When You Were Everything

Layla Hassan is a primary, dynamic character. Initially, she is Cleo’s best friend. She and Cleo met around the same time that Cleo’s grandmother Gigi died. Layla immediately noticed that Cleo was upset and was sensitive to her grief, so the characters’ bond happened organically. Over time, Layla and Cleo become integral parts of one another’s lives. They spend all of their time at school together, hang out at one another’s houses, and develop traditions of visiting diners and parks together. Because they have made so many memories with one another over the course of their friendship, Cleo undergoes an identity crisis when Layla makes new friends with the Chorus Girls and stops talking to her. She feels as if Layla has changed into someone unfamiliar and has stolen something important from her. In order to overcome this loss, Cleo convinces herself that if she can erase her memories with Layla, she can erase the hurt she feels over losing her friend. However, the more Cleo tries to pretend as if her friendship with Layla never existed, the more deeply she feels her unresolved pain.

Layla is portrayed as being sensitive and reserved. She often feels self-conscious because she has a speech impediment and fears that other people will judge her. At the same time, Layla has a feisty spirit and a sharp temper. Therefore, she often acts on her emotions more readily than Cleo. Cleo admires this facet of Layla’s character, and when their friendship starts to dissolve, she misses being around Layla’s bold energy. Layla’s and Cleo’s personalities therefore contrast with one another and balance each other out, and this is one of the primary reasons why Cleo feels so lost, alone, and broken when their friendship ultimately fails.

Layla’s new friendships with the Chorus Girls draw her away from Cleo and usher both girls into a new phase. When Cleo first observes Layla with the Chorus Girls, “cracking jokes and being cynical” (90), she is excited that Layla has joined chorus and is making new friends. Over time, however, Cleo becomes jealous of Layla’s new friendships and resents the fact that Layla and the Chorus Girls actively exclude her. She initially thinks that Layla is compromising who she is in order to please the Chorus Girls, but she eventually realizes that both she and Layla are changing and must pursue their own paths in life. Layla is desperate to be seen and accepted by others, and she distances herself from Cleo when she starts to feel that Cleo doesn’t value her in the way she once did. Her friendships with the Chorus Girls offer her a new realm in which to discover herself and to share ideas with like-minded people. She and Cleo make amends by performing their own artistic pieces at the open-mic night, and in doing so, they discover how to value their friendship while growing beyond it.

Dominic (“Dom”) Grey is an essential supporting character who helps Cleo with her inner journey. He lives with his grandparents, whom he calls Lolly and Pop, in Brooklyn, New York. He spent the majority of his childhood with them, but he has just moved back to New York after spending a brief interlude in Atlanta, Georgia with his mother, Molly. Molly got pregnant with Dom when she was 18 years old. She and Dom’s father John entrusted Dom to Lolly and Pop’s care because they were young and wanted to attend school and join the military. Dom therefore has a close bond with his grandparents, but he often longs for better, closer relationships with his parents.

Dom becomes an influential figure in Cleo’s life over the course of the novel. The two teens meet at Valeria’s party at the end of the summer and reconnect when the school year starts. Like Cleo, Dom is smart and sensitive and loves Shakespeare. He also works at Dolly’s, his grandparents’ diner, which Cleo regards as a safe haven. The two begin to spend time together in this setting, and they also develop their friendship through their schoolwork. Because Dom is also a deep thinker, he and Cleo connect easily and often share complex philosophical ideas and emotional experiences. Eventually, Cleo decides “to trust him” (339) and does her best to be the best friend to him that she can be. The two teens start dating by the end of the novel, proving that their friendship has grown into an intimate bond that strengthens and encourages them both. Dom has his own difficult past and must also navigate his own set of troubles in the present. However, he consistently listens to and supports Cleo with her troubles as well, teaching her about sensitivity, kindness, forgiveness, and resilience.

Cliff Baker and Naomi Bell are Cleo’s parents. Cleo has always defined herself through her relationships with them. Because she has always been closer with her dad and because her mom has always been busy and distracted, Cleo grows up seeing Cliff “as this great, flawless guy” (317). Indeed, Cliff has a habit of giving Cleo more latitude than Naomi does. He is sensitive to her emotions and often lets her skip class if she is feeling sad or anxious. He regularly meets up with Cleo outside of school during the school day or lets her come and visit him at work. Cleo sees him as being strong, supportive, and protective, but her idealized view of Cliff prevents her from truly seeing Naomi for who she is.

Cliff and Naomi’s divorce challenges Cleo to reexamine her parental relationships and to invest in her parents in new ways. After she discovers the truth about Cliff’s affair with her teacher, Ms. Novak, Cleo begins to wonder “when [her] father became superhuman in [her] head” (317). She realizes that she has always needed Cliff so desperately that she has failed to perceive his fallibility. She also recognizes that her idealized view of her father prevented her from seeing Naomi’s sensitivity and love. Her parents’ divorce and the news of Cliff’s affair alter Cleo’s understanding of both parents. She and her mom begin to spend more time with one another and to communicate more openly, and Cleo must also set new boundaries with her dad. Navigating these parental relationships is therefore a key facet of Cleo’s coming-of-age journey.