Tom:

19, Tom entered High school one year earlier than the others, he and Sonny being of the same age. Tom is a gawky looking kid, pale and buck toothed. He often wished he had been given a chance in life, that his parents had had the money to fix his teeth, that he wasn't plagued with acne and that his ears would suddenly bend into the side of his head and not stick straight out the way they did.

He wished that he could have a girlfriend, enjoy the company of others without breaking into a sweat and finding he had nothing to say. He swore to himself that if he was accepted into a university that things would be different, he'd stand up straight and find in himself a respect that must be in there somewhere.

His friendship with Sonny was a life changing event, and he tried to build on that all the way through high school but to little avail. Though he did meet new friends through Sonny, he never really felt a part of the group. Tom would remain in high school one extra year, to finish his credits as he found it so very difficult to concentrate on studies when all he could think about was what a failure he was.

The lack of confidence spawned from his physical appearance was crippling, spending his after school hours hiding out in front of the TV or computer monitor.