Dean has been Stevie's best friend for two years. During that time, Stevie has helped him understand a very simple vision of what it is to become a man: Never to back down from a fight, drink and smoke what's offered, and above all, get "experienced" with women. Stevie's older brother, Eric, is a heroic manifestation of this model, and Dean recognizes his own home-life among his gentle father and responsible big sister as a liability in his quest for this brand of manhood. Sometimes, though, when he's alone, Dean finds himself longing for his recently lost childhood.