Emma Marino
Name: Emma Marino
Age: 16
DOB: April 1st
Hair color: Coffee brown
Eye color: Milk chocolate
Theme Song: “Girl Next Door” Saving Jane
Favorite Book: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Favorite Movie: Ever After
Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to bump into you. Thank you for handing that back. What is it? It’s my flute case. I play in the JFK Symphonic Band. John F. Kennedy High School, yeah. I’m a junior there. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t even tell you my name. Emma Marino, pleased to, uh, meet you.
You—you want to hear more about me? Well, ok … um, like I said, I’m in the band. I take a lot of honors classes, and I love to read. I just finished Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and—oh, you wouldn’t want to hear that. You should read it though; it’s very good. I mean, at least I think so. Jessie Pendragon and Dannie Ferreira? Yeah, I’m friends with both of them! More Jessie, though. Dannie’s nice, but she’s kind of scary. We’re all taking a lot of the same classes together, and Dannie and I are both in band. I know something weird is going on with the two of them … but I’m not sure I want to know what it is …Robert "Rob" Wesleyan
Name: Robert Wesleyan
Age: 17
DOB: November 18th
Hair color: Chestnut
Eye color: Mocha brown
Theme Song: “No Such Thing” John Mayer
Favorite Book: The Giver by Lois Lowry
Favorite Movie: Tombstone
Hey. I’m Rob. Rob Wesleyan. Junior at JFK High. Otherwise known as Hell, but, hey, it’s high school, what do you expect?
Though JFK isn’t so bad as high schools go. It’s got a good art department – I’m something of an artist, you see – and an interesting crowd of students. I’m older than mostly everyone in my class, which gives me some perspective – a little bit – I think. That, and I don’t talk so much, which gives me more time to listen.Like with my girlfriend, Dannie—something weird is going on in her life. She won’t tell me what it is, but I think it’s got something to do with her friend, Jess. She’s been having a minor breakdown ever since she got back from England last summer, so I don’t see what else it could be.
I’m there for Dannie if she needs me – I just hope she doesn’t decide she needs me after it’s too late …
Shayna Pasternak
Name: Shayna Pasternak
Age: 15
DOB: June 1st
Hair color: Blonde on top, black underneath
Eye color: Emerald
Theme Song: “Breathe (2 AM)” Anna Nalick
Favorite Book: All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
Favorite Movie: Some Kind of Wonderful
Good morning! Oh, it’s afternoon? Whoops! Guess I should look at the clock before I speak. I’m Shayna Pasternak, by the way. I’m a sophomore at JFK High School.
I love clothes and fashion, in case my fabulous hairdo and wonderfully stylish outfit and accessories didn’t tell you already. Whoa, I’m exaggerating! I know that I dress a little on the extreme edges of fashion, but you have to admit, my clothes are striking. I like that. I want to be a fashion designer someday, or a fashion editor at a magazine, I’m not sure which. That’s why I’m on the New Frontier News—oh, sorry, that’s the JFK High School paper. I’m the fashion reporter and layout designer.
Of course I know Dannie and Jessie. Dannie is awesome, she’s so independent. If it hadn’t been for her, I don’t think I would have ever learned to stand up to Kayla and her Brigade – you know, her personal army of clones. Jessie’s cool too, she’s on the paper with me. Though it hasn’t escaped any of us how distracted she is.
I hope everything’s ok with her.
Holly Crowhorse
Name: Holly Crowhorse
Age: 16
DOB: December 27th
Hair color: Bright black with dyed metallic silver highlights
Eye color: Amber
Theme Song: “Hand In My Pocket” Alanis Morissette
Favorite Book: In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Favorite Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean
Oh, hi! I’m Holly. Holly Crowhorse, and you are? Yeah, I’m a sophomore at JFK. One of Madame Mussolini’s mindless drones. Of course, that would work better if we were all, in fact, mindless …
Interests? I’m in band, I play sax. Saxophone. And let’s see, what else. I’m a goth and proud of it. I love classic rock, just about anything music-related. You should see my music collection. I also love horror stories and books, sometimes horror movies too. Though my current favorite is Pirates of the Caribbean. I just love Johnny Depp – as an actor, I know he’s like, forty! – he’s so awesome and scene-stealing in that movie!
Dannie’s awesome! We suffered through pep band together this fall. There weren’t any other decent, non-stoner drummers, so that was why Dannie got arm-twisted into joining, while my mom said I needed to show more school spirit. Clearly, my mother does not remember high school. I know Jessie too, though not so well.
There’s something weird going on with those two. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s there.
