Jake West Quotes

“This morning the words save me a place in hell had been scrawled in black paint along the water tank’s perimeter. The sight of it had made my morning, but the graffiti had already been covered up. Stuff like that wasn’t tolerated in Raynesville.”

“The monotony of the place could choke you like one of those stupid ties you have to wear to a wedding or funeral. But no matter how hard you dragged at your collar, the place sucked the breath out of you.”

“The girls put their names in a bag and each guy pulls out a name. The guy who picks the blank is the emcee. He takes the girls out into the forest, hides them, and ties them to a chair. Their eyes and mouths are covered. The guys then have to go out and find their partner, untie her, and carry her back to the bus. The last couple back loses the Game, and they must face the consequences.”

“Sorry, Hannah. For someone with your brains, it will be a waste of time. You’ve just got to squeeze what you can out of it and wait for college. Then you can show the world how awesome you are.”

“It seems to me that Officer Moore is the one who brought the trouble to town by hiring that construction crew to build his shed. He already knew the guy was trouble last year when he hauled him in for being drunk,” I said trying to control the anger in my voice.

“I needed to find out when it all went horribly wrong. I needed to know if her heart had been so broken by this guy, Jake West, that she’d driven herself off a cliff. None of it seemed liked Amy.”

“But religion helps us to face our own mortality.” I spoke to her like she was the only person in the room. She stared at me through a curtain of razor cut bangs. “I agree. Religion is a wonderful pacifier for people who are afraid of death. Every religion—”

“The charred black spot where Amy’s car had landed sat directly below. It was as if my own jeep had turned against me, breaking down there on purpose to remind me that I was a jerk. Not that I needed reminding.”

“Once I’d realized how this town spread gossip, rumors, and blame like soft butter on hot toast, I’d convinced myself I had to get out of here fast after high school.”

“We’d had three assemblies last year alone, and every time I waited for a giant spotlight to come out of the auditorium ceiling and shine on my seat.”