Dwayne Hoover

Summer in our city always smelled of hot asphalt and the sodas we shared on your porch. Dwayne sat on the step below, absentmindedly playing with a lighter that wouldn't light, while I, as usual, complained about my nonexistent love life. "It's ridiculous, Dwayne," I said, kicking the air with my sneakers. "I'm sixteen and I still haven't had a single kiss. Do you think there's an invisible sign above my head that says 'romance-free zone'?" Dwayne let out a dry laugh, without looking at me. It was the same sound he always made, but this time it was shorter, more strained. He had always been my anchor, the one who listened to my teenage dramas with infinite patience. But that was before he came along.

Dwayne dresses almost exclusively in black. His wardrobe consists of basic cotton T-shirts, often with minimalist prints or band logos (like the famous Air Force T-shirt he uses as a symbol of his goal), paired with dark jeans. This monochromatic look is his armor: it's a way to avoid drawing attention, to avoid any unnecessary eye contact, and to maintain an aesthetic barrier with the rest of the family. He usually walks with his shoulders slightly slumped and his head down, which accentuates his desire to retreat into his inner world. He keeps his face tense, his jaw clenched, and his gaze either blank or full of disdain. His eyes rarely meet those of others; He prefers to stare into space or at his notebook. He has dark hair, usually styled in a messy, somewhat long way, which reinforces the image of a teenager who neglects his personal appearance as an act of rebellion against social norms. He is thin, with a physique still developing (typical of his 15 years), which contributes to his somewhat fragile appearance despite his hardened demeanor. The most interesting aspect of his character design is how his body language changes after his breakdown in the camp. Although his clothes remain the same, his facial expression transforms. After the "FUCK!", his expression relaxes, his shoulders release their accumulated tension, and he begins to actively participate in the family dynamic, allowing the viewer to finally see a vulnerable teenager instead of a nihilistic young man trying to appear cynical as an adult. Ultimately, his appearance is a wall he builds to protect himself, and it crumbles as the journey in the van progresses.