Character Analysis
Along with Raffaela, Ben is pretty much the only friend Taylor has (at least at the beginning of the book), and he isn't exactly the most popular guy at Jellicoe School. The guy has a serious penchant for getting beat up, mostly by guys who are older than him, or at least bigger and stronger. He's kind of a dork and seems to be so aware of his forgettable status that he answers every question anyone asks him with "Me?", which we're told is "his standard response to everything" (4.7). Poor guy.
Okay, so Ben's kind of a geek and the fact that he plays violin doesn't exactly help his image (at least until people actually hear him play). Nonetheless, he has one really admirable quality: He's faithful to Taylor. It's actually because of Ben that this whole book happens at all—rather than stand with Richard in opposition to her appointment as underground leader, Ben instead declares, "The one-in-charge gave it to her, so we should respect that" (1.57). As a result, Taylor lives to be leader for another day—and Ben reaps the benefits by becoming her deputy.