Kotku is Boris’s girlfriend while they attend high school in Las Vegas. Kotku is not her real name, but a Slavic nickname Boris gives her that means “kitty cat.” She is three years older than Boris and has been held back in school. There are rumors that her mother is a sex worker. Theo disapproves of Kotku because he thinks she is unintelligent and a delinquent. However, Theo comes to feel more sympathy for Kotku after he hears about how she was abused by her mother’s boyfriend and ended up becoming homeless.