the clock. It read four fifty six. Well, she isnt going to sleep again anytime soon so why not head down to the beach? Her brothers let her walk to school anyway. They know where she is.

She puts on her school sweater and grey pants and heads down to the beach, bringing her school bag with her. By the time she had gotten there, the sun was already rising. The tide was low and the beach was full of seashells. She took off her shoes and ran through the sand, picking up as many seashells as possible, shoving them in her school bag.

Her feet were covered in sand along with her hair some how. Her bag and books were full of sand particles. But she was happy to live by the beach again. She walked across the entire beach, leaving no spot untouched. Well, almost. She spotted a small opening inside the hill at the end of the board walk. The cave was small but perfect for Corrine's size. The walls were smooth, but wet. A perfect place for a hideout. She picks up a rock and carves her name into the wall.

This was her spot and her spot alone! Like her little hiding space.

After a few minutes of fixing her place up, she looks at her pocket watch. There was only a half hour before school started! She gets all of her stuff together and dashes toward the school. By the time she gets there she realizes her pants are rolled up and her shoes are in her hands covered in sand. She ran barefoot! She hides behind a tree to put her shoes on and fix herself. She was a mess. What would others think?

Such a weird start to her first day of school. Hopefully she can find her friends there.

[TwelveOf8]

The walk to school was as lousy as he remembered it. The sun bearing down overhead, the smell of exhaust from the cars passing by, old people mowing their lawns while looking at him with a mixture of fear and disdain. Such an exercise was beyond humiliating. He earned his place damn it! But he had to lay low, they all had to. It was part of the deal.

Chet parked his motorcycle at a friends place who lived nearby. Those vehicles weren't allowed at Salt Bay High. They didn't want to project a "bad image". What a joke. That school was filled with some of the most conniving, manipulative, and backstabbing people the world has ever known. It was the Salt Bay Turbos who returned to the school the rule of strength and skill. And thus, in turn, allowing the rule of honour to return. Even though they were outlaws, Chet took pride in inspiring honour and badassery in the children of their local community. Having a hand in creating the next generation of Salt Bay Turbos.

There was nobody else on earth Chet hated more than Charles. But he had no choice. He must stick to the plan. All Chet could do was bide his time. He knew full well that Charles could never be trusted. Unfortunately for that pompous square, Chet wasn't always trustworthy either.

Just a little bit longer, Chet thought to himself. It must be done for the boys. Soon though, they'll party. They'll party on the grave of Charles's reputation. A couple of his cars would look real nice adorned with the Salt Bay Turbo insignia.

At the entrance of the school, none of the other students recognised him. For that he was beyond thankful. But at the same time, pissed beyond belief. Charles will pay.

[Rhythmloid]

After fixing up her hair and brushing off the sand from her books, she comes out from behind the tree and starts to walk to her locker. Even though there weren't THAT many students around, she can feel eyes watching her from all over. No one saw her, right? Impossible, she was hiding behind a tree!

Well, it didn't matter now. She was almost to class. Was she? Oh no, she still doesn't know where nothing is! Maybe she shouldn't have taken that nap by the tulips. Oh well, lesson learned. Now to find someone to give her directions.

She turned her attention toward a group of girls. Blonde hair, blue and green eyes, make up, the typical popular girl look. They were surrounded by football players it seemed. Going over to them didn't seem like the best idea. They all looked 'busy' or at least would be later tonight.

She looked over to her left and saw about five kids with thick glasses, studying from the same book. They didn't look very helpful either. They would probably scold her for not knowing anything or treat her like a freshmen. Curse her baby face.

She turns to her right and finds a bunch of jocks laughing and rough housing with each other. All had very muscular bodies and were quite tall. Maybe she could ask them. She slowly walked up to them, reciting what she was going to ask them. She tugged on the sweater on one of the jocks.

"U-um... c-could you show m-me to the b-band room?" She stammered. A faint pink tinted her caramel colored face. It's hard talking to people much bigger than you! The jock with black hair turned around and grinned.

"Well, hey there, cutie. are you lost? I can show you were you need to go." He and his other friends laugh out loud. Some of them making lewd gestures. Corrine gives up and runs away, not asking what their insinuation meant. After getting a good distance from them, she stops running. Why was this so difficult? She just needed directions to one room!

