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Story written by Angela Rosquin and edited by Holly Zeeve. All characters credited to them. It was begun in April, and finished September 9th, 2000. (Yes, I know we're lazy..)

Punkaroo slowly approached his locker. He studied it carefully before beginning the ritual spinning of the dial. The numbers flew by, stopping perfectly on each digit of the code. Zero, four, twenty. (Coincidence, he swears...) The door creaked omniously as it opened.
Pavo peered over the marsupial's shoulder. "Oh my God, man! What do you keep in there?!" The compartment was stuffed with so much junk, it seemed nothing smaller than a paper clip would fit now. Punkaroo shrugged and reached inside. He moved his arm around a moment, then pulled out a paper bag. "Oooh," he cooed. "Food!" He opened the bag, and leaned in for a closer look.
The lunch sack fell from his hands. Pavo could see Punka's skin turning green, even through his fur. The rooster booted the bag of "food" before the smell could waft to him. Punkaroo slammed the locker door promptly, swallowing down the vomit that threatened to spew forth. "I think that's enough discoveries for one day..."
A few minutes later, as Pavo waited for Punkaroo's stomach to calm, he noticed a sophomore he'd seen around. It was a moose with dark fur and hair. His jeans were baggy, even by Punka's standards. His shirt, shoes, and backwards hat all contained the trendiest namebrands of the day. The equine's hair was long and tied back in a short ponytail.
"Hey Punka... Lookit that." said Pavo. Punkaroo, still holding his stomach, looked over to the next section of lockers at the young moose. He stood up straight and shrugged. "So?"
Pavo replied, "He's always alone. I don't think he has any friends."
Punkaroo frowned. He was pretty sure where this conversation was headed. "Pav..buddy..open your eyes. Why would someone like that hang out with guys like us? He's beyond all hope." He looked back and winced as his eyes swept by the trendy clothing.
"What were you like when Moe found ya?" the bird asked, crossing his wings.
"Not like THAT." Punka gesturd to the 10th grader with an inclintation of his head.
"Well then," Pavo stated. "What was I like when you found me? Like him, huh? Trendy and friendless?" Punka snorted.
"You're still like that, retard."
Pavo shook his head and looked at his feet. "Whatever, man."
The kangaroo rolled his eyes and grew a sour look. "Fine, fine, FINE..." He whistled to the moose. "Hey kid! C'mere!"
The sophomore looked around, wondering who that strange marsupial was talking to. Seeing no one around but himself, he sighed and trudged over. "Here," he muttered, pulling three dollar bills out of his pocket. He held it up toward the juniors.
Punkaroo arched an eyebrow. "What the hell is this?"
The moose blinked. "My lunch money..."
A smile cracked on Pavo's face and he began giggling hysterically, but Punka managed to hold in his own laughter. "Kid, " He grinned. "We may look scary, but we're not bullies."
The moose blinked again. "Okaaay..whadda want?"
Pavo continued snickering. Punka smacked him with his tail, then spoke. "Well, we know what it's like to be new around here. Not fun, eh? Well, when I came to this school last year, a favor was bestowed upon me. I hope to do the same for you. It was the gift of friendship. Moose, would you like to hang out with me and my friends? I warn you: we may alter your ways of thinking."
The rooster was silent as he stared at Punka throughout the extensive speech. He leaned over and whispered, "Ham!" The tall kangaroo promptly elbowed him in the beak. "Owww..!"
Trent's jaw dropped. "You want me to hang out with you..?!"
Punkaroo nodded. "Sure. Can we kick it at your pad after school? By the way, my name's Steve, but call me Punkaroo. Everyone does." Pavo cleared his throat. "And this is Pavo," he muttered. Pavo pushed forward and took the moose's hand.
   "Hello, my name is Felipe Ricar-"
   "It's Pavo," interrupted Punkaroo shoving him out of the way again. The moose nodded and stammered, "I'm Trent..."
Punkaroo grabbed Pavo, waved, and walked off.

After school, Punkaroo drove Trent and Pavo to the moose's house. After a short tour, he led them to the backyard to introduce them to his family. He pointed to his father, who was trimming the hedges.
"That's my dad, Joe. Hi Dad!"
"Hi son!" he called and went back to his task. Trent led them to his to a small garden where a young woman was pulling weeds.
"Hey Mom, these are my friends," he said. She stood up and wiped her brow. Punkaroo and Pavo stared in silence, their jaws slack. The woman set down her gardening claw, took her gloves off, and brushed off her cutoff jeans a bit.
"Hello boys, I'm Valerie." Curly tendrils of red-brown hair cascaded down around her shoulders, and she pushed a strand away from her baby blue eyes. She was young, or appeared to be, and her hoof-like fingers were painted pink. To top it all off, her fur was dyed lavender. She extended a slender hand to them and Pavo was the first to snatch it up.
"Hello, I'm single..I mean, Pavo! I mean, Felipe..!"
"I'm Steve," said Punkaroo, still staring. Had he heard the rooster's introduction, he would have made fun of it for a long time to come.
"Oh, it's not that strange," she giggled, assuming (correctly) why they were staring. "I mean, come on, your hair's bright blue!" She ran a hand through Punka's spikes. "Now, if you don't mind, I have yardwork to do." Smiling, Valerie went back to pulling weeds.
"What'd you think of them?" asked Trent once they'd reentered the house.
"You're mom is HOT!!" crowed Pavo. The moose frowned and socked his shoulder. Punkaroo just laughed.
"Shut up, 'roo boy!" Pavo said darkly. "At least I got to shake her hand."
"Well she touched my hair!" Punka retorted. Defeated, the rooster grew quiet. Looking back to Trent, the marsupial grinned.
"Well, I'm pretty sure your mom won't mind what we're gonna do to you tomorrow..."

