“respect the hand that I was dealt. And to be grateful I was even dealt a hand.”

“I got schooled this year.By everyone.By my little brother...by The Avett Brothers...by my mother, my best friend, my teacher, my father,andbyaboy.a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with...I got so schooled this year.By a nine-year-old.He taught me that it's okay to live lifea little backwards.And how to laughAt what you would thinkis un-laughable.I got schooled this yearBy a Band!They taught me how to find that feeling of feeling again.They taught me how to decide what to beAnd go be it.I got schooled this year.By a cancer patient.She taught me so much. She's still teaching me so much.She taught me to question.To never regret.She taught me to push my boundaries,Because that's what they're there for.She told me to find a balance between head and heartAnd thenshe taught me how...I got schooled this yearBy a Foster KidShe taught me to respect the hand that I was dealt.And to be grateful I was even dealt a hand.She taught me that familyDoesn't have to be blood.Sometimes your familyare your friends.I got schooled this yearBy my teacherHe taught meThat the points are not the point,The point is poetry...I got schooled this yearBy my father.He taught me that hero's aren't always invincibleAnd that the magicis within me..I got schooled this yearbyaBoy.a boy that I'm seriously, deeply, madly, incredibly, and undeniably in love with.And he taught me the most important thing of all...To put the emphasisOn life.”

“I was studying the football in my hands, running my fingers over the pigskin, across the letters of the brand name printed on the side.This elongated spheriod that didn't even weigh a whole pound. I was choosing this ridiculous ball of leather in my hands over my own flesh and blood. I was putting myself, my girlfriend, my scholarship--I was putting everything before this little boy that i loved more than anything in this world.-Will”

“Just seeing the smile on her face is enough to keep me satisfied for the rest of my life. Seeing her happy again is better than any feeling in the world. I never want to see her sad again. "This will be worth it, Lake. Everything we had to go through. I promise. Even if you have to wait for me, I'll make it worth it."The smile fades from her eyes and she clutches her hand to her heart. "You already have, Will."That. Right there. I don't deserve her.I walk swiftly back to where she's standing and take her face in my hands. "I mean it," I say. "I love you so damn much, it hurts." I force my lips against hers, then pull away just as fast. "But it hurts in a really good way.”

“You're in love with her, aren't you?" I pause. Am I? I sign and clasp my hands behind my head, not sure what to say. "I'm trying so hard not to be," I say quietly, admitting it to myself for the first time.”

“I reach over and stroke her hair. When I do, a few of the strands fall off in my fingers. I pull my hand back and slowly wrap them around my finger as I walk to my room and pick my purple hair clip up off the floor. I open the clip and place the strands of hair inside and snap it shut. I place the clip under my bedroom pillow and I go back to my mother’s room. I slide into the bed beside her and wrap my arms around her. She finds my hand and we interlock fingers as we talk without saying a single word.”

“I slip her shirt over her head and she tries to cover herself, but I move her arms out of the way and kiss up her neck while I talk about all the things that are no longer just mine.'Will, stop.' She laughs and attempts to pull my hands away from her bra. 'You can't take off my bra, we're in our driveway. What if they come outside?''It's dark,' I whisper. 'And it's not your bra. It's our bra and I want it off.' I slip it off her, pulling her against me as I rub my hands down the length of her back, then around to the button on the front of her jeans. 'And I want to take off our pants.”