Violet Hayes is Evie's best friend. She is hugely fat but seems not to be worried about her weight or about what others think of her. A likeable character, Violet is a loyal friend to Evie, who never condemns her for the outlandish things she does, even to the point of not being particularly concerned when Evie carves Drum's surname into her forehead. Clearly, Violet is not the voice of reason in the novel, but she provides the most emotional support Evie gets from any other character. When the two start going to Drum's concerts, Violet discovers that she enjoys the atmosphere, and she is an upbeat companion, unperturbed even when unthinking boys call her plump or fat. She not only approves of Evie's decision to wed Drum, but advises her to lie about her age to get the marriage license and even drives her to the registry to apply for it. Violet also participates in Evie's plan to stage a kidnapping of Drum for publicity purposes. In the novel, she represents the staunch best friend who sometimes can be the only bulwark for a teenager going through the feelings of isolation that can accompany difficult emotional experiences. As such, she is not a wellspring of good advice, but her understanding of Evie and sympathy for her comes from being a peer who shares at least some of Evie's problems. In short, her role in the novel is that of the classic sidekick.
