You used," he said, and then took a sharp breath, "to call me Augustus.

I don't think you're dying," I said. "I think you've just got a touch of cancer. He smiled. Gallows humor.

The punch connected, but (1) Colin forgot to close his fist, so he was slapping not hitting, and (2) instead of slapping TOC, he ended up slapping Hassan flush across the cheek, whereupon Hassan finally succeeded in falling down.

I'll just go over to the Duke's," I said. "Her parents already told me I could stay there. I'll go over there and open all my presents, and talk about how my parents neglect me, and then maybe the Duke will give me some of her presents because she feels so bad about how my mom doesn't love me.

I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.

I don't really want to be the costar of anyone's life.

It is saying these things that keeps us from falling apart. And maybe by imagining these futures we can make them real, and maybe not, but either way we must imagine them. The light rushes out and floods in.