“More than anything, I felt the unfairness of it, the inarguable injustice of loving someonewho might have loved you back but can't due to deadness, and then I leaned forward, my forehead against the back of Takumi's headrest, and Icried, whimpering, and I didn't even feel sadness so much as pain.”

“I felt the unfairness of it, the inarguable injustice of loving someone who might have loved you back but can't due to deadness.”

“I couldn't hear a thing in the world but you. And it was so cold then, and so silent, and I loved you so much. Now it's hot and dead quiet again, and I love you still.”

“I thought it might be a fine time to say the Three Little Words. And I steeled myself to say them as I stared up at that starriest night, convinced myself that she felt it, too, that her hand so alive and vivid against my leg was more than playful, and fuck Lara and fuck Jake because I do, Alaska Young, I do love you and what else matters but that and my lips parted to speak and before I could even begin to breathe out the words, she said, “It’s not life or death, the labyrinth.”

“I don't know whether it was the general anxiety of being on a date (albeit one with my would-be date sitting fivepeople away from me) or the specific anxiety of having the Beast stare in my direction, but for some reason, I tookoff running after Takumi. I thought we were in the clear as we began to round the corner of the bleachers, butthen I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a cylindrical orange object getting bigger and bigger, like a fastapproachingsun.I thought: / think that is going to hit me.I thought: J should duck.But in the time between when something gets thought and when it gets done, the ball hit me square across theside of the face. I fell, the back of my head slamming against the gym floor. I then stood up immediately, as ifunhurt, and left the gym.Pride had gotten me off the floor of the gym, but as soon as I was outside, I sat down."I am concussed," I announced, entirely sure of my self-diagnosis."You're fine," Takumi said as he jogged back toward me. "Let's get out of here before we're killed.""I'm sorry," I said. "But I can't get up. I have suffered a mild concussion."Lara ran out and sat down next to me."Are you okay?""I am concussed," I said.Takumi sat down with me and looked me in the eye. "Do you know what happened to you?""The Beast got me.""Do you know where you are?""I'm on a triple-and-a-half date.""You're fine," Takumi said. "Let's go."And then I leaned forward and threw up onto Lara's pants.”

“You can fight with me," I said. I put my controller down and leaned back on our foam couch and was asleep. As I drifted off, I heard the Colonel say, "I can't be mad at you, you harmless skinny bastard.”

“The problem is that I am secretly in love with Hassan. I can't help myself. I hold your bony shoulder blades in my hands and think of his fleshy back (Lindsey).”