Characters Page for She Is The One.
WARNING: Because of the length of the story and changes to relationships of assorted characters, the existence of this page is basically a spoiler. As such, spoilers are off going forward. If you haven't read the story and don't want to be spoiled, return to the main page now.
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Harrison And Hannigan Families
Tropes for the Harrison and Hannigan families.Harrison Family
Jack Harrison
The POV character of the story, everything we learn is through Jack's rather unique perspective and psychology.
- Absurd Phobia: After the waterboarding incident, Jack picks up a phobia of water. It's treated seriously and he knows he'll have to overcome it, but the next day, just turning on the tap to make some instant noodles drives him briefly catatonic.
- The Ace: Jack does extremely well at his job at GameStop, not just showing up on time and doing what's required of him, but proving great at dealing with even irate customers and helping people figure out which games they prefer (helping someone decide bewteen Mortal Kombat 9 and Injustice: Gods Among Us by asking if they prefer fantasy or superhero movies, then selling them on the latter by saying you get to play Superman punching people into space). He gets glowing customer reviews, has the district manager take an interest in him, the store manager get personally invested in his life to make sure it doesn't affect his work, and sent to a gaming convention to get the heads up on what's going on in the world of video games.
- Berserk Button: Hurting Kayla is a great way to catapult Jack into maximally pissed-off.
- Clueless Chick-Magnet: Jack only has eyes for Kayla (until chapter 150, at least), but he is this. He and Kayla aren't quite Love at First Sight, but she admits that if he had asked her out before Craig, she would have said yes. Jessica apparently had her eye on Jack at around the same time, and Kayla's read is that Jessica is crushing hard on Jack which fuels all the weirdness between them. When Jack breaks up with Kayla, he learns through Miguel that many of the theater girls consider him at least acceptably datable, and when he finally asks Vanessa out she reveals she'd been waiting for him to do so basically since she'd heard he a Kayla were ex, and was very ready to say yes.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: One of Jack's biggest psychological issues. He doesn't just want to help people and do good, he wants to be recognized for helping. He wants the pat on the back or the "good job, man!" Which isn't to say his motivatons are entirely self-serving — he does want to do good — but when it goes awry (as it does) and he gets punished for doing something wrong in pursuit of something right, it royally pisses him off, which makes it harder for him to recognize and understand where he went wrong, and thus how not to keep making the same mistake.
- Failure Hero: When Jack tries to do something noble and heroic, it almost always ends in horrible failure. His only real success was against Brad in sophomore year, and even that ended in a brawl that got him and all his friends injured, and is further called into question in senior year (in terms of if he actually got all the guilty parties punished). He has to learn to give up his "white knight" dreams and just be the best person he can be, for himself and for Kayla, and let the rest of the world tend to itself.
- First-Person Smartass: Though to be fair, he's a smartass to everyone else, too. Though he has the benefit of being able to talk to his readers about the weirdness that is his life through the benefit of hindsight.
- For Great Justice: Once you see how Jack was inspired by Man of La Mancha, a lot of his psychological blind spots make a lot more sense. Jack has to struggle with not falling into being full-blown Quixotic or swinging the other way and turning into an asshole.
- Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Jack is a horrendous singer. He can hear well enough to know he's bad, but has no sense of where the proper notes are "in (his) throat." He gets a little better practicing with Kayla, and markedly so after taking actual singing lessons at ISU, to the point he's in the chorus for the musical at the end of his sophomore year.Ms. Locke almost cried last year when I auditioned for the musical and everyone else I’ve sung for has gently told me that my singing voice sounds like a hippo being sodomized.
- Must Have Caffeine: Inverted. Jack does not ever drink coffee, derisively calling it "shit-water." He apparently functions just fine without it, despite everyone's assertions to the contrary that college will quickly have him requiring it.
- My Greatest Failure: Failing to salvage Alan and Amanda's romantic relationship, and for what are ultimately extremely petty reasons. Because he'd decided it was a cause worth fighting for, and his Quixotic idealism couldn't accept actually failing in his appointed task, nevermind that Quixotic quests are pretty much by definition doomed to failure. This eats at his subconscious so much it incites his exceptionally ill-advised involvement in the prostitution ring.
