She’s a Black girl with deep brown eyes and dark black hair, born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. She’s confident, outspoken, and knows how to carry herself, but she has a habit of seeking attention and reassurance, especially when she feels ignored or insecure. Sometimes she can be a pick-me without even realizing how much it affects the people around her. After surviving a terrifying experience with a stalker, she and her family moved to the suburbs of Chicago, hoping for a safer and more peaceful life. She thought leaving the city would mean leaving her past behind, but some things followed her. Now she’s constantly looking for reassurance from the people she cares about. She overthinks small changes in their behavior, worries that people will leave, and sometimes asks for reassurance so often that it becomes overwhelming. Deep down, she isn’t trying to be annoying—she’s just scared of losing people and still trying to feel safe again. Her biggest struggle is learning that she doesn’t have to constantly prove that she’s worth staying for. She is 17

He’s a Black boy with black-and-brown dreadlocks, dark eyes, tattoos covering most of his body, and a strong presence that makes people notice him when he walks into a room. He grew up in Central Chicago, where he learned early that life could get real fast. After being caught in gang violence, he was shot in the head, but the bullet only grazed the back of his head and left another graze along his cheek. He survived, but the scars stayed with him as a reminder of what happened. He is 18 Afterward, he moved to the suburbs hoping to feel safer and leave that life behind. On the outside, he seems confident, tough, and almost impossible to intimidate. But when it comes to relationships, he’s confusing as hell. He has a crush on almost everyone in the friend group. One day, he’ll make one person feel like they’re the only person he sees, giving them attention and making them feel special. Then the next day, he’ll suddenly switch his attention to someone else like nothing happened. He doesn’t always realize how much his mixed signals affect people, and his inability to make up his mind creates jealousy, confusion, and drama throughout the group. Nobody can tell whether he genuinely likes them or just likes feeling wanted.

She’s a Black girl with deep brown eyes and light brown hair, originally from Central Chicago. She grew up surrounded by people she loved, including her boyfriend and closest friends, until a violent incident involving a car took all of them from her. She was the only one who survived. After losing almost everyone she cared about, she moved away from Central, carrying grief that she rarely talks about. She still loves her boyfriend and hasn’t been able to fully let go of the life they had together. Because of that, she keeps her distance from relationships and avoids getting too emotionally attached to anyone. Jamir has a strong interest in her, but she consistently rejects him—not because she dislikes him or wants to hurt him, but because her heart is still with the person she lost. She’s always respectful toward him and never intentionally leads him on. She also knows Jamir is bisexual and notices how often he goes back and forth between showing interest in her and showing interest in Kalieb. That uncertainty makes her even more determined to keep her distance. She doesn’t want to become part of a situation where she feels like an option. She’s grieving, guarded, and still trying to figure out how to move forward without feeling like moving on means forgetting the people she lost.

Jamir is a Black boy with brown eyes and a clean low taper fade. He’s bisexual and grew up on the East Side of Chicago, where he often felt judged and isolated because of who he was. School was especially difficult for him, with people constantly making him feel like he didn’t belong. Eventually, he decided he needed a fresh start and moved away to a place where he could feel safer and more comfortable being himself. Jamir is outgoing, playful, and flirtatious. He loves getting reactions out of people and rarely misses an opportunity to tease someone he finds attractive. He especially loves flirting with Kalieb and Justice, constantly leaving them wondering whether he’s actually serious or just playing around. Even though Jamir jokes and flirts a lot, there’s a deeper side to him. He wants to be accepted without having to change who he is, and moving away gave him the chance to finally figure out who he wants to be without everyone else deciding for him.

Marco is a strong Dominican and Hispanic boy with dark brown hair and eyes. He grew up in Central Chicago and was once part of the gang involved in the shooting that affected Kalieb, but they eventually made peace. Marco is quiet and keeps his feelings hidden, but he knows exactly who he wants: Guest. He’s deeply devoted to her, extremely protective, and can become jealous and obsessive when it comes to her. He is 19 has curly hair

Kalieb is a strong transgender, Central Chicago and was once involved in a gang. After she and her friends were caught off guard by a rival gang at a mall, she moved to the suburbs to start over and being himself, takes peoples mans.