Mary Phillips is a heartbroken girl from Los Angeles, Roxanne Pelligrini is a vagabond from Philly who winded up in California, and Phyllis Garbor is a billionaire's daughter who really wants a recording contract. These three young woman lead different lives but they all wind up on the same trail. They all meet and form a band, The Misfits.
Fresh Blood is a Jem fanfic exploring the backstories of The Misfits and how their band formed. It can be viewed here.
This fic provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Roxy's uncle had a temper and her aunt is described as malicious. After one fight too many, Roxy ran away from them.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Pizzazz takes to Eric's suggested Stage Name quickly because she dislikes "Phyllis", which was given to her by her deadbeat mother.
- Grade Skipper: Stormer's poor social skills mainly stem from her skipping sixth grade. She was already a little shy but being around kids a year older than her made it worse.
- Married Too Young: Subverted with Stormer, who almost married her boyfriend early into their relationship but broke it off upon learning he was a cheater.
- Missing Mom: Pizzazz's mother abandoned her when she was young, leaving her with trust issues and a neglectful father.
- Nephewism: Roxy was raised in an abusive household by her aunt and uncle.
- Parental Abandonment:
- Stormer and Craig's father died when Stormer was seven and their mother died when Stormer was seventeen.
- Roxy's parents abandoned her with her aunt and uncle as a baby.
- Shrinking Violet: Stormer has always been shy but her shyness got worse in middle school. She spent much of her teenage years with a Friendless Background. Stormer avoided going to college specifically because she didn't want to endure a new experience alone.
- Signature Headgear: Stormer wears her signature flower as a way of reminding herself she's still Mary Phillips, no matter what "tough girl" facade she puts on.
- The Runaway: Roxy ran away from home at fourteen and never turned back.
- Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?:
- Roxy mocks Stormer's name Mary as "too soft" but says that Pizzazz's name "Phyllis" is even worse sounding.
- Jetta's bandmate Allie calls her name, Sheila, "wimpish", prompting Jetta to reveal her stage name.