"If someone cut my head off, the last words whistling through my throat as my face plunged toward the floor would be, 'I'm fine.'" (Chapter 4, p. 28).

"How's this for weird - I'll be reading 'The Outsiders.' And you, my unborn, unformed, uninvited sibling, are the ultimate insider. Ewww." (Chapter 7, p. 62).

"You see, guys have certain basic needs. Food, shelter, clothing girlfriends. Guess which one isn't provided by our parents or the local government?" (Chapter 8, p. 68).

"Meet the Hudson kids - one had split, one hadn't arrived, and the other didn't have a clue about where he was going." (Chapter 12, p. 95).

"Sometimes a dying snake is just a dying snake. Sometimes a leafless tree is just a tree." (Chapter 13, p. 107).

"I didn't want her to start talking to me. She was just too weird." (Chapter 15, p. 122).

"Mom and my aunts are sitting in the kitchen, exchanging stories...