Leona Christopher

[CJanosi*]

Name: Leona Christopher
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Grade: 12
School: Bayview Secondary School
Hobbies and Interests: Leona has recently taken to jogging to build her body back up, hanging out at the mall. Leona is also a good singer, and is a part of choir.

Appearance: Leona has dark brown skin(toffee-colored, as she's been told) and almost-black brown eyes. She is 5'6, weighs around 120 pounds and is fairly thin, having only recently begun to gain back her weight. She has fair curves and by her estimation has grown from an A cup to a B in the past year. Leona's hair is black, not a raven-hue but more of a charcoal color. It falls down to her neck and no further in springy curls that are tied back into a bun, usually. Leona has a 'killer smile', with straight white teeth and pouty lips. Leona's cheeks are oddly chubby for someone of her weight and look even stranger compared to her rather slim face. She also has a fading scar on her chin. It reaches from her bottom lip to the tip of her chin.

Biography: Leona was born in New Orleans and was raised by her mother, Vanity, and her father, James. Leona's parents weren't wealthy or poor, instead existing in the middle ground- they always had enough to eat, but sometimes Leona didn't get what she wanted at Christmas. They made do. Her grandfather, Vanity's dad who lived with the Christophers, doted on his grandbaby and often spent hours telling her about his life in Zimbabwe.

The family was living in moderate happiness when Hurricane Nobella hit, shattering the glass windows that Leona had once looked through on rainy days, crushing the cabinets where mama kept the flour that made her carrot cake so great, frying the television that granddad had used to show Leona his favorite singers, and taking James's life while Leona, Vanity, and granddad fled to their roof.

To this day, Leona can't estimate how long they were stuck there. The heat made her eyes blurry, and the dehydration made her mouth stale. They were alone on their street, as everyone else seemed to have been asleep at the time- Leona tried not to imagine their bodies, floating near their beds. All Leona could remember was Vanity holding her shoulders, crying, telling her that 'people gon' come'. The sun came and went many times, and after a while, even Leona, in her haze, noticed that hope was not going to cut it. Vanity was the weakest and she wouldn't last much longer; granddad seemed okay, just staring out at the water, always staring.

Vanity died the next day, and granddad kept staring at the water. Leona wanted to cry for her mother, but she knew that strength was the only thing that would keep her from dying as well. Soon, a group approached them, riding along on a makeshift raft along the newly made river. They were clearly tired and, being the only people who could help them onto the roof, asked to stay with Leona and granddad. When they came, Leona noticed that each of the three people were clutching bundles close to themselves. Granddad was coughing now- she had to do something.

Leona's plan originally had her smothering the people during their sleep, but she quickly lost heart when she knelt over the first man that night. Leona went back to sleep. Several days passed by until help arrived in the form of a FEMA party. They were taken to a hospital, where they stayed for several more days, granddad in a very poor condition. Lack of water had left him with organ damage, which Leona quickly took as a sign of her own weakness. While in the hospital herself, Leona was treated for dehydration and a few infections(caused by inhaling the water fumes). She is still taking vitamin supplements and goes to physical therapy with her granddad, as well as weekly visits with a FEMA-appointed psychotherapist. Her psychotherapy deals with her recent feelings of intense anger and resentment, most of which she aims at her peers for not understanding what she's been through. As such, Leona has developed a complex in which she feels the need to prove herself and her strength to others. She's sure that anyone who tries to pity her needs to be shown that she can take care of herself.

Leona's aunt, sister of James, invited Leona and granddad to stay with her. Saddened, Leona left New Orleans and was enrolled in Bayview Secondary School. A naturally charismatic girl, Leona's initial shyness towards the students of Bayview still lingers, but she has grown to have several close friends. Leona puts a great deal of focus into her schoolwork and extracurricular activities in an attempt to distance herself from memories of Nobella and granddad's worsening condition. She avoids her aunt's house as much as she can because watching her grandfather wither and her aunt's family watching her for any signs of 'breaking' are unbearable.

One of her ways to avoid her family is choir. Both of Leona's parents were singers, and her grandfather was almost a celebrity back in Zimbabwe, so Leona proved to be a natural. She earned a spot on the choir thanks to her near-flawless soprano, making her a valued member of the group.

Advantages: She's a smart girl. She'll be able to tell when people are trying to dupe her, and she's got a knack for dealing with irrational people. She is very charismatic when she wants to be and has plenty of allies among her fellow students. Leona also won't hesitate to use her tragic past to manipulate others into helping her.
Disadvantages: Tends to bite off more than she can chew, and her body is still reeling from the effects that Nobella had on it. Leona is prone to cockiness and gets carried away and angry when challenged by others, especially if they do so in an insulting way.