Greetings From Witness Protection!

“All this, I’m thinking, has made you strong, and we’re looking for a strong girl, one with your kind of grit, smarts, and skills. We’re looking for a girl who has dealt with all that stuff and come through still spitting fire and throwing jabs.”

Eddie makes this comment after reviewing Nicki’s file, before she becomes Charlotte. The trauma of her early life is less important than her reaction to all the misfortune that has befallen her. She remains defiant and resilient in the face of these challenges. Perhaps this is the silver lining of a troubled childhood. In the end, these very qualities will earn Nicki a place in the Trevor home.

“Grammy always told me that no matter what I stole, my hands were the real treasure. I guess I must have taken that to heart. My therapist tells me it’s part of my ‘issues.’ Yep. A little anxiety to go along with my uncontrollable urge to swipe things. Another gift I should probably thank my dad for.”

Nicki, not yet Charlotte, explains her phobia about keeping her hands free at all times. She can’t bear a handshake or a pair of gloves. In one sense, the hands of a master thief must always remain unencumbered. In another, this fear of entrapment parallels her father’s fears about being incarcerated. Either way, Nicki is following a dubious family tradition.

“‘Big crowds are kind of my thing. They keep me distracted, keep me from being afraid. I feel safe here,’ I explain, leaving out the part about everyone else not being safe from me.”

Nicki is explaining to the US marshals why she isn’t afraid to accompany them into a crowded airport. Her statement reveals her deep mistrust of everyone around her. At the same time, her thoughts reveal her willingness to exploit others for her own gain. Nicki’s early experiences have given her very little reason to feel anything besides doubtful.

“I have no idea if WITSEC’s plan will work, if I’m cut out for this, or if we’re doomed to fail like every other family I’ve ever been in. What I do know, however, is that I’m not dreading twelve thirty, and that’s a start.”

Nicki anticipates her next meeting with the Trevors where she will become Charlotte. The initial session was rocky, but she sees reason for hope in the way she has been treated thus far. In addition, this quote reveals her fear of getting her hopes up. She’s accustomed to failure.

“This woman I barely know, who looks like me, who agreed with me, just called me her daughter after knowing me for less than a day. I’m suddenly petrified by her, because it’s finally dawning on me what I’ve truly gotten myself into. Now, for the first time since my grammy died, I’ve got someone I don’t want to disappoint.”

To survive the experience of the foster system, Nicki can’t allow anyone to engage her feelings. This is a recipe for heartbreak. However, Harriet has already shown her willingness to accept Nicki as her new daughter, Charlotte. Additionally, their physical resemblance to one another creates a sense of kinship that shared experiences later reinforce.

“It’s like an Indiana Jones boulder rumbling along as I scamper ahead. That normally wouldn’t be a problem—I’m generally pretty speedy in my own metaphors. However, in this one, I’m carrying the entire Trevor family on my back, and it feels like that stone is going to catch us any second.”

Nicki, now known as Charlotte, has fully accepted her role as the Trevor family’s guardian. The pressure she feels about ensuring their safety is amplified by her need to find a stable family for herself. Because she has repeatedly failed to find a home, she imagines herself running just a few steps ahead of disaster. Her fears aren’t unfounded. Disaster has always struck her in the past.

“‘We wanted to accept you for who you are, not for what you’ve been through.’ This is a revelation. On the one hand, it’s a little like a fresh start. On the other hand, what I’ve been through kind of is who I am.”

Charlotte has just demonstrated her ability to tell a diamond from a rhinestone, as any good thief ought to do. Harriet seems surprised at this ability because she doesn’t know about Charlotte’s criminal past. Charlotte is both pleased and disturbed at her clean-slate status. Having survived a difficult past is a badge of honor that ought not be forgotten.

“She’s got a gentle, almost regal voice, and she moves that way, too, gesturing gracefully when she speaks. Even though her hands are slender and her fingers long like mine, they move in very different ways. Mine dart and weave like the heads of cobras. Hers move like silk scarves trailing behind a ballerina.”

Charlotte has begun to identify strongly with Harriet because of their physical resemblance to one another. At the same time, she can see the difference between someone who is a trained pickpocket and a woman who behaves ethically. Charlotte’s use of the word “regal” indicates that she has begun to idealize Harriet.

