Jessica M. Malone, AKA Jess

16 years old

521 Turner Street

• Rebellious - Jess has been going through a rebellious phase or at least rebellious for her. She isn’t going out searching for trouble but just doing small things to give her sense of freedom and choice, standing up for own beliefs or those of others. Growing up under a military father meant strict rules and curfews, everything coming with some sort of stipulation. It is why she started to do the opposite of what was expected of her. She did things like sneaking out odd hours, dropping from less than an A on subjects she struggles with and would normally have to study hours for, letting her hair grow out to touch her shoulders, sneaking into places she doesn’t belong, and getting various piercing, her nose ring being her proudest achievement even if she got hell over it.

• Carefree - She is all about exploring, chasing her passions, rolling with the punches, and pursuing things that give her a feeling of happiness, dangerous or not. You could say she is a bit of a daredevil. It is more that she doesn’t want to live with any regrets. She wants to keep in the moment as much as possible and keep trying something new. It is difficult for her to really show her emotions that lay deep beneath the surface but she is always there to lend an ear, give advice, and be a pillar for others.

• Brave - She does not have many things she is truly afraid of. The fears that she does have, she was told that you must keep a calm head and overcome them. She has her weak moments like any other but when in a pinch, she will always take a stand. It was important to protect others and stand up for them when they couldn’t themselves. She has more training than most and while she may look weak and fragile, she knows what she needs to do to turn the odds in her favor.

• Caring - Jess is the type that will hold a door open for someone, give the shirt off her back for someone in need, help a stranger, and just be a helping hand. She feels empathy for others and is good at seeing a situation from all points of view. It makes her a good peacekeeper as she will always try to use words before violence. She would rather sacrifice herself, letting someone else off the hook. In her mind, you should treat people how you want to be treated. This also means she can be stubborn and protective of what and who she cares about. Sadly, that means if she notices something is bothering another person, she tries to get to the bottom of it. She just tries to do the best she can.

• Focused - She likes to go with the flow, being optimistic and carefree but when in a sticky situation, she gets very tactical and focused. Plans aren’t her strongest suit but she will try to think her way out of a bad situation anyway. It is also why she had been able to do so well in school even with all her bouncing around. She digs in and studies hard, making the best with what she has got and keeps on task. It easy for her to get locked in on a project or even something as simple as a book when she is in go mode. It sometimes leaves her a bit oblivious if she is locked or focused on something, missing other points. She tends to give into curiosity easier since she wants to focus on solving the puzzle.

On Friday, August 13th, in a California memorial hospital, Martin and Kristen Malone welcomed their daughter into the world. They had been trying for years to start up a family of their own with many disappointments and tragedies along the way, but Jessica was truly a bundle of joy and a miracle for the two of them. They did the best they could to give her a normal and loving childhood, despite the fact that they would frequently move depending on where her father would be assigned to next as an active military officer. Kristen gave up being a seamstress, deciding to be a stay at home mother so she could be there for her daughter as best she could and because she was lucky to have the wherewithal to do so. She homeschooled Jessica, the two working hard on her studies and learning new things together like painting.

Her mother was always the type to be kind and patient, never pushing her and just trying to help her figure things out for herself. Her father on the other hand was strict and a bit stoic, finding it hard to find a common ground with his daughter even though he cared deeply. He tried to push her to be better than her best, setting rules he believed would help her succeed and keeping her in check when she did something wrong. It seemed that every time he tried to talk to Jess though, the wrong thing seemed to pop out. Her mother ended up being the buffer, helping them translate their feelings or making sure Martin took a moment to stop and listen. As Jess got older, the rift got deeper as he started treating her even more like a soldier such as fun things like camping turning into survival lessons, not letting her keep long hair, everything being in order, and trying to get perfection from whatever she decided to do. It didn’t bother her so much when she was younger but as she got older it became exhausting and suffocating, to the point she agreed to anything that would get her out or away from the house.

She practically begged to start up public school once she hit middle school and was ecstatic when her folks agreed to it. It helped give her a feeling of freedom and some time to herself without having judgement. She found a passion for photography and started to do after school activities such as Track, finding running to be relaxing. It did start a chain of problems though and she found each new school she went to were all at different paces with their curriculums. Some she excelled in and others she felt behind, fighting hard to keep up. Jess lived a life without roots and a place to truly call her home. Everytime she gets close to the dream, making friends and starting to build a life of her own, it crumbles into dust the moment her father announces they have to move once again. It shouldn’t be a surprise, what else can be expected when being born into a military family but it only felt harder and harder with each new destination. Nothing could have been worse than when she turned 15, her mom suddenly passed away.

Jess had come home to her collapsed in the kitchen, calling an ambulance but nothing could be done. It was already too late by the time she had been found. The doctors had said she had a brain aneurysm that had ruptured. They had both been at a loss and had grieved in different ways. Jess becoming more wild, taking control of her life, and doing things that remind her of her mother. Martin had found the bottle and work to be his relief. He started working more and when he was home, he was drinking to forget and letting Jess take over in caring for them. It was her Aunt Samantha that suggested he put in a request to work at the army base near her hometown, live close by and that way they had a fresh start away from the house that their loved one had died in. He stubbornly refused. It wasn’t until almost a year later that he decided to finally request the transfer, slowly working on going to counseling but still not admitting to his problem or stopping for that matter. He just got better at hiding it while he tried to get his life in order. They both came to an agreement that they would wait until as close to Summer as possible before moving to Everbrook so she could finish out the year without having to try and figure out new classes or navigate a new school.

• Usually uses roller blades to get around town. Bikes are fine but they can be easily stolen and you have to lock them up and it seems like too much of a hassle. She technically has a permit but getting her father to let her drive is laughable as he wants her to work hard, save up, and use her own money to get the things she wants that aren’t necessary in his mind. Apparently, it is supposed to build character.

• She usually always has a bag or backpack of some kind so she can switch out her skates and shoes depending on her needs. It also comes in handy for carrying other things she might need while she is out and about.

• She has been on multiple Track teams from various schools and has been the top competitor in a few of them. She keeps up with stretching, yoga, and morning runs in her normal routine even if she is unable to get on a team whether it was because there were better runners picked or she missed tryouts with the move. She is fond of climbing when she has the time.

• Enjoys art and photography. She can often be found doodling and even has drawn on her jeans while sitting in boredom. Heck, she even paints scenery and landscapes on the back of pennies before spending them. She often takes pictures of various landmarks as well, things that she finds fascinating or beautiful. She always tries to challenge herself to find the next greatest place that no one has thought to go to or explore and take pictures.

• She is a bit of a collector, finding and scavenging small bits and bobbles she finds interesting. Most often, it will be something that indicates the location she has been. A way to take a physical piece of her multiple homes with her. She actually has a good amount of discarded license plates decorating her walls for this reason.

• Jess has taken self defense classes (not by choice). Her father used to tell her that a young lady should at least know the basics so that way if you can’t out run an attacker that you have a back up plan. She has never had to use it and found it a waste of her after school hours.

• Always carries a multi tool pocket knife. It is always good to have the tools you need handy. It has proven useful on many a mini adventure.

• Having just arrived in town, she doesn’t have a job for the summer yet but she plans on getting one. Maybe at the library since she enjoys books or maybe just a simple cashier or delivery job.

• Jess deep down is actually a bit insecure. She has spent most of her life with little appreciation for her accomplishments and always pressured to be the best. Her father is not one to easily impress and there seems to be this great divide between them that keeps growing bigger. He has been spiraling since her mother’s death and honestly, she is far from over it herself.