How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"We just gonna chill. We might try to find a party, or we might just finish off them beers and let the party find us. Then I'm headin' over to Keisha's house, after I take these turkeys home." (2.28)
To the guys, having a couple of beers doesn't seem like a big deal. Never mind that they are underage. Or that they are driving. What's the worst that could happen? It's too bad they don't take it seriously, because they soon find out.
Quote #2
"Yeah, we was all drinkin'—all 'cept B.J.—he don't drink. We had put about four six-packs in the trunk of Andy's car before the game. Since the weather's been so cold, puttin' 'em in the trunk was as good as a cooler, so they was nice and frosty by the time we got to 'em." (4.3)
Tyrone's statement to police makes it clear what happened. No one lies or pretends they weren't drinking, which lets us know these aren't "bad" kids.
Quote #3
"After a while the car started to sway, but I wasn't sure if it was me gettin' dizzy or if the car really was weaving across the expressway. At the time it seemed really funny. We was laughin' so hard—especially when people started honkin' at us." (4.4)
Because the guys were drunk, they found everything hilarious, even when it wasn't. They heard the warning signs (people honking) but still kept driving because the beer had gone to their heads. By the time they realized what's happening, it was too late to do anything about it.
Quote #4
Andy and Rob and Tyrone all knew that I didn't drink—they never bothered me much about it. I think they even respected me a little because of it. I told them that drinking at an early age had stunted my growth, so I had given it up in favor of other vices. (Actually I think beer tastes like boiled sweat socks.) (5.2)
In B.J.'s prayer, he admits he feels guilty over what happened because he wasn't drinking. Huh? He wonders whether they would have gotten in the accident if he had the courage to stand up to his pals and tell them not to drink and drive.
Quote #5
I didn't cry. I felt really sick inside—and mad at Andy and them for drinking in the first place. I thought we'd all come back for our reunions and then we'd get old, and then, when we're so old it doesn't matter anymore, we'd die. (6.5)
Rhonda's upset by what happened, especially because it was preventable. Why were the guys even drinking to begin with? She realizes that this single decision has drastically changed all of their lives.
Quote #6
Every 18 minutes, every day of the year, someone is killed in a drunk-driving accident. Alcohol-related fatalities are the number one cause of death in teenagers. When will we learn? (6.14)
The school newspaper gives us a statistic about drinking and driving, but no one seems to notice or care—everyone thinks it will be different when it's them. Alas, that's not how the world works; statistics like this one are always real people somebody knows.
Quote #7
"I coulda controlled the drinkin'. I knew better. We all did. We just never figured it would happen to us." (7.27)
Andy admits to his coach that he messed up. He shouldn't have gotten behind the wheel, but it didn't seem like a big deal at the time—he thought he was above anything bad happening.
Quote #8
With a five-dollar bill, Andy and the guys bought a six-pack of beer. They ended up buying five dollars worth of death. It seems like all a five spot can do is buy trouble, so I'd get rid of five-dollar bills. (9.4)
Gerald's essay about what he would change in the world emphasizes the importance of beer in the accident. Without it, Robbie would still be alive and Andy wouldn't feel so depressed and guilty, so he wishes he could take it away from the world.
Quote #9
"That night, it seemed like a mountain. And the longer I stood there, the more I became like— sorta hypnotized by the slick whistlin' of the cars as they rushed beneath us. And I wanted to jump." (20.22)
When Andy sees the wall they crashed into and it's only four-feet tall, Andy's shocked. He thought it was huge. The fact is that alcohol impairs judgment, so he can't trust anything he saw the night of the accident; his memory is very different from the reality of that evening.
Quote #10
"It's all your fault, you know. All your fault. You got the beer. You drove the car. You smashed into the wall. You killed me. And now you gotta come and keep me company." (21.64)
In his dream, Andy imagines Rob saying this and blaming him. After all, Andy bought the alcohol and then drove. It's rough, but it is accurate. Now we're not saying Andy should hate himself for the rest of his life, but we are pointing out that he has to come to terms with some tough truths.