- Odd Name Out: Among the Harrison kids, his is the only one that doesn't start with A.
- Photographic Memory: Jack claims in Chapter One that he has "about as close to a photographic memory as you can get," greatly aiding him in schoolwork, memorizing lines for plays, and in passing his driver's test. Throughout the story, he'll note that he's writing these events after research and work to recall them, and that he may have forgotten someone or something in the moment that he remembers now because he's made the effort to recall it for purposes of relating it to the audience.
- Real Men Love Jesus: Jack is religious, but not devoutly Church-going. He feels his beliefs are his own, and other people's beliefs are their own business. He's hesitant to talk religion with others, but mostly out of fear of finding out he's talking to someone who takes their beliefs way too seriously and takes any difference of opinion on the subject as a personal insult.
- Recurring Dreams: Jack has one about being stuck in the middle of the ocean. Not just adrift at sea, but underwater, able to see the light of the surface but unable to reach it, and nothing but water as far as he can see until it gives way to dark depths. And there's something in those depths, watching him.
- Rugged Scar: After the car crash that claims Craig's life, Jack has a scar over one eye. He notes that, ironically, he gave several customizable video game characters similar scars, feeling it lent them an air of heroic badassery. Whether he will feel the same about his own scar or not remains to be seen.
- Threatening Shark: Jack loves sharks, because they're cool and badass and he enjoys the Primal Fear they stir within him.
- Tranquil Fury: When Jack's Berserk Button has been well pressed, he tends to hit this spot rather than blind fury, as he calmly goes about a straightforward means of addressing what punched the button. He's still not thinking rationally by any means and his chosen course of action may be as stupid as blindly lashing out.
- Trauma Button: Thanks to Coach Walburn, Jack has one related to suicide. Alan hits it when, while he and Amanda are at the lowest point of their post-breakup relationship, Alan first states he wants to run away, then just die, because he can't stand making everyone else miserable. Because Jack had witnessed Coach Walburn's suicide (and is still dealing with the incredibly vivid memories of it), he can recognize that this isn't just teen angst "I wish I was dead" talk. . . Alan is just depressed, miserable, and hurting enough to be serious. Jack throws Alan and Amanda into a room and holds the door shut, refusing to let them out until they talk. During this, Jack's emotional state flips between despair and rage alarmingly quickly.
- Weirdness Magnet: While it's mundane weirdness (no supernatural or sci-fi elements in this story, no matter how much Jack wishes otherwise), Jack attracts a surprising amount of drama to him.
Amanda Harrison
Jack's sister, the same age as him, but a year behind in school due to childhood illness.
- Big Brother Attraction: She has this for both Alan and Jack. Alan is receptive, Jack less so. She eventually gets over it, even wondering what was wrong with her that this seemed like a good idea at the time.
- Never My Fault: Downplayed. She gets quite upset with Jack misreading her actions and distrusting her motivatons, but it takes years (and some maturity and soul-searching) to realize his behavior is a direct result of her raping him, and he's got some low-grade PTSD about her that takes a lot of time to heal.
- On the Rebound: Between being forcibly broken up with Alan and having Jack spurn her affections, Amanda's relationship with Sam has shades of this. She is genuinely interested in moving on, but things don't precisely work out.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Jack begins to suspect that Amanda is dating Sam because he's very similar to Jack. It turns out to be not quite that simple, and the similarities are not so great as they sometimes appear (especially to Jack's biased eye).
Alan Harrison
Jack's brother, same age as Jack and Amanda, same school year as Amanda for the same reason.
- Big Brother Bully: Though the same age as Amanda, Alan starts playing this trope straight during their last few years in high school. It becomes a huge source of friction in Harrison household.
- Heroic Build: Early in high school, he begins working out almost obsessively, getting huge rippling muscles. He lets himself go a bit in his senior year and as he starts college, but while he loses his amateur bodybuilder physique he remains fit and stronger than Jack.
Hannah Harrison
Jack's mom.