What is wrong with this school? Everyone was so closed off or just weird and gross. She can't wait until she graduates. She still needs to find the band room. After nearly giving up, she spots two more students. One has bright red hair, thick glasses and freckles across their nose. The other has black, short hair, brown eyes and a face mask. The one with a face mask doesn't look very friendly. The one with the red hair looks very shy.

She walks up to them and sighs softly. "C-could you please show me where the band room is?" she says quickly. The girl with the mask looks at her. She grunts and makes a motion to follow her. Corrine just stares at her. The one behind her taps her on the shoulder.

"She wants you to follow her, y-yes?" They stutter. Corrine shrugs and follows the girl. And true to her word, or grunt, she was led to the band room. Finally! Someone who answered her question! And as a bonus they led her to it. They seem like pretty nice people. They may look a bit strange but they sure are helpful.

"Thank you so much! What are your names?" Corrine asked. The two look at eachother. The one with red hair spoke up. "Well, my name is Ralphie, Spoon is the girl to my left. U-um, she doesn't talk much. I do all the talking." Before they could continue, the bell rang for class to start. "O-oh! You should get to class. I-it was nice meeting you." They say. Spoon grunts again and the two leave.

Corrine smiles and walks to band class. It looks like she made some new acquaintances.

[TwelveOf8]

The strike flew through the air both swiftly and true. With the speed of lightning and the fury of thunder. A loud smacking sound accompanied a tingling sting. That old familiar feeling.

"PERVERT!" screamed the blonde with the rack.

She stormed off with a speed that matched her anger and indignation. Switch hated to see her go, but he loved to watch her leave. Especially in those jeans. They really accentuated the roundness of her hips. And the way she made them sway as she walked. A man could fall in love.

Switch stood there rubbing his left cheek. A red mark was left there from the mighty slap he just received. If you're a ladies man like Switch, it came with the territory. Needless to say, he was used to it. He tried not to remember seeing her naked in the locker room, but those jeans. They fitted her so well. Most people would've been far too ashamed to ask a girl out after having been caught perving on her whilst she was indecent, but not Switch. After all, he was an outlaw. Guys like him always went for what they wanted, no matter what.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't hold the memories back. He pictured the blonde girl with the rack naked as she walked away, disappearing around the corner. He had some real mental pictures to go off of this time around.

It was five minutes until the first home room class of the day. Switch fancied that he had enough time to release some tension before class. He quickly rushed off to the boys bathroom, covering the front of his pants along the way.

[Rhythmloid]

Students were gathering their instruments together. Corrine took her place by the vibraphone, staring at all the other students around her. So many students who enjoyed music like she did. She smiled widely and giggled to herself. She was so happy! Hopefully she could make some new friends here as well.

Everyone quieted down as soon as the band teacher walked in. He looked older, had thick glasses and white hair. He was definitely on the thicker side. His suit and tie barely went down to his waist. But he came in with a beaming smile. That was good, right?

"Good morning class." He said. The rest of the students groaned a good morning back to the teacher, whom they seemed to call Mr. Langtree.

"Well, you all seem pretty tired today. So let's get this over with." His smile disappeared. He raised the baton over his head and started conducting the band. They all sounded pretty decent, but it lacked joy. The band sounded so dull and uninterested. It must have been a tiring day, that's all.

After playing the same song, over and over again for an hour, everyone packed up. There was five minutes left of class, so the teacher let them go to their lockers early since it was a bit of a trip. Corrine decided to peak into some of the classrooms again. She looked into the window and made funny faces while the teachers weren't looking. She would run away quickly before anyone noticed. She should do that more often. Messing with other classes while they were in session sounded like a wonderful idea.

After peaking through all the windows, she finally made it back to her locker. She shoved most of her books back in when she noticed a small group of students start to argue. It was only the second period and someone was already getting into a fight? Awesome! She rushes over to see what all the commotion is about. Apparently, it was about who got what territory. It was a bit of a dumb subject, but at least she saw someone get a bloody nose! She had about seven minutes before class started, so why not stay awhile?

[TwelveOf8]

"Great work Rolo." complimented Mr. Sanderson.

"Thank you sir." he replied. The compliment made him feel embarrassed yet proud. It was always nice to have ones good work given the recognition it deserved. But this particular discipline really cramped his style.

