Armed with her ever-present clipboard, Brenda prowled the sidewalks, her eyes darting left and right, actively searching for infractions. She issued fines for trash cans left out ten minutes past the deadline and grass that was a quarter-inch too tall.
As she marched down Maple Street, her eyes locked onto Mark’s open driveway. She stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting on the black asphalt was the matte black ATV. To Brenda, this wasn’t just a vehicle; it was a blatant, offensive violation of her meticulously crafted aesthetic rules. The HOA bylaws specifically stated that recreational vehicles could not be parked in driveways for more than two hours. It didn't matter that Mark had unloaded it five minutes ago. Brenda saw an opportunity to establish dominance over the new neighbor.
Brenda wasn't alone on her patrol today. Trailing a few paces behind her was her twenty-two-year-old son, Tyler. Tyler was the neighborhood menace, shielded entirely by his mother's position. He wore a grey tank top that showed off his gym-sculpted arms, light blue wash jeans, and a black baseball cap worn backward.
Tyler exuded a toxic combination of arrogance and ignorance. He was the kind of young man who believed rules applied to everyone but him. He spent his days revving his modified sports car through the quiet streets and throwing loud parties whenever Brenda was out of town.
"Look at that," Brenda hissed, pointing her manicured finger at Mark's driveway. "Unbelievable. The audacity of these new residents. That ugly, dirty machine is a complete eyesore."
Tyler smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You want me to handle it, Mom? You wrote the rule last month, right? Unregistered vehicles can be towed or relocated at the owner's expense."