He understands now why kisses in movies are filmed the way they are, with the camera endlessly circling, circling: the ground is unsteady under his.

And who are all these people? There weren't this many when I fell asleep." Alfie shrugged, indicating that the universe was mysterious and nothing would ever be fully understood.

It was only recently that Isabelle had realized other girls weren’t just for envying, avoiding, or disliking.

And then you'd turn to me and smile that funny smile, and I know you'd forgotten all about me and just remembered -- but I was never mad at you. Half of your attention is better than all of anyone else's.

Every heart has its own melody.

The weapons room looked exactly the way something called "the weapons room" sounded like it would look.

Jem’s eyes had widened, and then he’d laughed, a soft laugh. “Did you think I did not know you had a secret?” he’d said. “Did you think I walked into my friendship with you with my eyes shut? I did not know the nature of the burden you carried. But I knew there was a burden.” He’d stood up. “I knew you thought yourself poison to all those around you,” he’d added. “I knew you thought there to be some corruptive force about you that would break me. I meant to show you that I would not break, that love was not so fragile. Did I do that?