The tiny birdhouse was an endearing little treasure to behold. Built in the traditional German style, it evoked a sense of warmth and old world charm. The paint betrayed neither smudge nor brushstroke. It was so richly and expertly detailed, that one couldn't help but think it crafted by a master craftsman. Truly, it was Rolos proudest achievement yet.

Rolo couldn't decide which was more emabarassing. That he was good at handicrafts or that he enjoyed it more than anything else. If only the fellas found out. He would never hear the end of it. Especially from Switch and Divo. Those guys really steamed his clams at times. Down beneath the boardwalk yesterday afternoon they really let him have it. It was a long time since he last felt that embarrassed. Few are brave enough to laugh at Rolo. Nobody outside the Salt Bay Turbos dared to.

Fortunately, he was the only one out of Switch, Divo, and the boss to take woodworking class. The couple of other members of the Turbos who were also in the class kept their mouths shut, for their own sakes. That way, nobody important bore witness to his more sensitive side.

The metalworking class was completely full. That's the class all the fellas took. Being greasers and all, it was their thing. It was unfortunate that he wasn't there to sign up for the elective classes he wanted that year. He was way too busy eating half a dozen hotdogs he stole from the cafeteria in one of the boys lavatories. Of course, poor Rolo felt left out, but it did give him a chance to make up some funny stories about his time in woodworking class. Mostly though, he told the fellas that he routinely skipped it to have a smoke out the back of the school building. In truth, he attended each class religiously.

The bell rang, signalling the end of period. Rolo perched his birdhouse gingerly onto the display shelf of the woodworking classroom. He may very well be getting his first A ever.

He filed out of the room with the rest of the students, with a slight skip in his step.

A short time later, Rolo noticed a couple of pip squeaks slapping each other around in front of some lockers. He decided to stop in his tracks to see which one would reign triumphant. Such a little scrap filled Rolo with a sense of nostalgia. Plus, he found it fun watching little twerps duke it out.

[Rhythmloid]

The small crowd was yelling "Fight, Fight, Fight!" to the two fighting. Most of the crowd is full of older kids egging on younger ones. Corrine was trying her best to jump over the taller students, hoping to see maybe a little bit of bloodshed. They were really going at it. They were pulling on each others hair, scratching like cats, and punching eachother like their life depended on it. Their bodies arent quite fit enough to do any real damage to anyone but themselves.

But the fun ends when a teacher comes between the two and shoos the crowd away. Groans and swears come from the crowd as they return to thier classes. The two students were given detention for being disruptive. Poor Corrine got stuck in the flood of students. She was being shoved left and right until she tripped and landed on something... soft?

She looks up to see that it was Rolo! Corrine grinned widely.

"Rolo! I haven't seen you in forever! Well, a couple of days ago, but still! Divo told me you all go here! Thats so cool!" She beams. She felt so happy for some reason. "So, what's your next class? Do you like it? Are you gonna be in any of my other classes? Tell me!" She's almost jumping up and down like a child. She's a little too excited.

[TwelveOf8]

Rolo took a step back. His senses were violently assaulted by the torrent of questions. He felt momentarily disoriented by the loud, squeaky, and chirpy voice. As he looked down, he saw a pretty little face beaming up at him. It was her!

The breath was caught in Rolos throat. Divo told him that she went to this school, but he never thought they would literally bump into each other like this. It was like something out of a romance movie. A genre which Rolo was secretly a fan. This would've been a cute meet, Rolo thought, if they hadn't already met. But nonetheless, it was cutest thing to have ever happened to Rolo thus far. In that moment, he felt a strong urge to protect her. To always make her smile, the way she did then.

"Uhh hey Corinne." said Rolo. Why did he feel so shy? He was never shy! Being shy was for wimps and squares! Why did she make him feel this way?

Rolo experienced a mental lapse. For the life of him he couldn't think of anything to say. He had to say something quick, or he'd look like a dork.

"Hey Corinne, do you uhh like lunch?" Rolo asked.

The colour rose in his cheeks. Why was he being such a dork!? Back at the clubhouse, he was as cool as ice. But he had Switch and Divo with him. Back then, he was joking around, having a laugh. But after she said yes.

