Laura is the protagonist and narrator of every poem. Smart, emotional, and resistant to change, Laura evolves from a defiant, selfish, and traumatized girl into someone more empathetic and cooperative. After her parents’ drug overdose, Laura is at first overwhelmed, guilty, and resistant to change. Blaming herself for her family’s separation weighs heavily on Laura, who refuses to accept changes and often takes her frustration out on others, such as Silvia. Because she craves control, she rebels against Silvia and others who think foster care is forever:

[A]ll I want to do is yell

really really loud,

shout at the world that this is not permanent

this is not forever (13).

Laura’s determination makes her defiant to authority, creating more angst for her already emotionally scarred character. She also clings to the motif that “[e]veryone and everything is temporary” (123), which prevents her growth. She can’t become a round character if she remains in this static state of reliving trauma and fighting against transformation.

To find peace, Laura must overcome her character flaws of selfishness and inflexibility. Her character arc shows effective growth and renewal because she learns valuable lessons and improves. First, she is “so focused on [her] own stuff, / [she] can’t think about anyone else,” (227), which makes her lash out at Silvia and hurt Benson’s feelings.