Charlie is a bright-minded, endearing, and sometimes awkward teenager. Like most people her age, Charlie is still growing into herself and often struggles to balance her own opinions with the expectations of others. This is deepened by the loving, but often co-dependent relationship between Charlie and her single mother Elizabeth, whose own complicated history with sex has unknowingly shaped the way Charlie views her body and choices. When Charlie finally has sex for the first time, the experience unravels something deeper, setting her on a turbulent path of self-discovery and one that leads her to confront the weight of the generational shame she never fully understood she carried.
CHARLIE
Elizabeth is Charlie’s formidable single mother. Strong-willed, protective, and often guarded, she carries deep insecurities about getting pregnant at 18 and often struggles to let others in. The harsh judgment and abandonment she’s endured has caused Elizabeth to unknowingly project her own fears and shame onto Charlie all in the name of protection. Having built her life entirely around her daughter, Elizabeth now finds herself at a crossroads. With graduation approaching and her own mother reentering the picture, she’s finally pushed to confront her past and begin imagining a future that belongs to her alone.
ELIZABETH
Evelyn is Elizabeth’s fiercely opinionated and deeply traditional mother. Raised by critical parents who equated love with perfection, Evelyn grew up believing that a woman’s worth depended on adhering to strict ideals of behavior, and she devoted herself to shaping Elizabeth in that same way. So, when Elizabeth became pregnant in high school, Evelyn's carefully constructed world unraveled. As years passed, their relationship, already fraught, fractured beyond repair, eventually leading Evelyn to move away. Now, years later, Evelyn is beginning to understand the ache of solitude. Though she believes it may be too late to mend things with Elizabeth, she wonders if Charlie might offer a second chance at the family she lost.
EVELYN
Jack is the epitome of golden retriever energy. Outgoing and charismatic, he is the guy that everyone likes. A longtime friend and classmate of Charlie’s, he’s harbored a secret crush on her for years, never believing he had a chance until now. During their first time, Jack is attentive and kind, ensuring Charlie feels safe and respected. Though he doesn’t fully grasp the weight of what Charlie is going through afterward, Jack earnestly tries to support her in the best way he knows how. Though he often stumbles his words, he approaches each situation with heart, and occasionally, with unintentionally humorous results.
JACK
Bex is Charlie’s confident, theater-loving, unapologetically herself best friend, and has been since childhood. In contrast to Charlie’s more guarded upbringing, Bex was raised in an open, affirming household that fully embraced her when she came out as gay. Bex is always pushing Charlie to chase what she wants, offering steady encouragement and fierce loyalty. Yet beneath Bex’s bold exterior lies a quiet vulnerability. Though typically appearing confident and assured, she stills wrestles with her own fear of how she’s perceived and the opinions of others.