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Throughout the book, Wolf acts as “The voice of reason” (17), both within his group of friends and for others in his life. Wolf exhibits wisdom beyond his years, embodied by his nickname after the classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart instead of a more contemporary musician. He understands that people don’t change unless they want to and that hurtful actions are often the result of people trying to bolster themselves rather than harm others.

The locker incident and Wolf’s response show how anyone—no matter how level-headed—can fall out of their role. “TOTAL ROMAN” rattles Wolf. He loses his ability to be reasonable and takes unreasonable action by destroying his beloved models. Wolf’s choice to leave BMS speaks to how anything can be overcome, but it’s sometimes best to leave things alone. Though the students and staff at BMS are overwhelmingly supportive following the locker incident, Wolf believes leaving is still the best option. By keeping his friends close after his departure, he shows that one can withdraw from a place or situation without throwing away the good elements.

Deedee carries the middle-school label of “geek” more so than his friends because of his interest in Dungeons and Dragons and pop culture. Within his group, Deedee is the one who finds “drama in everything” (17), a characteristic that is both his best and worst trait. Deedee gets easily excited, but he also wears his emotions on his sleeve, which results in him being pinned as an easy target by bullies. Deedee and Wolf are foils for each other, and their opposite personalities balance out their group of friends. Though Deedee is as reactionary at the book’s end as he is at the beginning, he stands by Wolf when he needs his friends, something he was likely too scared to do in earlier chapters.

Bench is the fourth member of the group. He’s an athlete with a record for being mediocre at the sports he plays. As a result, he fell in with Eric, Deedee, and Wolf, acting as the force that keeps the group “from getting beat up” (17). Bench pulling away from the group shows how friendships can change over time. When he didn’t fit in with his fellow athletes, Bench was content to spend his time with the boys, but after he makes a critical catch during a football game, Bench feels like he’s finally part of the team. His teammates make him feel special, something he craves. He parts with Eric, Deedee, and Wolf on good terms because growth and change are natural in middle school, and division doesn’t always have to be negative. Additionally, Bench shows the ability to be his own person within a friend group by reporting the “TOTAL ROMAN” bully to the principal. His actions don’t make his teammates or the popular kids hate him, showing the value of doing the right thing.

Rose is a muscular girl who has “A kind of surety” about her (146). While her appearance evokes teasing, she has a thick skin and has taught herself that what others say doesn’t matter. Rose taking Bench’s physical and symbolic place in the group represents how friendships evolve. It also speaks to the group growing up. Eric, Deedee, Wolf, and Bench befriended each other in sixth grade, a time when children tend to cluster in same-gender groups. Rose joining the group in eighth grade breaks down said gender barrier. Through Rose, Eric and his friends learn that girls aren’t different from them. People are people, regardless of gender or any other label placed upon them.