“Pathetic, huh?” He learned that wordfrom me.“Yeah. It’s like the opposite of a fish,right?”

“It didn’t take him long, and he pulled up nearly nose-to-nose with Ash as they came in from opposite directions.“You shaved off your …” It couldn’t rightfully be called a beard, Brooks considered. “Face hair.”“Yeah, it got too hot.”“Uh-huh.”

“I had said too much. He was giving me the look. I hated the look. It was the “You’ve had it tough, huh, kid?” look. It made me feel pathetic.”

“I can think of something else that would make me feel even better.”She raised her eyebrows. “Oh?” With a nod he gave her a wicked smile. “Yeah. It’s warm…and it feels really good when I’m in it…and I love how it’s always wet for me…”“You think so, huh?” she smirked.“Well yeah. A shower is usually wet when I—”She slugged him in the shoulder and he laughed out loud."Van!”

“You died in your sleep? Drunk driver? Cancer,huh? World war? Well...yeah those deaths are great and all,but wait till I tell you what happened to me. Yeah...that's right...I said kraken.”

“Yeah, it’s me, but I like to think I looked better when we met. ‘Cause right now, I’m pretty much hogging all the ugly. (Nick)”