Until Friday Night

West Ashby is also a protagonist and first person narrator. The even chapters are written from his point of view. Like Maggie, West is 18 years old in the narrative present. He’s a popular, handsome football star who’s grown up in Lawton, Alabama, with his parents Olivia and Jude. He’s best friends with Maggie’s cousin Brady and has countless friends and admirers. In spite of his seemingly idyllic life, West is unhappy. His dad is dying of cancer, and he doesn’t know how to talk about his related emotions with others. He keeps the truth about Jude from Brady and his teammates because he fears that talking about it will “[make] it real” (93). When he meets Maggie, he decides to confide in her. He thinks she’ll listen and keep his secret because she doesn’t talk. Therefore, West is shocked when Maggie responds to his revelation with comforting words. West is physically attracted to Maggie, but also discovers that she’s the balm and crutch he needs.

West and Maggie become close friends after West asks Brady if he’ll let them spend time together. West starts to rely upon Maggie thereafter because she’s the only one who seems to understand what he’s experiencing and feeling. He calls and talks to her on the phone for hours, meets up with her at school, gives her rides, and sneaks into her window at night. However, West continues to have other girlfriends in the meantime. He doesn’t think Maggie would be interested in him romantically and dismisses Brady’s concerns about leading her on or hurting her more.

In the first half of the novel, West’s character is selfish, distracted, and confused. His sorrow over his dad keeps him from seeing others and relating to them in healthy, balanced ways. He uses girls like Raleigh and Serena to escape his difficult home life and pushes his good friends out of his life to protect himself. However, West does change over time. Via his relationship with Maggie, he learns how to communicate his feelings and to be courageous and strong. Maggie particularly inspires him to support his grieving mother and softens West over the course of their relationship. When Maggie first meets him, West is prone to anger; he’s possessive and volatile, and often lashes out at others when he doesn’t get his way. Maggie gradually helps him see that love isn’t ownership and protectiveness doesn’t mean violence. By the end of the novel, West is more caring, receptive, and compassionate. He’s still healing from his dad’s death, but through Maggie he’s learned to open himself to love and life again.

Brady Higgens is a primary, dynamic character. Like Maggie and West, Brady is 18 years old and starting his senior year of high school at the start of the novel. He has grown up in Lawton, Alabama, with his parents, Maggie’s aunt and uncle, Coralee, and Boone. When his cousin comes to live with his family, Brady sees her as an intrusion. He understands that she has lived through an unimaginable tragedy, but he also fears that she will disrupt his perfect, high school life. Therefore, he doesn’t welcome Maggie into his home as a friend although he’s familiar with Maggie’s story and has spent time with her in the past.

Brady’s character is protective and controlling at the novel’s start. He begrudgingly agrees to help Maggie orient to life at Lawton High School. However, he doesn’t want Maggie in his friend group and doesn’t want his teammates interacting with her. At the same time, Brady does care about his cousin in his own way. Over time, his behaviors prove increasingly contradictory. He tells Maggie he doesn’t want to be her guardian yet takes active measures to protect her at school. He tells her to stay away from his friends but respects her friendship with West when he realizes they’ve formed a bond.

Brady’s private conversations with Maggie and West reveal his true heart. For example, he tells Maggie that he doesn’t want West to use and hurt her and encourages her to pursue her own healing. He tells West that he doesn’t want him to disrespect Maggie or to take her pain for granted. Therefore, Brady has his loved ones’ best interests in mind. However, he’s still learning to navigate his emotions and express his true self. He discovers how to balance his sometimes competing feelings and motives by the end of the novel.

Coralee and Boone Higgens are secondary characters. They’re Brady’s parents and Maggie’s aunt and uncle. They welcome Maggie into their home after Maggie’s godmother, Jorie, is no longer capable of caring for Maggie. They are understanding of Maggie’s situation and never press her to talk or emote in ways she doesn’t feel comfortable. They are constant, stabilizing forces in Maggie’s life as she continues to heal from her mother’s violent death and father’s subsequent incarceration. They give Maggie advice and respect her space. They’re protective, but they never stifle or entrap Maggie. Their consistency and love help Maggie open up and join the family when she’s ready. Therefore, Coralee and Boone are archetypal parents. They fulfill loving, nurturing, and guiding roles for both Maggie and Brady.

Jude Ashby is a secondary, static character. He’s West Ashby’s father and Olivia Ashby’s husband. Jude has been West’s hero and number one supporter ever since West can remember. Jude and Olivia had West unexpectedly, but Jude has never made West feel unwanted or unloved. Jude and West particularly bond over their shared love of football. Therefore, when Jude is diagnosed with cancer, West is unsure how to face his life alone. He misses his dad whenever he’s unable to attend his games, and fears going home because he hates seeing his dad sick. At the same time, West often fears leaving home, attending games, or falling asleep, because he thinks Jude will die when he’s away from his side. Therefore, Jude’s character and illness are constant sources of tension throughout West’s portions of the novel.

Olivia Ashby is another secondary, static character. She’s Jude’s wife and West’s mother. West also has a close relationship with his mom and is thus desperate to protect her when his dad gets sick. Olivia and Jude have been in love since they were teenagers, and West can’t imagine how his mother will cope without his father. He tries to support Olivia through her grief, but also dislikes seeing his mother in pain. Over the course of the novel, West’s relationship with Maggie helps him assume a more protective, supportive role in Olivia’s life.