“So I was thinking we should skip tomorrow, stay right here and watch shitty movies all day."My first response was to say I couldn't skip a whole day's worth of classes, but as I met Cam's mischievous gaze, I said screw it. "That's a brilliant idea.""I know, right?" He tapped his head. "I'm full of great shit.""Yeah, you're definitely full of it...""Ha.”

“Well, I figure if you're gonna screw things up by skipping school, the day better be worth it.”

“I'm skipping, but Cam doesn't have a class until this afternoon, so he's a good boy.""And your a bad boy?""Oh, I'm a bad, bad boy.""Yeah, as in bad at spelling, math, english, cleaning up after yourself, talking to people, and I could go on.”

“Don't worry," he said, as if sensing my hesitation. "I promise that even if I got a whole truck full of smelly gym clothes, I'd stay right here, waiting, until you got back."I smiled and continued to my bedroom."Oh, and Rileigh?"I froze without turning. "Yes?""I hope I remember you first.”

“I shook my head. “I don’t think so. This isn’t a good idea. This isn’t right.”“There’s all kinds of right,” he murmured. “On the spectrum, we’re still in the safe zone.” ...“Definitely right. Usually right,” Patch continued. “Mostly right. Maybe right.”

“In the old days, before I was married, or knew a lot of women, I would just pull down all the shades and go to bed for three or four days. I'd get up to shit. I'd eat a can of beans, go back to bed, just stay there for three or four days. Then I'd put on my clothes and I'd walk outside, and the sunlight was brilliant, and the sounds were great. I felt powerful, like a recharged battery. But you know the first bring-down? The first human face I saw on the sidewalk, I lost half my charge right there.”