S075 - Hartley, Betty "Ty" [DECEASED]

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Name: Betty "Ty" Hartley
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Grade: 12th
School: John Endecott Memorial Academy
Hobbies and Interests: Cheerleading, motorcycles, physical fitness, cooking, lawn games, anti-bullying

Appearance: Ty typically wears her caramel-blonde hair down to her shoulders, with a slight, side-swept long bang line. On hot, humid days it tends to frizz up from its usual relaxed waves, so she typically takes extra effort to prevent the frizzing with mousse. While she typically wears it down in class, she ties it back with her favorite hair tie: a thick black scrunchie. She has a tendency to forget to trim, making her hair appear somewhat uneven.

Ty’s background is distinctly Anglo-Saxon. Because she is physically active, she has light tanned skin, with tan lines that are more visible when she wears a tank or shorts. She has a smattering of freckles across her cheekbones and nose. Despite her personality and physical size, she has been described as having somewhat of a babyface at rest: a large curved forehead, round cheeks, a small button nose, and large, cat-like hazel eyes. Although Ty is part of the popular crowd, she doesn’t wear particularly heavy makeup on regular occasions, opting for tinted ChapStick or lip gloss, minimal foundation or concealer, and some slight eyeshadow and liner. This is typically because she finds that makeup can be obstructive and a hassle to deal with. That said, she has prepared more detailed looks for special occasions.

Ty is 6’2 and 199 pounds, making her one of the taller and more muscular students at school. She takes pride in her athleticism and her role on the cheer team, so she eats healthy muscle-building food and exercises on a regular basis. She has long limbs, a muscular torso, and broad shoulders, which, combined with her height, has made her a base by default.

As far as dress sense goes, Ty does have some interest in fashion, but for the most part, she is focused on comfort and movement rather than aesthetics. So, her dress sense is more casual, with some elements of athleisure. In terms of color schemes, she has a love of greys, silvers, and blacks. This didn’t change too much on the day of the abduction: she wore a baggy grey hoodie layered over a dark grey tank top and black leggings with black converse. For accessories, she wore a silver rectangle-shaped necklace, a small bracelet, and her scrunchie on her wrist.

Biography: Betty “Ty” Hartley was born to Carla and Garry Hartley in Salem, Massachusetts. Carla had worked in the tourist sphere as a historian who educated the public about the town’s history, while Garry worked in Salem’s police department, eventually rising to the ranks of Chief of Police. Carla’s pregnancy was a notably difficult one; due to a pre-existing medical condition that was only discovered in the second trimester she started experiencing health issues. Despite this, the pregnancy was not terminated. However, complications arose during labor, and ultimately Carla passed away while giving birth to Ty.

Because of Carla’s passing, Garry had difficulty raising Ty for the longest time. The grief of losing his wife, combined with the extra effort of raising a child alone and the increasing work hours, meant he wasn’t as capable of providing for a child’s needs. While she was well-fed and received necessary care, Ty’s upbringing was noticeably more latchkey as she was growing up, with her often spending time at friends’ houses. Despite this, she adored her father, to the point of viewing him as one of the biggest role models in her life.

As she grew older, Ty proved to be a feisty, energetic child. A few times in elementary she got in trouble for horseplay, as she had a tendency to play-wrestle with other students. Additionally, her strong sense of justice meant that she would often become more confrontational, standing up to bullies and teachers who she felt were being unfair. This evened out some as she got older, as she started to understand the repercussions of her acting out. Additionally, her father opted to enroll her in cheerleading at a local gym in first grade: because of his longer work hours and Ty’s rambunctiousness, he felt that enlisting her in an after-school activity would help, as she’d get more supervision and more opportunities to get her energy out. Additionally, a family friend also had a daughter who was taking classes, which influenced Garry’s decision. Ty took to it quickly and began priding herself on her physical ability as a cheerleader. Ty would grow to have experience with both scholastic and competitive all-star cheerleading throughout her life.

