We Play the broken string of our instruments one last time

It turns out that, somehow, there are a tremendous number of things to be optimistic about.

I hope we get pulled over, he says. I'd like to see how the cop responds to a black man wearing a Confederate T-shirt over a black dress.

The Venn Diagram of boys who don’t like smart girls and boys you don’t wanna date is a circle.

So how’s it going?” “Okay. Glad to be home, I guess. Gus told me you were in the ICU?” “Yeah,” I said. “Sucks,” he said. “I’m a lot better now,” I said. “I’m going to Amsterdam tomorrow with Gus.” “I know. I’m pretty well up-to-date on your life, because Gus never. Talks. About. Anything. Else.

The five of us walking confidently in a row, I'd never felt cooler. The Great Perhaps was upon us, and we were invincible. The plan may have had faults, but we did not.

True love will triumph in the end—which may or may not be a lie, but if it is a lie, it's the most beautiful lie we have.