“Cops, I've learned, are like vampires; they can't come in unless you invite them.”

“You know what my friends and I used to call girls like you? Girls who had everything handed to them on a silver platter, who only cared about how they looked and who was dating the most popular guy?""What?"His grin grows wider. "We called you bitches. You girls were straight-up bitches.”

“He can't hear you." Alex sighs. "You aren't the sharpest sheep in the barn, are you?""That's not even the right metaphor," I snap, my attention still focused on Richie. "It's the sharpest pencil in the box.""Right." Alex nods. "Except you are a sheep. I'm not stupid, I just adjusted the metaphor to fit your persona-""Oh, shut up. Richie!" I scream again. Alex shakes his head.”

“Why should they bother to go grocery shopping? It's not like their son needs to eat or anything like that.”

“My favorite uncle was gay,” she says, “and he doesn’t like to dance, either.” She looks at Chad. “I don’t like that word. Fag. Don’t use it, okay?”

“Liz?""Hmmm?""Why do you care about me?"The question seems to startle me. It's uncharacteristic for Richie, who is usually so cool and self-assured. I open my eyes. "Why would you ask me that?""Because I don't understand. We're so different."I reach around the side of his face. Once again, I wipe fresh beads of sweat from his forehead. This time, I don't even bother wiping my hands on my pants. I lace my fingers into his again, and the two of us lie together, his damp clamminess seeping onto my made up face and my pretty clothes. Obviously, I couldn't care less."But we fit," I whisper. "Like this." And I tighten my grip around him."Mmm." He smiles, his eyes still closed. "You're right. We do.""Richie...I'm lying. I don't like you.""You don't?" His voice cracks. "No." I bring my lips close to his ear. "I love you Richie Wilson.”

“Just like every other year, there's a kind of death in the air as the summer is squelched by autumn. It is a lonely feeling.”