My parents didn’t grow up here or anything. They chose to live in this nowhere town. Why? Because it was named after Hannibal of Carthage. Their basic train of thought was this: Hannibal’s Rest? And...

I realized everyone around me was wearing a uniform. Black pants, white button-down shirts, green ties. Gotta love the smell of institutional equality in the morning.

I didn’t have the luxury of taking reality for granted. And I wouldn’t say I hated people who did, because that’s just about everyone. I didn’t hate them. They didn’t live in my world. But...

Do you do this all the time?’ he asked.’No,’ I said. ‘Just today.’He smiled.

Believing something existed and then finding out it didn’t was like reaching the top of the stairs and thinking there was one more step.

Are you French?’ I asked instead.’Oui!’Foreign. Foreign spy. French Communist Party acted on Stalin’s instructions during part of World War II. French Communist spy.Stop it stop it stop itI turned to Art, a black kid...

Mile’s fingers pressed into the small of my back. “Basorexia,” he mumbled.”Gesundheit.”He laughed. “It’s an overwhelming desire to kiss.””I thought you weren’t good at figuring out what you felt.””I’m probably using the word in the...

No, you’re not a bad person,” he said. “And Richter isn’t a bad person, and I’m not a bad person. We’re just people, and people sometimes do stupid things.

Sometimes I think people take reality for granted.

It kind of felt like she was kicking me in the gut, and every kick said I don’t want you.I don’t need you.I don’t love you.

Did you meet your soul mate? That always happens on the first day of school, right?”Oh God, Charlie, she’s letting you read again! You went straight to the paranormal section, didn’t you?

I was the big sister. I was supposed to set and example and lead the way so people would say, ‘Hey, you’re Alex’s sister, aren’t you? You two look exactly alike!’ instead of ‘Hey, you’re...

There is no force in high school more powerful than one person’s blunt disagreement.