“I hope you don't really see yourself that way," I said.He turned to look at me and narrowed his eyes. "How do you see me?" he said softly.... "I think you're. . ." My voice went nearly silent. "Dangerous.""Why?" he whispered....". . . You make me think too much.".... "I can't help it, Alexis," he said. "I want to make you think too much. . . and then I want to hear the things you've been thinking. . . too much.”

“I can't help it, Alexis," he said "I want to make you think too much...and then I want to hear the things you've been thinking too much.”

“Oh." He sat in confused silence for a few seconds. "Can I ask you a very serious question?""I rather you didn't," I said.He stared straight into my eyes. "If you were an animal, what animal would you be?"WAIT, WHAT? "Wait, what?""It's a classic icebreaker.""If I were an ANIMAL...?"He faked a sigh and checked an imaginary watch. "Your inability to answer the question doesn't bode well for-""I refuse to answer that," I said. "On the grounds that it's probably the stupidest thing I've ever been asked."He stared at me, frowning. "I hear your subconscious saying MONKEY.”

“As I went to stand up, I felt a tiny point of pressure on my back."Don't move," Kasey whispered.I stayed bent over."Drop the knife," she said."Excuse me, I'm using it," I said.She swallowed hard. "For what?""Mom and Dad. You."The pressure on my back increased. "Drop it, Alexis."Drop it? Like I was a bad dog running around with a sock in my mouth."How long will this take?" I asked, setting the knife on the floor. "I'm in the middle of something."Get in the bathroom," she said.The faster I indulged her, the faster it would be over with. So I walked into the bathroom. She followed, kicking the knife toward the end of the hallway and flipping on the bathroom light. "What's this all about, Kasey?" I asked, turning around. At the sight of my face, she gasped, and the point of the fireplace poker she was holding wavered in her hands. I realized a second too late that I'd missed my chance to grab it and smash it into the side of her head. "What's happening to you?" she whispered. I glanced in the mirror. The darkness had begun to spread from my mouth and eyes. It leached out in inky puddles with thin tendrils of black snaking out in delicate feathery patterns.What's happening to me? What was she talking about?"So you have a pointy stick," I said. "Big deal. get out of my way.""What are you going to do?" I sneered. "Poke me?"'I'll hit you, Lexi." Her face was stony. "As hard as I have to."Whatever. I'm really not in the mood. "Can we talk about this in the morning?" I asked. After I kill you?"No," her eyes hardened. "Get your toothbrush.""What?""Pick up your toothbrush, and stick it down your throat.""Kasey-""Do it," she said."Ugh, fine. You're sick, you know that?""Get in the tub.""Happy?"I stuck the toothbrush into my throat. Instantly, I gagged and doubled over."Do it again," she said."God Kasey," I cried. Stabbing people was one thing. But making them barf- that was just disturbing.”

“You scared the shit out of me last night, so forgive me if I don't want to hear fine as an answer."I rubbed my eyes, hoping it would keep the burning tears away. The warm water of the shower had finally calmed the tears, but the thought of Noah walking away brought them back. "What do you want to hear? That I'm exhausted? Terrified? Confused? That all I want to do is rest my head on your chest and sleep for hours, but that's not going to happen because you're leaving me?""Yes," he said quickly, then just as quick said, "No. Everything but the last part." He paused. "Echo, how could you think I would leave you? How can you doubt how I feel?""Because," I said as I felt the familiar twisting in my stomach. "You saw me lose it. You saw me almost go insane."The muscles in his shoulders visibly tensed. "I watched you battle against the worst memory of your life and I watched you win. Make no mistake, Echo. I battled right beside you. You need to find some trust in me ... in us."Noah inhaled and slowly let the air out. His stance softened and so did his voice. "If you're scared, tell me. If you need to cry and scream, then do it. And you sure as hell don't walk away from us because you think it would be better for me. Here's the reality, Echo: I want to be by your side. If you want to go to the mall stark naked so you can show the world your scars, then let me hold your hand. If you want to see your mom, then tell me that, too. I may not always understand, but damn, baby, I'll try.”

“That's the pathetic thing about high school. Everyone tries so hard to be something they aren't. It's gotten so I don't know who I am, so how can I even try to be who I am, much less who I'm not? My problem is that I don't even fit in with the misfits. I don't fit anywhere.”

“If you think too much about the future, about seeing me again, you won't exprience anything. You'll just be a slave to time.”