Cole tried to be calm, but his voice shook and his face felt hot. "We aren't supposed to lie when we hold the feather, but my father just lied. My parents don't have the time of day for me. I'm just in their way, especially since they split up. I bet my dad can't even tell you when my birthday is." ch 6
Cole felt no anger, but he was tired of trying to prove himself to Edwin. He was tired of trying to prove himself to the world. "There are two choices," he said. "Give Peter the same chance I've had here on the island, or give up and watch him commit suicide. Which would you pick?" ch 25
"I deserved to die," he said. "They didn't. But that was the first time I was really scared that I might die. That was when I first started thinking about my life and cared about something besides myself. And that was when Edwin and Garvey found me." ch 25