Alexas Huggins
Summary:
Age: 18
Height: 4’11”
Weight: 95 lbs
Occupation: High School Student (Senior)
Father: Patrick Huggins
Mother: Anna Huggins
Strengths: Forbearing, empathetic, well read, wordsmith.
Weaknesses: Meek, submissive, weak-willed, suffers from social anxiety disorder.
Likes: Reading and writing, music, quiet places where she can get lost in thought, swimming (she likes the vacuum effect you get in your ears when underwater), cute and fuzzy animals, rain, people watching, lamps.
Dislikes: Crowds, romantic comedies, getting her shoes wet, anything competitive (she’d rather just lose and get it over with), being told what she can and can’t wear.
Bio:
Alex carries a lot on her shoulders. Her family is in shambles after a tragic car accident took the life of her mother and left her father partially disabled. She never found an effective method of coping after the death of her mother and has instead done her best to keep her head down and power through it. Her one release is writing in her journals and filling them up regularly with her thoughts and feelings. She doesn’t share what she writes with even her closest friends. Her biggest concern right now is to hurry up and graduate high school so that she can start working in place of her dad, but recent events mean that she might have to accelerate her plan.
Appearance:
Alex is the most petite character in Blank Verse, standing at just 4’11'“. She has short straight hair with side-swept bangs. She has prescription wide frame glasses that she sometimes chooses not to wear depending on who she surrounds herself with at the time. Alex generally wears dark or muted colors. Her most common outfits include slim-fit band t-shirts, low-rise skinny jeans and pleated skirts. Alex tries to dress in ways that make her look and feel less like a kid often by wearing clothes that are a bit too small just to create the illusion that she’s outgrown them. Alex is known for being timid but uses her attire as a means of challenging herself to show out more - sometimes to the dismay of her father.
Personality:
Alex is quiet and reserved when not around her friends and family but will cut loose when surrounded by the few people she trusts. She is constantly trying to prove to everyone that she’s not a child anymore, as she is often treated like one by many - mostly due to her size. Alex is infinitely curious and loves to listen to her friends tell stories, talk about what they’re passionate about or share things that they’ve worked on. She is a huge advocate for self-expression in whatever form that might take to a person. Alex suffers from severe social anxiety disorder which can lead to crippling panic attacks, dizzy spells and fainting. She leans on her dad, Sam or Steven for support when spending prolonged amounts of time in social situations.
PATRICK Huggins
SUMMARY:
Age: 37
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 179 lbs
Occupation: Contractor
Father: Mark Huggins
Mother: Patricia Selman
Strengths: Generosity, handiness, a natural problem solver with a great sense of humor.
Weaknesses: Disobedient, reckless, a knack for telling white lies.
Likes: Watching movies (thrillers, action-adventure, westerns), napping, spending any and all time he can with Alex regardless of how boring he finds the particular activity.
Dislikes: Pop music, smart-asses, following the rules or playing it safe.
Bio:
Living his days now as an experienced contractor and a devoted father, you’d have a hard time believing that when he was younger Patrick was known for raising a little hell. In his high school days Patrick would often deface school property and be a thorn in the sides of school staff. Patrick’s rowdiness is what caught the attention of Alex’s mother, Anna - a tightly wound and straight-laced woman who came from a family of academics who valued education and order above all else. Patrick and Anna quickly eloped and started a family, thwarting the plans of Anna’s family who wanted to see her become a teacher like many others in her family. Patrick and Anna ditched their rebellious ways when Alex was born and settled down so that she could grow up with some stability in her life. Patrick worked as a contractor for the city while Anna occasionally worked as a substitute teacher. Patrick was the driver during a car accident that proved fatal for Anna and crippling for himself. His ability to work has taken a severe hit but his resolve to provide for Alex remains unshaken.
