Andre is a 17-year-old Black teenager attempting to readjust to life in his Portland neighborhood after taking the fall for a robbery he did not commit. He wears a restrictive ankle monitor that serves as a constant physical reminder of his lack of freedom. He manages a music-reaction YouTube channel and seeks out quiet time at the local swimming pool, using both activities as necessary escapes from the intense scrutiny he faces from law enforcement.

Sierra is Andre's classmate, neighbor, and long-time crush. As a young Black woman adopted into the wealthy, white Whitaker family, she manages complex social expectations and carries lingering trauma from her early years in the foster system. She actively searches for answers regarding her biological brother's disappearance while navigating an increasingly tense home life.

Eric is Sierra's biological brother and one of Andre's close friends. He is an artistic, fun-loving teenager who spent time in various foster homes before being adopted by the Whitakers. His abrupt disappearance, combined with his suspected role in the robberies that sent Andre to detention, casts a dark shadow over the neighborhood.

The wealthy, white adoptive father of Sierra, Eric, and Luis. He is running for city commissioner on a platform centered around justice reform. Though he presents himself as a benevolent ally who helped Andre secure a lawyer, his polished exterior masks deeper political ambitions and a fierce desire to protect his family's reputation at any cost.

The white adoptive mother of Sierra, Eric, and Luis, and biological mother of Kate and Brian. She maintains a veneer of civic-minded respectability by planting rose bushes around the community and attending local fundraisers. In private, she harbors deep prejudices and struggles with substance use, creating a highly volatile environment for her adopted children.

Andre's hardworking father who owns and operates Malcolm's Bookshop, one of the last remaining Black-owned businesses in the historically Black Albina district. He is a fiercely proud man who strives to protect the history of his community and provides crucial, if sometimes strict, guidance to his son.

Andre's Black juvenile court counselor. He oversees Andre's community monitoring program with strict adherence to court procedures. While he enforces rules rigorously and often frustrates Andre, he also understands the systemic dangers his client faces and attempts to act as a protective buffer against prejudiced law enforcement.

Andre's highly intelligent and loyal best friend. Boogie is bound for MIT on a prestigious scholarship, a fact he actively defends against peers who assume he was admitted purely for diversity reasons. He is a steadfast ally to Andre, helping him restart his YouTube channel and acting as an essential sounding board during difficult times.

Andre's grandmother, a deeply caring but cautious matriarch who provides Andre with a safe home base. She is highly attentive to the emerging threat of the coronavirus, insisting on protective measures to keep her family safe while maintaining a warm, loving household.

Andre's grandfather, a quiet but deeply supportive presence in the Jackson household. He views Andre's community monitoring as akin to enslavement, maintaining a healthy skepticism of the justice system. He provides a sense of grounding for his grandson.

Andre's mother, a dedicated and hardworking frontline nurse. She is fiercely protective of her son, offering him emotional support and a safe space to process the trauma he endured while incarcerated. Her medical expertise becomes crucial as the pandemic reaches their community.

The adopted brother of Sierra and Eric. He often tries to keep the peace and avoid confrontation, hiding out on the roof to smoke and distance himself from the intense pressures of the Whitaker household. He carries quiet knowledge about the darker realities of his adoptive family.

The Whitakers' biological daughter. She forged her acceptance letter to Brown University to meet her family's high expectations. She can be somewhat ignorant of her adoptive siblings' struggles but occasionally flirts with Andre and seeks his attention.

The Whitakers' biological son who continues to live at home. He sometimes displays casual ignorance regarding race and systemic inequality, easily adopting his parents' privileged viewpoints without fully examining them.

A friend of Andre and Eric who participated in the thefts at the New Year's Eve party. Unlike Andre, Gavin managed to avoid legal consequences, a fact that creates lingering tension and forces Andre to reevaluate their friendship.

Andre's former juvenile counselor, a white man known to have a highly punitive approach to justice. He actively monitors Andre's case, aggressively hoping to find an excuse to send the teenager back to detention while looking for ways to tie him to further charges.

The director of the Albina Parks & Recreation department. He is a supportive, practical figure who allows Andre to fulfill his community service hours by watching the building and eventually grants him access to the pool, deeply understanding the sanctuary swimming provides for the teenager.

A white student who spends time with Sierra and initially appears to be a romantic interest. His presence causes Andre jealousy, though Paul's motivations for getting close to the Whitakers are tied to the events of New Year's Eve.

She is a friend of Andre's mother who works in the hospital's psychiatric ward. Andre approaches her in an attempt to gather medical information regarding Eric's supposed mental health treatment.

She is a former foster parent who ran a farm where Eric and Sierra briefly lived and felt safe. She contacts Andre with critical information about Eric's plans immediately prior to his disappearance.