The things Monte Vista students carried were largely determined by necessity. Their necessity however, was determined by outward appearance. Among the necessities or near-necessities, were lipstick, cell phones, eyeliners, weapons, chewing gum, cigarettes, car keys, jewelry, credit cards, slim fast, a strong social personality, a depressed smile, and some vodka secretly hidden in a plastic water bottle. Together, these items weighed between five and ten pounds on the social scale, neatly stuffed in a Jansport backpack or Louie Baton purse. John Jenkins, who played football, carried his letterman jacket and a strong ego. Rob Bredenbach, whose life was music, carried a CD player, a chain necklace, and his happiness from the concert the night before. Ethan Stone, who was scared of the drug dealers that enslaved him, carried an army knife that his father gave him. By necessity, because they did not want to be labeled as outcasts, because they wanted to be okay, they all wore the latest fashions and trends in their own right. A t-shirt would be fashionable in some groups, and not in others. They all had the standard changing personality. Very few carried the tears from the night before, although the scars on their wrists still remained. Until she drank too much and was taken to the Emergency Room, Shirley Lawson carried seven water bottles filled with Greygoose, which for her, was a necessity. Adam King, the local bookworm, carried collectible cards and a forty two-sided die. Sarah Connor carried her diary, which she hoped to publish. Michael Love, who wanted to impress strangers, carried a Svengali deck of cards. And after being beaten until he screamed and begged for them to stop, Ethan Stone carried a .44 Desert Eagle, to stop feeling powerless. Necessity dictated. Because the students were such shallow minds, it was necessary to have a personality that would draw attention from others. If one couldn’t produce a working personality, they depended on looks. Lipstick, mascara, Clearasil, Neutrogena, and eyeliner. Because every student understood loneliness, each felt the need for a companion. However, those who could not find one found alternatives. For example, Ethan Stone, who was depressed, took ecstasy, which made him feel light-hearted and alive, but sent his body into convulsions, and put him in a coma like state. When he woke up, he found the pistol Phil had sold him, and shot himself in the head.