Appearance:
Patrick is tall and formidable, if but a little worn out. He keeps his face cleanly shaven but sometimes will leave stubble if he’s feeling lazy. He dresses surprisingly modern for a dad, having quietly asked for fashion advice from Logan so that he doesn’t embarrass Alex in public. Despite his seemingly normal stature Patrick suffered a debilitating spinal injury from his car accident. He does his best not to show it, but there’s a reason Patrick can mostly be found sitting or laying down. Over time he’s grown thinner and thinner as he can’t exercise and take care of his body the way he used to. The work he’s still able to do keeps him in decent shape, but it’s not permanent. As his health deteriorates so too will his physique.
Personality:
Patrick describes himself as a “retired hooligan.” In his heart he still wants to cause trouble, but it’s gone from vandalism and public indecency to playing pranks on Alex, teasing Logan and roughhousing with Sam. Sometimes he’ll play the stereo too loud or have a couple of drinks with Sam’s dad just to feel alive - but that’s the most out of line he gets these days. Patrick is a goofball who tries to act like he’s still a kid and still fully capable in spite of his disability. His approach to parenting is pretty hands-off; he let’s Alex speak for herself and encourages her to make her own decisions while not getting in the way. He always assumes positive intent when it comes to the choices she makes and isn’t in a rush to tell her “no.” He considers Sam and Logan to be part of the family and lets them come and go as they please.
SAMantha Gray
SUMMARY:
Age: 18
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 128 lbs
Occupation: Part-Time Lifeguard
Father: James Gray
Mother: Sara Gray
Strengths: Confidence, resilience, adventurous.
Weaknesses: Foul-mouthed, hot-headed, lacks basic table manners.
Likes: Board sports, the beach, video games, people watching with Alex, picking fights.
Dislikes: Small talk, “Chads”, people who litter, being touched.
Bio:
Sam comes from a small family consisting of her younger brother and her father. Sam’s mother has been out of the picture since she was very young, having fallen victim to severe drug addiction, according to her dad, and “choosing substances over her family.” Sam has spent a large part of her life dealing with emotional and physical abuse from her father and has found that her most effective method of coping is with a relentless sense of humor and an insatiable appetite for a good time. She insists that a positive attitude and a well-placed joke can cure anything - but she can sometimes fail to see that not everybody operates that way.
Appearance:
Sam has a pixie style haircut that she often keeps swept to the side unless she’s trying to hide her face. Sam is proud of her figure, works hard to maintain it and chooses mostly to wear clothes that accentuate it. She pairs practically every outfit with yoga pants all year round and has a pair for any occasion. As an avid beachgoer Sam often sports cheeky bikinis in many cases but dresses more modestly with shorts and coverups when working as a lifeguard. Sam almost never wears a skirt as her distaste for sitting “properly” usually results in her accidentally exposing herself.
Personality:
Sam is tomboyish in her mannerisms and often exhibits behavior some consider not “lady-like.” Sam is very confident and doesn’t typically feel embarrassed in most scenarios. She doesn’t flinch at the thought of being seen in public and will change clothes in front of her friends with zero hesitation. Her stance is that the human body is beautiful and isn’t an inherently sexual object. She firmly believes that a person’s inability to control themselves at the sight of another person is their own problem entirely. Sam is the most fun-loving character in the bunch and is always stirring the pot. Her way of showing her affection usually involves playful insults and picking fights. She has an ongoing rivalry with Patrick and roughhouses with him regularly - something that Alex wishes she’d put an end to out of fear that Patrick will further injure his back. Sam is gay but keeps her sexuality a secret to those who she’s not close to, fearing her father’s reaction if he were to find out.
LOGAN Gray
SUMMARY:
Age: 17
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 136 lbs
Occupation: High School Student
Father: James Gray
Mother: Sara Gray
Strengths: Altruism, perceptiveness, integrity.
Weaknesses: Credulous, defensive, timid.
Likes: Watching football, group activities (he tends to disappear during them and nobody usually notices), when Alex goes on a long-winded tirade about movies.
Dislikes: Being the topic of discussion, bullies, having to repeat himself.
