Primarily referred to as Nick, the protagonist and narrator of Fake ID is a handsome, tall, athletic, 15-year-old Black high school sophomore. Nick is resourceful and observant to the point of being hypervigilant. When others physically attack him, Nick is quick on his feet. Though he experiences a lot of anxiety, he remains cool under pressure.

Nick is the only child of Robert and Donna Bordeaux. Not yet old enough to drive, he rides a Huffy 10-speed bicycle through the community of Stepton, Virginia. Nick and his parents are in the witness protection program because his father has agreed to be a witness against Kreso Maric, the crime boss for whom he was the chief accountant. The family has moved repeatedly for four years, forcing Nick to acclimate to new communities, new family names, and new backstories. Each move is to a less prestigious house, job, and community. Stepton, Virginia, their most recent relocation, is the least desirable setting in which Nick has lived.

Nick does not trust anyone around himself. Trained by his US Marshal handlers to be vigilant and cautious, he naturally withholds solid information but also his feelings, fears, and deductions.