How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Colin took a deep breath and slid down, immersing his head. I am crying, he thought, opening his eyes to stare through the soapy, stinging water. I feel like crying, so I must be crying, but it's impossible to tell because I'm underwater. But he wasn't crying. Curiously, he felt too depressed to cry. Too hurt. It felt as if she'd taken the part of him that cried. (1.8)
Let's start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start): Colin is not happy after K-19 dumps him. Okay, we get that. There's something else in this passage we're not quite sure we understand though—he doesn't even know if he's crying. Is this because he's so mopey about life in general that he's lost sight of his own emotions?
Quote #2
"Think of all you could do this summer, Colin. You could learn Sanskrit," said his dad. "I know how you've been wanting to learn Sanskrit. "Will you really be happy just driving around aimlessly? That doesn't seem like you. Frankly, it seems like quitting." (3.4)
It's funny that his dad asks whether Colin will be happy right after he hears about the road trip. He might be asking if Colin's happy, but really, his dad is more concerned about his life path and what he will achieve. It's up to Colin to sort out which life path will actually make him happy.
Quote #3
Mrs. Harbish shook her head and pursed her lips. "Don't I tell you," she said in accented English, "not to mess with girls? Hassan is a good boy, doesn't do this 'dating.' And look how happy he is. You should learn from him." (3.15)
In a lot of ways, Hassan's mom is right—Colin would be much happier if he didn't mess around with the Katherines. He couldn't whine about them dumping him then. On the other hand, we're not sure Hassan really qualifies as the best sample of happiness; he even admits later on that he's lazy and should do something else with his life.