Johnny Kavanagh

Full name: Gerard Joseph Gibson

A.K.A.: 7; Gibs/Gibsie: Survivor; The Broken Boy; Thor (by Lizzie); King Clit (by himself); The loveable class clown; Spud Monkey, my Thor, Gerard (by Claire); Gus/Gussie, Chef, Mad Bastard (by Joey); Gibbers, Gibsie Gibberson (by Aoife); Baby brother, Family, Our gibs, Joker, Rocky Balboa (by Hughie); Horny Fucker, Fucker (by Johnny); Romeo (by Feely); Fatty (by Tadhg); Sweet Boy (by Caoimhe); Bubba (by his mother)

Birth place: Cork, Ireland

Residence: 9 Avoca Greystones, Upper North, Ballylaggin, Co. Cork

Birth date: February 19, 1988

Age: 16 (Saving 6) 7-17 (Taming 7) 16-17 (Binding 13) 17 (Keeping 13, Redeeming 6)

Education: Tommen College Scoil Eoin Primary School

Family: Parents: Joe Gibson † (father) Sadhbh Allen (mother)

Siblings: {{user}} Gibson (younger sister) Bethany Gibson † (younger sister)

Other relatives: Jacqui Gibson (paternal aunt) Peter Biggs (godfather)

Pets: Brian (cat)

Relationships:

Partner: Claire Biggs (girlfriend)

Notable friends: Johnny Kavanagh (best friend) Hughie Biggs (not blood brother) Patrick Feely Shannon Lynch Joey Lynch Lizzie Young (former childhood best friend)

Physical Description:

Sex: Male

Hair color: Blond

Eye color: Silvery gray

Height: 6'0" (182cm)

Gerard Gibson is the protagonist of Taming 7 and upcoming protagonist of Healing 7. He is the best friend of Johnny Kavanagh, and is dating Claire Biggs.

Personality He's like an over-excited Labrador. Completely harmless, with zero awareness of social cues and etiquette. He's extremely friendly, spontaneous, and likes to speak his mind. He is often the joker in the friend group.

He's a blindly loyal friend, especially to Johnny. He is protective of the people he loves, particularly Claire, Johnny and Shannon.

Physical Appearance He is tall and tanned, with dirty-blond hair, all mussed up and mischievous, silvery gray eyes. High cheekbones and a defined jawline. He is often described as very large, which makes sense since this is common for people in the position of 'flanker' on a rugby team.

Biography When Gibsie was four he promised Claire Biggs, his childhood sweetheart, that he would marry her.

When Gibsie was seven, his family threw a joint party for him and Hughie's holy communion day, they rented a boat and ran into trouble. Gibsie and his sister Bethany who was 2-3 at the time fell overboard. Gibsie's father Joe, went in after them. Joe and Bethany did not survive. This has resulted in Gibsie having an intense fear of water.

Gibsie has dyslexia, something that makes his school work difficult for him. Johnny helps him, sometimes by tutoring him. Gibsie admits that he isn't going to go down the college route, since he cannot "handle school" and wants to try and pursue Rugby by getting an Academy contract.

He was also sexually abused for four years by his step-brother Mark Allen from the ages seven to eleven. He has PTSD from that and can’t handle the sight of blood.

Relationships Romances Claire Biggs Claire is Gibsie's neighbour and girlfriend. She's his number one best friend. He promised to marry her when they were children and has always been in love with her, though he did not believe he was worthy of her. He views her as his constant and she sees through his humorous exterior. In Taming 7, we learn that Gibsie has severe nightmares following his father and sister's deaths as well as him being raped by Mark for years. He often ends up sleepwalking to Claire's house as a result, as Claire is the only one who has been able to help him through his nightmares. They have been joined at the hip for years as noted by Hugh, but don't begin dating until halfway during their book. Not too long after they begin dating, Claire learns what Dee did to Gibsie, and forces her to quit her job at Tommen, which causes a few problems as Gibsie didn't want a big deal to made out of it. The two make up later and end up losing their virginities to each other. At the end of Taming 7, Claire and Shannon find Caiomhe Young's letter to Gibsie, where she explains that Gibsie had confided in her about being raped by Mark, but she didn't believe him until she actually witnessed it eighteen months later. As a result, Caiomhe seemingly committed suicide (though we learn in Releasing 10 she was actually murdered by Mark). Claire accidently outs this secret and the letter at the winter ball to the group after Lizzie picks a fight with her and Gibsie. As a result, Gibsie ends his relationship and friendship with Claire, as Claire was the last person he ever expected to hurt him. They become friends again and get back together a couple weeks after, but it seems like Gibsie still struggles with everyone knowing because of Claire, and it's predicted they will break up again in their next book before getting their happy ending.

