“I shouldn't have said it, but the word slipped out of my mouth as easy as air. it wasn't exactly the kind of work any well-behaved student would use, which sort of explained why I had just used it. And it certainly isn't the most elegant way to start off a story, but it honestly represents what I was feeling. Besides, I could have said something a lot stronger. But not everybody wants to read a story with those kinds of words and thoughts being expressed in the very first sentence. "Stop swearing," Jason screamed. ”

“You have food?" Winter scolded. "I thought you said you were hungry."I'm hungry for other things besides what I have," [Clover] argued.”

“You're going to be okay," Winter said reassuringly.You don't understand," Leven snapped.What don't I understand?" Winters voice was stern. "Sorry you feel bad, but its not like you just met a person so beautiful that now you feel completely worthless."What?" Leven said. "What are you talking about?"Isaw the way you fell over yourselves to stare at her."That was Geth."Don't argue, you two," Geth said.Were not arguing." Leven felt light-headed.No," Winter confirmed. "We're just...." Winter looked at Leven. Leven looked right back at her. Winters cheeks burned red and her green eyes outshone Leven's. The two of them stared at one other. Leven closed his eyes.What are you doing?" Geth asked, concerned. Winter closed her eyes too and leaned closer. Both of them looked panicked and out of control, but it didn't stop them from moving closer and kissing each other.Clovers jaw dropped and he pulled something out of his void just so he could let go of it in shock. Even Geth looked caught off guard, as if he'd been given news that he never thought he'd hear in his lifetime. Leven stumbled back and looked at Winter. His face was almost as red as hers. He looked at Geth and Clover and then back to Winter.Well that was interesting," Clover said happily.I don't know what....." Leven tried to say.No, I......" Winter said. "Its not you.... it's just that my... I think I left something down below.”

“That said, I, Beck Phillips, take full responsibility for being stuck in m y school's pitch-black venting system with my friend Jason, behind me and a garbage bag full of angry bees in front of me. ”

“I hate it when people tell me how I am doing. Why are you here I aasked. Nice to see you too he smiled. I brought you something. He handed me the small stuffed koala. I thought it might keep you company. Thanks I said embarrassed. I can't wait to introduce him to all my other stuffed animals at home.”

“The word thing is an interesting word. At first glance it looks like the front half of one word combined with the last half of another. It's a versatile word. It can be good, as in, "what a nice thing," or "she has a thing for you." Or it can be bad, like "the thing under the bed," or "here's the thing, you're fired and you smell bad." Add an "s" to the back end of it and it becomes something that most people in the world can't get enough of. Things People love things. They collect things. They store things. They cherish things and then move on and cherish other things. People also buy things. Some buy a lot of things simply because their neighbors have those same things--which is a weird thing if you really think about it. It's remarkable what we'll do for the sake of things when in reality things couldn't care less about us.”

“What's that darkness over there?" Leven asked."It's not good." Clover said."Then what is it?"'Bad," Clover suggested, sounding as though he wasn't all that impressed with Leven's level of knowledge."I understand opposites," Leven said, frustrated.”