Fracture Me (Shatter Me, #2.5)

by Tahereh Mafi

She does that occasionally—repeats the same word over and over again. I’m not sure she’s even aware of it.

Juliette has always been a little different from everyone else—she was like a crazed, skittish kitten

her eyes are unfocused and her hands are moving mechanically. She does this a lot. It’s like sometimes she just disappears, retreats into a corner of her brain and stays there awhile, thinking about something she’ll never talk about.

She’s trying so hard to be okay—to make all this shit be okay—but sometimes it’s like the world just won’t let her. The hits keep coming, and she keeps hurting.

Me; an ill, barely-able-to-walk-straight Kenji; and Juliette (who’s officially locked herself in her own head today)—this is our team. Yeah, I’m definitely worried.

But I know I have a responsibility to Juliette.

Responsibility? Just that? You don't want to save her?

I don’t know if my allegiance is to James or Juliette.

How about both?

I want to laugh because all I can think is how horrible and beautiful it is, that our eyes blur the truth when we can’t bear to see it.