Did anyone ever choose to die? Even people who... even people like Jesse. Was it right to say that they had a choice? If someone were to do what they did, didn't that mean they were  suffering so much that they in fact had no choice?

Allison thought of this while...

Carl waited at the cafe alone for about 20 minutes. Nervous.

He had a lot to tell his supervisor. He had researched at the  Westcity public  library all weekend. Old newspapers. And now he had a thesis. But then ten minutes past. His coffee cup was empty. He wanted another, but...

"Is there a way to get the money from Jesse's account?"

"Only if we find her private key ."

"Any chance she hid it someplace obvious. Maybe just in her room? You can get Mrs. Sanders to let us in there? We can make up an excuse."

"We can try."

"You don't sound that...

"Hello?"

"Will?"

"Oh hi mom."

"Why do you sound so--" she stopped. "-- are you coming home?"

"Yeah--"

"I mean you don't need to of course. You're an adult. But we were wondering. We'll keep the lights on if you are planning to."

"I'll be home soon."

Will shut the phone off and stared at it. Waiting...

Then it suddenly hit him. The thought. Why were the tires still pumped? He hadn't been back in over a year. No way his old man was riding this. And his mom? Forget it. So who? Or how?

He thought of this as the  wind ruffled his hair. The sun looked...

In a jar he kept the hair. It belonged to Jesse. When they lived together they did this thing. Where they would grow a  hair baby together. When they were younger they were less wise and let hair clog up the shower drain. But they've been using a drain guard...

"Good to be back here."

"Is it?"

"Not really. Kind of uncomfortable actually."

"What about it?"

"Nothing about it. Just the fact that it's now. Time passes so fast. Well I should go. Thanks for showing me the old place again."

"Yes. You should come over sometime. If you're in town that is."

Will told her...

There was something about the rumble of a traditional  gas   engine . All the fluids inside that required changing. All the moving parts, any one of them apt for going haywire at any moment and put you on the curb. The complexity and precariousness of it all made the car...

Will wasn't like everyone he knew back out West. For example he didn't want an electric car. He didn't know anybody out West who didn't find electric vehicles superior. In fact nobody out West even considered the possibility that anyone would prefer a gas guzzling  car . His friends assumed...

The Carter House was the hangout spot junior year. By hangout spot it might seem that everybody hung out there. But this is not true. In fact it was only a small group. But for Will and the others who gravitated towards The Carter House, it seemed like everybody who...