- Cordon Bleugh Chef: A tastier version than most, Jack's mom nevertheless loves experimenting in the kitchen. The results are usually at least edible, often delicious, though she has had some rare failures (something with gummy bears and salsa apparently being one of them). A few examples of her weirdness are spaghetti tacos, pizza gumbo, a sort of beef stew with a sauce made with melted ice cream and fruit, and sandwiches with bacon, strips of fried chicken, lettuce, small slices of tomato, and strawberry jelly.
Mike Harrison
Jack's dad.
- Anger Born of Worry: The long-con version is a good summation for why he loses his shit over the twins having sex. He's concerned for the long-term sustainability of their relationship; as Jack notes, they look too alike to be anything but siblings, so they'll have to lie to basically everyone and never have romantic dinners, go dancing, walk in the park holding hands, or any of the other public things couples can do. He's also worried what they have is less "true love" and more "teenage hormones," and that it's far more likely they'll break up on their own. . . and breakups are hard enough when you don't have to live in the same house with your new ex.
- Genghis Gambit: Him breaking up the twins and overbearingly monitoring them so they don't have a chance to go behind his back. This lets him be the bad guy, so they twins don't resent each other over the enforced split. He explains this carefully to Jack, that with the twins relationship doomed mostly because of their Strong Family Resemblance, he fears they'd come to resent each other, want to make drastic changes just so they could be together. He's only partially successful, the bad feelings from a bad breakup are still there, and can't all be piled on just dad being a jerk. Alan and Amanda have deep wounds in their sibling relationship up through their freshmen year of college.
- Unstoppable Rage: When he discovers Alan and Amanda's relationship, he is furious. Jack barely manages to talk him down, and even then, the result is a very unpleasant night for everyone. When he breaks Alan and Amanda up for good, he's so angry Jack's attempts to smooth things over makes him a target, too. Mike doesn't quite cross the line into unsympathetic. . . but he doesn't quite manage to stay in those lines entirely, either.
Hannigan Family
Kayla Hannigan
The titular One, Jack's girlfriend and One True Love. Maybe.
- The Ace: At Super Smash Bros. 64. She consistently hands a Curb-Stomp Battle to anyone who challenges her. Jack playing with her frequently gets him good enough to come in third at a tournament at GarboCon.
- Big Eater: Jack thought his huge high school friends were these until he met Kayla. She can outeat them all if she puts her mind to it. A sure sign that Kayla is having an extra-hard time is if she loses her appetite.
- Friend to All Living Things: Kayla loves animals and wants to become a veterinarian.
- Girl Next Door: Literally, as the Hannigans moved in next door to the Harrisons over the summer. Kayla also fits the trope in terms of personality, though she's a bit more frank, aware of her own beauty, and sexually open than the trope usually suggests.
- Hypocrite: Insists she wants absolute honesty from Jack, that if he has something to tell her, even if it will upset her, she'd rather know about it. She, however, lied to Jack about being a virgin the first time they had sex. It's portrayed sympathetically, as dumb teenage decision-making at work and not as her maliciously holding herself to a different standard than she expects of him.
- Kinky Spanking: Kayla finds out she greatly enjoys receiving this during sex. Luckily, Jack greatly enjoys giving it.
- My Girl Is Not a Slut: Zig-Zagged. Jack greatly enjoys Kayla's inventiveness and enthusiasm as regards sex. . . until he learns he wasn't the first guy she slept with. Though even then, that she slept with another guy before she met him is less the issue, it's that she outright stated she was a virgin, lying about having broken her hymen herself in anticipation of Their First Time, that really upsets him.
- Muscles Are Meaningless: Not described as particularly fit and not shown to maintain any kind of fitness regimen, yet still "freakishly strong."
- Of Corsets Sexy: Kayla orders an emerald green corset that definitely trends towards "lingerie" as a surprise for Jack. His jaw literally drops when she unveils it.
- Signature Headgear: Her hair bow, of which she owns several in different colors. She proudly describes it as "her thing," and will alternately tell other female characters to "get your own thing," or offer helpful suggestions for how they might be able to pull off the look (or not).
- Signature Scent: Jack is delighted by what he first assumes is Kayla's light, sweet perfume, before figuring out it's just her natural odor. He still thinks it's lovely.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: Lands the final blow in the Homecoming fight with Craig, and is often prepared to do, or at least incite, violence if Jack is in danger.
