What's in a Name?

Kaleb Lightfoot

Kaleb Lightfoot- Italian/Welsh ancestry; Kaleb Lightfoot is a student at the high school whom is often described as a person that tries to be "voluntarily different", often wearing black and listening to punk rock music, along with having a penchant for theatre and writing poetry. He is described as overtly cynical, sarcastic, quick-witted, charming, and always ready with a well-crafted remark and trademark lopsided smirk, seldom caring what other people think of him. He is also adamantly against bullying, a trait that led to his quickly coming to his classmate Maddie Cervantes' defense once she was being ridiculed for her stutter by the popular and mean-spirited Kirsten Lundgren in an act of conspicuous bravery. Having been teased and ridiculed repeatedly by his peers for being socially timid and having pockmarks due to suffering from acne as a young teen, he has since developed a more strong-willed persona and is quick to empathize with and defend the underdog. Kaleb lacked a solid support system growing up after being mocked by an emotionally abusive father and neglected by his mother. She struggled with a marijuana problem while trying to cope with her stress, and his closest bond was with his childhood best friend and first girlfriend Ruby Blackwell. He mentions that she was the first person to offer him words of kindness despite his dowdy appearance and troubled background. As he matured, he proved himself to be multitalented and shares strong abilities in writing, acting, and playing instruments alongside his close friend and fellow gothic student Ariel Mulligan. Despite his Italian and Welsh heritage, Kaleb is also proficient in Spanish, which he speaks at a high-school level. He shows a diverse taste in music as well, particularly alternative and classical music, and often wears a pair of headphones around his neck that he claims to use to "tune out his surroundings". 

He lends his headphones to Maddie one day after class though when he finds her sitting crestfallenly near a tree at the school yard. This leads him to develop a romantic interest in her and begin trying to charm her with love notes that he leaves at remote parts of the school. Like Maddie, Kaleb has an interest in literature and the arts, demonstrating talent as an aspiring playwright when becoming involved in directing the high school's spring musical. He is often great at editing films and simply enjoys writing about different storylines that pop into his head. His bond with Maddie further intensifies however once they are paired off together to film a skit for their English class based off an Act from Hamlet. He claims that her large brown eyes are her most attractive feature, staring intently into them and finding them "translucent" as he leans in and kisses her as part of their acting. Kaleb claimed that Maddie reminded him of poetry, which was "complicated, yet simply stated, with intention of making you feel something." He quickly notes that Maddie is rather guarded when approached by others however and figures out some of her vulnerabilities after some prodding. He learns of her parents' divorce and her resultant trust issues, as well as her low self-esteem as a result of being repeatedly overshadowed by her more attractive childhood best friend Sidney. As the two self-disclose, he also learns of Maddie's long-term attraction towards her bisexual classmate Leo Zambrano and apprehension at revealing the truth towards him, somewhat disappointing Kaleb. Maddie nonetheless appreciates her budding friendship with Kaleb and develops lingering feelings toward him, leading to the two to proceed to get to know each other further and begin what could be considered a "platonic romance". 

The two quickly become close, with him encouraging her to venture out of her comfort zone and get a small infinity tattoo on her wrist against her mother's wishes as a symbol of her growth and increased confidence. She claimed that being around Kaleb "made her feel infinite", as though she could conquer any obstacle and overcome any setback that came her way. After introducing Maddie to the world of Live Action Role-playing, the pair also began attending LARPING conventions and engaging in a secret project during which they plan to write a short story together. As Maddie begins to trust and open her heart to Kaleb throughout their bond, she begins to discover some less pleasant qualities in him as well, such as his emotionality and short fuse. She later learns that he has undiagnosed schizoaffective disorder as his behavior becomes increasingly erratic and impulsive and he begins to exhibit less self-control. He unexpectedly lashed out on Maddie for accidentally looking through some sketches and doodles of his that he'd intended to keep private and becomes more easily triggered when taunted by his lonely past. Even as she began to feel overwhelmed by the drastic changes in his behavior and started to subconsciously pull away, he became more possessive of her time and showed signs of clinginess and emotional dependency when continuously pressuring her to spend more time with him and appearing unexpectedly at places he knew she would be at. Although Maddie shows concern for her beloved companion and claims to just want 'the old Kaleb back", Kaleb is eventually hospitalized momentarily as an inpatient at a local psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt upon purposefully crashing his car against a pole, during which his diagnosis is confirmed. She remains supportive of Kaleb during this difficult time, but choses to keep him at a distance for the time being and keep their relationship on a platonic level. 

Despite the hardships they both faced following Kaleb's deteriorating mental state, she nonetheless expressed gratitude over having found a good friend to confide in through Kaleb and is appreciative of the confidence she'd gained through her relationship with him. Although she decides it is healthier to not pursue a romance with him any further, she provides Kaleb with polartec gloves and his favorite candy during his hospital stay as a sign of affection. Maddie and Kaleb keep in touch for some time following the incident, yet gradually fade away from each other's lives as their college years approach and they drift into different friend groups. She describes him as a slender boy with messy, tousled jet-black hair, stormy dark gray eyes, and a light complexion, with some small moles being present throughout his body. He also has a piercing on his left earlobe and a small heart-shaped tattoo on his wrist that he claims to remind him of Maddie and their deep connection. Despite his struggles with schizoaffective disorder, he nonetheless tried to manage the side effects in his condition and led a relatively normal, full life. Kaleb pursued a career as a behavioral health consultant to help others with similar struggles to his own, eventually receiving his own radio show during which he would advise young teens experiencing mental illness. He stayed close to home while completing his studies at Hofstra University and kept a fondness towards Maddie from a distance and chose not to marry. He instead pursued a domestic partnership with his childhood best friend and first love Ruby, whom was a nursing student and struggling single mother at the time after a turbulent romance with an ex. The two adopted a pet husky named Tippy, and while Kaleb never had biological children, he decided to help raise Ruby's young daughter Candace as his own. INFP 4w3