Character Analysis
Every class has a kid who is trying to stir up trouble with anyone he encounters, and in Frannie's sixth grade class, that kid is Trevor. Trevor is filled with bravado and pretty much jumps down your throat if he thinks you're weird or out of place. He certainly does so as soon as he sees the new boy walk through the door:
Ms. Johnson said, "Welcome to our sixth-grade classroom," and the boy looked up at her and smiled.
Trevor was sitting in the row in front of me, and when the boy smiled, he coughed, but the cough was trying to cover up a word that we weren't allowed to say. (1.11-12)
Trevor acts like the tough guy all the time, always picking on people so that they'll look like babies and he'll look like the bigger man. But the truth of the matter is that all of Trevor's anger has to come from somewhere… and in his case, it comes from not having a daddy around. This is a very sore topic for him, and when Jesus Boy brings it up after an altercation, Trevor seems to break down:
I looked at Trevor standing there, his face looking like it was trying to figure out what to do next. […]
And maybe because Trevor didn't have anything to say back to the Jesus Boy, maybe that's why he took a swing at him with that one good arm, missing and stumbling, then falling. (14.52-53)
Let's be real: Trevor is not a nice kid. But he's not an emotionless monster, either. He's dealing with a lot of his own inner demons, and that's why he lashes out at everyone else. Luckily for him, Jesus Boy and Frannie see through him and offer him kindness anyway.