Melissa

Melissa:

Age at the time of the novel: 10

Place in the family: youngest

Before the novel starts: Melissa was moved from a fifth grade class in her neighborhood school and placed in a sixth grade class at Edwards elementary to participate in a county-wide magnet program for gifted children.

1. Aimee Bidarka: is the center of attention in class until Melissa comes along. Aimee is her sworn enemy until some misunderstanding is cleared up, then she's an odd ally in Melissa's fight against teen suicide.

2. Erika Biswan: Aimee Bidarka's jealous best friend; She's the catalyst for Melissa's classroom and playground torture. Sometimes she's given what for, but she's mostly a thorn in the side of our would-be lifesaver.

3. Mr. Cahill: the GT instructor/mentor

4. the G.T. group: The group in Mrs. Hopkins's class that participates in the magnet program with Melissa and Aimee: Christina Wong, Rod Zophy, Blake Felder, and Eric Lysander. They are often an audience of the direct struggle between Melissa and Aimee.

5. Mrs. Hopkins: Melissa's sixth grade teacher

6. Eric Lysander, Joey Yates and Shane Shaw: Eric is Aimee's young devoted swain, who simultaneously amuses and annoys the object of his pre-adolescent desire. When not trying to get in Aimee's favor, Eric is trying to shake a bookworn reputation by hanging with Joey and Shane, class clowns and bad boys. They provide Erika with some of her best names for Melissa, as well as the Greek chorus in the scenes between Melissa and the Aimee crowd when it suits them, but they finish out the year with a little respect for "Babysnitch."

7. Bobbie Morris: She and sidekick Sarah Coombly are the ringleaders of a decididly anti-Aimee/Erika group. Rumor has it that Bobbie and Aimee were good friends when Bobbie was in GT herself, but things soured when Bobbie's parents pulled her out because they thought it was too much pressure. Their group sticks up for Melissa, but they don't really include her either.

The Family Page

Melissa and Aimee