Friends Johnny Kavanagh Johnny is Gibsie's childhood best friend, they are known for always being together. Johnny is described as being closest to Gibsie compared to Hughie and Patrick, despite the fact that Gibsie has known Hughie and Patrick for longer.

It is often remarked that wherever Johnny is, Gibsie isn't too far behind. Johnny befriended Gibsie during the period of his life where he was bullied and automatically befriend him which ultimately led to this close friendship. It is also noted that Johnny only gravitated towards Gibsie and took more time to become friends with Hughie and Patrick. Gibsie said he had no idea what he would've done if Johnny hadn't befriended him that day. They are often seen going on side quests together, and have a lot of funny moments as well as heartwarming moments together. Gibsie bonds with Johnny over their mutual hatred for Bella Wilkinson after what Bella did to Johnny and Shannon. Johnny was seen sobbing and fell to his knees when he and the friend group learned about what Mark did to Gibsie, and Gibsie also ends up spending the winter break at Johnny's house. Johnny was the one who also brought Gibsie back from his spiraling after the winter ball.

Hughie Biggs Hughie is one of Gibsie's oldest and closest childhood best friends. They've been around each other since they were born, to the point where they think of each other like brothers, with Hughie protecting him as he does Claire. They're not afraid to tease or make fun of each other since they know they won't hurt each other's feelings. Gibsie once pissed in Hughie's sleeping bag while Hughie was in it when they were younger, and overall seemed to be very close. The two seem to grow apart as they get older as Gibsie becomes closer with Johnny and Hughie cares for Lizzie, who begun to hate Gibsie following her sister's death. However, Hughie says he will never chose between Gibsie and Lizzie, and doesn't believe Gibsie played any part in Caiomhe's death. Gibsie also ocassionally helps Hughie navigate his relationship with Lizzie and Gibsie is shown to be supportive of them, saying he understands why Lizzie needs him. At the end of Releasing 10, both Gibsie and Patrick swear to Hughie they'll make sure he never goes back to Lizzie.

Patrick Feely Patrick is one of Gibsie's close childhood friends. Despite there not being slot of interactions between these two the book makes sure to illustrate the friendship through other's descriptions.

Shannon Lynch Shannon is one of Gibsie's close friends. She and Gibsie grow their friendship throughout the series and are both mutually fond of each other. He is deeply touched when Shannon says he is smart, soon after even saying that he loves Shannon. They often hang around each other outside big group events as Gibsie and Shannon are dating each other's best friend. Gibsie calls Shannon "his second favorite girl in the world". Shannon is dating Gibsie's best friend Johnny.

Joey Lynch Joey and Gibsie are good friends, though Joey would never admit this. In Redeeming 6, Gibsie gives Joey's girlfriend, Aoife, money to cover up Joey's drug debts, which Joey says he now owes Gibsie for. Gibsie also saves Joey a seat in every class when Joey and Aoife begin at Tommen. In Taming 7, Joey helps Gibsie get revenge on Jamie, a boy who previously assaulted Claire and goes on another date with her. They get revenge by putting sugar in Jamie's car tank. Joey also attempts to help Gibsie and Hugh fight Mark. It is predicted that Joey will play a role in helping Hugh figure out what really happened to Gibsie, Lizzie, and Caiomhe.

Ollie Lynch Ollie is Shannon's brother and Johnny Kavanagh's adoptive brother and he is Gibsie's favourite of all the Lynch brothers.

Tadhg Lynch Tadhg is Shannon's brother and Johnny Kavanagh's adoptive brother and him and Gibsie have a relationship that resembles frenemies, with Tadhg often teasing Gibsie.

Enemies Lizzie Young Lizzie and Gibsie were good friends during childhood, as Lizzie became part of the group of Claire, Gibsie, Hugh, and Patrick after moving to Ballylaggin. She often defended him from bullies, and they spent much of their time joking around together. However, their relationship changed drastically after Caoimhe's death. Mark, Gibsie's stepbrother, actually killed Caoimhe, though it was framed as a suicide. Although Lizzie knew the truth, Mark manipulated her into believing that Gibsie was responsible. Lizzie, who struggles with bipolar disorder and PTSD, was particularly vulnerable to this manipulation. When she confronted Gibsie at Caoimhe's funeral and asked him to speak up, he said he had not been present when Caoimhe was killed and could not comment, which Lizzie interpreted as a betrayal. From that moment, she told Gibsie never to speak to her again and began to resent him. She was often triggered by his presence, which caused her to lash out at and bully him quite severely resulting in physical and verbal altercations.

