Charlie

Charlie is one of April's closest friends. Like April and Emma, he lives in Venice at the Border House, and works behind the bar at the Fringe Cafe. However, like most young people in Venice, Charlie has greater aspirations - he tells April he was born to be a dancer. His biggest dream is simply put - "a dark stage, a packed auditorium, and a single spotlight."

Charlie left his home in St Vincent four years ago, and has been living and studying in Venice for the last three. Back home he has several sisters, but doesn't seem to have gotten on that well with his father, who considered he should get a job in the factories like him and his grandfather rather than pursue dancing. His father was a volunteer fireman, though, and Charlie remembers that on some Summer days he would cool the kids down with the hose. Those times he loved his father more than ever. In the summer when April's adventure begins, Charlie is saving to fly home for a visit. Fiona says Charlie was one of the first tenants at the Border House - possibly why he has one of the best rooms - and describes him as a true gentleman.

Charlie is a kind person who's happy to talk to April and listen to her problems. He's also very open minded, trying to encourage April to talk about her experience of Shifting to Arcadia, and talking worriedly with her about the incident where a Banda playing a pipe appeared from the Fringe Cafe's jukebox. He finds it frightening that many in the Fringe just chose to pretend it hadn't happened. Both he and Emma confront April at one point as concerned friends, wanting to know what's been happening with her and why she's been going to the dangerous Metro Circle by herself.