Thirteen Reasons Why

I accused her of not trusting her own daughter, grabbed the slip of paper with your number from her hand, and ran upstairs.

I’m not into dream analysis, but maybe she was wondering if Justin had a big one.

I was so anxious about what kind of kiss it would be— because my friends back home described so many types— and it turned out to be the beautiful kind.

They averted their eyes.

Instead, I waited till Zach inserted himself into our awkward conversation before sneaking inside to thaw my fingers beneath running water.

A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that other people believed in and reacted to.

Sometimes it can be about a piece published ages ago but no one had noticed till Twitter went berserk.

Who’s willing to test her bluff?

“I have been really cautious about not stepping on his pride,” she added.

In elementary school, we used those same chamber of commerce maps to learn about north, south, east, and west.

While Tony doesn’t classify as a close friend, we have worked on a couple of assignments together so I know where he lives.

“The format’s not compatible,” he tells them.

She is apparently, on occasion, stubborn and condescending.

He’s always looking out windows, contemplating something.

While I wait for the cue to start the car, I look around.

Though she doesn’t deserve it.

A plastic door eases open and I slide in the first tape.

No encore.

More girls have dumped him out of car envy than my lips have even kissed.

An exclusive club.

Chess experts are not necessarily fabulous at math, and tuba players can’t just put down their tubas and pick up cellos. Scientific American (Mar 1, 2013)

The streetlamp overhead flickers on.

In the space between the dash and the hood, his gaze slips back and forth from me to the engine.

My fingers, my hands, my arms, my neck, everything feels hollow.

What an idiot I was.

I can’t force you to go there, but if you’d like a little more insight, just head for the stars.

The throbbing has become intense.

And maybe they find him intriguing.

The coffee’s lukewarm when I take a sip, making it harder to gulp down.

Tiny blue numbers scattered around the map matched up with business names listed in the margins.

It leads through the front doors and turns into a hallway, which meanders between rows of lockers and classrooms on both sides, finally entering the always-open door to first period.

Involves a heady mix of patriotism, folksy childhood memories, at least four moving montage packages and tears.

“Baker’s dozen,” I mumble.

I couldn’t tie my stupid shoelace because my fingers were too numb from the cold.

Maybe I’m just overlooking it.

Between the nose and the fins are three platforms, connected by three ladders.

She came over to my table at lunch, whispered the proposition in my ear, and I had a hard-on for the rest of the day.

He’ll be the last to receive a package with no return address.

And when they go through my belongings, they’ll probably toss it away thinking a freshman crush has no relevance.

Unfortunately, emerging longitudinal work out of Duke University suggests that the repercussions of bullying may persist long after the event, even into adulthood. Scientific American (Apr 16, 2013)

“We must be people of reconciliation, not revenge,” he said. Time (Apr 21, 2013)

Sports fans will ridicule ignorant or uninformed reporting.

Scowling, Tony reaches in for the flashlight.

I scramble for the stereo, hitting several buttons all at once.

A hurried scribble on the wrapping addresses the package to Clay Jensen, so I pick it up and head inside.

She places the box on a rubber pad, then punches a sequence on her keypad.

I watch her tear the slip across the serrated plastic and drop it into a wastebasket.

Tomorrow at school, someone will laugh when they see me, or they’ll smirk and look away.

When I finally spat out that last number— the correct number!

A soft static hum.

Making the playoffs would validate long years of losing while management collected young prospects through the draft.

Justin, only a sophomore, had a spot waiting for him on varsity.

In the end, the bank that filled the void doubled my previous credit line and provided a longer loan at a lower interest rate.

I wiggle the Walkman into my jacket pocket and turn up the volume.

They were lying in terribly grotesque positions, arms and legs all over the place.