Rusty’s turned to gang life to give him the family he never had. But Rusty's has "a bad habit of getting attached to people," and his loyalty is constantly getting him hurt or in trouble. He’s outwardly ruthless, but more vulnerable than he lets on. Like many seventeen-year-olds, Rusty feels like an outsider, a status that he alternately romanticizes and resents. While he may aspire to be admired and respected as his brother once was, Rusty mainly wants a sense of place.