Retta, the responsible older sister trying to replace mom, frustrated by the lack of appreciation for her efforts and is hurt by the lack of loyalty from her brothers. Johnny, the pre-teen experiencing a need for rebellion and independence. He’s trying to make a splash because of the lack of attention he gets and how fed up he is with being told what to do.
“The boy continues to wait, systematically destroying all of the objects from their short-lived relationship. He rips up the bus pass from their first meeting.
The phone is quiet.”
“You’re a guy, you tell me,′ Elizabeth said. “Where would you have gone?′ ‘I hid in the basement once. But you don’t have a basement, do you?”
‘No, Jeffrey, we don’t,’ she said. ‘The house is on a rock. Most people don’t bother digging a basement into solid rock.”