"I'd never given much thought to how I would die — though I'd had reason enough in the last few months — but even if I…"

"When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to a…"

"I was wearing my favorite shirt — sleeveless, white eyelet lace. It was a farewell gesture. My carry-on item was a pa…"

"When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen — just unavoidable. I'd already said my goo…"

"It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that."

"Good luck tended to avoid me."

"Where was the feel of the institution? ... Where were the chain link fences, the metal detectors?"

"I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me."

"I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot."

"I distracted myself [...] by thinking about Mike and Eric, and the obvious difference in how teenage boys responded t…"