“I can't stand a man who fawns, you know what I mean? I can't stand a man sucking up to me, but he was the kind who took you right on the floor and he didn't even look at you afterwards when he zipped up his pants.”

“I scowled. I could resist it all I wanted, but I did understand what he was trying to explain. How sometimes he pieces of who you thought you were didn't add up to who you really were, like with me not standing up for Patrick when he wore those pants.”

“A boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything.”

“What bird are you calling?' I ask, finally, when I can't stand it any longer. The bird man stops whistling. He grins, so that I can see all his pebbly teeth. He holds out a hand to me over the broth-thin water. 'You.”

“Anger surges in me and I stand up. "You have no right -"He's on his feet towering over me. "What if I want to have a right?”

“He looked up at me with angelic eyes. "Doing what?""You know what. You're luring me in. You know I can't resist-”