"What is it with you today?” says Christina on the way to breakfast. Her eyes are stillswollen from sleep and her tangled hair forms a fuzzy halo around her face.“Oh, you know,” I say. “Sun shining. Birds chirping.”She raises an eyebrow at me, as if reminding me that we are in an undergroundtunnel."
"Who cares about pretty? I'm going for noticeable."
"Then I realize what it is. It's him. Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames."
"Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now."
"Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up. I've seen it. It's fascinating."He releases me but doesn't pull away, his hand grazing my jaw, my neck. "Sometimes I just...want to see it again. Want to see you awake."
"I might be in love with you."He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."