Susan is a high school junior taking a senior-level English Literature class. She feels isolated and self-conscious about her appearance, making her eager to fit in with the popular crowd. Her long-standing attraction to the senior class president makes her vulnerable to peer pressure when his friends recruit her as a decoy for their dangerous plan. She lives a quiet life and dreams of escaping to a more exciting environment.

Mark is a charismatic and disturbingly calm teenager who exerts heavy influence over his peer group. He harbors a grudge against his former English teacher and devises a scheme to kidnap him to extract an apology. His blank expressions and history of disturbing behavior, including animal abuse in middle school, unsettle those outside his immediate circle. He maintains absolute control over his friends through manipulation and fear.

Dave is the handsome senior class president who secretly struggles with heavy family responsibilities. He acts as the primary caregiver for his ailing grandmother while his single mother works as a secretary. The immense pressure to secure a college scholarship to the University of New Mexico drives him to participate in a scheme against the teacher who refuses to give him high grades.

Betsy is a popular cheerleader who relies on her charm to get her way with teachers and peers. She comes from an influential family and resents anyone who refuses to cater to her desires, particularly her strict English teacher. Beneath her wholesome exterior, she harbors a dark fascination with violence and eagerly supports the plan to intimidate the teacher.

Jeff is a high school athlete who relies on his physical abilities to cruise through school. He is fiercely loyal to his best friend Mark, often following his lead without questioning the consequences. His offhand, angry comment about their strict teacher inadvertently sparks the entire kidnapping plot when Mark takes the suggestion seriously.

Brian Griffin is a notoriously strict high school English teacher who previously worked as a university professor. He demands perfection from his students to prepare them for the real world, though his abrasive style earns him their intense hatred. He lives with a heart condition called angina and relies on prescription medication to manage his health.

Cathy is Brian Griffin's pregnant wife. She understands the softer, caring side of her husband that his students never see and encourages him to offer positive affirmation alongside his rigorous academic critiques. Her deep bond with her husband makes her immediately suspicious and proactive when he fails to return home from school.

Dave's elderly grandmother requires significant daily care from her daughter-in-law and grandson. She keenly observes the household dynamics and frequently mourns the departure of her son, who abandoned the family fourteen years earlier. Her sharp eye occasionally catches details that others try to keep hidden.

Dave's mother is a single parent who works as a secretary to provide for her son and her mother-in-law. She relies heavily on Dave to maintain the household and earn a college scholarship, creating an immense burden of expectation on the teenager.

Lana is a college sophomore and Mark's former girlfriend. Her relationship with Mark ended abruptly after she provided him with a university paper to plagiarize, an act that resulted in Mark's removal from his high school English class by his strict teacher.

Detective Baca is a local police officer assigned to investigate the sudden disappearance of the high school English teacher. He initially suspects standard domestic abandonment but agrees to look deeper after speaking with the missing man's resolute wife.