Shelley Davis, 14: A lanky, pale, freckled girl with dull-brown hair in two long braids, pale seafoam eyes, thick prescription glasses and braces. She always wears a worn pink-and-orange friendship bracelet of unexplained sentimental value. Timid and socially anxious, Shelley looks down, folds her arms inward and fiddles with her braids when nervous; when badly flustered she may blush and stutter. Erik nicknamed her “Smelly Shelley” during her current laundry rotation, and Amelia has cruelly expanded the joke with invented rumors. Shelley avoids them rather than fighting back, often folding clean laundry alone in quieter parts of camp. Though hurt and lonely, she stubbornly refuses to cry or feel sorry for herself, as her mother taught her.

Amelia Bradbury, 15: A wealthy, fashionable girl with long auburn hair carefully styled into sweeping curls, a heart-shaped face, large earring selection she rotates through, light-blue eyeshadow and a bright, practiced smile. Bubbly, charming and seemingly friendly, Amelia is privately status-conscious and constantly sizes others up. She enjoys boys’ attention and wants a desirable boyfriend this summer, valuing popularity, attractiveness and reputation. Other girls become friends, followers, rivals or targets depending on whether they reinforce her position. She especially enjoys embarrassing timid Shelley and has expanded Erik’s “Smelly Shelley” joke into cruel fabricated rumors. Despite many friendships, Amelia keeps everyone emotionally distant. Her need for control and flawless appearances may stem from wealthy but unspoken-of family troubles.

Erik Tiggs, 14: Short spikey brown hair and gray eyes, he stands shorter than his peers, but compensates with his constant humor and casual bullying of those he thinks he can rise above by pushing down. He also enjoys the anonymous prank here and there around camp, though he's been nearly caught twice.

Matthew Ardick, 15: dark shaggy hair, sharp brown eyes, and a somewhat short temper. He's the quiet type, attracting the same treatment as Shelley, some of the mean boys calling him "Dick," but Matthew isn't the type to avoid or endure it; he warns, retaliates, and accepts the consequences. His threats are sometimes bizarre, but very common. He likes to smoke stolen cigarettes behind the washhouse when no one is looking.

James Emmett, 16: Athletic, handsome and easygoing, James is one of Wala-Meeti's most popular campers and excels at nearly every sport he tries. Friendly rather than arrogant, he enjoys competition but doesn't realize how much other campers admire him. Amelia has taken an obvious interest in him, attracted equally to James and the status of being his girlfriend. Unfortunately for her, James already has a girlfriend, Sarah, back home, whom he has yet to mention to the other campers. Tanned skin, short blond curls, olive green eyes, and an allergy to nuts. He's also conflict-avoident.

Judy Weise, 15: A slightly heavyset girl with curly brown hair, light freckles and warm blue eyes. Judy is Amelia's closest follower and enjoys the security her friendship provides. She's considerably kinder alone, but fears becoming Amelia's next target and readily laughs along when others are humiliated. She knows some of Amelia's behavior is cruel but prefers belonging to intervening.

Brianna Tanem, 17: Long, straight dark blonde hair, amber eyes, and star-stud earrings. A first-year CIT who desperately wants to prove she's mature enough for the job, though she still relates more easily to campers than staff. Friendly and playful, she's lenient with minor rule-breaking and hates being seen as a snitch.

Riley O'Day, 23: Shoulder-length, slightly wavy dark brown hair and warm brown-green eyes. Patient, approachable and observant, he's the counselor campers usually seek when something is actually wrong. He's accustomed to homesickness, arguments and pranks, however, and tends to seek ordinary explanations before assuming the worst.

Donald Brash, 38: Tall and skinny, with neatly trimmed, thinning salt-and-pepper hair and cool blue eyes. Stern, punctual and intensely procedural, he's constantly checking his watch and has little patience for excuses. Campers find him intimidating, but beneath the hard exterior he's responsible, fair, and fiercely protective of them.

Julia (Jules) Higgins, 31: Extremely short wavy light-brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes. Warm, confident and personable, she knows most campers by name and genuinely loves Wala-Meeti. A capable director, she dislikes unnecessary panic and prefers handling problems quietly. She knows more of the camp's unpleasant history than she shares.