“I wanted, needed to see her so badly that it woke me up at night.”

“The most important part of seeing Darla every night wasn’t the fooling around. It was the few minutes we talked while holding each other, the feeling of security I got with her, the feeling of being understood and loved. Before the eruption, I wouldn’t have believed that I could cuddle up every night with the girl who starred in my dreams and not be totally preoccupied with sex. But the trek across Iowa had changed something. I wanted, needed to see her so badly that it woke me up at night. But making out was incidental to my need – nice when it happened, but secondary to the simple pleasure of sleeping beside her.”

“A night spent spooning with your girlfriend isn't nearly so exciting when your uncle is curled up against your other side.”

“I felt bad about dirtying their comforter with my nasty clothes, but who knew what might happen later. If something else bizarre went down and I had to run, I sure didn’t want to do it butt naked.”

“I didn't say anything - just held up my hands and shuffled backward toward the door. Antagonizing a little old lady holding a shotgun seemed like a very bad idea.”

“But even more than I wanted to check out and give my emotional wounds time to scab over, I wanted to live.”

“I'd never heard any noise quite so welcome as the click that a shotgun made when it wasn't killing me.”