Serena Rojas

Basics
Name: Serena "Boom" Rojas

Age: 10

Occupation: Full-Time Student and Daughter

Physical Appearance
Serena is described as slender and long-limbed, with a sweet face, big blue eyes, and short blond hair. She is prone to chapped lips, and rubs her chin when she's thinking - just like her father, Alex Rojas.

Personality Traits
Serena is a tough, active kid who loves her nickname - Boom - because she thinks it makes her sound awesome. She's been a tomboy for awhile, but has recently started experimenting with things like makeup. She's compassionate, environmentally conscientious, and a motivated student. Serena is currently going through a bargaining phase, where she agrees to obey her father, but then follows up with a request for something different. Until recently she's been a bit starved for adult female companionship.

Biography
Serena spent her earliest years primarily in the care of her mother while her military father went on combat missions overseas. At some point the stress of military life grew too great for her mother. She became addicted to opiates and began an affair with a doctor who could keep her well supplied. Serena's mother eventually divorced her father and took majority custody of Serena, but the change in circumstances didn't help. Rojas was flying home from his final mission when he learned that his ex-wife had contracted pneumonia and died soon after she was rushed to the hospital. Serena's maternal grandparents attempted to take custody of her after that, claiming that Rojas was an unfit parent, but Serena insisted that she wanted to go with him. Rohas won custody of his daughter, and the two of them settled in Hope's Crossing, Pennsylvania, where Rojas's friend, Brandon Forte, promised them work and a safe place to live.

In Ultimate Courage, Serena meets Elisa Hall in a hospital waiting room, both of them with injured arms. Serena encourages her father to give Elisa a card for the mixed martial arts academy they both attend. Later, Elisa finds and returns Serena's glove. Her presence is opportune, and she hires on as the Administrative Assistant for Hope's Crossing Kennels. She subsequently helps Serena with a science project and is generally supportive of the girl. Elisa and Rojas end up dating, and eventually Serena and her father invite Elisa to move in with them.

Relationships
Serena is the daughter of Alex Rojas, and his friends and co-workers David Cruz and Brandon Forte help watch over her like adopted uncles. Evelyn Jones and Sophie Kim might reasonably be considered something like adopted aunts. Elisa Hall is dating Serena's father and living with the two of them. Elisa and Serena like each other very much. Serena's biological mother is dead and her maternal grandparents aren't much a part of her life, but she visits her paternal grandfather who lives in Peru. She is learning Jun Fan Jeet Kun Do from Greg and Gary Boulding at Revolution Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Miss Patrick is her grade school teacher, and she has two friends her own age named Grace Graves and Marlene.

Trivia
Serena...
 * broke her arm trying a flying roundhouse kick a boy at school showed her.
 * likes anime.
 * intends to make black belt before she enters middle school.

Quotes
"I study mixed martial arts. I get bruised and bumped all the time, and usually it's nothing, but Dad always makes me come in to get checked."

"You should listen to Dad. He's usually right. Even when I think he's crazy, it turns out he's right and I wish I'd listened to him."

"We all need to leave so Elisa can answer my dad's question. Somebody find an oxygen tank in case he passes out form holding his breath so long."