How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I haven't been Charlie's best friend since April, when he totally screwed me over and started hanging out full-time with Jenny Flick and the Detentionhead losers. Let me tell you—if you think your best friend dying is a b****, try your best friend dying after he screws you over. It's a b**** like no other. (1.1.11)
Charlie's death isn't the ultimate abandonment. That already happened when Charlie ditched Vera for new friends, and started treating her like she was his enemy instead of his best friend.
Quote #2
My mother left us when I was twelve. She found a man who was not as parsimonious as my father and they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, which is two thousand five hundred miles away. She doesn't visit. She doesn't call. (1.3.1)
Even though she's loathe to admit it, Vera does resent her mother for leaving them behind. After all, she doesn't even make an attempt to stay in contact with her daughter or her ex-husband. She just cares about her new life.
Quote #3
With Vera, I'm trying to find ways to teach her how to grow her self-esteem. I'm not sure if it's working, but it's all I have. Because my father left when I was three, I have no idea what a father is supposed to do, so I'm winging it. (1.6.1)
Vera's dad is no stranger to parental abandonment and how it can affect your upbringing. Maybe that's why he's so protective of Vera—he wants to make sure that her self-esteem isn't damaged by her mom's absence.