I wanted to know that he would be okay if I died. I wanted to not be a grenade, to not be a malevolent force in the lives of people I loved.

Well, but you can eat Grandma's cookies. They're not bad for you. They were made by Grandma. Grandma wouldn't hurt you.

You can't dingleberry that! That's a flagrant misuse of the dingleberry!

And in my classes, I will talk most of the time, and you will listen most of the time. Because you may be smart, but I've been smart longer.

Remember that time in the minivan, twenty minutes ago, when we didn't die?

Such is life. We grow up. Planets like Tiny get new moons. Moons like me get new planets.

I will play out the string. I will not betray your trust. I will find you.