In addition, Lizzie disliked Gibsie because she believed he was toying with Claire’s feelings for an extended period of time. As Claire is one of Lizzie's closest friends, this further fueled the hostility between them.

Bella Wilkinson Gibsie hated Bella, this is because of Bella's treatment of Johnny and Shannon.

Mark Allen Mark Allen is Gibsie's step-brother and the primary source of his childhood trauma. From the ages of seven to eleven, Mark sexually abused Gibsie repeatedly. This abuse has left Gibsie with PTSD, intense emotional scars, and long-lasting difficulties in trusting others. Mark is shown to also verbally abuse him, often calling him stupid and making remarks about him, which is noticed by both Hughie and Claire.

Caoimhe Young Caoimhe’s death became a central source of trauma for Gibsie. He was falsely implicated in her death, manipulated into feeling responsible, and left to carry guilt and grief that were not his fault. This event fractured his friendship with Lizzie and caused emotional distress that lingered for years, affecting his ability to trust and form close connections.

Caoimhe used the knowledge of Gibsie’s abuse to frame him as responsible for situations he had no control over, including events surrounding her own death. She either directly or indirectly blamed him, spreading misinformation that led others, including Lizzie, to distrust and resent him. Instead of being a safe confidante, she became a source of emotional harm, compounding the fear, shame, and isolation Gibsie already carried from years of abuse.

When Gibsie confided in Caoimhe about the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his step-brother Mark, her response was extremely harmful. Rather than supporting him she refused to accept the idea causing Gibsie to play it off as a joke.

Dee Dee is Gibsie’s teacher who abused her position of authority to take advantage of him when he was a minor. Her actions were entirely inappropriate, exploitative, and deeply damaging to Gibsie’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Claire's and Gibsie's story: Gerard is Claire's boyfriend, best friend and neighbor. He's her first love and only love. She has been in love with him since an extremely young age. They attend Tommen College together, and are seemingly inseparable. They have fostered many animals together, including kittens that their individual cats had together. Gerard has always been a part of her family, with him even having his own chair at their dinner table with his name engraved on it. Claire, along side Hugh and their parents, was present in the boat accident that took the lives of Gerard's father, Joe Gibson, and his younger sister, Bethany Gibson. The accident almost took Gerard's life as well, but he was saved by Claire and Hugh's father. Gerard developed an intense fear of water, which causes Claire to write to the school board for years advocating for mandatory swim classes to help Gerard get over his fear. Claire also has a job as a lifeguard and plans on being a primary education teacher. In Taming 7, it is discovered that Claire and Gerard have had sleepovers nearly every night since the accident, as Gerard has frequent nightmares that only Claire can seem to help him recover from. The two officially get together halfway throughout Taming 7 and are each other's first. Not too long afterwards, Claire discovers what Dee did to Gerard, and forces her to quit. At the end of Taming 7, Claire and Shannon Lynch find Caoimhe Young's letter to Gerard, sharing that Gerard had confided in her that he was being raped by Mark Allen, but she didn't believe him. Months later, Caoimhe found out Gerard was telling the truth after witnessing Mark rape him, and as a result it appears she committed suicide. Claire accidently outs this revelation to the rest of the group after Lizzie picks a fight with her and Gerard. As a result, Gerard breaks up with her and ends their friendship. He appears to have forgiven her by the end and seemingly gets back together with her, but they are predicted to break up again in their next book before they get their happy ending.

Lizzie's story: Lizzie was mute until the age of four due to past trauma.

Her mother was diagnosed with cancer when Lizzie was around four years old.

Starting at the age of five, she was groomed and sexually abused for over six years by Mark Allen, her older sister Caoimhe's boyfriend. He told her the abuse would "fix" her. This prolonged manipulation deeply affected Lizzie throughout the years, When she finally realized what had happened and she was taken advantage of , she tried to tell her family, they didn't believe her. She was hospitalized, and the doctors dismissed her claims as imagination. From then on, she referred to Mark as "the monster." believing that she was just making it up. At eleven, Lizzie became pregnant and was forced by Mark to do an abortion on herself using a coat hanger.

