Tony Anthony Cecarrelli III

Tony Cecarrelli is a patient at Aspen Springs psychiatric hospital, having been committed there after attempting suicide by ingesting an overdose of Valium. Tony is presented initially as gay and street-smart. Yet through his interactions and the blossoming friendship with Vanessa and Conner, Tony is able to trust and speak about his life and comes full circle by the end of the novel.

When Tony is younger, he discovers his mother is having an affair and his father leaves soon after. Tony's mother goes on to use sex as a commodity, and her boyfriend, Larry, rapes Tony. For eight years, Tony is without a real father figure. In response, Tony shoots and kills Larry, after which time he is imprisoned. In prison, Tony takes after his mother's example, trading sexual favors to get by.

When Tony is released from prison, he is protected and supported...