Emmy

Emmy is Kate's best friend and Stephen's younger sister, who leaves during the summer to go follow the Grateful Dead tour. Emmy's leaving brings Kate and Stephen closer together.

Howard

Howard is the instructor who teaches Kate and Stephen how to skydive. Howard is surprised when Stephen does not jump, since Stephen was the best in his class.

Kate

Kate is the narrator of the story, whose father has gone mad, and whose boyfriend, Stephen, is unstable. In the story, Kate recalls the summer that she was nineteen, when she was afraid of going mad like her father, who slipped away after his consulting business failed. She looks in the mirror, searching for a sign of the madness in her face, and spends her off hours drinking, playing pool, and gambling with a rough group of friends. Stephen is the most unstable of this bunch, and Kate finds...