“You're not being fair," I said."Life isn't fair.""Yeah, and no man is an island. Any other cliches you'd like to share?”

“Lisa's friendship was less of a choice than a fact of life. It worked out well - kind of symbiotic, actually. I beat up anyone who messed with her, and she made sure my homework got done. Fair trade, right? Honestly, if not for Lisa's constant nagging, I'd probably still be crouched in our kindergarten sandbox eating glue and playing Neferet demons.”

“I frowned at him. "Isn't sarcasm the opiate of the masses?""You're thinking of religion," he replied. "Sarcasm is the Xanax of the morally bereft.”

“Okay, to be fair, I had tried to Google-stalk him. But Google-stalking is a far cry from having your demonblood best friend park his vampmobile across the and use his x-ray vamp vision to spy into someone's house. That's just rude.”

“Black suits you," he commented."Don't get any ideas, Romeo."His frown curled into a slow grin, at once mocking and devastatingly handsome. "Ah, Shakespeare. 'How silver sweet lovers' tongues by night, like softest music to attending ears.'" He laughed. "Saw the movie, did you?""I also saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer," I said. "Guess which one I liked better.”

“Daddy, I'll be fine. Smalley says some people are late bloomers, that's all."Actually, what she'd said was, 'Tis a marvellous bud that opens its petals at midnight - not so eager as the weeds of daybreak. I figured that translated to, Just because you're not a slut like Veronica, doesn't mean you'll end up alone.”

“Plus, I can't look at him the same since I ran into Mrs. Marino at our family reunion. It's not comforting to learn you've made out with your cousin.""Third cousin once removed," I argued. "It's hardly incest.""Life is like a box of chocolates, Lisa," Katie noted around a half-chewed carrot stick. "You never know what you're going to get."Lisa narrowed her eyes, confused. "Did she just quote Forrest Gump at me?""It's Matt's fault," I said. "She lost a bet and now anytime his name gets mentioned, she has sixty seconds to drop a relevant movie quote.""That's insane.""Yup," Katie piped in, "insanity tuns in my family. Its practically gallops.""Classic." I high-fived her.”