Arden Harper ~ District 5

Arden has semi-long dark brown hair (almost black) that is styled up and back. He has three large wrinkles in his forehead along with one smaller crease. Several moles and acne scars mark the rest of Arden’s forehead. The boy has a straight hairline with no widow’s peak. His chin is about an inch and a half long that ends in a subtle point. The teenager has a slight beard forming around his jaw just slightly shadowing his tanned skin. His cheekbones are sharp and noticeable though his cheeks aren’t sunken in like most children in District 5. His eyebrows are round and without any major arc. Arden has greenish eyes that stand out among the bags and shadows that surround them. His bottom lip is thick and wide, while his upper lip is noticeable more shapely and thinner.

Larger than most boys, the boy has a body built for athletics. At 6 feet tall and 140 lbs, he’s maintaining a normal weight. His chest is marked with a slight coating of hair, matching his face and arms. His arms are marked with scars from many of broken plates after taking most of the responsibility of housework. The work around his house has made him strong. He usually wears loose fitting white deep V-Neck shirts and dark jeans. He also walks with a slight limp after breaking his leg as a young child.

Arden is pretty social, always loving to start conversation. He’s into tradition after taking care of himself since he could remember, so he’s more comfortable talking to friends than strangers. He would rather strangers spark conversation if they want a friendship with him. Arden is a stickler for rules and order, as fitting for his need for tradition. He loves to care for other people, always making sure they’re happy. Arden is very outspoken, loving to stand up for what he believes in. When meeting someone new, he’ll usually flirt regardless of gender.

When with friends, most of his jokes are about what is normal and what isn’t. He has a strong sense of orthodoxy, caring enough to figure out what is off center. He easily keeps secrets that friends tell him. His friends mean a lot to him, and he tries to make sure everything is perfect with and about them. He’ll never force them to change, but he wants to make sure they’re happy. He’ll get involved with things he shouldn’t and occasionally lose friends because of it. He easily makes friends seeing as he loves people.

His need for order gets him into trouble because he’ll often tell people when he thinks they’re wrong. He’ll not fight them if they start to yell, but he’ll try to fix the issue. When he loses friends he’ll become clingy and try to force his way back into their lives. His meddling just makes things worse for him because he doesn’t understand the need for privacy. He’s more concerned about losing friends than keeping them, so he’ll often make people feel ignored and confront him. The boy is deathly afraid of dirt, most likely suffering from a severe case of OCD and irreparable neurosis.

Also known as Forest, Arden was born to two ranch hands eighteen years ago in District 5. His parents are named Jonathan and Mary Harper who currently work in the refineries that surround the District. Being former hunters they’ve taught Arden a lot about the rigs in case he ever needs it. The boy is smart and can do so much better than working on the oil rigs. One day, he wants to be Mayor of District 5.

Arden has three younger brothers. Two of his brothers are fifteen year old twins named Lief and Deer. His youngest brother is Sheppard and is twelve years old. Arden is closest to Sheppard because contrary to his name, he loves to go along with anything Arden says. His mother works hard in the refineries and his father spends his spare time drinking. Arden has taken the role of a parental figure for his younger brothers. Deer likes to argue about chores with Arden, though he’ll complete his chores with coaxing. Lief is very defiant, staying away from the house as long as he can. Arden loves his family, but he wishes that they would make things easier for him.

At School, Arden focuses hard. He maintains a 4.0 GPA after hours of studying every night. Grades have always been important to him. The teenager does have friends though. His friends mean a lot to him, but he would never let them get away with breaking the rules. Since he was a child, he had a strong value for rules and order.

When Arden was five years old, his father took him to the ranch where he worked at the time. The boy was interested in the pigs. He didn’t mind the mud, but he hated the smell. He was at a distance and his eyesight was a little buggy since the sun was going down. He leaned forward to get a closer look and leaned a little too close. He fell into the pigsty, also breaking his left leg in the process. The smell was unbearable. This incident cemented his need for order, cleanliness, and rules. He blames the lack of rules and responsibility from his father.

After the incident, Arden was terrified of his father. He saw his parents as unfit for letting that happen to him and forced himself to take care of his family. He forces strict rules onto his brothers and asks them to wash their hands after touching simple things like door knobs. He currently showers three times a day because he’s afraid of germs and illness.