“Not Jackson Trevor, not the Cercatores, not the five rules, nothing is going to rip me from this space, because for the first time in my life, I feel like I might just be in control of what happens here.”

Charlotte has just fought a pitched battle with Jackson for ownership of the turret room. This quote reveals that her motivation wasn’t simply to beat her annoying little brother. Charlotte needs this space to protect her sanity. It represents a milestone in her development and indicates that she’s staking her claim to a corner of the Trevor home.

“Why is it that it didn’t seem weird to pretend to be someone I’m not? Have I been doing that at every school I’ve ever gone to? With everyone I’ve ever known? Heck, is there anyone who isn’t doing that?”

As Charlotte performs her role as the new student at Loblolly, she stops long enough to marvel at the ease of her performance. Her perception relates to the theme of The Effects of Living With a Fake Identity. She was perfecting the process of assuming different identities long before she met the Trevors. Her time in the foster system taught her to adapt to each new household and each new school. Perhaps they all helped prepare her for the role of a WITSEC agent.

“When I’m stealing is the only time I’ve ever been able to stomach people touching my hands, so if I was going to help her up at all, I’d have to be stealing something, right? Right?”

Charlotte tries to rationalize her latest theft from Harriet. While helping Harriet mother to her feet, Charlotte stole one of her bracelets. Charlotte steals only when she feels stressed out. Ironically, the very act of taking Harriet’s rhinestone ring has stressed her out because of the guilt she feels. Now she’s again stealing from the person she cares about most. It’s a vicious cycle.

“It’s a set of classroom expectations—We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all students should come prepared to learn, to respect one another’s ideas, and to do their best. Hmmm. Nothing about cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages.”

Charlotte makes this tongue-in-cheek observation after reading Loblolly’s mission statement. High ideals of academic achievement are only part of the experience of attending a middle school. The pettiness and backbiting among students are equally common features that go unarticulated in the school’s formal policies. Charlotte has attended enough schools to know that.

“It’s hard to believe that BR1TN3YSP34RGUN is somewhere in there, but it’s reassuring to have a friend who knows a thing or two about hiding in plain sight. If Brit can pull it off, maybe Charlotte Trevor has a shot, too.”

Charlotte marvels at Brit’s self-effacement while in the company of her schoolmates. When she’s engaged in battle as an online gamer, she’s sure of herself and ruthless in her desire to win. This comment highlights the degree to which everyone is wearing a fake identity. The Trevors are hardly unique in their desire to hide who they really are.

“I spend the rest of the afternoon listening to Deidre whisper about Holly, about the election, and about how she is so totally and for sure not a thief. That one, at least, I’ll give her—we thieves are generally less devious and manipulative.”

Again, Charlotte is the wry observer of student behavior that fails to match Loblolly’s high-flown rhetoric. Throughout the novel, Deidre has been completely self-absorbed. While Charlotte stole items and placed them in Deidre’s backpack to brand her a thief, Deidre is far worse. She’s a scheming narcissist who isn’t above damaging the reputation of anyone who gets in her way. Charlotte implies that no thief would stoop so low.

“I think sometimes they forget that kids are putting on performances all day, just acting like the people we think we are until, like, ten years from now, when we figure out who that actually is. At least I had my personality handed to me in a file.”

Harriet has just asked her children about their first day of school. Charlotte has given the response that she thinks Harriet wants to hear. Again, the text implies that fake identities aren’t the sole property of WITSEC. Perhaps every child in middle school is trying to exist under the radar. This quote captures Charlotte’s thoughts and emphasizes the confusion that most children feel until they figure out who they really are. However, Charlotte’s identity has been pre-scripted.

“‘For Arturo, I’m afraid the promise of blood is more powerful than blood, if you follow my meaning,’ Harriet says, shuddering. ‘Of all my relatives, I fear Arturo the most. We all should.’”

Harriet’s quote clearly distinguishes between blood ties and blood lust. Her brother is a sociopath for whom the thrill of the kill matters more than the life of his sibling. This statement encapsulates the theme of False Families and the Lack of Authenticity. Charlotte’s father will likewise demonstrate a betrayal of family values in favor of self-interest.

