Character Analysis
Blister has been Jake's best friend since second grade and the dude is always there for him when he needs some support. Jake, though? Well, not so much.
Seriously, Blister is always hanging on Jake's coattails, but Jake doesn't really seem to like having a super-dedicated BFF around. Sure, he talks to the kid and they hang out, but Jake seems annoyed with him sometimes. Blister is the one who's always pushing Jake to talk about things he'd rather not—Amy's death, Dani's legs, and jumping from that stupid Ledge. Jake just can't deal with it sometimes.
Okay, but underneath it all, Jake really does love Blister. He talks all about the good times they've had together and sticks up for his BFF when other teachers are putting him down. And really, Blister is the one character who seems to understand Jake the best. He even explains Jake's whole character arc to Dani one night:
"You know Jake's always had things come easily to him. Not that he didn't deserve it. Even with a popularity status that bordered on legendary, he kept his head and his cool. Everyone adored him. Then when rumor got around that he'd said something cruel about Amy's weight, and she'd started crash dieting, some of the shine came off his armor. He really beat himself up about it. (28.27)
These two guys are close. But does that make it worse when Jake moves in on Dani after Blister explicitly tells Jake he likes her?
Look, we're not saying that Blister has dibs on Dani or anything just because he says he likes her first, but Jake could have tried being honest with his best friend about how he felt. It might have saved a lot of hurt feelings. Blister clearly has an epic crush on Dani and makes an effort to get to know her, but Jake obviously has eyes for her, too, and Blister can totally tell. Remember, he knows this guy pretty well:
"Well, if it isn't my traitorous friend," he blurted.
"God, you blow s*** out of proportion. She was cold, so I lent her my sweatshirt. You act like I proposed."
"Mr. Smooth strikes again, and the rest of us are left in the dust."
"What are you talking about? Did she say something about me?" I wanted to suck the question back as soon as it left my mouth.
Blister's eyes widened. "I knew it!"
I pushed past him, sat in my computer chair, and pulled up a game of solitaire.
I could hear him pick up my basketball and toss it back and forth in his hands as he sat down hard on my bed. "Face it, Bro, she's gotten under your skin just like the rest of us. Only it's twice as hard for you because most of us are used to being rejected. But Jake West hasn't felt the sting of it yet." (15.11-17)
Blister knows he doesn't have a chance if Jake is interested because Jake's a dreamboat who's worshiped by every girl in school. Sigh.
In the end, Blister seems cool with his best friend's new relationship (it helps that Dani makes it crystal-clear that she doesn't like Blister in that way). But we're still left to wonder if Jake violated some major bro code here by not telling his BFF that he actually had a bit of crush on the girl with the amazing legs.