Karen M. McManus

Your left arm’s gold, he told me. Don’t waste it on crap that don’t matter.

Seventeen years, gone just like that.

Officer Hank Budapest

Those things live forever.

Ulysses by James Joyce

Que boca tan hermosa

He was the one for me.

I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to admit that sometimes they’re just assholes who screw up because they don’t expect to get caught.

I can’t stand being here. All my friends hate me.” I’m not sure why I’m telling him this, other than the fact that I don’t have anyone else to tell. “I doubt they’ll even let me sit with them now that Jake’s back.” It’s true. Cooper’s out today, visiting his sick grandmother and probably, although he didn’t say so, meeting with his lawyer. With him gone nobody will dare stand up to Jake’s anger. Or want to.

“Screw them.” TJ gives me a lopsided grin. “If they’re still being assholes tomorrow, come sit with me. They wanna talk, let’s give them something to talk about.”

“Things’ll get worse before they get better,”