Sue Heck

Living... with bubbling enthusiasm in contrast to the bland, flat environment around her. Sue is the middle child of a working-class family in Orson, Indiana, and in the throes of puberty. That means her hormones, awkwardness and energy are all dialed up to eleven.

Profession... middle school student. She works as hard as anyone in school without realizing that not trying is much cooler. But she’s on the path to leaning into her offbeat personality and embracing the awkward. But that level of maturity is still years away.

Interests… trying out for any and all activities at school, and putting on a brave face when she’s relegated to the sidelines. She wants to be in the choir, but settles for stagehand. Swim team and cheerleading? Nope and nope. The disappointment hurts, but her drive and optimism are unstoppable.

Relationship Status...  perpetually single and prone to painful crushes. She falls hard for her geeky, flamboyant classmate Brad. He’s her only equal when it comes to unbridled enthusiasm in Orson, but her parents have a hunch he’s gay. Luckily, he doesn’t have to grapple with his sexuality just yet – Sue dumps him when she finds out he smokes.

Challenge... being overlooked both as a middle child and an outcast at school. Her mom and dad give way more attention to her older jock brother Axl and her odd younger brother Brick. Things aren’t much better at school – even her favorite teachers don’t remember her when she graduates, and boys have their eyes on other girls.                                                                      

Personality... socially awkward and endlessly cheery. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the best mix for a teenager. Sue easily gets fixated on goals and aspirations, but doesn’t sit around waiting for them. She’s driven and goes after them with laser-like focus. She’s an explorer in search of experiences, looking in all the wrong places for acceptance, happiness and success. Thankfully she still has some time to figure it all out.