Rick

Grandpa Ray is Rick’s closest family member. Though he is initially a stranger, the two quickly bond over shared interests (the science fiction show Rogue Space) and their easy acceptance of each other, compared to their relationships with other family members. Grandpa Ray mentors Rick and encourages him to speak freely, but Grandpa Ray also challenges Rick to rethink parts of his life such as his friendship with Jeff. Like Ronnie, Grandpa Ray prefers to let Rick draw his own conclusions, but he supports Rick through difficult realizations and nervous confessions. Because Grandpa Ray is the first person to easily accept Rick’s identity as questioning asexual and/or aromantic, he validates Rick as he struggles to understand himself and those around him.

In turn, Grandpa Ray finds a companion in Rick whom he hasn’t had since his wife’s death. Grandpa Ray’s alienation from family stems from the genre of his favorite television show and his secret hobby of cosplaying female characters. Rick’s easy acceptance and embrace of Grandpa Ray’s secret allow him to face his memories of his wife and connect his past with his present, giving him hope for the future. In this way, Grandpa Ray teaches Rick the value of a balanced relationship, which gives Rick the courage to confront Jeff and surround himself with better people.

Jeff, Rick’s best friend since third grade, is Rick’s constant as he navigates the many transitions in his life. However, Jeff himself is not a stable character. He comes from a potentially troubled home. His mom is nice, but his father is not (“Gene was…well, Stacey was nice anyway” [11]). This background may influence Jeff’s behavior, but it does not excuse it. Jeff’s behavior in private with Rick is different from when Jeff is at school. Although Rick is not blind to Jeff’s attitude, he tries not to question it too much and to focus on the good aspects of their relationship, like playing video games together, rather than the bad ones (Jeff’s proclivity for vandalism and bullying).

However, Jeff’s separation from Rick forces them to develop independently of each other. While Rick forms positive relationships in Rainbow Spectrum, Jeff continues to be destructive, vandalizing the Cabaret Night posters in disgust and making casual anti-gay comments without taking responsibility for his actions. A foil for Rick, Jeff lacks remorse and refuses to grow and change. He also contrasts with Ronnie and shows Rick that Grandpa Ray’s advice to carefully consider who one spends time with is wise. Jeff ‘s attitude and behavior prove to Rick that he can’t trust Jeff to accept him, but Ronnie encourages Rick to express himself.

Ronnie is Rick’s classmate and a member of Rainbow Spectrum. Even though he considers himself a straight, cisgender male, Ronnie allies with the LGBTQIAP+ community because he has two moms. Like Rick, he has an unusual, creative hobby—he enjoys drawing faces on random objects. He is more openly confident and popular in his hobby than Rick is with spinning quarters. Ronnie is observant, but, like Grandpa Ray, he prefers to let others come to their own conclusions rather than tell them what to do.

Though he is like Rick, Ronnie primarily serves as a foil to Jeff. Though they are both straight and male presenting, Jeff is violent, callous, and bullying. Ronnie uses his cishet status to further the Rainbow Spectrum community, joining the club and supporting its members both as a Cabaret Night stagehand and in daily life. He knows Rick’s struggles with Jeff and constantly questions why Rick would remain friends with him, but he keeps Rick’s secret about Jeff’s vandalism until Rick is ready to face it himself. Unlike Jeff, who rejects Rick’s ace/aro identity, Ronnie supports Rick through the dissolution of his friendship with Jeff and offers overtures of a healthier, more positive friendship once Rick cuts ties with Jeff. Through his actions, Ronnie demonstrates that he is a better friend to Rick than Jeff is; their relationship has the potential to mirror Melissa and Kelly’s rather than oppose it.