Tiny Cooper is splayed out across the thin carpet, using his backpack as a pillow. He’s wearing skinny jeans, which look very much like denim sausage casings.

What happens in the band room stays in the band room.

That didn’t happen, of course. Things never happened the way I imagined them.

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

Ben's tongue is like sunscreen...It's good for your health and should be applied liberally.

I said nothing—I hadn’t known Marya, and anyway, “listening quietly” was my general social strategy

When you say nasty things about people, you should never say the true ones, because you can't really fully and honestly take those back.