Jasmine is a middle school student who has just returned to school after missing a month of classes. She lives on Marston Street and deals with sickle cell anemia, a painful blood disease that occasionally leaves her hospitalized. Her parents recently separated, adding to the stress she faces. Despite these hardships, she maintains a cautious optimism and a strong sense of resilience.

TJ is a confident and boisterous resident of Marston Street. He spent his early childhood in the foster care system before being adopted six years ago. He speaks with his entire body and constantly seeks the spotlight, frequently asking for choir solos despite his lack of singing ability. He uses humor to distract Jasmine from her physical and emotional pain.

Bit is the shortest boy at Latimer Middle School but compensates with an explosive temper and unshakable confidence. He leads a tight-knit group known as the Low Cuts, who share the traumatic experience of having a parent diagnosed with cancer. He devises elaborate plans to buy cheap candy and resell it at a markup to older men in a pool hall.

Pia is a quiet skater who views riding as her ultimate freedom. She isolates herself from her classmates and spends her time daydreaming about skateboard tricks. She rides in memory of her older sister, holding onto her grief tightly while avoiding connections with other female skaters in her neighborhood.

Stevie attends a private school where his mother works hard to pay his tuition. He suffers relentless daily abuse from school bullies but keeps it a secret to avoid disappointing his family. He lacks the courage to defend himself and is forced into becoming an unwilling participant in the harassment of others.

Fatima is a highly anxious student who logs every detail of her daily route home in a notebook. She mimics the scientific methods of her mother to prepare for any unexpected events. She avoids socializing and prefers to walk alone until she crosses paths with an eccentric older woman who disrupts her rigid schedule.

Bryson is a confident student who proudly wears an Afro chosen by his father. He is known as the second-best video gamer in his school. He holds strong personal values and steps up to defend his peers from homophobic bullying, resulting in him taking a severe beating from a group of boys.

Ty is considered the best video gamer at Latimer Middle School. He prefers war games, treating the cafeteria and hallways like virtual battlegrounds. He struggles internally with his sexual orientation and becomes the target of severe school gossip following a secret encounter.

Simeon is physically massive and commands attention wherever he goes. He possesses a joyful, outgoing personality that makes him universally liked. He lives in the marginalized Chestnut Homes neighborhood and dreams of becoming a famous actor. He shares a deep, protective bond with his much smaller best friend.

Kenzi is one of the smallest boys in his grade. He carries a blue handball everywhere he goes. He relies on Simeon to navigate the physical challenges of middle school crowds but holds his own with a sharp mind, dreaming of becoming a successful lawyer. He harbors quiet sadness over his family situation.

Satchmo carries physical and emotional scars from a severe dog bite he received at age seven. He recently moved to a new neighborhood and spends his afternoons devising extreme, imaginative escape plans to avoid any local dogs. He obsesses over safety and calculates the risk of every possible route home.

Cynthia, nicknamed "Say-So," is a natural performer who inherited her comedic timing from her grandfather. She stages daily shows at an empty playground, hoping her overworked mother will eventually attend. She acts as a partial caretaker for her grandfather, humoring his failing memory by pretending he writes her school jokes.

Gregory is an awkward middle schooler with notoriously terrible hygiene. He harbors a massive crush on a girl and relies heavily on his loyal friends to help him improve his appearance before he confesses his feelings. Their well-intentioned makeovers end in disaster, leaving him coated in overpowering scents and burning salves.

Canton is the son of the neighborhood crossing guard. A year ago, he suffered a severe panic attack after a school bus struck his mother. Since then, he has relied on a makeshift toy dog to ground himself during moments of anxiety. He spends his afternoons observing the various students walking home through the neighborhood.

John John is a loyal member of the Low Cuts. He receives free school lunches and shares the specific trauma of having a parent who survived cancer. He assists Bit in buying and reselling candy.

Francy is a member of the Low Cuts. Like the rest of the crew, her family faced financial ruin due to medical bills. She pools her loose change with the group to achieve their collective goal.

Trista is the only member of the Low Cuts who does not need Bit's physical protection. She possesses martial arts skills and a sharp tongue, making her highly capable of defending herself and her friends.

Ms. Macy is an older woman who adopted TJ out of the foster care system six years ago. She built a small, warm home filled with love, providing TJ with stability after a rough early childhood.

She is a cancer survivor whose illness recently returned. Her treatments leave her nauseous and physically exhausted, placing a massive emotional and financial burden on her family. She acts as the primary motivation for her son's daily hustling.

Ms. CeeCee is an elderly woman known as the neighborhood "munchie master." Because there is no corner store nearby, she sells old-school candy to the local children out of her house.

Santi is Pia's deceased older sister. A highly talented skateboarder, she died after being pushed into oncoming traffic by a jealous male skater. Her memory heavily influences her sister's daily life and emotional state.

