Recently divorced and looking to start over, she moved back to her hometown with her teenage son, Jake, in tow. She is very new to all of this and struggles to navigate it, but is cautiously optimistic about the future. Cassie has been her best friend since childhood.

Still reeling from his parents’ divorce, he is absolutely not optimistic about any part of this journey. Feeling very angry, scared, confused, and sad, he’s also dealing with the difficulties of being a teenager. So, needless to say, he’s not doing great. His one solace is music and, while he is insistent on not becoming friends with Charlie, their musical chemistry and their vastly different view on life wins him over.

Eve’s best friend since childhood. She’s known Jake since he was born and has always been pretty close with him due to her relationship with his mom. Earnest and helpful, she gets Eve settled and does what she can to support her. Cassie also shows Eve how to have a life and identity outside of being a mother.

A band kid at Jake’s new school who is determined to become friends with him. Or, to at least show him that he’s welcome, whether he wants to be or not. Being neurodivergent and genderqueer separately are already a lot to handle, but being both is a recipe for being seen as the “weird kid”, but Charlie takes it in stride. They know exactly who they are and are endlessly inquisitive about the world around them.