“Sometimes stupid is all we've got.”

“There’s a pause so yawning I can’t help but think about what it would be like to lean in and kiss her, but if I’m getting the signals wrong then I’m about to destroy the best run we’ve had all evening. It’s been at least ten minutes since I’ve done or said anything stupid.”

“Sometimes you have to let the world end, so you can build a new one.”

“The only other time I've seen Paul cry was when he got hit in the teeth with a cricket bat when he was fourteen. And that time Diana made us watch 'Bambi'.”

“Henny Penny," says Lupe. "Do you know this story?"I shake my head. Conversations with her can turn cryptic in the blink of an eye."She thinks the sky is falling. Do you see my meaning?""Not really.""Sometimes you have to let the world end, so you can build a new one.”

“Hey,’ Wildgirl says, ‘let me into your backpack. I’ve got a light on my keys that I totally forgot about.’I turn my back to her and feel her fumbling with the zip of my pack. It’s a lot lighter now.‘I’m glad you hung on to your bag. I would have had to kick your ass if you lost all my stuff.’I probably wouldn’t mind that, although if I were given a choice, I’d opt for another kiss. It’s the first time I’ve been so close to someone since I’ve changed. Kissing felt better than I remembered, but it also felt like it was something I had to be careful about. It never felt that way before.”

“We're all here to take care of ourselves, and ourselves only. This is how I look at it: if a gunman rampaged through the flats, I'd barricade Mum and me in our place and forget about anyone else on our floor. If the gunman broke into our flat then I'm not entirely sure I'd take a bullet for Mum, or vice versa. When it comes down to it, we're all on our own. Once you realise that, life becomes simpler.”