Meet the Friedman's

Morgan is your average snotty teenager: her clothes and hair is totally new, her little brother is a dweeb, and her father is clueless in all areas unrelated to Plate Tectonics, which is how he got his Ph.D. It's is also why they are moving from San Fransisco to Small Town, American, in the West, where cowboys and hicks live, according to Jem, the youngest of the two siblings; it's the first place to offer Mr. Friedman a job.

James Arnold "Jem" Friedman is fourteen, completely occupied with girls, video games, skateboards, girls, spiking his hair, girls, and (secretly) Astronomy. He was labeled as a nerd in middle school and has since recovered to a "skater" rank in junior high. Olive-toned skin with freckles, matching hair-color, and blue eyes. His new braces fiercely threaten his new popularity, and any chance of ever having a girlfriend, so he makes sure to get black rubber bands and bares them at bullies. He got a rough reputation with the Super Intendant in the first month of the school year, for being in two fist fights and accused of starting a food fight in the cafeteria. His father hopes the move will allow Jem to start "with a clean slate" (pun very much intended by Mr. Friedman).

Mr. Friedman is a round, short, balding, middle-aged man, with eye-twinkles and nose that looks like a miniature of his torso and is red from him constantly wiping it on account of a head-cold he's had since Jem was three. He's a naturally trusting man and very kind-hearted, but is also a softie when it comes to disciplining his children. His trouble in finding a job stems mostly from a slight stutter, making lectures on the university level difficult (Hence his eagerness in accepting a job in a little high school). He's had the stammer for years and Specialists say it stems from an inferiority complex.
Mr. Theodore "Theo" Friedman wears bland clothes, usually involving fading sweater-vests and grey pants. His mouth has a little droop at one corner that gives him the appearance of frowning most of the time. He likes documentaries and murder mysteries, classical music, clam chowder, and plays golf (poorly) in his free time.
In short, Theo Friedman is often described as a sad little man by everyone except himself, his children, and late wife, who would call him bubbly and soft-voice and -hearted with a weakness for tiny, fluffy dogs.

Morgan, who is the actual Main Character, is tall and gangly, with hardly any shape she's proud of. For most of her life, her chocolate, wavy hair reached almost past her back, until most of her friends started to chop theirs off, and she eventually followed suit. Unlike her peers, however, Morgan didn't hack it into a small, tight bob, but kept it shoulder-length so she could still pull it back. Although technically "in style," her clothes are always department store brandless things, and never the boutique-style fashion she dreams about. She still wears the same sneakers from last year. They're broken in, fit her feet like thick skin, and are perfect for her track meets, but are "tasteless," as she described them to her father. Morgan wishes she could be like her other friends, who wear beautiful flats or heels, or even "dressy-casual" sneakers to school.
Apart from her many desires, Morgan enjoyed her art classes at her old high school, even though she considers herself a pretty incompetent painter. She prefers Oldies to Pop, and knows every Herman's Hermits songs by heart. She's been nagging her father for voice lessons, but without much success. When she doesn't get her way, she resorts to sarcasm and scoffing sighs, complete with eye-rolling.
Only two years older than her brother, their relationship is on basically good terms: they were called the Dynamic Duo by every old spinster and her sister on the block, but have since found different interests, and really talk only late on school nights about personal things.

This family is for my modern day Beauty and the Beast story, which I'm still stitching a plot together for. You may be hearing more about it in the near future.