She is the younger sister of two infamous and notorious hoods in the neighborhood. She dumped Bryon to pursue Ponyboy, and when he ignored her, she tried to use violence to lash out. She also has long, dark hair, described as blue-black, and is so strikingly beautiful that she could “be a movie star” (pg. Angela ShepardĪngela was the last girl Bryon dated before Cathy, and a major point of comparison for their relationships. She and Mark do not get along, and this becomes a source of stress for Bryon. She works at the hospital where Bryon’s mother is recovering, and she strikes up a very serious romance with Bryon. She has long, dark hair, and gray eyes, and has changed a lot in appearance since leaving. She went away to private school for a couple of years, and has just come back at the beginning of the book. Cathy CarlsonĬathy is M&M’s older sister, and the two of them are the closest out of the many children in the Carlson family. He becomes even more dangerous after he goes to jail at the end of the book. However, he also has no sense of morality, and has no problem selling drugs to children. He loves Bryon more than anyone in the world, considering him his only family left. He has a demeanor of disarming innocence and wildness, since he is persuasive and can get away with anything. He has distinctive golden eyes and blond hair, like a lion. He saw his parents shoot each other in a fight when he was a child.

Mark, also a sixteen-year-old boy, is Bryon’s best friend and adoptive brother. He has dark hair and a sturdy build, and is generally well liked. He is deeply introspective and reflective, and a hard, diligent worker. While able to pick up girls easily, he can still be insecure about loyalties. He is known for being a bit of a playboy, and yet really deeply falls for Cathy Carlson during the course of the book. Bryon is a sixteen-year-old teenage boy living with his unwell mother and his best friend, Mark.

The book that was then this is now