Corrine Jackson

“We talk later,” he demands. “Or now, with everyone listening.”“Go to hell,” I say. It worked before, but not this time.His voice soft, he asks, “Aren’t we already there, Q?”

“This isn't about being a good friend..""No, you're right.. It's about family. You're my family, stupid.”

“Some words hit you like a tree branch slapping you in the face. And some words rip into your flesh, leaving scars so deep, they never completely fade.”

“Sometimes a moment defines you, defines how people see you for the rest of your life. You can accept it or fight it. If you're lucky, you'll recognize the moment when it happens.”

“Everyone takes the picture of the kid with the birthday cake on his face," he said once. "Wait for the unexpected. That's the magic.”

“I’m two hours late when I pull in to the driveway. It won’t matter that I’m always on time. People never see how good you are. Fuck up once, and it’s like you are wearing a neon sign.”

“You're the one in control here. Be kind.”

“We are the Island of Misfit Toys, all broken or smashed in some way.”

“His laugh sands the rough edge inside me, and I smile.”

“These days will be a shitty reminder of a time when we weren't the best versions of ourselves.”

“I've learned that things can always suck worse than they did five minutes ago.”

“Those big reunions where everyone apologises and the family lives happily ever after? They're bullshit. The truth is, some apologies never see the light of day.”

“The truth is, some apologies never see the light of day.”

“That’s war, kid. You can hate the guy next to you, but he’s always got your back.”

“Two guys and I love them both. Loyalty divides and subtracts me from both of them.”

“This honor crap isn’t for the weak.”

“It sounds so perfect. He’s defending me because Carey would want him to. It’s not about me. It never is, with these two boys. Blake lets me take the blame, and Carey uses me.”

“It’s easier to hang out with the patients in the indoor garden, with its sunlight and picnic tables. Easier to forget that someone’s ill when you’re not surrounded by the antiseptic reek of hospital-issue debris.”

“I wonder how much shame people can hold before they ignite.”