diff --git a/parse.js b/parse.js
index 25dbf27..893afd1 100644
--- a/parse.js
+++ b/parse.js
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 {
     // break the input down into "parts": either words, digit strings, single character operators, or whitespace
     let parts = [];
+
+    // track where we are in the original string
     let index = 0;
     while (input.length > 0)
     {
@@ -21,14 +23,17 @@
             (match = input.match(/^\s+/)))
         {
             const matched = match[0];
-            parts.push({index:index, part:matched});
+            parts.push({token:matched, index:index});
+
+            // advance the string
             input = input.substr(matched.length);
             index += matched.length;
         }
         else
         {
             // everything else is a single character (punctuation)
-            parts.push({index:index, part:input[0]});
+            parts.push({token:input[0], index:index});
+            
             input = input.substr(1);
             index++;
         }
@@ -39,6 +44,7 @@
     for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; i++)
     {
         const partsLeft = parts.length - i - 1;
+
         let { token, index } = parts[i];
         
         if (token.trim().length == 0)
@@ -50,9 +56,9 @@
         if (token.match(/\d+/))
         {
             // try and get the decimal, if any
-            if (partsLeft > 2 && parts[i + 1] == "." && parts[i + 2].match(/\d+/))
+            if (partsLeft > 2 && parts[i + 1].token == "." && parts[i + 2].token.match(/\d+/))
             {
-                token += "." + parts[i + 2];
+                token += "." + parts[i + 2].token;
             }
             tokens.push({type:TokenType.NumberLit, token:token, index:index});
         }       
@@ -67,23 +73,23 @@
             for (let j = i + 1; j < parts.length; j++)
             {
                 // find an escape character
-                if (parts[j] == '\\')
+                if (parts[j].token == '\\')
                 {
                     if (j + 1 < parts.length)
                     {
                         // the escape character is the next character (all tokens are guaranteed length > 0)
-                        const escaped = parts[j + 1][0];
+                        const escaped = parts[j + 1].token[0];
 
                         // remove the escaped character from the next token, being sure to remove the token
                         // if it was only that 1 character
-                        parts[j + 1] = parts[j + 1].substr(1);
-                        if (parts[j + 1].length == 0) parts.splice(j + 1, 1);
+                        parts[j + 1].token = parts[j + 1].token.substr(1);
+                        if (parts[j + 1].token.length == 0) parts.splice(j + 1, 1);
 
                         // for now, just put the escaped character in literally, we'll deal with escape sequences later
                         token += escaped;
                     }
                 }
-                else if (parts[j] == '"')
+                else if (parts[j].token == '"')
                 {
                     // close the string
                     i = j;
@@ -93,7 +99,7 @@
                 else
                 {
                     // build up the string out of all tokens before the closing "
-                    token += parts[j];
+                    token += parts[j].token;
                 }
             }