S043 - Lauer, Donovan [DECEASED]

#1

Name: Donovan Lauer
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Grade: 12th
School: John Endecott Memorial Academy
Hobbies and Interests: Basketball, track & field, cross country, hustle culture, music, mobile gaming

Appearance: Donovan presents a relatively short figure; he stands at 5'6", and his weight is average, at 137 pounds. He has a rectangular body shape, a medium frame, and broad shoulders; he is neither thin nor overweight, though he appears somewhat slim. His devotion to his athletic interests has left him toned and well-exercised, and Donovan is physically healthy despite a poor diet. His skin is fair but pale, and he burns significantly in the sunlight.

Donovan has slightly wavy, medium-length hair of a light brown color, which he parts to his left; his eyebrows are thin and match the color of his hair. He has expressive, upturned eyes of a light-brown color. His face is triangular, and his chin is round and prominent due to the slight narrowness of his neck; in addition, Donovan has a Grecian nose and thin lips. The skin of his face is soft, giving him a youthful, boyish appearance; his facial hair grows very slowly, and when it does, he shaves it.

Donovan's fashion focuses on comfort and skews heavily informal; much of his wardrobe is cheap or old due to his poor background. Despite this, he often spends some of his excess money on luxuries such as nice clothing; in particular, he has an affinity for necklaces and shoes, which he views as a symbol of success and status. On the day of the abduction, Donovan wore a white and gray layered-look long-sleeved shirt, faded jeans, an unzipped gray hoodie worn with age, a chain, and a pair of White/Roma Green/Black Jordan Point Lanes.

Biography: Donovan Lauer was born, relatively unplanned, in Gardner, Massachusetts; he was—and remains—the only child of Henry Lauer, a hospital maintenance worker, and Emily Lauer (née Peterson), a grocery clerk. The two worked low-income jobs with long hours, leaving little room for emotional connection; even outside of his hours, Henry was always on-call, while Emily spent her free time working in the gig economy to supplement their income.

Their economic situation was precarious, and neither parent was mentally or materially prepared to raise a child. The months leading to their son's birth were tense and filled with discussion, and while the two resolved to do their best to give their child a decent quality of life, their family situation remained unstable. Emily returned to work as soon as possible, desperate to shore up costs; the young Donovan was often temporarily handed into the care of family friends or babysitters as the parents spent the day at work. The family eventually relocated to Salem, specifically the neighborhood known as The Point, where the rent was cheap and nearby wages were higher; despite this, their economic situation improved only slightly.

Donovan's childhood was austere at best and spartan at worst; he lacked the luxuries that his peers enjoyed, which fueled growing envy towards their situations and a strong resentment of his own. He recognized that his life was worse than that of his peers but didn't understand why; instead, he grew frustrated and humiliated with his comparative poverty. This resentment made Donovan miserable in the education system because he would often hear other children brag and boast about their new toys and family vacations; school quickly became an uncomfortable, unhappy place for him. Donovan never developed a love or appreciation for his education; he would refuse to push himself further than necessary, becoming frustrated and difficult when faced with expectations greater than the bare minimum. His teachers eventually confronted his parents over the situation; while they acknowledged the problem, they felt powerless to do anything other than nudge Donovan in the right direction. This tactic did little to solve the root cause of the problem, and while prodding resulted in a minor improvement in his grades, his lack of motivation continued to weigh down his achievements.

Donovan learned the value of ingratiation from a young age; driven by his lack of creature comforts, he would go out of his way to earn the friendship of those around him. His preferred method was to perform tasks or do dares in exchange for material rewards, such as toys or money. These relationships, at first entirely transactional, eventually resulted in some genuine friendships; Donovan leveraged his new company for connections. He would often help those who lived in his local area for a price; the chores of others, such as raking and plowing, were a mainstay of his income for many years, and his connections allowed him to have some money to spend.

Donovan became self-reliant and independent earlier than most; over time, he was left increasingly to his own devices. He taught himself how to prepare food in middle school, limited at first to only the microwave, but later the oven and stove, through observation and what limited teaching he could receive from the adults in his life. He washed his dishes and did his laundry, as he often found that they wouldn't get done unless he did them himself.

