“Abuse can make an animal mean.”

“Lately he'd been seen going out less and less, becoming that strangest of animals in a small town: a loner.”

“Popularity means people think they know you.”

“Sometimes being a good friend means saying nothing.”

“It’s a promise ring,” he said solemnly. “The lady at the store said it’s what you give the girl you love. It means I want to marry you someday.”

“For years he'd strived to make a difference in the world, and he'd worked like a dog to make that happen, and yet here he was, a man sitting on a dock with his children, and never had he felt more certain that his words mattered.”

“That was the thing about best friends. Like sisters and mothers, they could piss you off and make you cry and break your heart, but in the end, when the chips were down, they were there, making you laugh even in your darkest hours. ”