Back Early Departures
Chapters (122)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Facts
  5. 101
  6. 100
  7. 23 Months After the Funeral
  8. 99
  9. 98
  10. 97
  11. 96
  12. 95
  13. 94
  14. 93
  15. 92
  16. 91
  17. 90
  18. 89
  19. 88
  20. 87
  21. 86
  22. 85
  23. 84
  24. 83
  25. 82
  26. 81
  27. 80
  28. 79
  29. 78
  30. 77
  31. 76
  32. 75
  33. 74
  34. 73
  35. 72
  36. 71
  37. 70
  38. 69
  39. 68
  40. 67
  41. 66
  42. 65
  43. 64
  44. 63
  45. 62
  46. 61
  47. 60
  48. 59
  49. 58
  50. Postreanimation Day 1
  51. 57
  52. 56
  53. 55
  54. 54
  55. 53
  56. 52
  57. 51
  58. 50
  59. 49
  60. 48
  61. 47
  62. Day 2
  63. 46
  64. 45
  65. 44
  66. 43
  67. 42
  68. 41
  69. 40
  70. 39
  71. 38
  72. 37
  73. 36
  74. Day 3
  75. 35
  76. 34
  77. 33
  78. 32
  79. 31
  80. 30
  81. Day 4
  82. 29
  83. 28
  84. 27
  85. 26
  86. Quincy
  87. 25
  88. Jamal
  89. 24
  90. 23
  91. 22
  92. 21
  93. 20
  94. Day 4
  95. 19
  96. 18
  97. 17
  98. Day 5
  99. 16
  100. 15
  101. 14
  102. 13
  103. 12
  104. 11
  105. 10
  106. Day 6
  107. 9
  108. 8
  109. 7
  110. 6
  111. 5
  112. 4
  113. 14 Days Postreanimation
  114. 3
  115. 2
  116. 1
  117. 0
  118. Acknowledgments
  119. About the Author
  120. Books by Justin A. Reynolds
  121. Back Ad
  122. About the Publisher

Q: Yep, you can ask one of us, or all three of us, any one question and we have to answer it truthfully, no matter what.

Lady in Pajamas: I wanna know, who was your first kiss?

Q: Okay, who are you asking?

Lady in Pajamas: All three.

Q: Okay, let’s see. Molly Robinson.

J: Ohmigod, what the hell?! Molly Robinson!?

Autumn: Who’s Molly Robinson?

J: One of the cafeteria ladies!

Q (shrugging): She was like nineteen.

Jamal: Whatever. I guess purple meat loaf wasn’t the only thing they were serving.

*Jamal winks hard at the camera*

CUT TO: the sidewalk in front of a pharmacy

Quincy: What do you think of the legislation passed earlier this month preventing people over the age of eighty from purchasing prescription medications?

Dude with Huge Beard: I mean . . . it sucks, for sure . . . but uh . . . frankly, there’s a lot of people in this country and, like, would it be that bad if, like, you know . . .

Q: I’m not sure I follow.

Huge Beard (shrugging): If you’re eighty, I mean, you’ve lived a pretty long life already . . .

Q: So you’re suggesting we let old people . . . die?

Huge Beard: We’re not going to physically kill them or anything like that.

Q: Just, like, take their life-saving medications away?

Huge Beard (snapping his fingers): Exactly. Like, how many rent-controlled apartments you think are gonna open up now?

Q: I . . . I don’t even know what to say.

Huge Beard: You know what they say, time’s up!

Q: That’s not at all what that phrase is referring to . . .

Huge Beard (rubbing his chin): It’s a good time to be an estate lawyer, damn.

Man Pushing Stroller: When I heard about it, I just shook my head. That’s the world we live in, though.

Q: How do you think this is gonna affect people eighty years old and up?

Man Pushing Stroller: Honestly? They’ll find a way to get the medicine. Probably buy it off the streets.

Q: People sell blood pressure pills on the street?

Man Pushing Stroller: Man, this is New York City, people sell actual blood on the street.

*A chime plays and CORRECT flashes on the screen*

CUT TO: promenade along the river

Jamal: Which of the three of us is cuter?

*Jamal smiles brightly*

Lady in Beret: The girl holding the camera.

Turtleneck Teen: Her. Definitely. Those eyes, ohmigod. She single?

Jogger 1: She’s cute. But I gotta go with this dude. How tall are you?

Quincy: Six two.

Jogger 1: Bet you’ve screwed in lots of bulbs.

*Zoom in on Q’s face, perplexed*

Jogger 2: I think she and the tall kid are tied.

Jamal (winking to the camera): For second place?

Jogger 2: No, that’s you.

Jamal: I think it’s the lighting where I’m standing. It doesn’t really accentuate my best features.

*A buzzer sounds and WRONG flashes on the screen*