Yes! It was after she said yes! In that cute and super sweet way of hers! He had never felt that way about a girl before. Was he falling for her?

Before Corinne could answer his question, Rolo dashed off. He hoped against hope that nobody was around to see how much of a wet noodle he was.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine watched as Rolo ran away. She didn't even get a chance to answer his question. Was it something she had said? She didn't mean to offend the poor guy. Or many she had scared him? Yeah, that must've been it! But what could she have said to make him seem so scared and upset?

"Rolo come back!" She called out. "Was it something I said?"

She frowned and crossed her arms. She still couldn't understand why he had run away. Well, it couldn't be helped now. He was gone. However, she might be able to find him at lunch, right? She'll just have to wait until then to ask him what he wanted.

She looked at her pocket watch to see that there was five minutes left until her next class. She sighed and began making her way upstairs to her chemistry class. It certainly wasn't her favorite class, but it sure was better than math. But how could she concentrate with Rolo on her mind? The longer she thought about it the worse she felt. Maybe it was her fault? She'll have to apologize later. For now, it was chemistry time.

[TwelveOf8]

"And then it was like pow! Right in the kisser." continued Switch.

"Man I just can't get her out of my head. Is this love?"Switch asked wistfully.

"Nah man, you're just a super freak."answered Divo.

"You got that right thumbtack."countered Switch.

"Hey! I'm big where it counts!"stated Divo.

"I wasn't talking about height short stuff."explained Switch. He then let out one of his loud hyena laughs.

Out of blind rage Divo tackled Switch to the ground. Switch laughed almost maniacally as Divo was being lifted up from the mounted position he gained on Switchs front. This happened almost every recess, though it didn't make their shenanigans any less tiresome to deal with nor any less boring to watch.

Switch noticed that things were different that time around though. He looked over at Rolo. The look on his face caused Switchs laughter to fade fast. Rolo looked wistful yet deeply troubled. A look that only chicks wore. Switch would've made some joke about it if it weren't for the fact that it was Rolo he was dealing with. The enforcer of the Salt Bay Turbos. The biggest guy in the gang. He remembered how mad Rolo got last time Switch and Divo gave him a ribbing. Switch decided to use caution this time around.

"What's eatin ya big guy?"asked Switch.

Divo was finally put back down onto his feet by a couple of the other gang members. He was calm at last.

"Yeah Rolo, what's up?"asked Divo.

"It's nothin guys. I'm just, it's just, nothin."answered Rolo.

"Whatever you say big guy."said Switch.

"Hmm"said Divo to himself.

It must be the cute short girl. Corinne was it? Yeah! That's it! Divo noticed that Rolo has been acting weird ever since they met her. Since then, Rolo was always looking off into space. His thoughts were off with the pixies. Divo was starting to feel a little concerned.

He just hoped that Corinne wouldn't find where the gang hung out at school. Not now at least. There was something wrong with the big guy and Divo was sure that she was behind it. They had to figure something out, Divo thought. If word got out that the Salt Bay Turbo enforcer turned into a wistful sissy. Divo didn't want to think about the consequences.

He resolved to have a chat to the boss about it the next time he got a chance. Where was he anyway?

The area next to the parking lot behind the building was a lot quieter than it usually was. It seemed that the Salt Bay Turbos were in a bit of a somber mood that day.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine groaned as she walked out of her chemistry class. She's definitely not going to get an 'A' this time. Maybe a 'B' if she's lucky. It was freetime so she got to hang around for a little before class started up again. What to do? She could try to find Rolo, but she didn't want to make things worse.

Before she could ponder and longer, she felt a low growl in her stomach. She didnt eat breakfast this morning. She just went straight to the beach. At least she packed a lunch. She could nibble on that to hold her over. Now where to sit.

She knew! By the tulips would be great! No one she knew sat there and she was pretty sure no one hung out there anyway. She went to her locker, grabbed her lunch, and ran over to the tulip garden. She looked to see if anyone was around, then sighed and plopped down on the grass. Finally, free time!

She took a bite of her sandwich and turned to the tulips. She soon found that she lost her appetite. If only they had planted different flowers. She put her sandwich away and lied down in her back, letting her thoughts wander. She couldn't for the life of her find out why Rolo ran away. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

During lunch she should ask him. If she could find him, that is. For now, she should just relax. Its not good to worry too much before class. She closed her eyes and dozed off once again.

