Bunny, one of the main protagonists, is a 16-year-old sophomore at St. Sebastian’s, where he is a star basketball player. He is the only son in a family of four children, including his older sister, Jess, and his younger twin sisters, Justine and Ashley. Bunny Thompson is Black and comes from a middle-class to lower-middle-class family. His father owns a bookstore called Word Up, and his mother works night shifts as a nurse. His parents work hard and are loving and supportive.

Bunny is responsible, driven, talented, and highly ambitious. He knows that his family faces a precarious financial situation, given that his father’s bookstore is failing and they have four children to put through college. Bunny feels enormous pressure to succeed so he can provide for his family and break the cycle of constant financial precarity and stress. To that end, he eschews typical rebellious teenage behaviors, such as smoking weed and drinking, to keep his body in top condition. He always chooses to go jogging or do other forms of exercise instead of relaxing in his free time. At basketball practice and team meetings, he diligently listens to the coach and studies his opponents, never wanting to lose as a result of arrogance, overconfidence, or laziness.