Charles is very shy at first. He's afraid to speak and afraid to interact with new people. He thinks they'll betray him or bully him. But when he found true friends in Tamarac and Qiu, he became calmer and could even tease them sometimes instead of mumbling under his breath. He's very worried about the fact that Qiu is popular and has a lot of friends. He doesn't want Qiu to be friends only with him or Tamarac; on the contrary, he likes the boys' club (or whatever it's spelled correctly),but he's afraid that Qiu is friends with him not because Charles is a good person and a friend, but because he's just friends with everyone.
During Step 2, the boy's general traumas shaped his "best defense is a good offense" mentality. He began trying to be someone other than himself. He's very worried about his friends during this step, And only with his friends is he kind and sweet. Charles also trusted his friends very much in this step; he finally opened up to them after four years of knowing them (but not completely). He even showed them the scar on his face,although he hadn't yet come out as transgender because he wasn't sure how they would react. However, even when bullied, deep down he remains himself because he feels guilty for it, but not completely, because he is not sure whether this person was evil or not.
In step 3, he's already outgrown both embarrassment and aggression, and now he's more of a calm vibe. He's deeply ashamed of his behavior at 14, and whenever he meets his classmates or acquaintances, he immediately runs to his knees and apologizes. He's now completely open to others and welcomes any encounter.