Zee's Way (Orca Soundings)

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Summary: Zee's Way
Review: Zee is a man with a mission. He plans to win the war between him and his friends and the shopkeepers at the new mall. The shopkeepers think him and his friends are bad news just because they are teenagers and like to dress a bit differently than most people. Danny has blue hair, Horace has none, Benny's lip is pierced, Mike likes leather and studs, and who can live without a few tattoos, or ten? Zee's plan is to get the message out to these old curmudgeons. They will hear what he has to say about the injustice of their treatment towards Zee and the others, whether they want to or not. Since Zee is a painter, he decides to use his best method of communication to do this. He spray paints graffiti on the white wall of the hardware store. But each time he does this, Mr. Feniuk just paints over it again, and life continues on as if nothing has happened. Zee's dad makes a comment about how people who put graffiti on walls are a disgrace and have no real talent, so Zee decides to do something differently the next time he paints the wall, he paints a closed door. It's not just any door. It's a good door. It's a work of art. Mr. Feniuk must think so too because he doesn't paint over it. But when Zee pays a nighttime call upon the wall for the second night in a row, intent on changing the door so that the shopkeeper will not want it anymore, he gets caught. Feniuk makes him a deal, cover up the graffiti and paint the rest of the picture and he won't tell Zee's dad what he's been up to. Zee takes him up on the offer. After all, what other choice does he have? As Zee works on the mural he and Mr. Feniuk begin a tenuous understanding which "paints" the way for the rest of the shopkeepers and Zee's friends to learn trust and respect for each other's differences.