Just because I've walked into this crazy fantasy doesn't mean I can just abandon my other plans, much as I might want to.

i swore i could feel my lies slithering inside me like snakes, wrapping themselves around me and constricting. i felt they were squeezing the air from my lungs, tightening around my heart.

(Beth) "I don't care anymore." I turned my face up toward Heaven. "That's not my home anymore. You are.

Fine - I said huffily. - But I hope I'm at least allowed to fly around the corridors during lunch hour. Gabriel threw me a disapproving look. I waited for him to get my joke, but his eyes remained serious. I sighed. Much as I loved him, Gabriel could be totally lacking in any sense of humor.

You've written three lines" "Three carefully considered lines,"Xavier objected. "Quality over quantity, remember

Gabriel: Bethany lacks understanding about the ways of the world. She still has much to learn and that makes her vulnerable." Beth: "Do you have to make me sound like a full-time babysitting project?" Xavier: "I happen to be an experienced babysitter. I can show you my resume if you'd like.

I prayed for all his dreams to come true. I prayed that I would always be able to connect with him--even if I was no longer on earth.