Bio:
Logan is the second and youngest child of the Gray family while only being less than a year younger than Sam. While they used to be bitter enemies, Logan and Sam bonded in their teen years and work off of each other to survive in a house plagued by abuse and neglect. It became clear to Logan that their father preferred him, and so he used that to his advantage at times to take the heat off of Sam when things were on the brink of turning violent. Logan had to learn to adapt and play whatever role was required to keep their father in check - even if it meant turning on Sam and mocking her just to stay on his dad’s good side. This is something he still struggles to forgive himself for.
Appearance:
Logan is slender and handsome with long sweeping hair resembling that of mid-2000’s scene kids. He played football throughout school and is in great shape. He tends to wear distressed skinny jeans, slip-on canvas shoes and athletic fit t-shirts. He’s not necessarily a snappy dresser, but will throw on a button down or a polo if it’s required. While modest in most regards, Logan never really hesitates to remove his shirt when given the opportunity; he’s got his technique down and everything.
Personality:
Logan is a bit more reserved than his older sister. He has the potential to be the life of the party, but it takes a while to get him warmed up. Logan has the ability to adapt his personality based on who he’s around. When he’s left to his own devices Logan is sensitive and well-mannered, but when he’s around his father he dials up the intensity and goes full on alpha-male - a persona that he despises but is necessary to use in order to keep the peace in their house. Logan is in fact quite the feminist. Bearing witness to his sister getting abused most of his life has left Logan emotionally scarred and he is determined to see the women in his life treated better.
James Gray
SUMMARY:
Age: 40
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 325 lbs
Occupation: Police Officer
Father: Todd Gray
Mother: Shirley Standridge-Gray
Strengths: Formidable, silver-tongued, lucky.
Weaknesses: Cold, pitiless, sadistic, sexist.
Likes: Sporting events, barbecues, winning arguments, embarrassing Sam in front of his buddies.
Dislikes: Meetings, being the butt of a joke, that new female dispatcher (he doesn’t like a woman telling him what to do.)
BIO:
Sam and Logan’s father. Jim is a cold and uninvolved parent who thinks his kids should know right from wrong based on the example he sets - oblivious to what a terrible example that really is. He comes from a broken home where his mother left when he was a child after being battered by his father - leaving him to take the remaining abuse himself. After his own wife left him he fell into the belief that running away from your problems was “an inherit trait of all women.” Jim wanted to have a son from the start and was severely disappointed that their first child was a girl, causing him to rush into having another as a “do-over.” He has remained emotionally detached from Sam for the entirety of her life and does nothing but bark orders, mock and abuse her. He works as a police officer whose beat can often cause run-ins with Sam, who he treats somewhat normally when in view of the public.
APPEARANCE:
Jim is large and imposing; a real behemoth. The only character that rivals him in height is Steven, but his size and strength are without equal in the world of Blank Verse - which makes him that much more of a threat to Sam, who stands no chance against him whatsoever. He wears straight-cut jeans, boots and “value pack” t-shirts usually hidden under a hoodie or sweater for Logan’s football team “The Bumblebees.” Most days he’s either in his police uniform or lounging around in his boxers. He keeps his head shaved but sometimes grows out a mustache to change things up.
PERSONALITY:
Jim gets along with the general public just fine. He has a reputation among the community for being a prime example for what a good cop should be. He’ll go out of his way to help others so long as it’s in the public eye and will reinforce his image. He has little patience for children and despises women. He thinks Sam dresses like a “common whore” and regularly mocks her for the way she looks. On the contrary, Jim absolutely adores Alex and is always happy to see her. His hopes are that Logan will marry Alex one day so that she can become “part of the family.”
Gregory Ford
SUMMARY:
Age: 42
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 225 lbs
Occupation: High School Principal
Father: Johnathan Ford
Mother: Elizabeth Ford
Strengths: Assertive, educated, intuitive.
Weaknesses: Judgmental, severe, impatient.
Likes: Fancy pens, giving excessively strong handshakes, freshly mowed lawns, pep rallies, podcasts.
Dislikes: Smartphones, being greeted too warmly at restaurants, Alex’s style of clothing.
