How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
His mother sighed. "That man is your father and you're supposed to be asleep, young man." (4.67)
Nick's mom goes back and forth with her attitudes toward Nick's father. Sometimes he's a horrible evil jerk, and she doesn't want Nick to be anything like him. Sometimes she demands Nick respect him, anyway.
Quote #8
"I have enough trouble coping at school. I'm pretty sure killing three members of the football team when we're coming up for a championship would ruin my rep forever." (5.113)
Even when zombies are on the loose, Nick is worried about his reputation at school. When you're a teenager, reputation is everything.
Quote #9
The only respect he wanted was from himself and the people who really mattered in his life. The people who really loved and cared about him. (18.22)
In the end, Nick's decision all comes down to respect. All that fretting about getting the popular crowd to respect him is thrown out the window because Nick realizes he doesn't care about those people's opinions, even if they like him.