Donovan had little to occupy his copious amounts of after-school time, so he often spent it at local parks, vying with other students in running competitions or on the basketball court; in these situations, he proved physically adept and a strong contender. The thrill of victory appealed greatly to Donovan; it was exhilarating to find something he was finally good at, unlike school, and which was not curbed by cost, like toys or video games. Shortly after, Donovan signed up for several of his school's teams; basketball, cross country, and track & field became his primary hobbies. He found that his skills in one were easily applicable to the others; all three relied on speed and stamina, while basketball and track required acrobatic technique and hand-eye coordination.

The competition that athletics presented drew out a different side of Donovan, one that was highly motivated and excited, a far cry from the usual apathy he displayed daily. He was fiercely competitive and took matters incredibly seriously, reacting with fury towards the failings of sub-par teammates or misery at his errors. While Donovan was always willing to admit his own mistakes and work to improve himself, his appraisals of others were often brutal, and many of his peers would find themselves hurt by his merciless but mostly accurate put-downs. Donovan especially hated those who couldn't pull their weight and burdened others; the idea that they could hold him back from success was a common source of stress in his mind.

Donovan soon attempted to convince his parents to let him participate in travel basketball, traditionally viewed as more prestigious and competitive than recreational basketball; he had qualified, and all he needed was their permission and transportation. The two, constrained by their work and unwilling to drive him to-and-from out-of-town games, immediately shut down the idea; he tried to persuade them and argue, but they didn't change their answer, no matter how hard he stood his ground. Their refusal crushed Donovan, who had expected to receive support and even praise; it was embarrassing for him to have to explain to the team that he wasn't allowed to participate. Donovan remained in home games and recreational basketball programs, but his lack of participation in travel basketball was detrimental to future team prospects.

As a means of relaxation, Donovan turned increasingly to music; in particular, he was engaged by the beats and flow of hip-hop, although aspects of rock and metal also appealed to him. The themes and messages of hip-hop, especially those concerning hardship, were relatable to Donovan; it made him feel less alone in his problems. He would often listen to music while doing solo basketball drills or to help him decompress after tense games or stressful days at school. He bartered a pair of cheap earbuds and an MP3 player from some of his friends, and he would go to a library to download music on them, using their free computers; it was through this that he experienced the works of a wide variety of artists.

Donovan's grades improved significantly in middle school, but only because of the requirement that he maintain a C+ average to partake in sports; despite his surface-level motivations, his teachers saw an opportunity to help an otherwise uninterested student become invested in learning. Donovan was receptive initially, surprised by the attention; however, attempts at completing higher-level assignments soured him on the idea. He had begun to lag behind his peers, and the realization left Donovan startled; he returned to his comfort zone and only attempted to maintain his team commitments from this point forward.

When it became time for Donovan to enter high school, his parents decided to send him to John Endecott Memorial Academy; it was the nearest school to their apartment in The Point and thus the most convenient for the couple. The two made no effort to include their son in the conversation; they didn't consider his thoughts or feelings on the matter and assumed their son, usually apathetic about his education, wouldn't care. Donovan, aware of the school's abysmal athletic reputation, was furious; he harbored ambitions of becoming a professional athlete and believed a potential career was at risk. He viewed it as a betrayal of his trust, interpreting their previous silence on the matter as tacit evidence in his favor. At first, he didn't speak to them for days, which soon escalated to him refusing to attend school; while friends later talked him down, his relationship with his parents, already distant, was seriously damaged.

At the end of his Sophomore year, Donovan—now of legal age to work—sought to find a job, hoping to expedite the process of earning money for himself. He successfully applied for a job at a local Dunkin' Donuts, known to draw its employees heavily from the population of the nearby John Endecott Memorial Academy. Though it was a minimum-wage job, Donovan made more money working full-time over the summer than doing odd jobs and tasks for his peers. Donovan couldn't work full-time when summer vacation ended, so he scaled back to working part-time on weekends to give him time for school and practice. He remains employed there, alternating between full and part-time work depending on the time of year, and he is considered an extremely reliable employee.

Donovan, in addition, continues to run jobs for other students; to this day, he is considered a dependable individual to complete tasks or acquire items, the caveat being that he only offers his services for payment. The price of his services depends on the scope and scale of the task or items required and the resources he has to use to achieve the goal; however, the price is always somewhat inflated, though not enough to appear unreasonable. The sources and quality of the objects he acquires are highly dubious, and others have suspected—and even accused—him of stealing them; despite this, all misconduct on his part is unproven, and those who rely on him trust him.