Bio:
Gregory Ford is Alex’s uncle and principal of the high school she attends. He is the bereaved brother of Alex’s mother, Anna. His side of the family are known for their academic achievements. It was his assumption that Anna would follow in the footsteps of the rest of their family in becoming an academic and walking the straight and narrow path like the family had always done. Anna instead found sanctuary in Patrick, who embraced the anarchic side Anna had kept hidden from her family. While the family resents Patrick for having, in their opinion, ruined her life and been the sole cause of her untimely death, Greg has reserved emotions about it. He has hopes to one day connect with Patrick and hear more about this side of his sister he never knew about.
Appearance:
Greg is a stout individual. He was a former football player who worked as a coach shortly before taking the role as school principal. After school and on the weekends he dresses down in athletic wear, breathable baselayer tops and shorts. He has a reputation for being way too handsome to be a school principal and is far too popular among teenage girls.
Personality:
Greg has more in common with Alex’s mother than he’d like to admit. He feels the need to stay in line with the family tradition of working in education, but he wants to do things his own way. He can be impatient and quick to become annoyed, but he’s aware of this and actively tries to work through it. While the rest of his family is baleful and resents Patrick after Anna’s death, Greg seems to believe there’s more to the story. He cares greatly for Alex and is impressed with her fortitude, but he won’t admit that to her face. He instead is constantly pulling Alex aside to lecture her on everything from her attendance, grades, even down to her sticking to the dress code. Their inability to sync together and talk openly to each other causes an unnecessary and totally avoidable rift in their relationship.
JESsica Bird
SUMMARY
Age: 20
Height: 5’0”
Weight: 110 lbs
Occupation: Barista
Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown
Strengths: Charismatic, patient, great singing voice.
Weaknesses: Considerate to a fault, picky eater, almost annoyingly persistent.
Likes: Fitness, bike rides, dog parks (despite not owning a dog herself), baking sweets for her friends, going to the movies, Sam’s butt.
Dislikes: Businesses that only accept cash, when people stare at the gym, the ocean, not being able to find a wall plug for her cell phone, Sam’s dad.
Bio:
Jesse is a charming young woman with a glowing reputation in the area. She is a barista at a local coffee shop called Joe Mama where she can regularly be found working during the evenings and lending a helping hand during their open mic nights they hold every month. Jesse is enamored of Sam and will often draw hearts on her coffee cups when she places an order. Being a fitness nut, Jesse is often inviting her friends to different activities or offering a healthy snack she either bought or made herself. After becoming acquainted, Sam and Jesse’s affinity for being active really begins to pick up momentum - that is unless it comes to swimming in the ocean, where Jesse’s eagerness to see Sam in a bikini is matched only by her fear of open water. Jesse admires Steven and loves when he stops by for coffee. She took it upon herself to break the ice with him and they’ve since become good friends who attend yoga classes together. He refers to her as his “little guardian angel.”
Appearance:
Jesse has short blonde hair she generally parts to the side. She is largely into health and fitness and her physique reflects that. In contrast to Alex and Sam, Jesse generally wears brighter colors and dresses up on more occasions. She favors athletic wear when lying around at home but when she goes out in public she likes to get dressed up in cute blouses, short skirts, dresses and strappy shoes. Her ability to come alive is often dependent on if she feels like she looks cute and she can shut down just as easily if she notices a pimple - usually opting to stay at home and hide out until it goes away.
Personality:
Jesse is incredibly outgoing and charismatic. While many other characters can keep to themselves and avoid interacting with others, Jesse lives for meeting new people. She’s charitable with her time and resources and loves to volunteer. She is famous at her job as a barista for her ability to remember people’s names and their usual orders. She has a unique way of communicating effectively with just about everybody. It was Jesse’s idea to start doing open-mic nights at her job - and she won’t hesitate to jump in and sing along if someone is feeling especially timid. Jesse’s enthusiasm and welcoming personality have helped encourage many of those around her to come out of their shell.
