Paul's personality Pg.8 "Mom said, 'good heavens!' I looked where she was pointing, up to the left, out in a field, and my heart sank. The black smoke was pouring from a huge bonfire of trees. Citrus trees. I said 'why are they doing that? Why are they just burning them up?"
Pg. 19 "Just then dad and Erik turned the corner and pulled into the driveway. As usual when Erik appears the attention switched from me to him. Dad and mom started to tell Mr.Costello about what a great football player Erik is, but Mr. Costello was ready for them.He has a football-playing son of his own. And he hopped into his jeep Cherokee to go get him."
Pg.103 "Getting mom to ditch my paperwork was beyond luck; it was a miracle. Things actually seemed to be going my way. Finally it's the Paul fisher soccer dream. I wonder if Erik feels that way about his life here."
Pg.104 "Lake Windsor-that teams a joke man.were gonna bust you up this year. You got that big Italian kid right? Thinks he's bad? He's a joke man. He's nothin. And the rest of you guys?... That makes you less than nothin. Less than zero. That's you Lake Windsor man."
Pg. 3 I burst through the front door, crying hysterically. My goggles were twisted back around my head. I spun around and around looking for mom. Then mom and dad were both in front of me, holding on to my shoulders, trying to calm me down, trying understand the word that I was saying over and over. It was 'Erik' I was saying 'Erik'."
Pg. 104 "You're a negative integer. He turned to one of the other guys and slapped hands with him. Victor then turned his attention to his hamburger and took a big bite. I figured he wasn't really serious, he was just messing with me. I decided to take a chance. I said 'hey what do you expect? We play in a sinkhole.' "
Pg.251 "Mr. Bridges took the microphone and started pleading for order, but Coach Warner was screaming over him, screaming at the players who'd let Victor get away. He twisted Tino's arm into a hammerlock and started walking him quickly toward the sideline, toward his office, toward me. All I remember is mom shouting Paul! As I took off, flying through the air. I landed hard on Coach Warner's back and held on tight, riding his neck and shoulders. He lurched one side, loosing his grip on Tino."
Pg.130 "She looked sharp out there, really on her game. That's what I think when I watch Shandra in goal-how sharp she looks, how big she looks, like one of those American Gladiators. What must people think when they see me in the goal? How small I look? How goofy I look In my goggles."
Pg.41 "In addition to my regular glasses, I have special goggles, for playing playing sports. They're made out of astronaut plastic that could crash-land on Venus and not break."
In the beginning of the story Paul was really isolated, and scared of Eric. He was not very social with his parents. His parents did not really believe that there precious, football-playing son is really a monster. When Paul is transferred to his new school, Tangerine Middle, he meets a interesting group of soccer players. When he becomes really good friends with them he sacrifices his school, and soccer spot for his new friends. In the end Eric finally is punished, Paul is friends with Joey again, and even though Luis, and mike are deceased Paul will try his best to live his life to the fullest.