[TwelveOf8]

"So Chet, I suppose you have good reason to call on me uninvited?" asked Charles. His words expressed annoyance yet his voice expressed smugness mixed with condescension. It was almost like he enjoyed being interrupted. Any excuse to act both indignant and important, Charles took at every opportunity.

"It's not because of your scented fragrances or your fine grooming, I can tell ya that much." answered Chet.

"I'll have you know I'm wearing Yolanda St. Pierre thank you very much. It's all the rage in France right now. Not that I'd expect you to understand." explained Charles.

"Look fancy boy! The only French things I care about are French fries and breaking my French foot off in your ass!" countered Chet.

"Oh! You're French!?" Charles asked.

"What!? No!" exclaimed Chet.

"Of course not. What with your inappropriate aggression. I'm not someone you'd want to mess with. Perhaps you need a reminder? I know all too well how slow your kind is." threatened Charles.

"Well that goes double for me! Outside your mansion, little fruity boy, you're on my turf." Chet threatened back.

"Look Chet. I know you have to play the part of the tough guy, but please calm down. We're friends after all. Now tell me, how can I be of assistance?" placated Charles.

"That's better. We gotta talk." said Chet.

"By all means, fire away!" Charles replied.

Chet then began to present his counter offer. It was a long shot though he was confident that Charles would find it more than a little agreeable.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine sighed as she looked at the tulips. She assumed the school had decided to plant them last minute in order to gain more sponsors. Pretty schools brought in mucho dinero, at least that's what she heard from a lot of the other people who walked the halls. One of the bright bulbs caught her eye, for it was a darker shade of fuchsia compared to the hot pink flowers. 'Mom would've loved to see these..' the curly haired junior thought to herself. Her mother was a gardener,therefore she always had flowers in or around the house. Whether they were flowers she bought from the store, or from her home country, she had them. Her father even brought some back from his travels, which she put out in the garden so they would have more space to grow and flourish. But alas, their sweet scent only brought sorrow to the junior.

She then stood up, deciding that she would head into her literature class, one of the few classes she actually liked. Next to band of course. The curly haired junior walked through the wide halls of Salt Bay High, listening to the various conversations about the latest trends, the scores from last nights football game or whatever else was current within the school. She reached the classroom in a surprisingly short amount of time, considering that her short build wasn't exactly made for walking very fast.

[TwelveOf8]

"....and if we take that into account. We can interpret Raskolnikovs experiences as a metaphor for the struggles of the working class. For you see..." droned Mrs. Flaherty.

Chets attention span waxed and waned throughout the literature teachers less than passionate presentation of classical Russian literature. He had no idea who this Fyodor Dostoyevski guy was nor what his book was really about, but Chet was damn sure that Mr. Dostoyevski deserved better than to be droned about by some ancient wrinkly manatee. Though he did appreciate Raskolnikovs struggle as a brilliant man forced into a life of mediocrity by lame circumstances. A struggle that Chet himself identified with.

Just like Rolo, Chet also possessed an embarrassing secret. He actually liked reading these seemingly boring and depressing books written by miserable old men who whiled away the remaining years of their lives being high on absinthe. The crushingly brutal honesty of such works really resonated with Chet, for he didn't exactly live through the most pleasant of childhoods. As a leader of the baddest gang around, he had to have something to look up to. Someone to learn from. Especially those who weren't afraid to speak the truth. Those who understood what it meant to bear the burden of leadership at all times.

Needless to say, Chet didn't take literature class seriously. Though surprisingly, his literature assignments had decent grades. A fact that infuriated Mrs. Flaherty to no end. Especially after all those times she had to reprimand and discipline Chet and his three friends. Always talked during class they did. Passing notes and throwing scrunched up pieces of paper around. This year though, she had those four split up. To the opposite ends of the classroom. But this only served to intensify their bad behaviour, much to her dismay.

Some kid next to Chet handed him a note. "Thanks chief." said Chet.

Chet had to be careful when opening notes, for he was stationed at the front of the class. He opened up the note with expertly trained stealth and deviousness. He was intrigued by its contents. Divo never had a problem before. He was always the straight laced one of his closest friends. Apparently, it had something to do with that girl that Rolo was obsessed with. Juicy gossip was Chets forte. It was his business to know all the goings on in his gang after all.

