Even if you do make tons of new friends,” I told him, “try not to forget where you came from, okay?

I always have a goal, even if I keep it to myself. It allows me to keep pushing myself.

I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the tips of my fingers: the sand from Commons Park. Oh Cass, I thought. I miss you so, so much.

The basic fact is that no, this isn't ideal. Very few things are. Sometimes, you have to manufacture your own history. Give fate a push,so to speak.

It's harder that in looks," I told him when I finally got back in the car. "Most things are.

If something doesn't work exactly right, or maybe needs some special treatment, you don't just throw it away. Everything can't be fully operational all the time. Sometimes, we need to have the patience to give something the little nudge it needs.

Just because we don’t see eye to eye on everything doesn’t mean we can’t be close.