Character Relationship Map: Bloomington

Characters

• Catherine (played by Allison McAtee) — protagonist

  Catherine is a lesbian college teacher who becomes romantically involved with Jackie after meeting her at an on-campus mixer. She tries to distance herself when Jackie returns to acting, fearing their...

• Jackie (played by Sarah Stouffer) — protagonist

  Jackie is a former child actress attending college in Bloomington, where she struggles to fit in while students are fascinated by her past. She begins a secret affair with Catherine, fights with Sandy...

• Zach (played by Ray Zupp) — supporting

  Zach is a male friend of Jackie who appears at a party after she leaves Catherine's house. Jackie spends time with her own friends there and flirts with him, suggesting a social connection that contra...

• Catherine's Date (played by Joshua Ramsey) — minor
• Sandy (played by Erika Heidewald) — supporting

  Sandy is a fellow student who resents Jackie for competing for a scholarship Sandy believes Jackie does not need. She also suspects Jackie's affair with Catherine has earned Jackie preferential treatm...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Catherine → Catherine's Date (Romantic Date) — Catherine attends a party with her date while Jackie is staying at her house, intensifying the tension between Catherine and Jackie.

  Catherine tells Jackie she is going to a party but will not reveal her date. When Catherine returns, she takes the male date into her bedroom.

• Catherine → Jackie (Romantic Secret Lovers) — Their affair brings them closer, but Catherine fears they will have to keep hiding it. Their relationship contributes to Catherine losing her job after it is partially revealed.

  After meeting at an on-campus mixer, Catherine and Jackie begin a secret affair, grow closer, and later say goodbye as they formally end their romance...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Jackie → Zach (Social Friend And Flirtation) — Jackie socializes with Zach at a party, a brief contrast to the secrecy and strain of her relationship with Catherine.

  After leaving Catherine's house, Jackie goes to a party to spend time with her own friends and flirts with Zach, described as her male friend.

• Jackie → Sandy (Conflict Rivals Turned Physical Enemies) — Their disagreement over the scholarship and alleged favoritism escalates into a physical fight that leaves Jackie with a black eye.

  Sandy resents Jackie for competing for a scholarship she believes Jackie does not need and suspects the affair with Catherine gives Jackie preferentia...

Story Analysis

A former child actress and a college teacher pursue a secret romance whose pressures reshape their lives and bring it to an end.

Plot Progression

1. A New Life in Bloomington — Jackie arrives at college and struggles to fit in while fellow students focus on her past as a child actress. She meets Catherine at an on-campus mixer, and their connection develops into a secret aff...
2. Love Under Pressure — Catherine and Jackie grow closer, but Jackie's chance to return to acting makes Catherine fear that their relationship will have to remain hidden. Catherine distances herself, while Jackie insists tha...
3. Campus Resentment — Sandy resents Jackie over a scholarship and suspects her affair with Catherine has brought her preferential treatment. Their conflict turns physical, leaving Jackie with a black eye.
4. A Painful Visit — Jackie goes to Catherine's house, where paparazzi force Catherine to bring her inside. Their tension grows when Catherine attends a party with a date, and Jackie leaves after seeing them return togeth...
5. Distance and Goodbye — Jackie leaves for Los Angeles to resume acting, and the affair is partially revealed, costing Catherine her job. Months later they spend one last night together, end their romance, and Jackie returns...