Park Sheridan

Park is a sixteen-year-old teenager when the story begins. He is the son of a Korean mother and American father and is very conscious of his ethnicity. He doesn't believe he fits in and feels insecure because of it. Park is sitting alone the day Eleanor gets on the bus for the first time and his initial reaction is to ignore her. He isn't able to continue ignoring her when he realizes that she's about to cry.

Park's home life is stable but he isn't really happy. His father hates some aspects of Park's life but Park refuses to change to meet his father's dictates. His mother is somewhat over-protective but is willing to do what she can to ensure Park's happiness.

Once Park begins to spend time with Eleanor, he focuses on something bigger than himself. When he learns that someone is picking on Eleanor, he...