Ty began to fall into a specific friend group of four other girls, that she is still with to this day. The group first met when they were placed in the same class together in third grade and began to bond. Because they each coincidentally shared the same first name, this is where she received the nickname ‘Ty’, as a way of distinguishing her from the others. As someone with a natural protective streak towards those she cares about, she is deeply loyal to the other Betties. As someone who comes from a latchkey single-parent background, she views them as, essentially, honorary family members, which has strengthened her bond with them.

While Ty has always been one of the taller girls in her grade, she hit a growth spurt sometime in middle school, where she began to tower over other students. Also, she got into an incident in 7th grade where she punched another student in the face for bullying one of the less popular kids. After she was reprimanded and suspended for a few days, this, combined with her newfound height, gave her a reputation for being physically aggressive. She was talked to firmly by Garry at home, and encouraged to use other methods in the future. A few more rumors circulated, mostly made up or speculated by other students, of her acting confrontational in other ways. This led to others being cautious around her, which she used to her advantage. Because she had a strong dislike of bullies, she began using her reputation as a way to put others in line, such as approaching bullies to quietly intimidate them if she saw them acting up.

This actually slowly but steadily improved her reputation over time, as she eventually, over the course of the following school year, was seen as someone to go to if a less popular student was dealing with bullies. It helped that Ty was, by this point, an accomplished cheerleader. She’d already begun a small collection of medals starting from 6th grade, which she would steadily expand over the years. Thus, the combination of her being able to make troublesome classmates back down and her athletic talent pushed Ty into the ranks of popularity. The rest of the Betties, in turn, would also become part of the popular crowd, each for their own individual reasons; in particular, Betty Black had accomplished older siblings, while Betty Quinn was a top student. Their reputation would follow them into high school.

Additionally, at the encouragement of her teachers following the incident, she began actively participating in anti-bullying efforts on campus, such as helping out with events meant to raise awareness and joining on-campus groups intended to educate and eliminate bullying. She is still involved in these efforts to this day, as she feels like bullying is still something that people need to be educated on, as it still isn't frequently discussed in regular conversation. However, she has felt that some of the more conventional suggestions for stopping bullying aren't satisfactory, as it doesn't have a long-lasting impact. So, she has asked around for more effective long-term solutions.

Around this same time, the Betties began to bond over lawn games, such as croquet, bocce, horseshoe toss, and beanbag toss. One of the group’s parents had suggested it as a way to encourage the girls to be active outside. While Ty had not been exposed to lawn games prior, she developed a knack for it. As a player, Ty tends to be competitive, in a friendly fashion. Sometimes the group does take the assorted lawn games seriously, leading to brief spats that are fairly swiftly recovered.

In late freshman year, Garry opted to adopt a retired K-9 unit from his jurisdiction. His department had worked with the dog, a German Shepherd named Storm, before, and while he had been a longstanding member of the force, he was getting on in years, enough so that his age would be a detriment to his abilities. Ty, a longtime dog lover who dreamed of having her own, quickly grew attached to him. She quickly found as much information as she could about taking care of dogs, especially of Storm’s breed, background, and unique needs. Storm has been in good health, but he is prone to anxiety due to stressors from his time as a K-9 unit. For this reason, Ty has been careful not to stress him out too much. However, she has considered him a jogging buddy, as she takes him along with her when she’s going out running, accommodating for his needs as she does so.

Ty has remained a dedicated cheerleader who tried out for the cheer team the second she could in freshman year, and participates on and off-campus. A fair amount of her spare time, whether during school hours or after school, has to do with cheerleading. When it isn't cheer season at JEM, she’s usually trying out, practicing, and competing in official cheer tournaments, as she is interested in both scholastic and competitive cheerleading. While this does take up a chunk of her time, she has a fairly close connection with other cheerleaders that is only eclipsed by her relationship with the other Betties and her father. Ty is typically put as a base due to her taller size and level of strength. Because Ty takes pride in her status as an athlete, she is particular about health and fitness. She works out on a regular basis, such as taking early morning jogs, taking extra care to do warm-up exercises outside of sessions, and doing some strength training. Ty enjoys each milestone she’s accomplished in fitness and feels the sensation of achievement is positive.

