I need to master the art of talking to her before I can even contemplate anything else.

Most of the girls I’ve met since moving here have failed to ignite any modicum of enduring interest. Of course, I’ve dated; I’m seventeen years old and as horny as the next guy.

I plant a gentle parting kiss on his lips, our strategy is well and truly screwed at this stage anyway. We barely lasted a day.

Ari looks fiercely resolute. It’s the same look she has on her face at the start of every race: Dogged determination. My heart and head enter into full-on combat mode.

Ariana strikes me as the type of girl who is attracted to authenticity.

I feel myself collapse inside as if the life force has been sucked out of me.

My romantic history since arriving on Novo has been non-existent, but I don’t know what, if anything, came before; thanks to the government’s cerebral pilfering.

I can feel Ari’s mounting excitement the farther we walk. She’s bouncing up and down like a kangaroo on speed. I feel the bulk of the box pressing against my leg as we walk, and...

While I AM sure of what I want, I’m equally unsure of how to attain it.

But you’re my future. So if it’s a choice, I choose you.

You really need to get out more. Where’d you glean that interesting nugget? The desperate men’s journal perhaps?

Gil’s penchant for blondes is world-renowned.

It’s the first instance where I believe that it might actually be wrong, the first time I feel like a bit of a creep.

The Suitors Ball is fast approaching and it’s a nasty reminder that my suitor will be chosen shortly. I feel sorry for the poor unfortunate guy, whichever one of them it happens to be.

Ari is beautiful beyond comparison, and she has my heart and my soul for eternity. I thought I made that abundantly clear last night, but it appears I have further work to do.

I am unbelievably nervous.It is most unlike me.This girl is really messing with my mojo.

I’m already under the covers when he comes in. I watch as he takes off his shirt and jeans, and climbs into bed beside me. On any other occasion, the sight and feel of his...

I kiss her for way too long at the door, and not for the first time, I wish that I could stay with her, to help chase those dark clouds away.

I’m following hot on her heels, smarting from her latest rebuttal, and I can’t contain my temper as the flood of rejection washes over me, tossing me precariously close to the edge.

I work my way through the rest of my dates, but I’m only there in body. The boys usually give up after the first hour; it’s difficult to have a conversation all by yourself. My...

I would cry if I could, but instead I just feel my heart rip apart.

Everything changed the moment I found you. I changed.

Oh, oh. My heart starts that quivering, fluttering thing it does whenever he hints at his desire for me. Lacing his fingers through mine, he moves to close the gap between us. I know he’s...

I fell in love with her suddenly, deeply, in the most all-consuming way.

Sure looks like that’s working out well for you,” I say, piercing him with a scornful look.

For the first time, with complete clarity and absolute conviction, I know I love him entirely with all that I have, everything I am, and who I’m going to be. Of course, I’ve told him...

I won’t pressure you, Ari, but I’m not opposed to subtle acts of persuasion.

I’m not just the sum of how I look although that seems to be a popular opinion, and it infuriates me.

He’s a lovely guy, but there’s no spark between us whatsoever. It just goes to show, that even with all their fancy assessment tools, the government can’t legislate for chemistry.

We made a pact the day you left for Novo—I know you don’t remember that, but I do—and I’m holding fast to our promise. To never give up hope. And I have hope, because I...

It always will be.

I engage in subtle stalking. That’s entirely different and perfectly socially acceptable.

It’s degrading being routinely subjected to a battery of medical tests to ensure I continue to deserve a place in this new world.

There’s a part of me that recognizes him on a cellular level, a part that seeks his comfort and solace, that feels more than comfortable in his arms. And when he stares at me with...

Right now, you and me? This feels like fate, if fate can be felt.

An intense longing builds inside me, and I fight the urge to propel myself forward and grab her into my arms.

It seems like I have lived a lifetime in just one day.

Are you in any pain? (Ariana Skyee)Only my heart. (Cal Remus)

An eerie silence has descended over the house. Every few minutes, I hear a grunt and the scraping sound of a box dragging along the floor. Other than that, there’s nothing. It’s like the silence...