Mary Hannigan
Kayla's mom.
Chester Hannigan
Kayla's dad.
- The Big Guy: Jack is very intimidated by Mr. Hannigan's size, even when the two are on good terms and being friendly.
- Papa Wolf: Played Straight when, mistaking Jack for Craig, charges looking prepared to rip him limb from limb until the situation is made clear. Subverted when he tells Jack after he and Kayla start dating to "fill in the old 'stern father' routine however you want."
Reagan Hannigan
Kayla's little sister, born around Thanksgiving of Kayla's second year at college, her parents deciding they wanted another kid after Kayla was out of the house.
- Practically Different Generations: She's born around Thanksgiving of Kayla's sophomore year of college. Kayla reflects that, even with her and Jack waiting until after college to start their own family, their kids won't be much younger than their aunt.
Moreno Family
Tara Moreno
Jack's cousin. They're closer than any two others in the Harrison/Moreno clan.
- Amazonian Beauty: Due to her passion for running, she's very fit with sculpted legs and abs.
- Big Eater: Just about the only one who can keep up with Kayla. Tara at least has the excuse of having a runner's body to fuel.
- Contagious Laughter: Her laugh, as described by Jack.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Tara is a smart girl, but has weakness for guys who are "hot." She attributes this for being behind her bad romantic track record. . . a lot of assholes are hot.
- Genki Girl: To the point running is her major defining hobby, and she was on the track team in high school. She has enough energy and enthusiasm that even college finals can only temporarily dent it.
- The Pollyanna: Always manages to bring cheer and positivity with her.
Blanche Moreno
Tara's mom, Jack's aunt, Hannah Harrison's elder sister.
Don Moreno
Tara's dad.
Jack's Hometown
Tropes for characters met in Jack's hometown.Jack's friends and acquaintances
Becca Pritchett
Craig's girlfriend.
- Fiery Redhead: Red hair, and while she hides it well, she has quite a temper.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: No one is forgetting the time she decked Jack. He did kind of have it coming, and most everyone is equally amused and concerned, except Kayla. After all, that triggered her own violently protective nature.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: Laid Jack out with a sucker punch once because Jack, in a foul mood, hurt Craig's feelings.
- Put on a Bus: Zig-Zagged. Like most of the high school cast, she fades in prominence once college starts. She also mostly comes up as an adjunct to Craig. The bus comes back for Craig's funeral, and she interacts a bit with Jack afterward, before moving away permanently and asking him not contact her. Jack states that after their goodbye conversation, he never saw or heard from her again.
Belle
Joe's girlfriend, until she dumps him for cheating on her with Sam.
- Beta Bitch: Subverted. She was a member of Jessica's Girl Posse, but never particularly liked Jessica all that much, and is happy to hang with Jack and company.
- Put on a Bus: Unsurprisingly, after she catches Joe cheating on her she cut ties with Jack and his group. She's still present off and on through high school (she plays an important, if ultimately tangential, role in the Voyeur Saga), the bus-putting really takes effect after senior year.
- The Bus Came Back: After Craig's car crash, Belle drops by Jack's house to see how he's doing. She and Jack start hanging out again and repairing their friendship, though she still adamantly refuses to have anything to do with Joe.
- You Are Not Alone: After Coach Walburn's suicide, Belle talks to Jack alone, telling him that she witnessed her father hang himself. Her perspective, having gone through what Jack is, helps him deal.
Brad Nightingale
Jack's other best friend from before high school.
- At Least I Admit It: Said word-for-word (with an appropriately placed F-bomb) as Brad accuses Jack of being just as "nasty, greedy, and perverted" as he is, but hiding it behind a Nice Guy facade.
- The Big Guy: Joe and Brad are about the same size (much larger than Jack), but Brad is the more athletic and interested in all kinds of sports. He singlehandedly hands a Curb-Stomp Battle to Jack, Joe, Alan (pre-workout mania), and Craig combined.
- False Friend: Turns out to have been behind the "fuck with Jack" campaign, with the goal of getting Jack to ask Brad for help, which Brad would offer in exchange for Jack setting Brad up with Amanda.
