Character Profile -- China Romney

China Romney

Aliases or Nicknames:

None.

Era:

Pre-Rift

Appears In:

Beverlee Hills Mummy

Importance:

Secondary Character

Main Goal:

To be a flame ensconced in a block of ice.

Relationship to Other Characters:

Twin sister to Candy Romney, younger sister to Beth Wakefield, older sister to Jess Wakefield, daughter to Alice Wakefield and William Romney. Girlfriend to Zachariah Hahn. Besties with Thai Martinez, Ophelia Pierce, and our main character Nakia (aka Sunny).

Backstory/Infodump:

China has always liked the visual of her name: delicate, detailed, and deliberate. Inside, she feels anything but. Before the accident that left their mutual friend Ophelia paraplegic, she was closest to Thai, but Thai has pulled away emotionally, leaving China to rely on Candy who can't take anything seriously.

China spends most of her afternoons volunteering at a soup kitchen in L.A., which isn't so much a secret from Candy as something she doesn't mention. Candy is such a social butterfly that she doesn't notice. China's weekly visits to Ophelia IS something that she keeps secret on purpose. She loves her sister but doesn't like the way that Candy basically pretends that Ophelia never existed. 

When Thai insists on adding Sunny to the group, China correctly assumes that Sunny is supposed to replace Thai, so China resents Sunny, at first. It's easier than resenting Thai. But China likes the effect that Sunny has on Candy. Candy becomes more focuses and less needy of the affection of strangers. She also likes the effect that Sunny has on Thai. Thai seems warmer and more relaxed than she has in a long time. 

Eventually, China is the one who confides in Sunny about Ophelia and China takes Sunny to meet Ophelia. Ophelia confesses that Candy and Thai both visit her regularly and reveals that Thai gave her the first Prince Machiavelli. China knew that Thai's aunt was a Samoyed breeder but she never understood why Thai would change out dogs every eight weeks. It actually grossed her out a bit.

Meanwhile, China has been dating Zach, but Zach comes out as gay, which makes China feel exposed. She liked having the cover of a boyfriend because it stopped most guys from approaching her and now she has to confront the idea that she might be attracted to girls -- or not attracted to anyone. One thing is for sure, she is not attracted to boys, and she always liked that Zach was so "respectful" and never went any further than a peck on the cheek.

But this is a peripheral issue. The main problem she's been having for a while is that she is very interested in philanthropy, which is something very looked down upon in her family in general and that Candy is neutral on. She is shocked when Candy suggests that China apply to UCLA because of this interest. When had Candy started paying attention to China? It's a little scary. As much as she resents being so closely associated with her ditzy sister, it's also easy to let her sister be the interesting one while China fades into the background. If they go to different schools with different career goals, then China will have to step forward and make public the strong personality that she's always kept secret.

By the end of the series, China feels safe and seen in her small friend group, so glad that Ophelia has been reintegrated, and grateful to Sunny for bringing out the best in her sister and Thai. Although she feels the least emotionally connected to Sunny, she is the one who most strongly recognizes the strength of the bonds between the girls that Sunny has helped foster.