Additionally, Ty is particular about her diet. As an athlete on the larger side, Ty has required bigger meals full of protein. So, she has started to learn how to cook in order to gain the nutrients she needs in a healthy manner. She has done research on meal plans meant for athletes, including those used by professionals. Ty has also found that the act of cooking can be fulfilling, as she is making a meal for herself and others to enjoy. Because her dad has a habit of working long hours and not eating well when he comes home, she usually leaves leftovers for him to eat up so that he has something to eat when he gets back. That said, Ty is generally food-motivated, which, combined with her being used to larger meals, means that she feels hungry much more easily than other people.

Ty has maintained her reputation from middle school; as a member of the Betties, she has enjoyed popularity both from her success as an athlete and the group’s combined factors. Also, she still has a habit of standing up to bullies and other troublemakers. She has even gone so far as to get into physical confrontations with other students in the past. Unlike in middle school, these have largely taken place off-campus; Ty values her achievements as a cheerleader and does not want to jeopardize it over something minor, so she is careful enough to avoid making a scene in front of authority figures. Additionally, Ty typically adjusts her strategy depending on the situation or the person involved: if she’s dealing with a less athletic student, for example, she’d use intimidation, primarily relying on her reputation. With a similarly athletic student, she is more willing to physically confront, making sure to inflict pain without long-lasting injuries. That said, it's not too often for Ty to end up in an actual confrontation, as the last major incident was in junior year, where she and a fellow classmate agreed to sort things out with a casual brawl. It's more normal for her to use the past incidents of her fighting to oppose bullies instead, as usually neither Ty nor the person in question actually wants to fight. The most common scenario is that she confronts someone at a party or other outing, uses her taller size to loom over them, and tells them off about their actions, whether in the moment or something that happened previously, usually involving them harassing a less popular student. Naturally, this has lead to her often being cast in bouncer-type roles at social events hosted by other students, as they know if things get out of hand, she'd go out of their way to put a stop to it. Ty’s strong sense of justice often means she usually targets those who are picking on less popular students, under the belief that it is her responsibility to protect others. Despite her coming off as brash sometimes, she has a strong sense of empathy and feels easily incensed by the mistreatment of others.

That said, there have been aspects of her methods that make problems worse rather than better. Ty is typically hotheaded and impulsive, which means that she tends to have a habit of not thinking things through due to relying on gut feelings and initial emotions. Also, because of Ty’s strong feelings, she can be easily manipulated. There have been times where the other Betties have encouraged her to confront someone on their behalf, and because Ty is so protective of them due to their history, she often goes through with it. The group has historically engaged in acts that could be considered bullying, but Ty has brushed off the negative behavior of her fellow Betties, seeing it as more of a joke or a misunderstanding. The reason why is that Ty is deeply loyal to them, and has a harder time acknowledging when they do something hurtful. If the group is accused of bullying, Ty firmly denies it, often getting angry at the idea of someone accusing her of doing something she is disgusted by. However, there have been times where she has called the group out on taking things too far; this is typically more gentle than her other approaches, and she has actually been able to call them off of targets in the past. Despite being hardheaded about her loyalty to the Betties, she is capable of noticing when they push things. Overall, because the most common incidents are her going out of her way to help less fortunate students and she's otherwise agreeable, she is more well-known for opposing bullies. She's friendly when talked to in a casual setting, if a little brash and opinionated, and tends to be helpful in other ways, such as using her strength to help set up and take down for events, lugging heavy materials, and giving feedback to other athletes on their performance. Additionally, she has continued to participate in other anti-bullying efforts on campus, such as participating in school events meant to raise awareness.