- Jerkass Has a Point: As the story progresses and Jack is forced to harshly look at and deal with his character flaws, some of Brad's accusations land a little bit harder.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Says Jack doesn't treat him and Joe like friends, but hired muscle. Joe assures Jack that Brad is wrong, but Jack isn't so sure, and wonders if he might have been taking his friends for granted.
- Prisons Are Gymnasiums: After Brad gets arrested for assaulting Jack, Joe, Alan, and Craig at school, Joe fears not just this when he gets put, but that he'll have learned the art of the Sinister Shiv. Subverted when Brad actually resurfaces, his time in juvie has withered his once-formidable physique.
- Put on a Bus: Bound for juvie at the end of the Jessica Saga.
- The Bus Came Back: Brad resurfaces for the Demons Saga.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Claims he turned on Jack because Jack isn't really a Nice Guy, just pretends to be one to get people to do things for him. This severely rattles Jack, who believes he really is a nice guy and sincerely tries to be.
Craig Carter
Initially "that kid no one likes" with a special enmity for Jack, and Jack's initial rival for Kayla's affections. He becomes a better person and one of Jack's best friends.
- Domestic Abuser: How we meet him sophomore year of high school, a womanizing tool just smooth enough to get what he wants from a girl than dump her. Him putting the moves on Kayla before Jack can sets them on a collision course, and actually helps Jack as Kayla comes to rely on him more than Craig.
- Heel–Face Turn: After Jack and Kayla help him connect with Becca (after driving her away from him thinking he was just seeking the next notch on his belt) he starts being nicer, a better person, and becomes one of Jack's best friends.
- Jerkass: Starts as this. He gets better as he starts dating Becca and becomes friends with Jack, though he never loses a certain core level of self-centeredness.
- Love Redeems: Downplayed. Becca is good for Craig and inspires him to be a better person, but he has to work hard at not acting like the asshole he'd been up that point.
- Taking the Bullet: Dives in front of a punch from Brad meant for Jack. This earns him respect and near Undying Loyalty from Jack.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Quickly becomes a better person as he starts dating Becca.
- Would Hit a Girl: Smacks Kayla at Homecoming when his taunting finally strikes a nerve. Even he seems surprised he did it, and quickly regrets it as Jack (with an assist from Kayla) hands him his ass.
Jessica Wilson
The Queen Bee of Brow Ridge High, using her popularity and looks to get her way. Shares drama class with Jack, and brown-noses the drama teacher to get all the best roles.
- Alpha Bitch: The most beautiful and popular girl in school (Kayla's more beautiful, though, at least in Jack's eyes) with her Girl Posse, making and breaking high school reputations with a snap of her fingers and getting lead roles in almost every play just because the drama teacher loves her that much (until senior year, where a new drama teacher isn't putting up with her nonsense). The "bitch" part really comes out as she worms her way into Jack and Kayla's life, revealing that at her core, she's a selfish, self-centered brat who can't stand not getting her way.
- The Beautiful Elite: Beautiful, blonde, with solid D-cups and immaculate hair, face, and body care. Her attractiveness is part of what makes her Brow Ridge High's Queen Bee, but she's apparently always had a knack for manipulating the social cliques of general education environments. This starts to fail her as she goes to college.
- Future Loser: By the start of her second year of college, seems well on her way to this, desperately trying to reconnect with Jack because she has no friends at college and life is just too hard. Jack actually chewed her out with "Ms. Peaked In High School" during their conflicts during senior year, and she's definitely sliding in that direction. Though when Jack bumps into her at Craig's funeral, she seems to be on her way to becoming a more well-adjusted person.
- Sexy Whatever Outfit: Her Halloween costume is the generic, cliche "sexy kitten," consisting of cat ears on her head, black leggings, and leopard-print bodice.
- Teacher's Pet: To Ms. Locke, landing leading roles even as a freshman. Claims she used this influence to get Jack and Kayla cast in The Winter's Tale.
Joe Hayes
Jack's best friend since way far back.
