diff --git a/src/Lexer.cc b/src/Lexer.cc
index 115db17..01e43c4 100644
--- a/src/Lexer.cc
+++ b/src/Lexer.cc
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 #include "Lexer.h"
 #include <iostream>
 
+// debugging help!
+// prints the line number of where the peek is called
+// #define peek() peek(__LINE__)
+
 bool isSpace(char c) noexcept {
   switch (c) {
   case ' ':
@@ -161,8 +165,8 @@ fysh::Fysh fysh::FyshLexer::fyshOutline() noexcept {
       get();
       return Fysh(Species::DIVIDE, start, current);
     }
-    return Fysh(
-        Species::INVALID); // should be fixed since comments have slashes too
+    // should be fixed since comments have slashes too
+    return Fysh(Species::INVALID);
   }
 
   // swim right
@@ -184,15 +188,15 @@ fysh::Fysh fysh::FyshLexer::fyshOutline() noexcept {
       return Fysh(Species::INVALID);
     }
   }
-  
-    // swim left
-    else if (*start == '<') {
-      char c = peek();
-      if (isFyshEye(c) || isScale(c)) {
-        return scales(false); // false for negative
-      }
-      return Fysh(Species::INVALID);
+
+  // swim left
+  else if (*start == '<') {
+    char c = peek();
+    if (isFyshEye(c) || isScale(c)) {
+      return scales(false); // false for negative
     }
+    return Fysh(Species::INVALID);
+  }
   return Fysh(Species::END);
 }
 
@@ -211,7 +215,6 @@ fysh::Fysh fysh::FyshLexer::random() noexcept {
   return Fysh(Species::INVALID);
 }
 
-
 fysh::Fysh fysh::FyshLexer::scales(bool positive = true) noexcept {
   auto c{get()};
   uint32_t value{c == '{' || c == '}'};
@@ -219,7 +222,7 @@ fysh::Fysh fysh::FyshLexer::scales(bool positive = true) noexcept {
     auto c{get()};
     value = (value << 1) | (c == '{' || c == '}');
   }
-  
+
   /*
   validate end of fysh
   valid ends:
@@ -239,14 +242,15 @@ fysh::Fysh fysh::FyshLexer::scales(bool positive = true) noexcept {
   // check if its the end of the token or not (2nd end character)
   if (!isSpace(peek())) {
     c = get();
-    if ((c != '>') && (c != '<' && !positive)) {
+    if ((positive && (c != '>' || c == '<')) ||
+        (!positive && (c != '<' || c == '>'))) {
       gotoEndOfToken();
       return Fysh{Species::INVALID};
     }
   }
 
   // make sure the token ends
-  if (!isSpace(peek()) && peek() != '\0'){
+  if (!isSpace(peek()) && peek() != '\0') {
     gotoEndOfToken();
     return Fysh{Species::INVALID};
   }
@@ -262,5 +266,4 @@ void fysh::FyshLexer::gotoEndOfToken() noexcept {
   while (!isSpace(peek())) {
     get();
   }
-
 }
diff --git a/src/Lexer.h b/src/Lexer.h
index fbb5720..23a7add 100644
--- a/src/Lexer.h
+++ b/src/Lexer.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  * \file Lexer.h
  */
 #include "Fysh.h"
+#include <iostream>
 
 #ifndef FYSH_LEXER_H_
 #define FYSH_LEXER_H_
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ class FyshLexer {
   FyshLexer(const char *streamStart) noexcept : current{streamStart} {}
 
   Fysh nextFysh() noexcept;
+  const char *rest() const noexcept { return current; }
 
 private:
   Fysh identifier() noexcept;
@@ -49,7 +51,12 @@ class FyshLexer {
   Fysh random() noexcept;
   bool isFyshEye(char) noexcept;
   bool isPositiveScale() noexcept;
-  char peek() const noexcept { return *current; }
+  char peek(int line = -1) const noexcept {
+    if (line > 0) {
+      std::cout << "Current (line " << line << "): " << *current << std::endl;
+    }
+    return *current;
+  }
   char get() noexcept { return *current++; }
   void gotoEndOfToken() noexcept;
 
diff --git a/test/Lexer_test.cc b/test/Lexer_test.cc
index 4bf2f39..ca93a0f 100644
--- a/test/Lexer_test.cc
+++ b/test/Lexer_test.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "../src/Lexer.h"
 
 #include "doctest.h"
+#include <iostream>
 
 using namespace fysh;
 
@@ -41,7 +42,6 @@ TEST_CASE("fysh open & wtf open") {
   CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::WTF_OPEN);
 }
 
-
 TEST_CASE("random fysh") {
   std::string_view input{"><##> ><###> ><####> <###><"};
   // Assuming `input` is a std::string or std::string_view
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ TEST_CASE("random fysh") {
   CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID);
 }
 
-
 TEST_CASE("negative fysh") {
   std::string_view input{"><{{({(o> <3 <o})}>< <o})}><"};
   // Assuming `input` is a std::string or std::string_view
@@ -75,12 +74,13 @@ TEST_CASE("weird fysh") {
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("Bad fysh") {
-  std::string_view input{"><{{({(o><DQHUD ><{{({(o>< ><{{((>< ><{{{< ><o{{}}><"};
+  std::string_view input{
+      "><{{({(o><DQHUD ><{{({(o>< ><{{((>< ><{{{< ><o{{}}><"};
   // Assuming `input` is a std::string or std::string_view
   FyshLexer lexer{input.data()};
   CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID);
   CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID);
-  CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID); // this keeps failing for some reason
   CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID);
   CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+  CHECK(lexer.nextFysh() == Species::INVALID);
+}