Brett Alves
Name: Brett Alves
Age: 16
DOB: August 18th
Hair color: Black and spiked, with electric blue tips
Eye color: Tiger-eye
Theme Song: “Believe It or Not” Nickelback
Favorite Book: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Favorite Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
*shutter clicks* Hey, thanks for waiting. Yeah, I’m Brett Alves. Junior, JFK. Only one more year to go, and then I am so out of here. Well, not the town, not necessarily. More the high school. Hey, I’m not only a goth, I work on the paper. I’m the scum the scum-sucking bottom feeder feeds on.
But I don’t care. I have way too much fun being the paper photographer to try to move up the food chain. Hey, just watching Josiah and Anna go at it is worth a dozen evil looks from Kayla and the Abercrombie and—well, let me put it like this, it rhymes with “Fitch” and it’s not “witch”—Brigade. Besides, you know what, the scum are all scum together, and we’re friends for life. Or until we get out of high school. Not just for the week. Sure, I know Jess and Dannie. They’re both cool. Dannie and I are taking photography together this semester, though I’ve known her since freshman year. Jessie, too. Even if she wasn’t on the paper, you can’t know Dannie and not know Jessie.
Hope everything’s ok with them … they’ve both been kind of odd since last summer …
Josiah Rask
Name: Josiah Rask
Age: 17
DOB: October 25th
Hair color: Crystal brown
Eye color: Cappuccino
Theme Song: “Another Brick In The Wall Part II” Pink Floyd
Favorite Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Favorite Movie: Dead Poets’ Society
Oh, hey, do you have a petition for the S.C.? Student Council. You don’t? You want to talk to me? Well, ok. I’m Josiah Rask. I’m Vice President on the S.C., and next year, when I’m a senior, I’m totally going for President.
And President of the United States, once I turn thirty-five. Nah, I’m just kidding. You only get that job if you’re born loaded. Or close enough. Look it up if you don’t believe me. But maybe someday I’ll be a political reporter for the Washington Post, or the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal. Or not. I am a reporter for the JFK High School paper now. Mostly I report on the S.C., and whatever potentially inflammatory issues Anna will let me report on.
I’ve known Jessie and Dannie since we were in kindergarten! Jessie’s very nice, and smart, too. So is Dannie, but Jess is a little less … abrasive. Though … sometimes I get the feeling that she—Jess—tries way too hard to be normal. And it’s been increasing recently. What’s so bad about being different, I’d like to know?
Anna Tsukino
Name: Anna Tsukino
Age: 18
DOB: March 14th
Hair color: Jet-black
Eye color: Milk chocolate
Theme Song: “What Do You Say” Reba McEntire
Favorite Book: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Favorite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Hi, I’m Anna Tsukino. Yeah, I’m Japanese, whatever tipped you off on that? Just kidding. I’m a senior at JFK High School, and editor of the New Frontier News.
I love the paper; I’ve been on it since I was a freshman. It’s kind of hard to run everything, what with my classes and applying to colleges and all. And some of my reporters, Josiah in particular, like to pick fights with the administration. So I have to make sure everything is kosher by Madame Mussolini, which means I usually end up being the bad guy. But I wouldn’t give it up for anything. The whole crew is great, and honestly, they’re my best friends.
Of course I know Jessie! Not so much Dannie, though. I want Jessie to be editor next year—or I wanted her to be—she’s been under so much stress lately, what with her dad and all, I don’t want to add to it. Her dad? Oh, he has cancer. Or something. Jessie’s never really said.
But I hope everything goes well for her. The editor job is totally open if she wants it.
Cory Hannigan
Name: Cory Hannigan
Age: 17
DOB: July 6th
Hair color: Light golden blonde
Eye color: Jade
Theme Song: “Everything You Want” Vertical Horizon
Favorite Book: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Favorite Movie: Remember the Titans
Hey. I’m Cory, Cory Hannigan. Or should that be Hannigan, Cory Hannigan? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Yeah, I’m a senior at JFK.
It’s kind of strange, I sort of straddle two social worlds there. Most adults wouldn’t get it – but most don’t get anything about high school, despite the fact that all of them theoretically went through it. You see, I’m on the soccer team in the fall, so that makes me a jock in one sense. I usually hang out with the guys on my team, and they’re all good guys. If all else fails, they’re not Rocky – he’s on the football team, and I think all of those tackles have permanently damaged his brain. And I am not the only one who thinks so. But I’m also on the paper, and in another sense, that makes me … well, as Brett, the photographer, would have it, the rock-bottom of the food chain. I think the only reason I “get away” with it is because I want to be a sportswriter when I get out of here.
Yeah, I know Jessie. She’s pretty nice. Kind of quiet, though when you get her riled up—watch out. Not so much Dannie. Do I like Jessie that way? No! I have a girlfriend! Why—does she like me? Ok, I didn’t think so.
Still, she’s been kind of weird lately. I hope everything’s ok with her.