High school as the armpit of life
In the third chapter called The Armpit, Michael humorously calls high school the armpit of life. He describes being in the stinkiest part of the armpit - the principal's office. High school life isn't easy for Michael. With his Tourette's syndrome and the secret he has to carry, he is also the main target of school bullies.
Brightest crayon in the box
Michael describes Ostin's mother and the kindness that she exudes. She wanted to call Ostin after the city that she lived in but unfortunately or not, she misspelled it making her son being a target of people always being confused about his name. Even though Ostin's mother wasn't the smartest, hence the metaphor the brightest crayon in the box, Michael liked her a lot.
Emotional weight
Michael describes the relief of telling Ostin about his secret. He felt as if hundred pounds fell off his shoulder. This metaphor of emotions being compared to an actual weight on ones shoulders is a frequent metaphor used in everyday language.
Plucked like a rose from a weed patch
Dr. Hatch finally came out to meet Taylor. He goes on to explain and apologize to her for what she had to go through to arrive to Academy. He further explains the important purpose of the Academy and the important role she has to play. He acts sympathetically and tells her he knows it's been hard for her, and that she's been plucked from everything she knows like a rose from a weed patch.
