“About last night, I told Drew to keep his hands off you.""Why would you do that?""Because everyone talks shit about you because of it. But its not my business, so I'm sorry.""And he agreed?""Not without persuasion.""What kind of methods do you have that would work on drew?""I lied. I told him you were mine."(...)"Just so you know, you didn't lie.”

“Just so you know,” I inform him, “one day, I’m going to get tired of sharing your affection with that coffee table and I’m going to make you choose.” “Just so you know,” he mimics me, “I would chop that table up and use it for firewood before I would ever choose anything over you.”

“You know I meant it. I am human. And male. And not remotely blind. Do you want me to say it again? You are distractingly, even if-that-is-not-a-real-word pretty. You are so pretty that I bullied Clay Whitaker into drawing me a picture of you so I could look at you when you aren't around. You are so pretty that one of these days I'm going to lose a finger in my garage because I can't concentrate with you so close to me. You are so pretty that I wish you weren't so I wouldn't want to hit every guy at school who looks at you, especially my best friend.”

“Just so you know,” he mimics me, “I would chop that table up and use it for firewood before I would ever choose anything over you.”

“I don't really care what people say about me. I'm fine with lies and rumors. It's the truth I don't want being told.”

“At the age when most kids are trying to figure out who they are. I was busy trying to figure out why I was. I didn't belong in this world anymore. It's not that I wanted to be dead. I just felt like I should be. Which is why it's hard when everyone expects you to be grateful simply because you're not.”

“I don't know how to say it - after all this time, I'm not even sure that I can - but I have to break her last rule, because if she knows nothing else, I need her to know this one thing. 'I love you, Sunshine,' I tell her, before I lose my nerve. 'And I don't give a shit whether you want me to or not.”