Jenny Downham, Before I Die

"I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish he lived in the wardrobe on a coat hanger. Whenever I wanted, I could get him out and he'd look at me the way boys do in films, as if I'm beautiful."

"I love you. I love you. I send this message through my fingers and into his, up his arm and into his heart. Hear me. I love you. And I'm sorry to leave you."

"I love you. It hurts more than anything ever has, but I do. So don't you dare tell me I don't. Don't you ever say it again!"

"But all that is warm will go cold. My ears will fall off and my eyes will melt. My mouth will be clamped shut. My lips will turn to glue....No taste or smell or touch or sound.Nothing to look at. Total emptiness for ever."

"Maybe you should say goodbye, Cal.''No.''It might be important.''It might make her die."

"It's all right, Tessa, you can go. We love you. You can go now.''Why are you saying that?''She might need permission to die, Cal.''I don't want her to. She doesn't have my permission."

"We make patterns, we share moments. Sometimes, I think I'm the only one to see it."

"I've always wanted to be a cat. Warm and domesticated when you want to be, wild when you don't."