How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"That's right," I said. "I have nowhere else to go."
There was a long, long pause. Then Nikki said, "Make sure you understand that, Matthew. Make sure you really understand it." (30.42-43)
Nikki doesn't want her kids to feel like they're free and have choices in life. Instead, she prefers that they feel as boxed in as possible. That way, they'll fully understand that it's her way or the highway.
Quote #8
Maybe someday… maybe soon… what a luxury it would be, I thought, to be able to focus on flirting with a girl. (34.2)
Matthew just wants the freedom to do normal high school student things, instead of worrying about surviving all the time. He'd like to hang out with friends and flirt with girls. Is that too much to ask?
Quote #9
The college kids who rented the first-floor apartment had all left for the holidays, and so we felt completely free in that house in a way we never had before. There was lots of running up and down the stairs, and lots of shouting up and down, too. (35.3)
Ironically, the kids feel at their most free whenever Nikki is locked up in jail. They can run around the house with Aunt Bobbie and Ben—who are actually nice adults—and just act like kids.