Peppi is a shy, timid new student at Berrybrook Middle School who joins the art club to find a comfortable social circle. She struggles with social anxiety and carries heavy guilt after panicking and shoving Jaime on her first day. As an artist with an unexpected aptitude for science, she slowly builds the courage to apologize and heal the hostile divide between her friends and their rivals.

Jaime is a quiet but self-assured student who frequently faces bullying from classmates without letting it upset him. He belongs to the science club but prefers the pure joy of discovery over the fierce, chaotic competition his peers engage in. Raised by an artist mother and a scientist father, Jaime holds a natural understanding that different disciplines can complement each other.

Maribella is the proactive and assertive leader of the art club who drives the members to contribute a comic to the school newspaper. Her outgoing demeanor masks a deep fear of disappointing her hyper-competitive father. This immense pressure at home pushes her to make desperate, unethical decisions to ensure her club succeeds, ultimately leading to a crisis.

Miss Tobins is the direct, no-nonsense science teacher and science club supervisor at Berrybrook. Known for wearing combat boots and inspiring wild rumors about her past, she remains deeply passionate about her subject. She actively encourages her students to find the scientific value in their artistic pursuits.

Mr. Ramirez is the supervising teacher for the art club. He supports his students' creativity but expresses frustration over the lack of resources allocated to the arts compared to the science program. He helps mediate the escalating rivalry between the two student organizations.

Jaime's mother is a talented professional artist who uses a wheelchair. She is warm and emotionally perceptive, offering Jaime advice on distinguishing between intentional cruelty and accidental mistakes. Her successful artistic career and sketches of rabbits and horses leave a strong impression on Peppi.

Jaime's father is a scientist and inventor who builds playful machines, like a mechanized play spaceship, in his home workshop. He fosters a love of exploration in his son by taking him on geocaching adventures, demonstrating that science is about curiosity rather than winning awards.

Maribella's father is an emotionally abusive parent who demands that his daughter ruthlessly crush her competition. He regularly disparages Maribella's mother with offensive language, creating a toxic household environment that fills his daughter with fear and desperation.

Maribella's mother is the primary target of her husband's verbal abuse and parental alienation tactics. She eventually packs her bags and leaves the hostile household with her daughter to seek safety with her own mother.

Jenny is the editor of the school newspaper. She helps guide the art club in their efforts to create a comic strip about school life, providing constructive feedback and ultimately praising their final submission as a top-tier feature.

Akilah is a staff reporter for the Berrybrook Middle School newspaper. She assists the editor in advising the art club on how to develop engaging content that reflects the daily experiences of the student body.

Tessa is a member of the art club and part of Peppi's immediate friend group. She embodies the standard animosity between the two rival clubs, viewing the science kids with suspicion and openly trading insults with them.

Leticia is a member of the science club who actively participates in the verbal sparring with the art club. She stereotypes the artists as unintelligent, reflecting the broader hostility and lack of understanding between the two student groups.

Jason is a famous travel writer and globe-trotter who speaks to the students during their field trip. His stories of gathering samples from active volcanoes enrapture Peppi, sparking her interest in the broader world of scientific field work.

Peppi's mother provides transportation and a safe home environment for her daughter. She supports Peppi's expanding social circle by accepting a dinner invitation to the Thompson household.