the people of charley's world

---

Step through the portal and enter Charley Makepeace’s extraordinary world. From steadfast friends to sinister foes, each soul plays a part in the mystery surrounding the old Victorian pier and its Portals of Time. Meet Charley, McGookin and Devon and the villains who shape their fates. Welcome to their world. The adventure begins here…

On the surface, Charley's a tall, confident teenager with dark curls and the kind of skin that tans quickly in the sun. But under that easy grin is a story that never quite stops hurting.

When Charley was five years old, his world split in two. One moment, he and his dad were walking along the pier on holiday, wrapped in the comfort of their seaside ritual. The next, his mum was gone – disappeared from her deckchair without a sound, a struggle, or a trace. No goodbyes. Just gone.

From that day on, Charley and his dad, Don Makepeace, became a unit: close, devoted, and quietly haunted.

Don never gave up hope, and Charley never let himself fall apart. He grew up fast – not out of choice, but necessity. He became the calm one, the reasonable one, the kid who somehow seemed more grounded than many adults around him. There’s a maturity to Charley that’s hard to fake, the kind that comes from learning far too young that the world doesn’t always make sense.

The Friend Who’d Take the Fall

Charley’s anchor in the storm has always been Terry McGookin – better known, simply, as McGookin.

The two boys have been inseparable since nursery school, bonded by mischief, defiance, and the shared sense that life hasn’t exactly handed them an easy ride.

Charley and McGookin covered for each other, lied for each other, and faced down teachers with nothing, but sarcasm and loyalty as their shields.

On the outside, they look like opposites. Charley is gangly and dark, with a natural tan and a mop of curls. McGookin is wiry, pale, with a messy thatch of blonde hair and freckles scattered across his face. One looks like he belongs on a surfboard. The other looks like he forgot to wear sunscreen. But inside, they’re the same: loyal to a fault, unwilling to back down, and constantly getting into the sort of trouble that somehow feels worth it.

Charley has always called Terry by his surname. No one knows why. It just fits. And if he ever calls his friend 'Terry', McGookin knows something serious is happening.

Growing Up Too Soon

Charley’s not the kind of kid who acts out. He holds things in. But he notices everything. The way his dad watches the door at night, still hoping. The silence that follows his mum’s name. The ache that never really goes away. He doesn't talks about it – not unless he has to. But that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten. It just means he’s learned how to cope with it.

There’s a quiet strength to Charley, a kind of resilience that doesn’t come from fighting dragons, but from surviving the ordinary heartbreaks that never quite leave. He’s the kind of person who takes care of people, even when he’s not sure how to take care of himself.

Then Came Devon

Meeting Devon Aspinall completes the trio.

Devon doesn’t arrive like a lightning bolt, but she’s just as powerful – smart, funny, and impossible to ignore.

Devon steps into Charley’s life with her sharp eyes, her quick mind, and a willingness to challenge him in a way no one else has. She’s tall, poised, and has no time for nonsense. 

Charley is not used to that. But he admires it.

And even though Devon quickly forms a bond with both boys, it’s clear she sees something in Charley that others miss.

Devon's not intimidated by Charley's stillness. She respects it. And she pulls no punches when he needs to hear the truth.

Together, Charley, McGookin, and Devon form a trio that works – each balancing the others out. They argue, of course. But they also protect each other with the kind of fierce devotion that only teenagers and soldiers really understand. Charley might be the glue between them, but he’d never admit it.

Not Looking for Adventure – Until It Finds Him

Charley doesn’t want to be special. He’s not chasing destiny. He’s just trying to make sense of a life that never gave him the answers he needed.

Charley never asked to be part of something bigger. But maybe that’s the point. He’s not a hero. He’s just someone who refuses to let go of the people he loves, even when time tries to pull them apart. And when Charley's world starts breaking, he’s the one holding the pieces together – not just because he has to, but because no one else can.

In a world full of flashy heroes and epic quests, Charley Makepeace stands out for a different reason. He’s the boy who doesn’t quit. The boy who doesn’t look away. The one who holds the line when things fall apart. He’s not the loudest. Not the bravest. But he’s the one who stays until the end. The one who cares. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful thing of all.

