None of the boys who take refuge at the fort are living easy lives. Each one harbors a private source of anxiety that they conceal from one other. Evan and Luke have been abandoned by their parents, who are addicted to drugs. The couple frequently stole and pawned items to support their habit and were in and out of rehab before leaving their children completely. Now, the boys have been taken in by their grandparents. Evan copes with the humiliation by avoiding any mention of it. Luke copes by attaching himself to Jaeger, hoping to become tough enough to face the world on his own.

Mitchell struggles with OCD and has difficulty concentrating while in school. He is constantly fearful of ordinary situations and people, making it difficult for his friends to tolerate him at times. To add to Mitchell’s miseries, his mother is struggling financially after being laid off from her factory job. She no longer has health insurance that will pay for Mitchell’s therapy sessions, so his mental state becomes more uncertain.

Jason is caught in the middle while his parents argue their way through a messy divorce. In their battle for ownership, they carve up Jason like any other possession.