“That’s how you’re different. You came into Loblolly, and somehow, some way, it didn’t grab you. You’re separate from all of it. You…you can actually see me. You even helped my mom see me, at least a little bit.”

Brit is marveling at Charlotte’s ability to remain untainted by the petty politics of the student body at Loblolly. She doesn’t realize that Charlotte’s insight is possible only because she has a hidden agenda that requires her to play a role. As an actor, she must size up everyone and assess how they fit into her narrative. This detachment may be useful, but it also cuts Charlotte off from any authentic experience at the school.

“Was I wearing gloves, Jackson? It might have looked that way. Or was it Charlotte Trevor? Yeah, she can wear gloves without feeling like she’s going to die. Charlotte Trevor gets thoughtful, beautiful gifts from her best friend. Charlotte Trevor has a best friend! What do I have?”

Charlotte has just returned from a Christmas party at which she received a pair of gloves from Brit. She has a panic attack but manages to wear them to please her friend. Afterward, she explains her odd reaction to Jackson. This quote highlights Charlotte’s essential alienation from herself. She can’t tell Brit about her real identity. Her friend can only see the persona she projects, which leaves the inner Nicki completely isolated.

“She told me a story that I should have listened to a long time ago. It was about a girl—a confused, hurt, terribly strong little girl. A girl who I hadn’t bothered to learn about, because I was so very concerned with my own life, my own hurt.”

Harriet has just discovered Charlotte’s stash of stolen items. This prompts her to look at the girl’s file and understand the difficulties that led to her disordered behavior. In making this statement, Harriet is proving that she actually cares about the real girl who is helping protect her family, not simply the WITSEC agent persona that Charlotte projects. Harriet’s thoughts are those of a mother thinking about her own child.

“Your mother…it’s like I tell her every time she’s up at night crying about destroying her family. It’s not her fault they’re criminals. Their behavior tore apart the Cercatores, not her. It’s the same with you. None of us blames you. Not even Jackson!”

Charlotte blames herself for the photo that Archer took and posted on the internet. If she hadn’t played basketball so well, he might never have taken it. In this quote, Jonathan is trying to cheer her up. Significantly, he refers to Harriet as Charlotte’s mother. He has already made the emotional leap and accepts Charlotte as a member of his family. Additionally, he forgives her as only a family member would.

“‘I don’t want to have to be the kid you unload on,’ he continues. ‘That’s what friends are for. So tell Brit, because you need her.’ He gets up, shrugging his backpack over his shoulders. As he walks away, he adds, ‘And we need you.’”

This statement represents a turning point in Jackson’s combative relationship with Charlotte. He has finally recognized the strain that his foster sister feels as she tries to keep the Trevor family secret. In addition, he understands that she needs someone to act as her confidante. Jackson has always devalued Charlotte’s presence in the Trevor household. This quote is an admission that he recognizes her value in keeping them all safe.

“Brit listens, and as I empty out the truth, a heaviness lifts. All my bad things, all my disasters are adventures again, stories to share instead of secrets to keep. It’s better than hiding, better than stealing, better even than the feeling of Harriet’s arms around me. For the first time in a long time, I am known.”

For her entire life in the foster system, Nicki was forced to play various roles to make herself acceptable to potential adoptive parents. The stress of her childhood makes keeping the Trevors’ secret even more excruciating. By telling Brit who she really is, she doesn’t have to play the role of Charlotte. Her friend can like her for herself no matter what name she happens to be using.

“‘There is no safe!’ ‘Maybe not a normal safe. Maybe not. But Dad.’ I shiver, resting my head against the window, my hand cradled in the cove of my lap. ‘This is my safe. You say you want to keep me away from your world? Then help me make my own.’”

Charlotte’s biological father has just taken her with him on the run, even though she ought to be in a hospital. He fears revenge by the Cercatore family and will probably remain on the run from them for the rest of his life. Being reunited with her own father was her dream when she was Nicki. Now, as Charlotte, she realizes that she’s far better off with the Trevors than she ever would be with Christian Demere.