"you are on the cusp," he said.

"yes, but i never check scorpio," i told him.

"astrology's full of shit, anyway."

"yeah," i said. but sometimes, sometimes it is eerily right.

...

"i should just go to new york, already," i told paul. i have been saying this since i was 16, when my dream was to steal jane pratt's job as editor of sassy.

"do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

"no."

"well then why are you still here?"

...

i've never been one to pick mottos or mantras, but there is this phrase that keeps repeating itself in my head and wanting to force itself (but i've been fighting the urge) at the end of everything i write. it goes: "at least it will make a good story."

it sounds a bit trite, especially if you tack it at the end of a story about, say, your dog who's on its deathbed at the vet hospital, but somehow it has been so comforting to me. it has kept me sane.