Lizzie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during childhood and began medication early. Her mental health struggles caused tension with her father, who found it difficult to accept her condition. She struggles with taking her medication because it triggers her memories. Lizzie also has trouble distinguishing what’s real and what’s her imagination. Due to her sexual trauma and bipolar disorder she suffers from hypersexuality during her manic episodes.

Lizzie lost her sister when she was a 11 years old. In Releasing 10, it is revealed that Mark locked Lizzie and her sister in their house for three weeks after Caoimhe threatened to report him to the police, having witnessed him sexually assaulting Gibsie. It is implied that Mark murdered Caoimhe and that Lizzie witnessed the event. Mark tried to cover it up by convincing the police it was a suicide, but Lizzie spoke out at her sister’s funeral, accusing Mark of assaulting and killing Caoimhe. Before Caoimhe had died, she asked Liz to give a note to Gibsie, it explained that Caoimhe had witnessed Mark raping Gibsie. Liz had slipped it into Gibsie's pocket after Caoimhe died, but she has no memory of giving it to Gibsie. (This note is also later a vital part of the ending of Taming 7). When Liz spoke out at the funeral, she asked Gibsie to share his experiences in Mark assaulting him as well, but as Gibsie was surprised, he did not. This event changed Lizzie in many ways. It also strained her parents’ marriage, which eventually ended in divorce, and Lizzie now lives with her mother. Lizzie is also no longer friends with Gibsie.

Lizzie's and Hughie's story: Hughie is Claire Biggs’ older brother and was Lizzie's first crush/love.

They first met on October 28, 1994 on the school bus after school wherein Hugh was instructed by his mom to hand-out his birthday invitation to Claire's friend. He was initially shocked when he first saw Lizzie because of her angelic beauty. He instantly developed a crush on her ever since they first met & talked when he sat beside her to give her the letter. They became closer during his birthday party where she attended wearing a matching costume with him. Lizzie and Hughie bonded over their shared interest in books, with him stating that not only does Lizzie matched his costume but his highly intellectual mind too. Although they were both very vocal of their love for each other and even talked about getting married in the future their relationship first started out as best friends, where they view their love as something platonic. Hughie was the only one in their close friend group who knew about Lizzie's disorder, that same day he found out about it he went to the town library to do his own research about her illness because their parents didn't want to give him full details about it. He wasn't allowed to rent out the medical books so he printed the pages of it to take it home with him to learn more about bipolar so he can help Liz.

It wasn't until the summer of 1999 wherein Hughie realized that the love he feels for Lizzie was completely romantic, it was during their family vacation wherein he took Lizzie with him to go see the fairies sea cave, the place where they shared their first kiss. They first officially started dating on August 28, 1999. Their relationship weren't perfect, mostly due to Lizzie's mental disorder, but Hughie always made sure to be there for her; especially during her sister's funeral. Despite their ups and downs they both deeply loved each other and even already planned out their future together which includes Lizzie skipping fourth year to be a year only behind Hughie's class, after he graduates and Liz turns 18 years old they'll leave Cork and live together in an apartment in Dublin where Hugh will study med at Trinity College and Lizzie will continue 6th year at Royce College before joining him at Trinity. They initially planned of getting married between 23-25 years old; but would be adjusted to 18-19 if Lizzie's parents won't allow her to live with Hughie. They also planned on having two kids, the first one would be born before they turn 30 years old because they both wanted to be homeowners first before having a family. However, despite their love and plans their relationship began to fallout when Lizzie started to took time out from her meds and heavily spiral again after Mark came back and attacked her. Everything shattered on November 1, 2003 wherein Hughie caught Liz with Pierce during one of her episodes wherein he thought she cheated on him; unknowing to Hugh what truly happened, they broke up after this.

After coming back from being hospitalized Lizzie distanced herself from Hughie and their other friends because of the guilt she felt by hurting him and her wanting him to move on from her and be happy because that's what she believe he deserved.

Years after, despite their break-up and them dating other people, Hugh is still deeply in love with Lizzie and tries to look out for her; as showed in Taming 7 which took place in Summer of 2005 which was roughly almost two years after their break-up.

Katie's story: Katie is Aoife's former neighbour and is one of her best-friends, they attended primary school together at St. Bernadette's. She often has lun