Wink

Abby Peterson is Ross’s best friend. The principal characteristic Ross observes in Abby is her fondness for attention: She goes out of her way to attract notice by wearing eccentric clothing, letting her curly red hair go wild, and flaunting her unpolished manners. She loves to be different, just like her beloved movie monsters and her favorite band, Vampire Weekend. Her personality provides a welcoming shadow in which Ross can hide, but she thinks he shouldn’t hide. Her attitude, however, hides an insecurity she has never had to acknowledge until she faces moving away: She doubts her ability to make friends at a new school. Abby has to find a way to be comfortable with vulnerability before she leaves her home and her best friend.

Abby knows what Ross must do to build his self-confidence. She advises Ross to own his differences and cease caring about people’s opinions. Abby seems to know that music could help Ross since it works so well for her; for many years, Abby has encouraged Ross to learn an instrument, but he was never interested. After Ross discovers how much fun playing rock music can be, he addresses Abby’s own anxieties and suggests an activity that could help her feel better: Learn to play bass guitar and perform with him and Jimmy in the talent show.

Abby is happy to find she was right about Ross’s need to play an instrument; however, she discovers Ross is right about her need to play rock and roll. The experience of going on stage and playing a noisy, rowdy punk song releases Abby’s messiest emotions. The exposure, in turn, empowers her. Abby may still be nervous about moving, but she has a new emotional outlet to give her extra confidence, underscoring that Authentic Self-Expression Is Liberating.

Jimmy Jenkins is Ross’s classmate and seems to be the quintessential middle school bully. He’s very large and abrasive; his manner of speaking is adversarial, even when he’s asking Ross personal questions. He’s rude to everyone, but he seems to have more animosity for Ross, though the reason is never clear. He has some inexplicable habits: chewing enormous wads of Big League Chew and collecting his excess spit in a jar that he carries everywhere. However, as Ross interacts with him, it becomes apparent that Jimmy’s rude language and idiosyncrasies hide the substance of his character. As the main plot develops, Jimmy reveals more of himself to Ross and shows he can be a good friend, making him one of the primary vehicles for one of the novel’s core messages: Never Judge by Appearances.

Ross bases much of what he knows about Jimmy on rumors. Jimmy’s habits don’t help his reputation, as others find them repulsive. Further, while Jimmy seems curious about Ross’s medical situation, his questions sound like insults. Jimmy’s derogatory language leads Ross to believe that he’s the memes’ creator, even after he learns about Jimmy’s rough home life from Frank. However, when Ross attacks Jimmy for creating the memes, Jimmy shows he’s innocent and mostly honorable. Jimmy understands immediately how wrong the memes are and feels hurt that Ross thinks he could be so cruel. He even says he understands why Ross attacked him, revealing his capacity for empathy. After Denny persuades Jimmy to play drums with fledgling guitarist Ross, Jimmy accepts Ross as a bandmate, which is why he warns Ross about Sarah. Ross, still biased against Jimmy for his crudeness, refuses to believe him.

After they add Abby to the band and have fun playing together, Jimmy thinks of Abby and Ross as his friends. He proves his friendship when he seeks to warn them about a new meme, confronts Sarah on Ross’s behalf, and later helps Ross process his feelings. Jimmy’s show of support and dedication to the band show his value lies in his actions rather than his exterior. Like Ross, Jimmy forms connections through music; the experience of performing in the talent show allows Jimmy and Ross to show real appreciation for each other. His text exchange with Ross at the end of the novel indicates he’s opening up to Ross and that Ross is accepting him as he is.

Ross’s father and stepmother are sources of stability in his life. No matter what’s happening or how Ross behaves, his father and Linda show their son unconditional love and tolerance. Ross never reveals his father’s name, but his choice to call his stepmother “Linda” indicates that he doesn’t think of her as his mother. Ross’s biological mother died of breast cancer when Ross was four years old, and Ross’s father confesses he had a difficult time grieving and being a single parent. Linda connected with him, and he swears the connection saved him and Ross.

Ross’s father is a trial lawyer who’s always busy, though he does his best to spend time with Ross. He has a good relationship with his son and understands Ross’s need for privacy, so he doesn’t push Ross to share secrets, like his sketches. He cares more about what Ross needs from him than about what is socially acceptable. He supports Ross learning to play guitar and—after the climactic talent show performance—accepts Ross’s onstage guitar smashing and surprise mohawk without much fuss. Ross’s father wants his son to be happy, and he recognizes that the guitar gives Ross an emotional outlet.

Linda is a loving parent to Ross, but she never expects Ross to treat her as his mother. She has great respect for the memory of Ross’s mother, which is evident when she dusts his mother’s framed drawings. Linda incessantly drinks green tea lattes from Starbucks, which she calls Bucky’s. It’s one of many quirks that annoy Ross, yet he doesn’t dislike her and even finds her to be a great comfort when he has a moment of existential crisis. She soothes him, listens to him, and shows she understands him. Linda is a human connection Ross needs; she helps him carry his burden and survive his own grief.