The next afternoon the rooster, moose, and kangaroo met at Punka's. In his room, they waited patiently for the last of their party to arrive. It didn't take long for Mackenzii to get there. She entered stealthily, with Trent watching and wondering who she was.
"Got the supplies?" Punk asked. Mackenzii, still wearing her dark shades, held up the bag as an answer. The next thing he knew, Trent was being placed in chair in the center of the room. Mac pulled out the first item, a pair of scissors. Immediately, she began snipping away until his hair was short enough to shave with the electric razor. Trent jumped when she turned it on. He cringed as he saw more and more of his hair fall off.
"What do ya think?" asked Mac, directed at Punkaroo who had his chin in his hand as he examined the moose.
   "They should be about three inches tall to start with," he said. She nodded and shaved a little more. Finally, when Mac was done, she packed the scissors and razor away and the next items were brought forth.  Pavo walked forward as Mackenzii pulled a magazine from the bag and flopped down on Punkaroo's bed. Pavo sprayed an unknown substance onto Trent's hair, then covered it with a shower cap.
"We hafta wait now," he said, sitting on Punka's bed. They conversed about bands and such for the next forty minutes with regular intervals of Trent's whining, "My scalp burns! How long is this gonna take?!"
Finally, Punkaroo took him out of the room. Pavo and Mac continued their conversation on Warren Fitzgerald (man or myth?). When Trent entered the room again, the human and rooster grinned and clapped. His hair was shorter now, the ponytail removed. It was spiked and half-beached.
"Lookin' good!" cheered Mac. "Sit down again." With a huge grin, he complied. "What now? We gonna color my hair orange or something?" Mackenzii crept up behind him as he spoke. "Or green, what about green? Hey, I know! Multicolored! That'd be way cool, don't you th--HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!" He jumped up and grabbed his left ear, which had just been stabbed. "What the HELL?!" Mackenzii rolled her eyes.
"Stop being a baby and let me put the disinfectant on it. I pierced your ear." He whimpered, but obeyed. She clipped a small silver hoop ring in it. "I lost the other one," she explained. "So you can have it."
Pavo crossed his wings and squinted. "Allllmost perfect..."
"What?" Trent looked down at himself. "Almost? What's wrong?!"
"Don't panic," Punka said, picking up his phone. He dialed a number quickly, then waited as it rang. "JINX!! Where in the hell are you?" He slammed down the phone a moment later. "God, that kid has problems!" He smirked at the frightened look Trent gave him. "No worries, mate.."
Just a few minutes later, the bobcat arrived, carrying a shirt and pair of shoes, all which he threw at Punkaroo. "Fugga fen," he grumbled sleepily. "Resha fresha BAH!!" With that, he turned and left. Everyone (except the scared moose) began to snicker. Punkaroo handed Trent the shirt and shoes.
"These're some of Jinx's old clothes." The 'roo explained. "That stuff you wear is..well..."
"Crappy," finished Pavo. Mackenzii shot him a glare.
"Fool, you wear the same stuff he does!" The bird frowned.
"How come I don't get any cool clothes? Punka, can I have one of your shirts?" He headed for the closet, but the quick 'roo barred his way. "Aww, come on man!"
"NO way!" he growled. By this time, Trent had already changed. Everyone quieted as he struck a pose.
"How do I look?" he inquired. He bowed at the applause that followed.
"Something is missing," said Mackenzii. She unclipped one of her wallet chains and carried it over to him. She strapped it onto one of his belt loops and stood back. "There! You can borrow that one." she said. Punkaroo laughed to himself.
"Now all ya need is a tongue bar!" Mackenzii arched her eyebrows.
"Punka, you're too much of a wuss to get your tongue pierced, why should he?"
"For one, Mac, I was kidding. And I am NOT too much of a wuss! At least I have tattoos, what do YOU have to show?" he retorted. She leaned back. "Oh yeah? I'll get a tattoo if you get a tongue bar."
"Fine. Tomorrow?"
"Fine!"
Trent blinked a few times and whispered to Pavo, "Are they dating or something?" The feline and marsupial promptly shouted "NO!!" in unison.

A couple of days passed, and then Moe called up everyone for a small party at his place. They brought Trent along, to meet everybody. "Here's the beer," called Moe, carrying in two six-packs. "There's more in the kitchen." Everyone conversed for a while, idle and silly chatter. Punka was oddly silent.
"So," giggled Jinx. He was obviously in better spirits than last time Trent saw him, but it could have been the beer. "Heard your hair's like mine now! Show us!"
Trent shook his head quickly. "No, no. My, um, hat is on..and, uh, that messed it up. So..yeah." Kizzy reached over and snatched the purple and red baseball cap, much to his dismay. The spiked hair was gone..he was shaved bald!
Most everyone began laughing, but Punka remained quiet. "What..what happened?!" Mackenzii sputtered between convulsions of joyful giggles. Trent frowned.
"Mom didn't like it..made me shave it off..." Mackenzii just laughed harder.
"You mean..your mom dyes her fur purple...and she made you shaved your bleached hair? But let you keep the earring?" He nodded, only causing everyone to cackle even more.
   Fumbling for something to draw attention to something other than himself, he commented on the first thing he saw when he looked up.
   "Hey Mac, nice tattoo..." he started. They all stopped laughing to admire the new tattoo on Mackenzii's shoulder. An anarchy symbol. "Very cool!" "I like it!" "Good goin' Mackers," came the comments. Kizzy looked over at the silent marsupial.
   "Hey Punka, what do you think?" the 'roo looked at Kizzy and then up at Mac, who awaited his two cents. When Punkaroo opened his mouth to reply, his tongue fell out the side of his mouth, pierced and swollen quite badly. "Ah thik iss quate nace."

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