Half of them kept repeating my name, trying to get it right, while the other half laughed. But they were harmless. Fun drunks make a nice addition to any party: Not looking to fight. Not looking to score. Just looking to get drunk and laugh. I remember those guys. Like the mascots of the party. "Clay! Whatcha doon here? Bah-ha-ha-ha!

I wanted to tell you everything. And that hurt because some things were too scary. Some things even I didn’t understand. How could I tell someone—someone I was really talking to for the first time—everything I was thinking? I couldn’t. It was too soon.

When you try rescuing someone and discover they can't be reached, why would you ever throw that back in their face?

Rejection always hurts, but having it come from my best friend was the worst.

A flood of emotions rushes into me. Pain and anger. Sadness and pity. But most surprising of all, hope.

Because I've heard so many stories that I don't know which one is the most popular. But I do know which is the least popular. The truth.

When you hold people up for ridicule, you have to take responsibility when other people act on it.