Some kids walk quietly through life. Others charge straight at it. Terry McGookin does a bit of both – depending on who’s watching.

Terry is wiry, quick, sharper than he lets on, and always seems like he’s about to run – not away, but towards. It’s just that running is the one thing he’s always been good at. It’s also saved him from more than a few punches over the years.

Terry has always been best friends with Charley Makepeace. They met in nursery school and have been practically inseparable ever since. Where Charley is all heart and stubborn loyalty, Terry is instinct and grit – but the bond between them is more like brothers than friends. They bicker on occasion. They laugh. They cover for each other – especially when it comes to teachers like the dreadful Mrs Gascoigne – she really doesn't like boys.

They’re chalk and cheese to look at. Charley’s taller, lankier, all tanned skin and dark curls. McGookin’s the classic underdog – skinny, pale, with a blonde thatch of hair and a constellation of freckles across his nose.

Together, Charley and McGookin are a team. But if you look closer, there’s more to McGookin than the jokes and the fast feet.

A Cold Start

Terry McGookin is not the kind of kid who gets tucked in at night, or gets asked how his day went.

McGookin's parents, when they were together – well, let’s just say they never seemed to notice how lucky they were to have him. He was a latchkey kid from the start, making his own packed lunches in the morning and dinner when he got home. When he was younger, he had so much love to give. But over time, life built up a shell around him – the kind you grow when people stop showing up.

That shell is what helps him survive. It’s why he laughs things off. It’s why he runs so fast. It’s why, even when things hurt, he hides it behind that half-smile and a joke about something completely unrelated.

He used to wonder why no one noticed. Now, he just tries not to let it matter. 

A Family That Isn’t His

Charley’s family – the Makepeaces – changed everything.

Don Makepeace, Charley’s dad, has always made it clear: Terry’s part of the furniture. No need to knock. No need to explain. Their house is the one place McGookin actually feels like he belongs. He comes and goes as he pleases, and when he’s there, he eats like someone who knows it might be his only proper meal that day.

When Terry’s dad left, things got worse at home. His mum snapped.

McGookin looks just like his dad, and that makes him a walking reminder of the man she no longer wants to see. She takes her anger out on Terry, emotionally and verbally. Sometimes worse. But he never tells anyone. Not really. Not in words.

He doesn't have to. Charley knows. And Don Makepeace knows, too. So Terry started spending even more time at the Makepeace's – not just to escape, but to breathe.

Strength in the Softness

People think Charley is the strong one. And sure, he looks it – taller and bolder. But there’s a quiet, hidden strength in McGookin that runs deep.

He doesn’t talk about his feelings much. Doesn’t complain. But when someone’s in trouble, he’s there. When someone’s hurting, he notices. And he never walks away from a friend, even when he probably should.

There’s a reason Devon Aspinall took to him so quickly. She saw past the scruffy clothes and cheeky comments to the boy underneath – the one who was always watching, always working things out.

She calls him Terry. She insists on it. And somehow, coming from her, it’s okay.

A Natural Runner

McGookin isn’t just fast. He’s frighteningly fast.

In the unofficial races across the back field, he beats Charley every time. His speed has saved him from more fights than he can count, and more than a few awkward conversations, too.

But running, for him, isn’t just about getting away. It’s also the one thing that makes him feel completely free. No expectations. No waiting for someone to yell. Just wind and sound and space.

Why McGookin Matters

If Charley Makepeace and the Portals of Time is a story about courage, friendship, and finding out who you really are, then Terry McGookin is the quiet engine that keeps it all moving. He’s the one who doesn't get the spotlight, but who always shows up at the right moment.

He's the friend who will never let you down, even when he himself is drowning. The boy who cracks a joke when everything’s falling apart. The one who’d rather be punched than cry in front of someone.

And maybe,  just maybe, he’s the kind of person who was always meant to do something bigger.

Charley might be the one the portals choose. But McGookin? He’s the one who makes sure Charley comes back.