STEVEN Pierce
SUMMARY:
Age: 24
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 220 lbs
Occupation: Tattoo Artist
Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown
Strengths: Sage, visually intimidating, compassionate, creative.
Weaknesses: Passive, gentle, non-confrontational.
Likes: Cinematic thrillers, heavy metal music, sugary sodas, petting every dog he comes in contact with.
Dislikes: Rude people, long lines, bullies, cold weather, Billie (she makes him uncomfortable).
Bio:
Steven is a local tattoo artist and a close friend to many other characters. He’s a former classmate of Sam’s and a regular patron of Jesse’s coffee shop. Steven makes for great company and many people have eagerly made him a pillar in their lives. Steven is a giver who never asks for anything in return, and this was something Alex took notice of. She quickly becomes one of his closest confidants and they share their thoughts and feelings with each other on a regular basis. Steven might be the only person that Alex has ever let read from her journal.
Appearance:
Steven is the tallest character in the group standing at 6’10”. He wears his hair to the side - the leftovers of a mohawk he used to keep a few years ago. He has piercings on his lip and nose as well as gauged ears. He can be visually striking but is a surprisingly gentle person. His usual entourage are mostly petite women, which can make him stick out quite a bit. Steven typically has a “punk” look consisting of tattered jeans and shorts, heavy metal band tees, button down shirts (almost always left unbuttoned) and patchwork jackets.
Personality:
Steven and Alex have a lot in common despite their radical height differences. Much like Alex, Steven is immensely curious and loves to listen to people’s stories. Working as a tattoo artist he likes it when clients talk his ear off while he works. Steven is visually intimidating but emotionally vulnerable. Steven is asexual and somewhat effeminate, making him the target of criticism and bullying by some other men while being welcomed in by his female friends.
BILLIE Becker
SUMMARY:
Age: 21
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 136 lbs
Occupation: Musician
Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown
Strengths: Assertive, musically inclined, creative and well-spoken.
Weaknesses: Poor judge of character, promiscuous, conniving, double-dealing.
Likes: Indie music, dark-roast coffee, attention.
Dislikes: Being called “ma’am”, Jesse and Sam, anyone with more skill than her.
Bio:
Billie is a skilled musician and a gifted writer with numerous stories to tell, she leaves an impression on nearly everyone she comes in contact with. Billie has a lot of baggage. Her heart has been broken beyond repair and she uses music and writing as a means of expressing herself to the people around her. She often attends open-mic nights at local coffee shops and dive bars - anywhere she has a platform to share her words. Alex finds Billie fascinating and deeply covets her ability to express herself in such an open manner. Before long, the two of them connect and Billie begins to rub off on Alex a little bit. Alex is so star struck by Billie that she fails to notice is how bad of an influence Billie actually is - having acquired a taste for tobacco, liquor and licentious behavior. Convinced that they’re the only things that keep her sane, she encourages Alex to give into them as well. Alex’s involvement with Billie causes a rift in her relationships with her friends and family - that is until Billie’s actions cross the point of no return.
Appearance:
Billie has shoulder length straight hair that she dyes red. She has piercings on her lip, nose, ears and navel. She is by far the most edgy of the group. She is a fan of flannels and tall boots. She wears mostly dark colors except for the occasional patterned button down or graphic tee. Billie is a showoff and dresses in ways that are intentionally revealing - low cut shirts, sheer tank tops, tight jeans and short skirts. She wants all eyes on her and if she has to resort to shock and awe - she’ll do it.
PERSONALITY:
Billie is seemingly friendly but not without her own motives. She’s sweet until she gets what she wants out of you and then discards you. She calls many people by pet names and flirts with almost every person she meets. Billie can switch from being in love with you to having a vendetta against you in the blink of an eye. She’s largely competitive against other women and always wants to be the “hottest in the room.” Billie is always trying to one-up Sam and is annoyed at how effortlessly gorgeous she is. She won’t go to the beach because she feels like she can’t compete with Sam and doesn’t want anyone to draw any comparisons between the two of them.