, ▁partner ing ▁up ▁with ▁M ist y ▁occasionally ▁in ▁having ▁sex ▁with ▁men . ▁He ▁does ▁not ▁believe ▁himself ▁to ▁be ▁gay , ▁but ▁he ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁feeling ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁to ▁do ▁anything ▁to ▁get ▁money ▁and ▁support ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁family . ▁His ▁relationship ▁with ▁Ron nie ▁becomes ▁distant , ▁and ▁he ▁hopes ▁that ▁she ▁would ▁find ▁a ▁better ▁man ▁who ▁deser ves ▁her . ▁On ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁“ dates ”, ▁M ist y ’ s ▁boy friend , ▁Chris , ▁finds ▁them ▁almost ▁n aked ▁with ▁their ▁client . ▁He ▁is ▁expressed ▁as ▁being ▁very ▁angry ▁with ▁M ist y , ▁and ▁he ▁attacks ▁them , ▁putting ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁hospital . ▁C ody ▁w akes ▁up ▁occasionally ▁there , ▁and ▁M ist y ▁and ▁their ▁client ▁are ▁revealed ▁to ▁be ▁dead . ▁C ody ▁he ars ▁voices ▁while ▁he ▁is ▁partially ▁conscious . ▁He ▁he ars ▁his ▁mother ▁speaking ▁to ▁him , ▁comfort ing ▁him , ▁and ▁begg ing ▁him ▁not ▁to ▁leave ▁her . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁ ▁E den ▁Ruth ▁Stre it , ▁ ▁a ▁six teen - year - old ▁girl , ▁lives ▁in ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁and ▁religious ▁family ▁since ▁her ▁father ▁is ▁a ▁local ▁pre acher . ▁ ▁S eth ▁Par nell , ▁a ▁“ good - looking ” ▁( 4 3 6 ) ▁sevent een - year - old ▁boy , ▁de als ▁with ▁defining ▁his ▁sexual ity ▁and ▁experien cing ▁break - ups ▁and ▁trad ing ▁sex ▁for