Heritage: Engzilian. While Syd's family on her father's side is English, her grandmother on her mom's side is Brazilian, and Syd, with her jet black hair and amber eyes, is the spitting image of her. Syd's glad she bears little resemblance to her father, who recently left his wife for a twenty-two-year-old named Charlotte. While he's spending Syd's college fund on Charlotte's cosmetic enhancements, Syd's mom desperately tries to recapture her own youth.

Extended Family: An only child, Syd was very close to her mom before her dad's affair ruined everything. With her mom now distracted by online dating, Syd relies even more on her best friend, Banksy, a one hundred pound Rottweiler that accompanies her everywhere.

Social Life: Syd's always been a bit of a loner and doesn't care much about what other people think of her. Before meeting Zahra and Kali, Syd's only real friends were Stains and Rambo - two guys on the outer fringes of school life. Tomboyish Syd prefers hanging with guys, because girls ask too many personal questions and take offense so easily. And for more than a year, her favorite guy was boyfriend, Eric.

The (Ex) Boyfriend: Eric Skinner was Syd's best friend and confidante. But her parents' separation was so bitter that it shook Syd's faith in her own relationship and she stepped back to take stock. She never dreamed that Eric could interpret her request for a bit of space as permission to line up back-up girlfriends.

Interests: Street art (AKA graffiti). Syd's true feelings emerge when there's a spray can in her hand. Her art appears on buildings, benches, and garbage bins all over Austin, but her best work appears on the boarded up windows of the Albany Hotel, the ramshackle building her father plans to redevelop.

Philosophy on Romance after Eric: Never trust a guy. Ever. And when he does you wrong-which he will-make him pay.

Philosophy on Life: Look out for number one. Syd has been let down by the people she loves most and has learned that the more you rely on other people, the less control you have over your happiness. If you want a real friend that will never disappoint, get a dog.

Personal Style: Syd's style is as creative as her paintings. Her black hair is cut into a chic bob, and her blood-red lipstick makes a bold statement. She scours vintage stores for interesting pieces, and puts together outfits that combine texture and color to create looks that are sometimes outlandish, but always unique.

Love, Inc: Suspicious by nature, Syd is in charge of Love, Inc.'s surveillance and revenge service. She takes her work very seriously, planning each "slam" down to the last detail.

Pet Peeves: Hugging-or any public displays of affection. Security guards and authority figures. Bad art. People who spill their life stories. People who want you to spill your life story. Dogs in clothes.

Favorite Motto: First get mad, then get even.

Syd's Tunes to Paint By: