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21 " I don’t know what to say to this. David Drucker has a theory about my metaphorical radio waves. "
― Julie Buxbaum , What to Say Next
22 " Her eyebrows knit, and she leans forward farther over the wheel. I wonder how long I could watch her think without getting bored. I estimate at least thirty-nine minutes. "
23 " I let David fill our table up with conversation, his words like cartoon bubbles taking up the space I can’t seem to fill. Which is a long way of saying if he wants to talk prime numbers, so be it. "
24 " I’m Asian, though. I’m allowed to say it. My people slay at this shit.” I don’t say anything back because I don’t know if being Asian allows you to say racist things about other Asians. I’m not aware of this carve-out. “Tell us everything you know about quantum mechanics,” José says, and then, just like when I drop-kicked Meat Boy, my whole body sighs with pleasure. "
25 " What if we all jumped out of our boxes and chewed up our stupid labels? Who would we discover? "
26 " They seem to understand that the world is a big, diverse place, and that different is not the same thing as scary. It’s amazing to me how many people mistake the two. "
27 " The thing is, sometimes people grow from breaking. "
28 " I think about my dad's favorite expression: People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. What is my house made of? Paper, I decide. Like in a pop-up book. Easily collapsible. "
29 " There's a famous expression that if you've met one person with autism, then... you've met one person with autism.So you met me.Just me.Not a diagnosis.I realize I hurt you. I forgot to think about you first. I did not put myself in your shoes, as the expression goes. (Though as a sidebar, I think wearing other people's shoes is kind of disgusting; I'm only okay with the concept metaphorically.)So you know, you are all I think about. "
30 " So you’re saying that on Friday night I have an equal chance of getting vomited on as I do of getting kissed?” “Welcome to high school, "
31 " And pretty,” my mom says.Pretty doesn’t fit Kit.It’s too small a word. Like her name.“Not pretty,” I correct her. “Beautiful. "
32 " Every happy moment from now on will have the lingering, bitter, heartbreaking aftertaste of loss. "
33 " Maybe when parents name their children they do it from the perspective of wishful thinking. Like when you go to a restaurant and ask for a rare steak, and even though there is no universally agreed definition of the word rare, you hope you get exactly what you want. "
34 " It's basic physics, really. We all need an equal and opposing force. "
35 " How's things, buddy?" Trey asks after we run through a few finger-warming exercises. I realize this is what people call small talk. I also realize the world would be a better place without it. "
36 " I’m not sure what prime numbers have to do with anything,” I say in a gentle voice.“Prime numbers have to do with everything. But to clarify, that’s what I imagine falling in love is like and then staying married. You start out as low twin primes and as time goes on, if you manage to defy the statistical odds and not get divorced, you become like those rarer twin primes, still only separated by two. That’s an amazing feat.”“How romantic "
37 " I'm not sure why I've always assumed that the responsibility of a conversation falls on me. "
38 " I used to think loneliness was being stuck with only the one voice in your head. I was wrong. Loneliness is hearing everyone else’s voices too, except they are stuck on repeat: Die, die, die. "
39 " I'd love to go to Girl Dylan's part with you," I say, quickly accepting before Kit can rescind her invitation. If I didn't know it was inappropriate, I'd do a little dance right here. I suddenly understand the appropriate usage of Miney's Can I get a woot woot? because I want two of them--a woot and then another woot--whatever they may be. I'd maybe even add in some lasso arms. "
40 " We are all strangers to each other in the end. "