“Hunger is a blade that carves meI open my arms and pull the air in-big hug!-then poof, right through me, nobody there.It's only me holding myself.My arms wrap two times around my own ribs,meet behind my back for a secrethandshake.I am not what was expected.I'm so sharp-it's cut me now I'll cut you.Come closercloserNo, come closerI'm gonna make you see what I see.”

“I am carved like David,every line of my body perfectly chiseled.Hunger is the blade that has made me smooth.I am a statue, yet I am only air at my center.I go to hug myself and-poof!-my arms go right through mefinding nothing to hold on to.My hands meet behind my own backin a stone handshake.This is not what you were expecting.I'm so cold.I'm so sharp.I've been cut, now I'll cut you.Come closer.Yes, come closer to me.I am going to make you see what I see.”

“Cut open my sternum and pull my little ribs around you.”

“Graves scooched a little closer to me, and I didn't even think about it. I put my arms around him and hugged. I didn't care if it hurt my arm and my ribs and my neck and pretty much every other part of me, my heart most of all. When you're wrecked, that's the only thing to do, right? Hold onto whatever you can. Hold on hard.”

“I went up on my toes to kiss him, and he groaned. "Do you really think this is appropriate on school grounds?""Nope." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "And I happen to know there isn't an appropriate thought running through your head right now.""Or any other time." Tod pulled me close and held me so tight my ribs almost hut, but I didn't want him to let go. Ever.”

“The thought makes me reach back for my knife, my sharp, throat-cutting security blanket, as I look around.”