- Big Fun: A very large young man, loud, not particularly smart, but very genuine with his emotions and possessed of a raucous sense of humor. Jack often lovingly thinks of him as a "loveable oaf."
- Hidden Depths: Joe has a soft sensitive side, and is one of the most open and honest with his emotions. His genuine, earnest friendship is one of Jack's greatest treasures.
- Manly Gay: Well, bisexual. Joe is big, with lots of muscles, works construction, and is loud and often uncouth.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: Zig-Zagged. Joe cheating on Belle with Sam (and thus, Sam cheating on Amanda) is absolutely not okay, and destroys many of the relationships around it. Jack takes a long time to forgive him, finally deciding that all the years they've been friends, and that Joe genuinely understands and regrets the depths of his mistake, make up for it.
Kelly Grayson
Alan's girlfriend
Rhona "Queen" Daniels
An employee, later manager, of the GameStop Jack works at when he's home.
- Boob-Based Gag: Has remarkably large breasts, especially given her rather small frame (she's maybe five feet even, but at least a D cup). They're her second most-notable physical feature (third most overall once you get to know her and her sarcastic personality). It's implied one of the reasons for the hair colors is to make that more noticeable than her breasts. She jokes about them frequently, though sometimes shows signs of D-Cup Distress (lamenting that it's hard to find a guy who will look past her boobs, literally or figuratively).
- Dye Hard: Rhona parts her hair down the middle, and dyes each side a different color. She changes colors on a monthly basis, never repeating combinations.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Rhona insists on being addressed as "Queen." The fact that Jack refuses to do so is the first step in cementing them as friends. When Jack comes back after his sophomore year of college, he asks one of the new employees if Rhona is there, and gets a blank look, having to clarify he means "Queen."
- Icy Blue Eyes: Described by Jack as having exactly these, with a side of semi-permanent Death Glare.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Downplayed. She's not a love interest for Jack, and while a fellow GameStop employee calls her this, it's to say it's just an attention-getting mechanism. Rhona does bring some excitement and oddity to Jack's life, but his life is odd and exciting enough she functions more as a mentor.
- Sarcasm Mode: Almost exclusively the only mode Rhona operates in.
Brow Ridge High Faculty
Ms. Cartwright
The gym teacher who replaces Coach Walburn.
- Amazonian Beauty: Described as "everything that sports magazines dream of when they look for a cover girl." Jack only has eyes for Kayla, but he admits that if he didn't, Ms. Cartwright is hot.
- Eccentric Mentor: Downplayed. She's young for a teacher, and genuinely wants to help her students when she knows they're going through something particularly harsh, but she isn't quite certain about how to go about connecting with them to help them. At one point, she checks with Jack to make sure he's okay, but only after she's reasonably certain he is so she doesn't have to do anything. After Coach Walburn's suicide, she implies she knows Jack was the unnamed teenage witness, and seems to obliquely saying he can talk to her if he needs to, but in such a way that doesn't come off as particularly inviting.
- Stern Teacher: Gruff and takes no attitude from her students, but can be understanding and even warm and friendly. Or she can karate chop them to incapacitation if need be.
Ms. Locke
Drama teacher.
- Large Ham: Puts into everything she says exactly as much drama as you would expect from a high school drama teacher, then adds two for good measure.
- It's All About Me: Gets like this during plays, being rather harsh on minor mistakes the cast makes that ruins all her hard work.
Iowa State University
Tropes for characters met at and around ISU.ISU Theater Department Faculty
Theater Students
Non-Theater Students
Vanessa Lancaster
A photography major who Jack meets and befriends during Astronomy class freshman year.
- Camera Fiend: Subverted. She is a photography major, and so her high-end camera is important to her and she often has it on her, but she doesn't carry it everywhere or constantly take pictures.
- On the Rebound: Jack takes his sweet time asking Vanessa out partly to make sure she is not this to him.
- Perky Goth: Downplayed. Vanessa isn't nearly "full goth" — her dress sense is somewhere around the intersection of subdued punk, metal, and goth — and she's a generally positive and upbeat person.
- The Stoner: Downplayed. She buys some weed off a friend and invites Jack to share. They both enjoy the experience, but it does not become routine.
