Friends can make you feel that the world is smaller and less sneaky than it really is, because you know people who have similar experiences.

For every teenager I know, having a phone is a mixed blessing, because your parents can press a button and figure out where you are.

Undeveloped, the whole thing,tossed into a box before we really had a chance to know what we had, and that's why we broke up.

A successful villain should have all these things at his or her villainous fingertips, or else give up villainy altogether and try to lead a life of decency, integrity, and kindness, which is much more challenging and noble, if not always quite as exciting.

Death is something you cannot escape, such as death, or a cheesecake that has curdled, both of which always turn up sooner later.

Maybe, generations ago, young people rebelled out of some clear motive, but now, we know we're rebelling. Between teen movies and sex-ed textbooks we're so ready for our rebellious phase we can't help but feel it's safe, contained. It will turn out all right, despite the risk, snug in the shell of rebellion narrative. Rebellion narrative, does that make sense? It was appropriate to do, so we did it.

If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats.