Dalton
Dalton is the memoirist of this autobiography. The stories contained are Dalton's own experience, told from his point of view, and often focusing on his struggles. He is a white kid growing up in an area with almost no other white kids, so he feels left out, but also he realizes very quickly that life isn't exactly safe in the wrong side of New York City, and although he isn't wealthy, other people judge him based on his skin color, often failing to see that Dalton is in poverty. He is attacked sometimes. He struggles at school.
The Conley mother
Although her rules were designed to keep Dalton safe, Dalton's mother is beset on all sides with a situation she did not want for herself or for her family. Dalton is often in trouble, and although he has an adventuring spirit, she tries to contain him for his own safety, knowing that the trouble on the street is way worse than he probably anticipates. The mother influences Dalton in many ways, and he inherits her nerves and obsessions.
Michael
Michael is a smart kid and a winsome kid, and although Dalton enjoys his friendships at school, he often doesn't invite people back to his home, because the neighborhood is rough. Michael is a foil for Dalton, because Michael doesn't have the social paranoia that Dalton does (then again, Dalton has been attacked before). Michael's knowledge of electronics and his friendly demeanor make him popular in the streets, making Dalton feel even worse about himself.
Jerome
Jerome is a good kid and a friend of Dalton's in the 7th grade. Dalton has the bad habit of skipping school, and he convinces Jerome to quit going to school. Dalton starts to get in trouble, and just when things seem to be driving him to panic, he learns that Jerome has been shot through the spine and is paralyzed. Jerome becomes a paraplegic and Dalton falls into OCD.
Raphael
Raphael is another friend of Dalton's. When Raphael does something, Dalton likes to match it, part of his OCD perhaps, or perhaps a way of trying to fit in somehow. That's fine except that Raphael has started playing a game where he lights a match and throws it, just to tempt fate. When Dalton throws his matches, he accidentally starts a fire, but Dalton feels that he and Raphael got off easy because Dalton is white. He struggles to make sense of this episode.
