Cynthia Hand

It's your mind you have to train, like your mom said that one time, you have to separate yourself from all the crap, get down to the core, focus.

I understand now that nobody could have saved Ty but Ty. There__ no one else to blame. Not you. Not me. Ty was holding all the cards.

Another silence for the record books. Then he sighs."I know. It's crazy. I feel like --" He stops himself. He suddenly looks so miserable that my heart aches for him.I hate my life.

Insert the biggest, most awkward silence in the history of big awkward silences. I stare at him. I'm suddenly exhausted by all the lies I've told him. He's my friend, and I lie to him every day. He deserves better. I wish I could tell him then, more than anything I've ever wanted. I wish I could stand in front of him and truly be myself and tell him everything. But it's against the rules.

Everybody dies, and everybody loses people they love-everybody-and that is not an excuse for you to fucking die. I love you, and I need you to be my mother, and I need you to have a life. So get over yourself.

It's funny how sometimes you don't see the obvious things coming. You think you know what life has in store for you. You think you're prepared. You think you can handle it. And then-boom, like a thunderclap-something comes at you out of nowhere and catches you off guard.

Where are you?" I wheeze into the floor. "Where did you go?

Tucker: Why would you tell me now if it's against the rules?Clara: Because I love you.

This is the part where I kiss you.

Is this my purpose?The clouds don't have a lot of answers.

It's just high school, man. Those guys are just high school guys, and in ten years they're going to be working for people like me. I know that. I just have to make it through two more years.

I__e learned that sometimes, when you__e afraid but you keep on moving forward, that__ the biggest kind of courage there is.

So what's the big emergency?" Jeffrey says. He jogs down the aisle of the Pink Garter toward where Christian and I are sitting, waiting for Angela, who uncharacteristically late. "I thought we weren't going to meet this week because we like, you know, spent all weekend together. I'm kind of sick of you people.""Glad to see that you decided to grace us with your presence, anyway," Christian says.

And,_ Kay adds as her final touch, __hristian Prescott is my boyfriend.__ dislike her already.

Once again, my hero. And here I__ supposed to be the one saving him.

As a serf, poor Christian has already been killed several times in our class. Aside from dying of the Black Plague on the first day, he__ starved to death, had his hands cut off for stealing a loaf of bread, and been run down by his master__ horse just for kicks. He__ like Christian the fifth now.

I love you," he murmurs. "Can you feel that? You. Not some destiny I think I'm called to. You. I'm with you. My strength. My soul. My heart. Feel it.

Chicks dig historians.