But while I was in their city, it just seemed like such a mistake that I had ever left home, such an error in judgment in all our parts. - Curtis Sittenfeld

Hardly ever did it matter if you brushed your hair before driving to the grocery store, rarely did you work in an office where you cared what more than two or three people thought of you. At Ault, caring about everything was draining, but it was also exhilarating.

At Ault, it wasn't just that we weren't supposed to be bad or unethical; we weren't even supposed to be ordinary, and stealing was worse than ordinary. It was unseemly, lacking subtlety, revealing a wish for things you did not already have.

I always worried someone would notice me, and then when no one did, I felt lonely.