Kids without dads are desperate and jealous. Those with dads can be uppity and sharp.

Lord knows why I find you attractive, Michael, when you generally smell like weed and broken hobo dreams.

I really need to remember to block my thoughts."

"Oh, come on," he pulled me closer towards him. "Why are you so scared?"

"Because the second that I let this conversation happen, I'll be letting my walls down. No matter what answer you give me, you'll have some sort of power over me, and I don't want that." I pushed past him, plopping down on the bed, not bothering to remove my boots.

I could feel the mattress sink beside me. Ian ran his fingers through my hair. "Come here," he spoke softly. "Please." I pushed myself into a sitting position, and moved closer to him, leaning my head on Ian's shoulder. "I like this, a lot. It feels nice." Ian lifted my chin so that I was forced to look directly at him, and then he leaned in to kiss me.

I don’t have enough gross words in my gross vocabulary to describe how gross that gross thought is. Gross.

The light was luminescence and gloom, like the sky at midnight speckled with stars. All she could smell was the ocean...

To her, not packing our lunches every day or joining the PTA is a feminist rallying cry.