How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[…] rumor had it that Ali was, as the saying goes, "passing through high school on her back." (4.5)
Torey hears this through the grapevine, which makes him kind of judge Ali and second-guess her more than if he hadn't heard it at all. Gossip changes people and relationships.
Quote #2
He bragged into the gossip channels that he had slashed more than a thousand tires last year, though we figured it probably about twenty, because he was also known for lying […]. (5.30)
In order to beef up his reputation and keep himself safe, Bo deliberately spreads lies about himself so people think he is tougher and meaner than he is.
Quote #3
"Y'all're a bad influence on me. See how I'm gossiping? Every morning I make a deal with myself that I'm not going to talk evil about people. Somehow I never get past third period." (5.36)
Gossip is like the Apostle's Creed, just something normal Torey and his friends do every time they get together in the cafeteria, which is like the church for gossipers.