Tagoe Hayes Character Analysis in They Both Die at the End

Tagoe is one of Rufus’s best friends and a member of the Plutos (a group of friends who are also foster siblings) along with Rufus, Aimee, and Malcolm. His parents seemingly abandoned him over the course of three years; it wasn’t until Tagoe had been in foster care for a month that he learned his dad committed suicide. As far as Rufus knows, Tagoe hasn’t cried for either parent. Despite this rough beginning, Tagoe throws himself into the Plutos’ friendship and chosen family. He firmly believes that only the people who want to be in his life are the ones worth having around. This is part of the reason that he gets so aggressive when the cops try to arrest Rufus for beating up Peck—he wants to do everything he can to protect Rufus. Tagoe has a tic that causes his neck to jerk. He often suppresses it to make other people comfortable, but when he’s in a stressful situation, he sometimes takes off his glasses and lets his neck twitch. It gives him a sense of relief to give in. Tagoe is planning to head to college soon after the novel ends.

Tagoe Hayes Quotes in They Both Die at the End

The They Both Die at the End quotes below are all either spoken by Tagoe Hayes or refer to Tagoe Hayes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

I don’t wanna think about any of that, I just wanna get to Aimee and say goodbye to the Plutos as the friend they know I am, not the monster I was tonight.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes

Page Number and Citation: 32

Explanation and Analysis:

I believe him. He’s not monstrous. Monsters don’t come to your home to help you live; they trap you in your bed and eat you alive. “People make mistakes,” I say.

“And my friends are the ones being punished,” Rufus says. “Their last memory of me will be running out the back door from my own funeral because the cops were coming for me. I left them behind... I’ve spent the last four months feeling abandoned by my family dying, and in a split second I did the same damn thing to my new family.”

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes, Vin Pearce, Rufus’s Parents, Olivia

Page Number and Citation: 173

Explanation and Analysis:

Graham is always on Andrade’s mind, and today is no exception, with these foster kids in the holding cell who are acting out because their brother is a Decker. You don’t need matching DNA for someone to be your brother, Andrade knows this. And you definitely don’t need the same blood to lose a part of yourself when someone dies.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham

Page Number and Citation: 291

Explanation and Analysis:

Andrade is doing his damn best to get that snuff channel terminated by the end of the year. No way in hell he can share a beer with Graham in heaven without getting this job done. Andrade wants to focus on his real work, not babysitting. That’s why he has their foster parents signing release forms this very second. Let them go home with firm warnings so they can sleep.

And grieve.

Maybe even find their friend if he’s still alive.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham, Jenn Lori, Francis

Page Number and Citation: 292

Explanation and Analysis:

You may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. Some you’ll discover you should put behind you. Others are worth every risk.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes

Page Number and Citation: 334

Explanation and Analysis:

Tagoe Hayes Character Timeline in They Both Die at the End

The timeline below shows where the character Tagoe Hayes appears in They Both Die at the End. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...in the middle of beating Peck, who stole his girlfriend, when Death-Cast calls. Mateo’s friends, Tagoe and Malcolm, stare with terrified looks. Rufus thinks of his parents and sister, who died... (full context)

...connections, but Rufus insists that Peck is the “gang reject” and can’t contact anyone anyway. Tagoe points out that Death-Cast can’t call Peck either. Rufus can’t stop shaking. He knows he... (full context)

Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon

...has been at Pluto for four months. Malcolm’s parents died when he was 13, while Tagoe’s parents ran off. Rufus knew that Pluto wouldn’t be home for long; he was going... (full context)

Rufus, Malcolm, and Tagoe bike carefully past a Decker-friendly club called Clint’s Graveyard. They reach their foster home, a... (full context)

...helmet, and leaves the light on when he leaves the room—he doesn’t want Malcolm and Tagoe to feel weird about entering. Malcolm, Tagoe, Francis, and Jenn-Lori are there; Rufus also hopes... (full context)

...and broke up with him. Rufus holds Aimee and leans in to kiss her, but Tagoe walks in and interrupts. Everyone else comes in for the funeral—even Peck. This is Rufus’s... (full context)

...speaks, and then Malcolm steps up. He says that Rufus matters more than most people. Tagoe cries and says that Rufus was supposed to be a lifelong friend, which makes everyone... (full context)

...didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast, but his future is still at risk. Malcolm and Tagoe informed the police that Rufus is a Decker and not worth chasing, but the police... (full context)

...Rufus arrested at his funeral. Peck insists that it’s not his fault that Malcolm and Tagoe are in jail. Aimee spits for Peck to leave her alone; Rufus has always been... (full context)

...He tosses Mateo his helmet and tells him to stand on his bike’s back pegs; Tagoe always did that. Mateo tries, but then he leaps off and says he thinks they... (full context)

Rufus scrolls through Instagram. He’s certain that Malcolm and Tagoe are asleep, since they’re not texting back and they haven’t been on Instagram. He’s in... (full context)

...from her grandmother’s phone, but Mateo ignores it. Rufus tries again to call Malcolm and Tagoe, and then he FaceTimes Aimee. She picks up right before Rufus is ready to hang... (full context)

...Mateo, and says that things got crazy after Rufus left. She explains that Malcolm and Tagoe got arrested thanks to Peck. Enraged, Rufus storms away from Mateo, who looks terrified. Aimee... (full context)

...contact him. Rufus insists that he’s done with Aimee, since her boyfriend landed Malcolm and Tagoe in jail. He insists he doesn’t have feelings for her and marches inside. (full context)

Tagoe didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast today because he’s not dying, but he’ll never forget... (full context)

...Plutos. Mateo explains to Lidia what this means as Rufus answers the FaceTime. Malcolm and Tagoe are surprised and overjoyed that Rufus is still alive. Mateo asks them to bring Aimee... (full context)

...hold Mateo’s hand, but he knows he has to hug his friends. Rufus hugs Aimee, Tagoe, and Malcolm in a group hug and says he loves them. They pull back, but... (full context)

...Peck and his gang, hoping that they spend more time in jail than Malcolm and Tagoe did earlier. Aimee regrets her role in everything today, but she’s glad that Peck didn’t... (full context)

...hospital bed, Rufus scrolls through his phone and reads all the comments on his Instagram. Tagoe, Malcolm, and Aimee all leave heartfelt comments. Rufus texts them all that Mateo died, and... (full context)