People grow apart, and sometimes, there nothing anyone can do about it.

And like I said, I didn't know him very well, but my ears perked up whenever I heard his name. I guess I wanted to hear something - anything - juicy. Not because I wanted to spread gossip. I just couldn't believe someone could be that good. If he was actually that good... wonderful. Great! But it became a personal game of mine. How long could I go on hearing nothing but good things about Clay Jensen? Normally, when a person has a stellar image, another person's waiting in the wings to tear them apart. They're waiting for that one fatal flaw to expose itself. But not with Clay.

They were like two magnets who couldn't decide whether to attract or repel.

Actually, I love trying to figure out why certain books become hits while others, which may be just as good, have trouble finding an audience.

I swear, guys in groups are capable of the stupidest things." "Like war," Kellan says, heaping napkins and ketchup packets onto her tray. "And jumping off rooftops." "And lighting their farts on fire," she says.

This time, for the first time, I saw the possibilities in giving up. I even found hope in it.

It may seem that every time someone offers you a hand up, they just let go and you slip further down.