Ty does not have any significant interest in dating. While she personally identifies as heterosexual, in actuality she is closer to being on the asexual spectrum. However, she is not well-educated in asexuality as a concept, so the possibility of her being such has not occurred to her. She is sometimes confused by others’ interests in relationships but has tried to act like she has an interest in it as an attempt to fit in. While she has dated before, usually she sees her partner as nothing more than a friend and finds the idea of being physically intimate with them uncomfortable.

Quarantine was a difficult time for Ty. As someone who prides herself on her athletic accomplishments, the order to stay indoors and not interact with others was stressful on her. She also missed her friends, particularly the other Betties and her fellow cheerleaders. She dealt with it by continuing to focus on her fitness, such as following exercise videos at home, going on masked jogs, and trying to stick to her normal dietary and warm-up needs as much as possible. Also, she made sure to take extra care of Storm, as she had more time to play with him and give him affection. She did get into a few online arguments with others during the pandemic, as her typical anger-prone personality, combined with the stress of quarantine, meant that she had a shorter fuse than normal. Naturally, she is relieved now that she’s attending classes in person.

One of Ty’s post-high school dreams is to learn how to drive a motorcycle. For as long as she could remember, she has always wanted to have her own bike, with a keen interest in the Harley Davison brand in particular. What draws her to motorcycles is the sense of danger involved, as well as the friendly culture around biking. She is currently doing research on getting a motorcycle license, as well as the type of bikes available, ways to repair them, and other intimate details. She has asked online, followed blogs about biking, and read up on safety and etiquette while on a motorcycle. While she has obtained a driver’s license, she is currently working on getting her motorcycle permit.

Despite the distance between her and her dad, Ty adores him. She is often concerned for his health, as he tends to be stressed out more easily. She is perhaps just as protective of him as she is of the Betties. Because she was raised in a single-parent household, Ty has felt the typical stressors of growing up in a more tense, more distant home life. Her father does love her, and they spend as much time together as possible. That said, Ty tends to be sensitive about her home life and has a short fuse when the subject comes up. One particular thing that riles her up is jokes about police officers, since, as someone who grew up with an officer father and thus grew up in close proximity to police culture, she tends to find such jokes unfunny. Ty typically has a higher impression of police departments and has argued with people who don’t share her perspectives. Similarly, she is sensitive about topics surrounding the death of parents, since she never knew her mother due to her death in childbirth. Garry is aware of her history of her being confrontational and has tried to encourage more peaceful methods of de-escalating, which has helped as, nowadays, she has used them when dealing with people who she feels are acting out of line.

Ty is typically an A and B-grade student, as she works hard on the grounds that academic success would further secure her role on the team. She has applied to colleges as a physical education major, which has been helped by her achievements as a student-athlete. Ty’s hopes are that she’s able to maintain an athletic career as long as humanly possible, with her having an interest in coaching, being a professional athlete, or working as a personal trainer.

Advantages: Ty is particularly athletic from cheerleading, and has some working understanding of hand-to-hand fighting. Ty has a strong sense of empathy and justice, which can be a boon to forming groups. Ty has illustrated she is capable of using intimidation as a way of swaying others. As someone who is both a Betty and an accomplished athlete, she has some social sway, as well as a pre-established group. Although she is brash, she does otherwise come off as a friendly and likable person in casual settings.
Disadvantages: Ty has a reputation for getting into confrontations with others, which may make some people more hesitant to interact with her. She is easily manipulated due to her strongly valuing justice and protecting those she cares about. Additionally, she is impulsive and anger-prone, particularly when it comes to injustice, which may further complicate her relationship with others. Ty is used to having large, protein-filled meals due to her lifestyle, making her more prone to the psychological effects of hunger earlier. Because she is a Betty, some students may have resentment towards her and the rest of her group, which can negatively impact any alliances.

Designated Number: Student No. 075

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Designated Weapon: Colt Single Action Army (Revolver)

Conclusion: You want my advice, S075? Time to become a solo act and dish out some "justice" the old-fashioned way. You can rely on bullets more than Betties. - Matt Richards