“Good God. Johnny freakin' Ramos. Out in the hall. Of course, out in the hall. Hell, he'd spent half his life out in the hall,especially at Campbell Junior High,especially during seventh-grade social studies call. She'd gotten sent out in the hall with him once, her one and only time in the hall ever, the two of them put there to "work things out", and her poor little thirteen-year-old heart had barely survived the experience.”
“She imagined herself at age nine, running through these very halls, crying out to her older self across the years.”
“He would ruin the Rodales and take the Halls down too, for good measure. He wanted them all to burn in hell, especially Natalie. That way, he'd have some company.”
“All around me, grown-up voices called out, "Amen!" as if the word was a hall pass into Heaven.”
“And you should not be out and about in your nightgown. There are Lightwoods wandering these halls.”
“Get out, Get out, get out, get out!" I do what any sane male would do in this situation; I run down the hall and lock myself in her bedroom.”