Panic Attacks

Panic Attacks are "episodes where a person feels a sense of massive anxiety" (p. 4). Ruby suffers from panic attacks that leave her feeling unable to breathe and as if her heart is going to beat out of her chest. These panic attacks are the reason why Ruby's parents force her to see Doctor Z.

Doctor Z's Office

Doctor Z's office is in a blank building, like a strip mall in downtown Seattle. The office is surrounded by dermatologists and orthodontists, but the office itself isn't nearly as nondescript as Ruby expected: Doctor Z has hung African art on the walls and laid a fluffy red rug on the floor.

Tate Prep

Tate Prep is the school that Ruby and most of the other teenage characters attend. Tate Prep is for rich kids, mainly, and most of the kids have extremely wealthy parents, BMWs, and houses with...