Dominic McKenzie

[Wash*]

Name: Dominic McKenzie
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Grade: Senior (12th)
School: Bayview Secondary School
Hobbies and Interests: Music Theory, Percussion, Literature, Creative Writing

Appearance: Standing at just a shade under 5'9, with a build that would best be described as ‘average' bordering on ‘slight', Dominic McKenzie has always had an uncanny ability to blend in with a crowd. Despite his spirited efforts in the past, his hair has always refused to resemble anything other than an unkempt mess of light brown. His complexion is fairly healthy and his eyes are a pleasant shade of light blue, deep-set in a somewhat sunken face with prominent cheekbones. He is generally seen sporting polo shirts and jeans, both expensive and well-co-ordinated.

Biography: Born in one of the more affluent parts of Edinburgh, Dominic became used to a comfortable lifestyle from a very young age. Second and youngest child of Scott and Katherine McKenzie he spent most of his early years in the company of his sister Hayley, five years his senior and fiercely protective of her little brother. Dominic was a naturally quiet child, speaking only when he found it strictly necessary and as such he was never part of the popular cliques. He attended Yorke Park Primary School and was content to be part of a small circle of friends. He was never troubled by bullies thanks to Hayley, whose firebrand reputation preceded her and would ensure that anyone who picked on Dominic received a swift and painful retribution.

Dominic's education proceeded without disruption and, on schedule, he moved up to Parmiters Comprehensive. Here he noticeably struggled, as his fellow students began developing from children to adolescents Dominic found it more and more difficult to strike up conversations and make new friends. More often than not he would give up entirely and retreat into his burgeoning passions: music and literature. He'd first been allowed on a drum kit at age ten and had almost instantly fallen in love with the instrument. Pleased that their son seemed to finally be showing an interest in something, Dominic's parents rushed him into lessons, where it quickly became apparent that he had a natural sense of rhythm. Through encouragement and training this developed into a pretty thorough understanding of music theory in general and he began taking grades with considerable enjoyment. Similarly, Dominic first started creative writing when he was twelve and before long his hard drive and bedroom floor alike were littered with plays, short stories, duologues and the occasional poem. Music and writing became his outlets, providing the cathartic release that his taciturn nature otherwise denied him.

Life at Parmiters was not exactly a wild stream of parties and booze but for Dominic it was as tolerable as it was ever going to be. Captain Popular he was not, but his constant presence in the music rooms and the library had allowed him to meet other like-minded people and build a few close friendships, friendships he cherished more than he cared to admit. It had been during his time at Parmiters that Dominic had come to terms with his homosexuality, which he treated with the kind of equanimity he extended to most events and interactions. Raised by his parents to be open-minded and liberal, Dominic had no qualms about accepting himself for who he was and, to his relief, his few friends felt the same way. Being gay was simply another facet of his personality and Dominic was content with things that way. His natural introversion prevailed in one respect however – Dominic is still a virgin and to date has never even kissed a boy.

It was during this period of relative content that Dominic's father made a grave announcement. It was January 23rd 2007, three days after Dominic's seventeenth birthday, that Scott announced that the U.S.-based construction company he worked for had fallen short of their quarterly predictions and were closing most of their overseas branches. The good news was that Scott had been promised a continued position in the company, unfortunately it would require a relocation to Minnesota, the location of the company's head offices. Loathe as the family were to leave Edinburgh, the instability of the economic climate meant that Scott simply couldn't afford to turn down a solid job offer. Hayley, now twenty-one and living independently, opted to stay put, however for Dominic there was no choice in the matter. By March 3rd 2007 the McKenzie family had settled in Minnesota and Dominic was awaiting his first day at Bayview.

Unfortunately, Dominic's shyness finally got the best of him at Bayview. He spent his first day in an isolated bubble, struggling to assert himself, keenly aware of how his mannerisms and accent marked him out as an outsider. Try as he might, the courage to start talking to people, to join an orchestra or a writing society, simply eluded him. Days stretched into weeks and then into months with Dominic consistently failing to make new friends or even establish himself as any kind of presence. Every morning he would take deep breaths and pledge to strike up a conversation or join a society and every evening he would trail home with the same sense of listless defeat, exasperated with himself and his social inadequacy. As 2008 rolled around and the anniversary of Dominic's first day at Bayview crept ever closer, he was still yet to hold a significant conversation with another student. He had long since given up on his morning pledges and was simply waiting out his education, retreating ever further into the sanctuary of writing and music.

Advantages: Without any real friends at Bayview, Dominic is entirely without the kind of allegiances that would cause problems in SotF. By the same token, he has made no enemies of other students, having done nothing to warrant anyone bearing him any particular ill will.
Disadvantages: Dominic is no fighter and certainly no killer. He is not particularly athletic nor especially strong and would likely have trouble holding his own in any physical confrontation, not to mention the fact that he has no experience with weapons whatsoever. Furthermore, his lack of prior interaction with other students could cause them to be reluctant to trust him.