Sometimes we have thoughts that even we don’t understand. Thoughts that aren’t even true—that aren’t really how we feel—but they’re running through our heads anyway because they’re interesting to think about. If you could hear other people’s thoughts, you’d overhear things that are true as well as things that are completely random. And you wouldn’t know one from the other. It’d drive you insane. What’s true? What’s not? A million ideas, but what do they mean?

Watching those guys pummel each other so no one would suspect them of being weak was too much for me. Their reputations were more important than their faces.

But you can't get away from yourself. You can't decide not to see yourself anymore. You can't decide to turn off the noise in your head.

And concentrating on the spot where the two spindles should be is the closest I get to looking Hannah's eyes as she tells my story.

My breathing begins to slow. The tension in my muscles starts to relax. Then, a click in the headphones. A slow breath of air. I open my eyes to bright moonlight. And Hannah, with warmth. Thank you.

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

She wants to believe my excuses so bad. Every time I lie, she wants to believe me so much.