Rusty-James is a fourteen-year-old tough kid who leads a small neighborhood gang and relies heavily on his street reputation. He idolizes his older brother and attempts to emulate his legendary status, though he lacks his brother's academic smarts and strategic thinking. Prone to acting impulsively, he harbors a deep fear of being alone and prefers the distraction of physical fights to quiet reflection.

Steve is Rusty-James's nerdy, cautious best friend in junior high school who looks younger than his fourteen years. Unlike his peers, he is studious and determined to use academic success to escape their dilapidated neighborhood. He serves as a voice of reason, often tagging along on Rusty-James's exploits but maintaining a strict focus on his future.

The Motorcycle Boy is Rusty-James's enigmatic, fiercely intelligent older brother and the notorious former leader of a gang called the Packers. He commands universal fear and respect in the neighborhood, possessing a mythic aura that makes him seem like royalty in exile. Despite his legendary status and physical prowess, he feels disconnected from the world around him.

Rusty-James's father is a former law school graduate whose life unraveled after his wife left him. He now spends his days drinking on welfare checks, completely detached from his sons' lives. He speaks in a formal vocabulary that alienates his younger son, observing his boys' dangerous paths with dry commentary rather than paternal intervention.

Rusty-James's mother is a ruthlessly independent woman who moved to California to pursue a bohemian, artistic lifestyle. Though physically absent from the neighborhood, her past abandonment continues to cast a heavy shadow over her family, particularly fueling her youngest son's intense psychological distress.

Patty is Rusty-James's pretty, territorial girlfriend who attends Catholic school. She navigates the neighborhood's gang culture with a strategic mindset, demonstrating an aggressive streak of her own when other girls threaten her social standing as the top gang leader's partner.

Smokey is a member of Rusty-James's makeshift gang who harbors quiet ambitions for leadership. He recognizes that Rusty-James relies on his brother's reputation rather than his own strategic intelligence. Smokey prefers calculated, psychological maneuvering over outright physical confrontation to advance his social standing.

Cassandra is an eccentric student teacher who leaves the comfort of her parents' home to live in a rundown apartment in the neighborhood. She walks barefoot, wears no makeup, and acts as a voice of warning to the local youth.

Biff Wilson is a tough teenager from a rival gang who holds a grudge against Rusty-James over a minor slight involving a girl. He possesses a sadistic streak and is willing to use deadly force—such as drawing a knife during what was meant to be a standard fistfight—to prove his dominance.

B.J. is a neighborhood teenager who runs with Rusty-James's small gang. He serves as a loyal subordinate, tracking the movements of rival factions and keeping his friends informed about police activity in the area.

Coach Ryan is a gym teacher at the local school who inappropriately attempts to buy street credibility. Rather than maintaining professional boundaries, he tries to leverage the neighborhood gang dynamics to intimidate students he dislikes.

Patterson is a local police officer who harbors an intense, personal vendetta against the area's youth. He stalks the neighborhood streets, waiting for an opportunity to catch the notoriously elusive former gang leader or his impulsive younger brother making a mistake.