The truth is, it's really only okay to be yourself if that self is within an accepted range of 'normal'.

I couldn't loose somebody else like that, without even the chance to say good-bye. Not again. Not her.

Do you have any idea who Erin was kissing?""Yeah, so we'll brush out teeth really, really thoroughly afterwards," I said, bumping her nose with mine gently. I wasn't going to let anyone spoil this moment.

What happened to you?" she asked."Ben was feeling artistic. Wanted to rearrange my face.

What was the point, I had to wonder, of fighting so hard to learn to protect my life if I was destroying it in the process?

No. Not a death wish. Just very little left to lose.

She shrugged and flipped her glossy hair behind her shoulders. "What else do you have to do with your time besides think about stuff like this? It's not like you're real heavy into extracurriculars. Besides, you're all, like, goth and into the dead, right?"Alona Dare, queen of the insult-compliment. "Wow. Thanks. Anyone ever tell you you're good with people?"She frowned. "No.""Good. I'm not goth.""Your hair is black, you have piercings, you wear black all the time and act all freaky-""My hair is naturally this color. I have three earings in one ear, that's it. This shirt" -I tugged at the fabric across my chest- "is navy blue, and if I act weird all the time, it's because of ghosts like you.

It might have been my human side clamoring for blood, or my alien side looking for a chance to exercise strategic dominance over a lesser life form. Either way, I was going to win.

That was, in fact, my life. A whole series of reasonable lies.

And no, I think i'm better than you because I am better than you.

Have some pride, will ya? Begging someone to like you is so pathetic.

So it turns out that late-night flashes of brilliance often look a little less brilliant in the bright light of morning.

Pretending to feel something you don't can often lead you to the real thing, in some form.

Sorry, maybe this is the head injury talking, but … what?

Nice. I like a little desperation ina guy. It builds character.

At least I graduated," he muttered, stabbing the key in and unlocking the door. I sucked in a breath. "I think dying was a little out of my control, thank you very much.""If you say so". He shrugged, but I saw the corner of his mouth turn up into a faint smile.

I leaned back to look at her, seeing only her, this girl who was Ally but also Alona, and who bore a resemblance to a friend i'd once had but was someone new. Someone i could live without, but didn't want to

Trust me, you see the dead walking around, you learn not to scream, laugh, or piss yourself pretty quickly.

So what did it matter where she came from? Who-or what-her parents were? Everyone's family was messed up in some way including my own. And she was still the same Ariane.

The trouble with rules, though, is that you'll always be tempted to break one- for the right reasons, due to unavoidable circumstances, because it feels as if there's no other choice. And once you break one, the rest seem like so much broken glass. The damage is already done.