How we cite our quotes:
Quote #4
But Baz had hardly left the room in the last two weeks. Simon hadn't seen him in the caf or at football, he'd seemed drawn and distracted in class, and his shirts—usually pressed and bright white—were looking as manky as Simon's. (12.124)
When Rowell steps into Cath's fanfic voice, she puts in little girl-from-Nebraska-trying-to-write-British quirks like using "caf" and "manky" in the same sentence.
Quote #5
In some cases, she was actively trying not to make friends, though she usually stopped short of being rude. (Uptight, tense, and mildly misanthropic? Yes. Rude? No.) (13.2)
If your mom pushing you away defines your childhood, it makes sense you'd hold people at arm's length. After all, nobody can abandon you if you never let them get close, right?
Quote #6
No one ever invited Cath out or to go to parties (except for Reagan and Levi, who felt more like sponsors than friends). (13.8)
We kind of like the idea of People Who Prefer To Hide In Our Rooms Anonymous. That would be a great support group, if kind of a clunky acronym. (O hai, PWPTHIORA.) Also, pro tip: If you want to get invited to parties, leaving your room from time to time helps.