“Yeah, I'm really worried. OK, so what's left on the big, big list of things I have to get done before I go insane or the world comes to end, whichever comes first?”

“Her shoulders fell. "I know you didn't. But you have got to curb this overprotective big-brother thing you've got going on."I laughed once. She really didn't get it. "I'm not playing the big brother, Pigeon. Not even close.”

“Can you imagine what I’m going to have to write on the insurance claim form? Attacked by aliens and blood sucking vampire things.” “I don’t think that would go down well!” “Yeah, I may have to come up with another, more plausible scenario.” “Attacked by Big Foot instead?” He chuckled. “Yeah, much more believable.”

“Just thoughts of what I have to do. Homework. And it comes up to my brain and I look at it and think "I'm not going to be able to do that" and then it cycles back down and the next one comes up. And then things come up like "You should be doing more extracurricular activities" because I should, I don't do near enough, and that gets pushed down and it's replaced with the big one: "What college are you going into, Craig?" which is like the doomsday question.”

“Okay, yeah, he staggered back and fell into the condiments. Big deal. There wasn't any blood. I didn't even get him in the face. He saw my fist coming, and at the last minute he ducked, so instead of punching him in the nose, like I intended, I ended up punching him in the neck. I highly doubt it even left a bruise.”

“The world's big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”