It was difficult enough standing here, ignoring Smudge‘s questioning miaows. She knew exactly what he was asking, of course: Why on earth have you put me in a box, you baffling woman?
She couldn‘t bring herself to reply.

“Knowledge is power,” she shot back.
“I bet you were a massive teacher‘s pet at school.” He was grinning. Hard.
“I bet you were an aimless slacker,” she said archly.
“I bet you always file your taxes on time.”
She was clearly scandalized. “Who doesn‘t file their taxes on time?”
He burst out laughing. “Oh, Chloe. You‘re cute as fuck, you know that?”

That was his resting expression, the opposite of her chronic bitch face: happy, curious, open, friendly. Why did she even like him?
Wait a moment—did she like him?

“Chloe.” Red‘s voice was loud in the deserted car park, so deep it almost made her jump out of her clothes. Wait, no: skin. She meant skin.

It was past time to accept that Redford Morgan made her as hot and bothered as Enrique Iglesias in the “Hero” music video, with considerably less effort.

‘When are the boys getting here?‘ Lauren asked.
'They texted they were leaving about two minutes ago. And no,‘ Cara snapped, ‘we‘re not waiting for them to put it up for us, Lauren.'
‘I wasn‘t suggesting that.‘
Cara cracked her knuckles. ‘Dismantling the patriarchy, one tent at a time.‘

You trusted me once. What have I done to lose it?

You left.

She felt empty; she felt full. She needed people; she needed to be alone.
She couldn‘t get the equation right. Who was to blame? She thought it was herself. She thought it was her mother, and her mother‘s mother, and the mothers of all their mothers, all the way back in time.

She had finally figured it out. Life was nothing more than a bad joke for women. One she didn‘t find funny.

Brosh has also given herself many awards, including “fanciest horse drawing” and “most likely to succeed.”

"Robert," Ambra whispered, "just remember the wise words of Disney's Princess Elsa."
Langdon turned. "I'm sorry?"
Ambra smiled softly. "Let it go."

Langdon was still not quite used to working with Kirsch's computerized assistant. It's like having Siri on steroids.

The beginning of my depression had been nothing but feelings, so the emotional deadening that followed was a welcome relief. I had always viewed feelings as a weakness—annoying obstacles on my quest for total power over myself. And I finally didn‘t have to feel them anymore.
But my experiences slowly flattened and blended together until it became obvious that there‘s a huge difference between not giving a fuck and not being able to give a fuck.

Slowly, my feelings started to shrivel up. The few that managed to survive the constant beatings staggered around like wounded baby deer, just biding their time until they could die and join all the other carcasses strewn across the wasteland of my soul.

There was an empty coffee cup on the corner pavement, blue-and-white cardboard, crushed and mud-stained. She caught sight of the gold letters printed on it—WE ARE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU !—and sighed. She couldn‘t imagine a man coming up with that line. No, it must‘ve been a woman.

She thought about A Thousand and One Nights, how Princess Shera had wanted to become human so she could marry Sindbad. Isra didn‘t understand. Why would anyone want to be a woman when she could be a bird?

As Franklin charged down the river toward Wilkins, the boats came close enough to collide. "Now she's trying to drown me," he exclaimed in mock horror. There was nervous laughter - the kind when a joke cuts too close to the truth.

When he moves away, I think of one of the first things he said. I was never alone. The nights were never this silent.
“Commander,” I say.
He stops and turns, waiting for an order.
I have none to give.
“Wait.” I set my own mug in the snow.
“I‘ll walk with you.”

Even the circus freak side of my face—my damaged half—was better than the alternative, which would have meant death by fire. I didn‘t burn to ashes. I emerged from the flames like a little phoenix. I ran my fingers over the scar tissue, caressing the contours. I didn‘t burn, Mummy, I thought.
I walked through the fire and I lived.