Charles Thompson

Charles Thompson is a schoolboy in Odyssey, an aloof kid whose classmates have saddled him with the nickname "Chunky" - a taunt bullies like Denver Thor and Rodney Rathbone are happy to use. He is fond of comic books, dreams of the sheriff's department, and struggles with schoolwork, especially poetry, where his embarrassment tempts him toward shortcuts like buying answers rather than admitting he needs help. Beneath the awkwardness he has real grit: left alone during a crisis at the town's water and sewage office, he wrestles a stuck emergency valve and saves Odyssey's water supply. He is often found alongside Henry, weathers unfair treatment from Rodney's gang with surprising grace, and slowly learns humility and kindness - accepting help from his classmate Courtney and befriending the talkative Glenn Adams.