Character Analysis
Chris is definitely the hot boy in the story—he's a high school football player, a cute chemistry lab partner, and has enough wit to make a sixteen-year-old girl swoon. When Regan first meets him, she's pretty much speechless:
I scooted back my chair and stood. Stunned. This guy, this real-living-person-like guy, motioned me to follow him. Which I would have, into a noxious cloud of carbon monoxide probably. He was like, hot. (4.24)
Regan soon finds that Chris is more than just hot—he's a boy who's willing to chase her, who understands her and is patient with her when she withdraws. He understands that sometimes family can really complicate things, because he has some family issues of his own. When Regan struggles to open up to him, he doesn't try to push it. He just tells her that he understands:
"I'm a good listener." Chris cocked his head and tried to engage my eyes. "You tell me your s*** and I'll tell you mine. My family's so dysfunctional, I bet it beats yours any day." (25.59)
Chris has his own stuff going on too—after all, he lives with his mother and her mean boyfriend, so his family situation isn't perfect or cookie-cutter either. Because of this, when he sees Luna he isn't really fazed. Instead he tells Regan that he has a gay uncle and that he's not about to judge other people—he understands, even if she won't tell him the full story.
Chris doesn't judge Regan or get tired of her because she's difficult to read. He's willing to wait around and be patient with her. What a keeper, huh?