“I got an A on the third quiz in American history, an A, dammit. Last time I got a Bup from a Cand my father said,"if you can get a Cyou can get a B,if you can get a Byou can get an A."-I got an Aand my father said,"grades don't mean anything.”

“I am always there.But they don't care if I ambecause I am furniture.I don't get hitI don't get fondledI don't get lovebecause I am furnitureSuits me fine.”

“Yaicha and Darren told me that I wasthe mailman's child,and I got so angry,stalking away,hot steam in my ribs.Yaicha and Darrentold me that I was the mailman's childand now I am thinkinghow wonderful it would beto havethe mailman asmy father.”

“Yaicha is named after a songby some group from the last century called thePousette-Dart Band.Something about a girl, a candle in the falling rain shining amidst the pain.I kind of surprise myselfwhen I can picture Yaicha as that candle.My father named Yaicha after the "haunting melody."I wonder if he ever listenedto the lyrics.”

“I'm sure you were mistaken," Yaicha says to her brush.My ears pin back -"MISTAKEN?I know who Angie is, Yaicha.I know who our father is, Yaicha. He hurts people, he hurts you, you never do anything!" My claws scrape the wall paint.She turns with soft rabbit eyes. "He'll kill me.""He's already doing that!"I am growling, grabbing her sleeve, "Every day, every day he rips you open,chips off pieces week by week, till a few years from now you are not even a mouthful of sawdust.A drawn-out killing.Well, I'm tired of all of us doing nothing. He has to be stopped."Yaicha's eyes have flinched a few times but soften again. "Nobody can stop him."My teeth show."Nobody can stop him? Good.To him I have always been Nobody.”

“I think that is supposed to be good, that I get less from him but I feel worthless.”

“Why am I not good enough?At least he loves Darren and Yaichain some wayeven if it's horrible, he shows them attentionand I am furnitureI get nothing nothingnothingno thing”