Another note was passed to Chet from the back of the class. "Thanks darlin." said he. Sealing his gratitude with a wink was always a hit with the ladies. The girl swooned visibly yet inaudibly. A daily occurrence for Chet in the classroom.

The handwriting was unmistakeable. He wanted to swing by the local chicken joint after school, again. Classic Rolo.

Snickering could be heard near the back of the class.

"Quiet down you scoundrels!" yelled Mrs. Flaherty.

"Sorry miss." said Rolo.

"Yeah, sorry." said Switch.

"Hmmph. As I was saying. The relationship between the protagonist and...." she droned on.

All of a sudden, the door of the classroom burst open. There standing in the doorway, was a short and rather cute looking girl. She had poofy hair and what looked like wild eyes.

"You're late." said Mrs. Flaherty.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine panted softly. She fixed her hair and had calmed down a bit. The can feel the stares of the other classmates give her a chill down her spine. She had never been late to class before. But it wasn't her fault. It was her first day of school, albeit in the middle of the week, and she had no idea where to go! One of the staff members was kind enough to give her a map of the school, but it was covered in the notes and scribbles Corrine had put on it.

Corrine gulps and bows deeply.

"I-I'm very sorry for interrupting class! I promise it won't happen again Miss... Miss... Corrine takes out the sheet of paper, her reading glasses, and looks for the teacher's name. "Mrs. Flaherty! I apologize. I'm new here and I had gotten lost on the way. Please forgive my tardiness!" Her face burns red as she can hear some of the students chuckle at her outburst. The look on Mrs. Flaherty's is that of a displeased mother.

"I'll be taking my seat now..." Corrine's voice is much softer than her usual bubbly self. She quickly takes an empty seat in the back of the classroom. Luckily, it was one of her favorite spots. It was somewhat near the window, had an ok view of the chalk board, and she got to see what was going on between the students from the back.

Her heart pounded hard and fast, ready to burst out of her chest. How could she have done something so embarrassing? She was never late for anything, especially class! Her face grew more and more red. Thinking about it wasn't helping. She buried her face in her thick, curly hair, hoping to suffocate herself to keep her from the shame. What were her classmates thinking of her? She wasn't a bad kid, honest! She didn't even bother to ask anyone for the page number, she felt too embarrassed.

[TwelveOf8]

A sweet dream manifested itself in the real world. Like a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dull grey classroom. For Rolo, 'twas like a sign from above. That fate had ordained that the two shall be thrown together again and again. For the universe could only ever reach balance and alignment if they were to join as one. A union to be heralded throughout the ages. Ballads would be made about their story, and sung by the greatest of bards. On the courts of kings emperors alike. A love that blooms in the darkest of times, and brightens the darkest of lives.

Rolo stared at Corinne as she walked into the classroom. She walked past his desk. Passing him like he wasn't there. It wasn't very difficult to notice Rolo, even in a crowd. But it seemed like he was completely invisible to her.

As the class progressed, Rolo couldn't help but steal the occasional glance at her. For someone so sweet to love someone such as he. How lucky could he be?

Giggling could be heard yet again from near the front of the class. It was barely stifled yet it kept getting louder.

"Do you find the suffering of the lower classes amusing young man!?" asked Mrs. Laherty. She was clearly pissed off.

"Uhh no miss." answered Divo.

"Give me that note!" demanded the teacher.

"Hey!" exclaimed Divo as the old manatee snatched the note from his hand.

"Check out the little cookie who came late to class. I wouldn't mind coating her with my frosting." read the literature teacher.

The class erupted into a sea of raucous laughter. Rolo noticed that Corinne was starting to look very uncomfortable. The amount of guilt and anger he felt started to boil over into a foam of violent rage. Rolos face was so tense that he looked like he was about to break his desk in two.

"Shut the hell up you squares! Or I swear I'll shove my fist up all your asses!" thundered Rolo.

The laughter switched off like a light. Nobody messed with Rolo.

"My word!" exclaimed Mrs. Flaherty.

She considered sending Rolo to the principles office but she decided against it. She was secretly impressed with the authority the large student exercised over the others.