Tattoo Guy crosses the parking lot and he’d probably keep coming if it wasn’t for the other guy with hair covering his eyes. He stops right in front of Tattoo Guy, halting his progress, but his posture suggests he’d also fight for kicks. “Is there a problem, Beth?”
Beth flashes an evil smirk. “Not anymore.” She jumps into the front seat of the car.
Both guys walk to their car while keeping an eye on me, as if I’m stupid enough to jump them from behind. The engine roars to life and the car vibrates as if duct tape holds it together.
In no hurry to go inside and explain to my friends how I lost, I stay on the sidewalk. The car slowly drives by and Beth presses her palm against the passenger window. Written in black marker is the word signaling my defeat: can’t.
PLAYLIST FOR
PUSHING
THE
LIMITS
Music is my muse of choice. These songs helped shape the overall theme of the story: ‘Push’ by Matchbox Twenty
‘Bad Romance’ by Lady Gaga
‘Scar Tissue’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers
‘Use Somebody’ by Kings of Leon
To help get into character for Noah, I listened to the following: ‘Down’ by Jay Sean
‘Changes’ by 2Pac & Talent
‘Hey, Soul Sister’ by Train
For Echo, I listened to:
‘Paint’ by Roxette
‘Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough’ by Patty Smyth & Don Henley ‘The End of the Innocence’ by Don Henley & Bruce Hornsby
Songs used for specific scenes: ‘Undone (The sweater song)’ by Weezer—This song inspired the moment between Noah and Echo at the party.
‘Crash Into Me’ by The Dave Matthews Band— I listened to this song whenever I needed to write a kiss between Echo and Noah.
‘Free’ by Zac Brown Band—This song represents everything I wanted Echo and Noah to have gained by the end of the story. If you’re curious as to what happened between them the summer after the story ends, just listen to this song.
A song special to me:
‘Can You’ by Angela McGarry—After reading a draft of Pushing the Limits, Angela was inspired to write ‘Can You.’ Check out the song performed by Mason Stonebridge on my website: www.katielmcgarry.com.
Q&A WITH
KATIE McGARRY
What was your inspiration for writing Pushing the Limits?
I had two main inspirations:
One, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write a story in which my characters felt strong enough to leave their pasts behind and create new futures for themselves. The first scene I ever saw in my mind was Echo and Noah leaving town after graduation.
Two, I wanted to write two characters who were facing overwhelming issues and who, through battling these issues, found hope at the end of their journey.
How did you come up with Echo’s name?
Echo went through several name changes as I wrote the manuscript.
For a while, she had a very normal name, but it always felt off. It wasn’t until I looked at Echo from her mother’s point of view that I found her name. Echo’s mother loved Greek mythology, so it made perfect sense that she would name her children after the myths. I read several Greek myths and the moment I found Echo’s, I fell in love. Echo, to me, was the girl who lost her voice. Thankfully, she finds it by the end.
Which character is the most ‘like’ you?
All of them. I gave each character a piece of me (though some have larger slices of me than others). Overall, I’d say I’m a strange combination of Echo, Lila and Beth. Echo has my need to please, Lila has my unfailing loyalty to my friends and Beth encompasses my insecurities.
Did you experience friendships with Grace types when you were in high school?
Yes. And the more people have read this story, the more this question comes up. Grace has struck a stronger nerve in people than I ever would have imagined. It seems most of us have unfortunately experienced a relationship where a person wants to ‘like’ you and wants ‘be your friend,’ but only if it serves their needs. In case anyone is wondering, that isn’t friendship.
Are there any parts of the story you feel particularly close to?
Yes. The relationship between Noah, Isaiah and Beth. Beyond my parents and sister, my nearest family members were over fourteen hours away. My friends became my family. The people I grew up with were more than people I watched movies with or talked to occasionally on the phone. These were people with whom I shared life’s most devastating moments, but also my hardest laughs. These were people who I would have willingly died for and I know they would have done the same for me.
They shared my triumphs with smiles on their faces and congratulatory hugs. They held me when I cried and offered to beat up whoever hurt my feelings. These were also the same people who were more than happy to get in my face if they thought I was making a wrong decision.
Did anything that happens to Echo happen to you?
Sort of. I was bitten by a dog when I was in second grade and repressed the memory. It felt very strange to have no memory of an incident that other people knew about. It was even stranger to have injuries and not have an inkling where they came from. In college, I finally remembered the incident when a dog lunged at me. I relived the horrible event and sort of ‘woke up’ a few minutes later to find myself surrounded by people I loved.
Even though I ‘remember’ the incident, I still don’t remember the whole thing. I only see still frames in my mind and there is no blood in any of the memories.