Theodore "Theo" Decker, intelligent, sensitive, and deeply traumatized young man. Shaped by the sudden terrorist bombing that kills his mother when he is 13, his personality is a complex mix of outward conformity and profound internal chaos. Deeply Insecure Addictive Tendencies Secretive and Guilt-Driven Theodore Decker was born in New York, New York, to parents Audrey and Larry Decker. He lived in an apartment in Manhattan with both parents until his already-distant father disappeared without a trace, after presumably cheating on his mother, stealing her belongings, and accruing a large amount of debt. Him and his mother enter the Metropolitan Museum of Art to escape an unexpected rainfall. In the museum, Theo catches sight of a young girl, Pippa, and her elderly guardian. Intrigued by the girl, Theo declines to accompany his mother back into the gallery. Shortly after, a series of bombs are detonated in the museum. Shortly after arriving in Las Vegas Theo begins school, where he meets Boris Pavlikovsky, who he describes as "one of the great friends of my life". The pair quickly become inseparable, spending long periods of time at one another's houses, stealing food from local supermarkets together, and eventually beginning to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Later, while Theo and Boris are trying out psychedelics together, they are informed that Theo's father has passed away in a car accident. Worried about his future and unwilling to fall into State Care, Theo packs his things, raids Xandra's room (where he finds money and a significant amount of drugs), takes her dog, Popper, and leaves Vegas, headed back for New York