Rusty-James’s best friend from junior high, Steve is an academically inclined misfit who values hard work to escape their difficult neighborhood and ultimately seeks a middle-class life.

Rusty-James's idolized older brother, known for his intelligence and mythic reputation as a former gang leader responsible for ending gang violence in their area.

An alcoholic who once pursued a traditional middle-class life before becoming disengaged and disillusioned, offering commentary on his sons' actions but failing to intervene.

An absent yet influential figure whose artistic aspirations and abandonment of the family deeply affect Rusty-James and contribute to his feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

Rusty-James’s girlfriend, whose relationships illustrate her strategic nature in the patriarchal gang culture of their neighborhood, as she navigates her own desires and status.

A member of Rusty-James’s gang who harbors ambitions of leadership, Smokey employs cunning over physical confrontation to advance his position.

A student teacher fascinated with the Motorcycle Boy, whose advice to Rusty-James hints at deeper insight into his struggles, though her warnings go unheeded.

A rival gang member known for his aggression and cruelty, serving as an antagonist with a personal vendetta against Rusty-James.