Will
 The latest incident – mooning the girls' school bus – lands him in the deputy principal's office. He could be suspended or expelled, but instead Will's concerned English teacher, Mr Andrews, makes a suggestion that he thinks will solve the problem. Will is to help out with the school musical, playing guitar in the band. For Will, the new punishment is ten thousand times worse than expulsion. Will doesn't know anyone in Year 11 who voluntarily takes part in school musicals, and even the prospect of meeting girls from Lakeside Girls' is not enough to make it worthwhile. The musical is definitely just for band geeks and try-hards. At the first audition and rehearsal, Will's fears are confirmed. But he's about to learn that stereotypes are not always what they seem. Year seven trombone playing geeks can be wiser than their years, hot girls like Elizabeth are not just in the musical to pretend they are stars on Australian Idol, and rugby-playing jocks like the new guy, Mark, can sing and dance – and they can be gay, too. Will thinks he can get through the eight weeks of the musical by staying in his bubble and not feeling anything. This technique has worked for the six months since his dad died (a fact that is revealed later in the book), but Will finds out that suppressing his grief and his emotions cannot work forever. Things come to a head just as the performances are about to start.