Frank is a radiation tech at the proton radiotherapy center where Ross receives his treatments. Frank’s job is not his vocation, however; his true passion is rock music. Ross gives hints of Frank’s character in the way he talks about music, in his “old-timey boombox […] next to a teetering stack of CDs and cassette tapes” (2), in a peek of a tattoo on his arm, and in his light-hearted tone. Frank is a strong believer in music’s power to animate and engage people, which is why he presses Ross to bring his kind of music to play during his treatments.

Frank’s insistence is the beginning of his role as Ross’s mentor. Unlike Ross, Frank actively rejects normal social and artistic paradigms. Frank expresses his disdain for “corporate-approved” music when Ross brings a U2 album to his second treatment. He instructs Ross, “Tomorrow I want you to bring something you love, but you’re not sure anyone else would like. Something off-the-wall. Something maybe a little dangerous” (64). Frank believes different music genres reveal untapped depths in people, and he’s right in Ross’s case: When Frank plays a CD mix that he made just for Ross, Ross hears the music he needs in that moment. The mix includes songs by Frank’s own band, Ripe Sponge, and Ross loves all of it. The music inspires him to play guitar, and he decides the best person to teach him is the person who introduced him to his kind of music.

Frank has no experience teaching, but since he always encourages authenticity and exploration, he agrees to try. Frank instructs Ross to follow his instincts, even if the result isn’t perfect. He knows that a guitarist’s emotions and skills are linked, so he gives Ross some grace whenever he is having a rough time. Ross’s acceptance of imperfection in himself and others and his discovery of rock music as a satisfying medium for self-expression are the results of Frank’s influence.

Jerry Thompson is a retiree getting proton radiotherapy for testicular cancer. Ross meets Jerry in the radiation center waiting room on the day of Ross’s first treatment. Jerry has a deep, gravelly voice and coughs often. Whenever he sees Ross, he asks after Ross’s well-being. Jerry is the only cancer patient Ross knows and thus the only person in his life who understands firsthand how emotional, frightening, and demoralizing the effects of cancer and radiation can be. This is one reason why Jerry and Ross form a connection. Another reason is Jerry’s wisdom: He knows what matters.

When Jerry and Ross have their first full conversation, the wide difference in their ages is obvious; Jerry says the scar between Ross’s eyebrows looks like a dime slot, puzzling Ross. However, the age gap doesn’t get in the way of their bond, and the exchange even leads to Jerry’s nickname for Ross: Dime Slot. Although Jerry often jokes about his age, it gives him the advantage of experience, which he can share with Ross when the latter is having a hard time and wanting to be normal. What they’re going through isn’t normal, Jerry admits, but he thinks being normal is not a worthwhile standard; he believes being different is better. He tells Ross he dreamed about being a professional trumpet player when he was young, but he let his strict father convince him to get a “normal” job. He doesn’t want Ross to choose to be normal only to regret the choice later.

Ross later shows Jerry that he’s been listening to him when he visits: Ross gives him the first real sketch he’s shared with anyone, a picture of Louis Armstrong. Jerry is touched and supports Ross by attending the talent show. When Jerry shouts, “Go, Dime Slot!” (299), the sound of Jerry’s voice calling him by the special nickname is all Ross needs to have his epiphany about his priorities. He doesn’t care about being normal anymore, and he has Jerry’s presence in his life to thank for it.

Sarah Kennedy is a popular girl at Ross’s school. Ross has had a crush on Sarah since elementary school. He thinks she’s kind and smart, as well as pretty. Sarah’s talent show gives Ross the idea to enter, making her Ross’s muse. However, her perfection is skin-deep. Sarah is like Ross because she thinks appearances matter; unlike Ross, she alters her entire demeanor to manipulate people. The exposure of Sarah’s duplicitous nature is painful for Ross, yet it teaches him he shouldn’t judge people by how they present themselves.

At different times during the narrative, people warn Ross about Sarah. Abby’s language implies that Ross’s crush is snobbish and demanding, yet he doesn’t ask Abby for her reasons. Jimmy tells Ross that his locker is near Sarah’s and warns him that, if her conversation at her locker is anything to go by, Sarah is not as nice as she seems. Ross dismisses Jimmy’s warning because he thinks Jimmy isn’t nice. Ross even distrusts his own eyes and judgment whenever he sees Sarah’s face betray her real feelings for a second. Similarly, he notes that one of Sarah’s close friends, Denise, is a deeply unpleasant person, which makes him wonder about Sarah’s true nature—but, again, he chooses not to dwell on the subject.

When the truth about Sarah emerges, Ross watches Sarah’s face as if seeing her with changed eyes (i.e., better judgment). His anger about her social torture of him, compounded by all of his other problems, leads to his new plan to punk up his band’s performance. Once the climax occurs, Ross has stopped caring about Sarah. In fact, he’s thrilled to observe Sarah and her fellow meme maker, Denise, back away from him and his bandmates as if they are dangerous.