Fawn is a fellow skater at Latimer Middle School. She represents the social connection Pia desperately needs but actively avoids out of grief.

Marcus is a box-faced baseball player who relentlessly bullies weaker students. He comes from an abusive household, projecting his anger outward by writing on his victims' shirts and trying to steal property from neighborhood girls.

She works hard to pay for her son's tuition at Brookshire Boys Academy. She believes she is giving him a better life, unaware of the severe abuse he suffers until he finally confesses the truth to her.

Benni is an unpredictable older woman who spends her days singing and performing in the street. She pays no attention to social norms or the mocking laughter of passing school buses. She frequently crosses paths with Fatima, offering her umbrellas and challenging her worldview.

An environmental scientist who instills a deep sense of caution in her daughter. She teaches Fatima the value of meticulous scientific observation, which Fatima adopts to cope with daily uncertainties.

She keeps Bryson home from school after he is involved in a severe fight. She worries about his physical recovery and tries to limit his screen time, preferring he rest properly.

She strongly disapproves of her son's obsession with violent media, warning him that he cannot possibly understand real war. She remains unaware of the internal battles Ty fights at school.

Slim is a student who shares a brief, intimate moment with Ty. When a rumor begins to spread about the encounter, he panics and changes the story, claiming Ty initiated it in order to protect his own reputation.

Ms. Wockley is a teacher at Latimer Middle School who frequently catches students acting out. Though she reprimands Simeon and Kenzi, she secretly enjoys their banter and lets them explain themselves because they entertain her.

Fredo owns the local corner store in the Chestnut Homes neighborhood. He engages in sharp banter with the local boys, occasionally crossing the line by insulting their family members and physical appearances.

Chucky is Simeon's older brother. He committed grand theft auto but avoided jail time when his best friend took the fall for him, leaving a complicated legacy for his younger sibling to navigate.

Mason is Kenzi's older brother. He currently serves time in prison after falsely confessing to a car theft committed by his best friend, Chucky. His absence leaves a profound hole in his younger brother's life.

Brutus is a Rottweiler that used to live chained to a tree in Ms. Adams's yard. After breaking free, he severely bit Satchmo, leaving permanent physical scars and deep psychological trauma.

Mr. Jerry is an older man who recently lost his wife. Taking the advice of Satchmo's mother, he adopts a rescue dog for companionship, inadvertently terrifying his young neighbor in the process.

Ms. Adams is a strict older neighbor from Satchmo's old street. She kept a fierce Rottweiler in her yard and made sure neighborhood children never set foot on her property.

She works as an office assistant at a veterinary clinic. She tries constantly to help her son overcome his trauma regarding dogs, offering logical explanations that fail to soothe his intense anxiety.

Cinder is Cynthia's grandfather and a former liquor store owner. He used to hold court in his store on a wooden crate, telling brilliant jokes to his customers. Following the death of his partner, his dementia advances rapidly, causing him to lose his memory and independence.

She is a highly driven woman trying to provide for her daughter and ailing father. Her grueling schedule leaves her entirely unavailable to attend her daughter's comedy performances, though she remains Cynthia's personal hero.

Miss Fran was Cinder's partner before she passed away. She played imaginative games with young Cynthia, stamping her forehead like mail and joking about sending her to Ookabooka Land. Her death permanently altered the family dynamic.

Mrs. Stevens is a middle school teacher who strikes a practical bargain with her most disruptive student. She allows Cynthia to perform daily comedy routines as a way to maintain control over the rest of the lesson.

Remar, also known as Remy, positions himself as a mastermind of romance among his friends. He attempts to fix Gregory's terrible hygiene by dousing him in a spray that smells like burnt rubber and flowers.

Joey tries to assist Gregory's pre-date makeover by providing what he thinks is lip balm. He accidentally brings VapoRub instead, causing severe burning to his friend's face right before a big romantic moment.

Candace brings a large bottle of her mother's lotion to participate in Gregory's makeover. She applies the lotion with intense, methodical pincher-claw rubs, completely disregarding how ridiculous the process looks in public.

Sandra is a girl who lives on Rogers Street. She acts as the ultimate goal of Gregory's agonizing afternoon makeover, listening patiently as he attempts to read his romantic confession to her.

Ms. Post is the school's crossing guard. A year prior, she threw herself into oncoming traffic to save a student, resulting in a severe collision with a school bus. She returns to her job despite her injuries, commanding the respect of the entire neighborhood.

Mr. Munch is the school custodian. Recognizing Canton's severe PTSD after the crossing guard accident, he uses his own experiences with family anxiety to craft a coping tool out of cleaning supplies, offering the boy a quiet way to ground himself.

Dusty is not a living creature, but a fake dog crafted from the detached head of an old broom by the school custodian. For an entire year, running hands through the broom bristles serves as the primary way Canton manages his severe panic attacks.