Becca is a 17-year-old high school senior who works part-time at her mother's local bakery. Her parents' sudden divorce five years ago left her deeply cynical about real-world romance, prompting her to isolate herself socially. Instead of dating, she loses herself in a vast collection of romance novels, preferring fictional happy endings over the risks of real emotional vulnerability.

Brett is a 17-year-old high school senior and the athletic, popular captain of the Crestmont High football team. Born to parents who gave up their own youthful ambitions to raise him, Brett feels a heavy obligation to be the perfect son and fulfill his father's sports legacy. Despite his popularity, he avoids the high school dating scene until his father explicitly pressures him to find a girlfriend.

Jenny is a high school senior and cheerleader who used to be Becca's closest companion during their freshman year. She abandoned the friendship to pursue popularity, adopting a judgmental attitude toward Becca's introverted lifestyle. Recently, she has begun to regret her past behavior and seeks ways to re-enter Becca's life and make amends.

Amy is Becca's mother, a former nurse who transformed her post-divorce grief into a successful local bakery. Despite the painful end to her marriage, she remains a steadfast romantic who desperately wants her daughter to experience the joy of falling in love. She is warm, supportive, and highly enthusiastic about Becca's developing social life.

Thomas is Brett's father, a successful chief financial officer for a hotel chain who frequently travels for work. He gave up a college football scholarship to stay in Crestmont and raise Brett, a sacrifice that deeply shapes their family dynamic. He pushes Brett to enjoy his youth and date, seemingly living vicariously through his son's high school experiences.

Mrs. Wells is Brett's mother, who married her high school sweetheart and built a wealthy, seemingly perfect life in Crestmont. Recently, she has been exhibiting melancholic behavior, often spending her time alone and weeping when her husband leaves on business trips.

Becca's father left his family five years ago without explanation, moving just a few blocks away to start a completely new life. He has since remarried and is expecting a new baby, maintaining virtually no contact with Becca during her formative teenage years.

Cassie is Becca's current best friend, a bond they formed during their freshman year after Jenny abandoned Becca. Her mother is Amy Hart's business partner, and Cassie frequently helps out at the bakery, offering Becca a reliable and steady friendship.

Jeff is Brett's best friend and a fellow player on the Crestmont High football team. He is heavily involved in the high school social scene and serves as a conduit for rumors, prompting Brett to keep the true, fictional nature of his relationship with Becca a secret.

She is the current spouse of Becca's father, living just a few blocks away from Becca and her mother. Unaware of Becca's true identity when they briefly cross paths, she is welcoming and kind, unknowingly highlighting the deep difference between Becca's father's past and present lives.

Miss Copper is an English teacher at Crestmont High School. She facilitates the literary discussion that indirectly sparks the initial public confrontation between Becca and Jenny regarding romance.