“Well I beat things around with my stick once in awhile.”

“You know, you can always do a three some.”“A three some?” I frowned. “No.”He shrugged. “Just a thought.”“Yeah, a dumb one,” I spat.“Hey! I didn’t call your idea to re-wallpaper the kitchen a dumb idea!”“You have a problem with the new paper?” I demanded.“Pop, please, it’s hideous,” Trick said.”

“We don’t always have to be around other people – it’s good also to just hang around with yourself once in awhile.”

“But one thing that I was learning about what happened when you stuck around—it usually seemed that other people were willing to stick by you as well.”

“The world will give you that once in awhile, a brief timeout; the boxing bell rings and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life.”

“You *forgot*? I will beat you with a good stout stick!”

“The one thing I had learned in my sixteen years was that you couldn't count on anyone to stick around. Opening yourself up only causes trouble in the end.”