Birch Small is the main protagonist of My Life Me. She is a student of Cosmos Jr.High, a member of Pod Four.
Overview
A young talented artist and manga fan. Birch is 13 years old. Birch has a crush on Raffi as hinted in a number of episodes, and is shown to be very familiar with almost anything involving art, including various historical artist names. Her interest in Raffi and trying to impress him has her often doing absurd things such as becoming vegetarian simply because Raffi was which conflicted with her love of fast foods, and meaty foods. She is also heavily interested with Japanese Manga and is usually seen drawing these comics in said style.
Appearance
Birch is a young pale-pink skinned girl with blue eyes and stright neck length dark raspberry-aburn hair. She wears an outfit that consists of a black t-shirt with a magenta butterfly design over a long sleeve purple and black striped shirt, a studded choker and matching bracelets, along with denim shorts over black leggings, and black tennis shoes with magenta laces.
Relationships
Family
- Liam Coll is Birch's cousin. They also draw (Birch) and write (Liam) a manga together, which was once published in Minute Magazine. Birch and Liam are shown frequently hanging-out at each other's houses together. The two make reference to each other's mothers being their aunts, so it is implied their mothers are sisters (and both aunt's "favorite niece/nephew"). Birch views Liam as both a pain in her side and a close relative/friend.
- The two most often scheme with each other and have the other's back, although they occasionally turn on each other in the series. If Birch has to pick between assisting Liam or Raffi, she will usually pick Raffi over her cousin. They two often share and contribute to each other's neurotic behavior and delusions, such scheming to break-up Sandra and Raffi in ''Love is in the Air''
- Birch and Liam often argue in terms of what they want in regards to their manga series: Birch stays very true to her artistic integrity, while Liam would prefer exposure (see: "Integrity Insmegrity")
- At the end of the day, the two are close and have each other's backs, but have no problem scheming against each other if the situation calls for it. However, they usually feel badly about it afterwards.
Friends
- Sandra le Blanc is the second girl in Pod 4, besides Birch. She and Birch have a frenemy-type dynamic, although Birch is usually Sandra's primary target in teasing. Sometimes Sandra's hostility towards Birch is justified, as Birch tends to become self-involved and as the series progresses, it's revealed that although Sandra is conceited and self-involved herself, she generally wants the best for her pod.
- It is unclear whether or not Sandra actually likes the presence of Birch, as she tends to make fun of her antics and throw both subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at her, but she will occasionally take Birch's side or look-out for her.
- Birch and Sandra often put aside their differences to benefit the pod and when working together, they make a good team (see: "The Raffi Raffle")
- Birch is very easily manipulated by Sandra. She doesn't always have a positive response to Sandra's manipulative behavior, but Sandra still tends to get the response out of her that she wants (see: "Rope Burn" and "Comic Chaos")
- It is revealed in "The Diary" that despite Birch's rivalry with Sandra, she admires her.
- Birch is more hostile towards her, when Sandra dates Raffi in "Love is in the Air" Her combined annoyance towards Sandra and crush on Raffi further motivate her to sabotage them. However, she has forgiven Sandra for this, as in the next episode she is helping Sandra pursue another boy.
- Birch is shown to have a small soft side for Sandra, looking-out for her when Sandra is tricked into falling for a player in "Cyranette"
- Raffi Rodriguez is a friend that Birch has severe crush on, although it isn't very obvious to him, until the end of the first season, going into the second season. Liam and Sandra are well aware of her crush on Raffi, and Liam will frequently hint at it to him, but it often flies over his head.
- Raffi's manipulation of Birch in some episodes (i.e., flirting with her to distract her in some of Liam and/or Sandra's schemes), may not be attributed to his awareness of her feelings for him, but his overinflated ego and the assumption that like others, she will fall captive to his charm.
- Birch will do nearly anything asked of her from Raffi and she spoils him in that regard. In "Rope Burn" he asks Birch for help picking-out a birthday gift for his grandmother and is irate with her, despite knowing that she has duties to attend to Sandra's injury, first and foremost.
- Birch often draws pictures of Raffi, once for a holiday gift exchange (although this item never actually ended up being gifted to him), once submitted into an art contest and then often as private art for her own satisfaction. Her art of Raffi is considered private and she has gone to great extents to hide it from Liam and especially, Raffi, even if it will prevent progressing any form of romantic relationship with him (see: "A Bed for Raffi")
- Birch is desperate to impress Raffi, even if it means going to great extents and/or lying to do so (see: "Birch's Beef") Sandra often attempts to sabotage Birch in her schemes after Raffi and occasionally Amelia does too.
- Although Birch claims to be "in love" with Raffi, if he commits any actions against her, she has no problem fighting back. In "Big Man on Canvas" after she feels Raffi has stolen her artistic glory, she draws a picture of him as mutilated and an episode later, in "The Pencil Assassin", she drew an egotistical caricature of him that was accidentally published in the Cosmos High school newspaper (note: these discretions seem to have no impact on her romantic obsession with Raffi, as she is still seen swooning over him even after he confronts her over her offensive drawing).
- Birch is optimistic about her crush on Raffi and often believes him to be attracted to her as well (see: "Crushed" and "Raffi's Secret Love"). Whether he truly likes her back or not, is unconfirmed, but hinted that he might reciprocate.
- Birch and Raffi do go on a date in "Family Tree". however the date does not go well, as Birch receives news she may be related to Raffi and rejects his advances.
- By the end of My Life Me, it is unclear what Birch and Raffi's relationship is, but they have come close to kissing several times, including nearing-up to the series finale.
- Mr. Towes, Birch is very loyal to him as he is her favorite teacher. In "Accept No Substitutes" when Birch fears Mr. Towes has lost his job, she attempts to petition to have him hired back as a teacher.
Enemies
- Amelia and Birch are clear rivals, unlike Birch's complex relationship with Sandra. Although Amelia frequently puts down Birch and behaves as though she finds Birch insignificant, Amelia clearly sees Birch as a threat and the two challenge each other in many episodes.
- In "The Big Switch", Mr. Towes makes Birch and Amelia switch pods and try to lead the other's group. They start as rivals, but end-up teaming-up together to complete their art project(s).
- Although Amelia often comes out on top at first glance, Birch usually triumphs over her in the end. The best example of this would be from "Star-Struck".