Brad is yet another character who experiences familial abuse. He is the senior football quarterback and a popular guy at school who secretly dates Patrick. Brad’s dad beats him after finding him together with Patrick, demonstrating why Brad felt the need to hide his sexual orientation. After the discovery, Brad and Patrick get into an argument at school, during which Brad calls Patrick a “faggot,” prompting them to get into a fist fight that Charlie breaks up. Weeks later, Charlie and Patrick see Brad hooking up with other guys at the park where Patrick goes to look for discrete hook-ups. Brad is one of the more tragic figures in the novel because he has to hide his identity at home and at school without the supportive friend group that Patrick has.