Virginia "Ginny" Miller

Grew Up… in many different places. Born in Virginia (hence her full name), Ginny has lived in several states, seeing as her mother is constantly schlepping them across the country and marrying random men along the way. Always on the run, the family has never had a chance to truly belong anywhere. Before arriving in Massachusetts, Ginny, her brother, and mother resided in Texas.

Living… in Wellsbury, Massachusetts. Intent on finally settling down and fostering connections, Ginny hopes she won’t have to leave again and is wary of her mother’s promise that they won’t. Her desire to stay only grows as she begins, for the first time, to make friends.

Interests… fitting in. While many of her new classmates are kind and invite her to be with them, she chooses to be in a “cooler” group (calling themselves MANG) with three others who don’t usually tolerate outsiders. As Ginny navigates what it really means to be a teenager, she becomes more intent on keeping her new friends. Her newfound friendships can prove to be challenging, however. As Ginny says: “I feel like I’m in a board game and I don’t know any of the rules.” 

Relationship Status… the new girlfriend of Hunter Chen. Hunter is completely enamored by Ginny and loves showing her off to the entire school. Despite Hunter’s devotion, Ginny still isn’t sure about her relationship, especially as a new love interest threatens to separate them. As her love life grows more complicated, Ginny finds herself both overwhelmed, but also enjoying the game and her newfound sense of pride: “I think you only want passion until you’ve been burned,” she decides. “Then power starts looking really good.”

Challenge… expressing herself in healthy ways. Being half-Black, Ginny runs into trouble with her new high school, filled with many people who commit micro-aggressions towards her regarding her race. Ginny struggles with being herself while still attempting to fit in, which causes her to keep secrets and harm herself and others in the process. Ginny must find the balance between standing up for herself, her culture, and family, while also relaxing her guard for some things and trusting that some people don’t necessarily have bad intentions.  

Personality… protective, guarded, yet open to new experiences. Ginny’s strong personality traits cause her transition into a new high school to be rather tumultuous.  However, with her mother in her corner, they can get through anything...right?