"The first time I saw him, he was lying in the alley behind my grandmother's coffeehouse. I figured he was some sort of bum" (Chapter 1, p. 7).

"Is it ever a good thing to have the entire population of your school turn and stare at you? If you've just scored the winning touchdown - yes. If you've just broken a swimming record—yes. If a weird guy in a skirt starts yelling your name in the middle of an assembly - never" (Chapter 3, p. 20).

"Grandmothers can tell you that you're pretty, and they will. They can tell you that you're talented and special and the best darn thing that ever walked on two feet" (Chapter 5, p. 39).

"No one slept on the wet bricks. Hopefully he had gone home—back to his family and some medication" (Chapter 7, p. 50).

"But all I noticed was the Java Heaven coffee cup...