That made me smile, made me feel warm, even if I wasn't sure how to ever say something like that. I had friends on the Island, Crow and Nod had been part of my life for as long as I could remember, they'd been my best friends, besides Peter, but we were all bound through something awful.

Being here, having new friends, I had the chance at something else. A different sort of friendship. It was a good feeling. One I wished Crow and Nod could have experienced, too. They deserved it. So had Charlie and Sal. So had all of Peter's boys, except maybe Nip.

"I think being cool might not be something I want to be," I admitted. "It seems a lot of the kids who think they're cool are also cruel." They reminded me a bit of Peter.