#ysom

Asher L Foster is my Mc, he's 22 at the beginning of the story and 23 by the end (birthday's 7-10-02). He is technically the oldest child, his younger brother, Aiden, is 12. He had an older brother named Jayden, who died at 16 (Asher was 14) in a car accident on the way home from a school basketball game. Him and Asher were very close, and suffered their father’s anger together. About two weeks after Jayden passed, their father abandoned Asher, Aiden, and their mother, Neha. His death deeply affected Asher, whose grades and attendance dropped. He got in trouble a lot, for skipping (to smoke weed in the bathrooms), fighting, or general disrespect. He started getting back on track around the middle of his junior year, when he realized he would likely not graduate. He eventually met Kat and Cooper, and later Avery. He lost a lot after Jayden died, and the story focuses on him learning how to rely on those around him to heal.

Avery L Fletcher is my love interest in YSOM, he's also 22 at the beginning, but is still 22 at the end (birthday's 11-3-02). He is from Maryland, and has lived in Chicago since he was 17 (Asher and him went to the same school senior year, but didn’t know it). In Maryland, he lived with his (wealthy) Catholic parents. His dad wanted him to eventually work at his business, while Avery wanted to start his own clothing brand. His dad was abusive, and his mom simply ignored it. His situation got worse when his parents realized he was gay, and after a huge argument, his parents kicked him out and sent him to live with his grandmother in Illinois. A few thousand dollars, a business, and several thriving social media accounts later, he meets Asher in a shitty Starbucks. He immediately falls in love with him, and spends months trying to win his affection. His bright (yet occasionally defiant) demeanor and overall caring personality really helped the group, whether or not he’ll ever realize it.

Kat C Osterholt is Asher's best friend, and a major side character. She's 17 at the beginning and 18 at the end (birthday's today as I'm writing this, 4-16-07!!). She has a cat named Salem that lives with Asher, because her parents made her get rid of him when they got Sadie, a malamute who was too excitable for him. She has no idea what breed he is, as he was sourced through the ‘cat distribution system’ (Kat found him in an alley and cried, snuck him into her house). Her parents weren’t happy, and nearly kicked her out because of it. Her father finds basically anything she does ‘stupid’ or ‘a waste of time’ and will commonly throw out her belongings, he once burned a deck of tarot cards Asher bought her cause he ‘didn’t want her doing witchy shit and cursing him’ (she wanted them to talk to Aphrodite easier). Her mother is generally neglectful, and makes fish or other seafood for dinner (Kat’s allergic to seafood), then refuses to let her eat anything else for the rest of the night. She takes out a great deal of her anger towards her parents and her situation on others and herself, mainly through fights with those who’ve messed with her or Cooper, who she’s mildly overprotective over. Cooper also has a younger sister, Les (Annalise, 15), who Kat helps set up pranks.

Cooper N Langley-Osterholt is Kat's cousin and her best friend, also a major side character. He recently turned 17, and is still 17 at the end (birthday’s 12-12-07). He is shy and skittish, due to his parents’ argumentative/abusive tendencies towards him. Cooper doesn’t often speak up for himself, and heavily relies on Kat’s protective nature to take care of whatever problem he’s facing, most of the time someone being rude at school or work. He is afraid of large dogs and deep water, one because he was bit by a dog as a child, and the other because him and Kat watched jaws when they were younger. He reads, plays soccer, and sleeps. A lot. He’s my least developed YSOM character and I always feels bad when I have to describe him.