Donovan typically saves his money until he can afford something he wants; in one case, he used his savings to purchase a smartphone. Until he acquired the smartphone, he had used a cheap flip phone with little functionality other than to call and text. Donovan soon found himself hooked on mobile gaming, especially arcade-style space shooters; their replayability, in his mind, was great for keeping himself occupied when there was nothing else to do. He decided these games were fun enough to justify spending real-life money on in-game currencies and items, though only in limited amounts.

Donovan continues to serve his athletic and sports commitments; he is considered an above-average basketball player, especially for a team as bad as John Endecott Memorial Academy's Terriers. Despite this, he lacks the resources, support, and experience that many of his peers have received for their athletic pursuits, a fact he laments. Donovan, though indisputably a skilled point guard, remains the team's third-stringer, owing to a history of disputes with other teammates and the coach; as a result, Donovan hasn't played as much as is ideal, impacting his ability to find scholarship offers. His weaknesses as a player are his temper and playing as a team member; he has little confidence in his fellow players and prefers to do everything himself. Donovan views this lack of confidence as entirely justified by the team's lackluster performance; he has grown increasingly frustrated at what he sees as an incompetent team with incompetent leadership.

In addition to basketball, Donovan is a respected member of the cross country team and the track & field team; he is a fast runner, and his hand-eye coordination and throwing skills are easily transferable. Donovan has had more success as an individual athlete in these pursuits when compared to basketball; despite this, he continues to prioritize basketball over his other commitments, to the detriment of his efforts elsewhere. As a result, he hasn't reached his full potential in these sports, despite the aptitude he possesses.

Donovan, when it comes to school, remains strictly within his comfort zone; he consistently achieves the bare minimum and bristles under the expectations of others. His grades are always a C+ average, something he is content with; Donovan is entirely disinterested in trying, and while his teachers have tried to reach him, he fails to see why he should put effort into a subject in which he doesn't excel.

Donovan is well-liked by many of his peers; he cultivates an appearance of being laid-back and relaxed, and he often performs favors and jobs for his peers. He has an active social life and attends occasions such as parties. Despite this, Donovan is not without enemies; many of his teammates resent him for his poor attitude and ruthless dismissal of them, viewing him as an abrasive, volatile presence that disrupts an otherwise enjoyable hobby. His relationship with his parents is very strained; their continued ignorance and neglect of his interests and feelings deeply hurts Donovan, who genuinely believes they don't care about him. Over time, he has grown increasingly resentful of this fact, little helped by their lack of attempt to connect with him. He spends little time at home, only staying there when required; he'd rather be anywhere else.

Donovan is unsure of what he plans to do after high school. His parents haven't saved any money for him, and he has little interest in his education, rendering his college opportunities slim. Donovan has had no scholarship offers yet, but continues to wait with insistence; his height, prior lack of participation in travel basketball, and membership in an overlooked team all factor against him. Though he dreams of pursuing a career in professional basketball, his self-perceived status as the best player on the worst team does little to assuage his dread for the future, given his less-than-stellar prospects.

Advantages: Donovan thrives in competition with others; his drive for victory will push him forward in a life-or-death situation. He is willing to use underhanded tactics to advance his objectives, which will help him adjust to the moral quandaries that the game presents. Donovan has good hand-eye coordination, speed, and stamina from his athletics; these facts will help him outpace other competitors physically. He is generally well-liked by his peers, and the favors he is owed grant him some level of influence and leverage over other students; these facts may allow him to shift social situations to his advantage.
Disadvantages: Donovan is tempestuous, thin-skinned, and prone to emotional outbursts; he reacts poorly to setbacks and struggles, which may work against him in unpredictable, fraught situations. He tends to underestimate those around him, minimizing their skills and talents; he may fail to account for potential threats with proper seriousness. Donovan tends towards apathy; he puts little effort into the things he doesn't care about and may neglect care or safety in dangerous circumstances.

Designated Number: Student No. 043

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Designated Weapon: IWI Masada (9mm pistol)

Conclusion: America may run on Dunkin, but everyone runs from an IWI Masada - Abby Soto