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| Link | Quote | Stars | Tags | Author |
| 264aa85 | Brittany's tongue snakes out to wet her perfect heart-shaped lips, which are now shiny and oh, so inviting. "Don't tease me like that," I groan, my lips inches from hers. Her books hit the carpet. Her eyes follow, but if I lose her attention, I may never get this moment back. My fingers move to her chin, gently urging her to look at me. She looks up at me with those vulnerable eyes. "What if it means something?" she asks. "What if it does?".. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| e8dbd8c | Tell me she doesn't have her hand in his back pocket. That is so lame." "I don't care," I tell her, easing any worries she might have about me being upset. "If they want to date, all the more power to them." She's only doing it because she wants everything you had. It's a competition thing with her. First taking your position on the squad, now putting her claws into Colin. Next thing you know she'll want to change her name to Brittany." "Ve.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 4b25d3d | When I get to Club Mystique at nine, Alex sneaks up behind me outside. I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck. "Whoa, girl," he says, taken aback. "I thought we were keepin' this thing between us a secret. I hate to tell you, but a bunch of north siders from Fairfield are right over there. And they're starin' at us." "I don't care. Not anymore." "Why?" "You only live once." He seems to like my answer, because he takes my hand in his.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 1d1e301 | Inside the club, Alex immediately heads for the dance floor with me. I ignore the gawking stares from Fairfield students from my side of town as I pull Alex close to me and we move as one to the beat. We move together as if we've been a couple forever, every movement in sync with each other. For the first time I'm not afraid of what people think of me and Alex together. Next year, in college, it won't matter who came from what side of town... | Simone Elkeles | ||
| c6647e0 | You call that a kiss?" "Yep." Okay, so I'm in shock the girl put my hand on her creamy cheek. Damn, you'd think I on drugs by the way my body reacted. She had me totally under her spell a minute ago. Then the pretty witch turned my game around so she was the one with the upper hand. She surprised me, that's for sure. I laugh, deliberately calling attention to us because I know it's exactly what she doesn't want. "Shh," Brittany says, hitt.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 92b30f7 | I should be surprised you're calling me. But I'm not," she says. "How was practice?" "Not great. Darlene isn't a great captain, and Ms. Small knows it. You shouldn't quit." "I'm not. I'm just taking a break for a little while. But I didn't call to talk about poms. Listen, I wanted you to know I broke up with Colin today." "And you're telling me because..." That's a good question, one I normally wouldn't have answered. "I wanted to talk with.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| ab02ecf | All I wanted in this world was to be a mom." "You regret it?" I ask. "Being a mom? Never. Seducing your father and making sure he didn't use a condom, yes." "I don't want to hear this." "Well, I'm gonna tell it to you whether you want to hear it or not. Be careful, Alex." "I am." She takes another drag of her cigarette while shaking her head. "No, you don't get it. You might be careful, but girls won't be. Girls are manipulative. I should k.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| d70f412 | I kissed Alex," I blurt out. "Alex? !Bendita! Was that before or after the Colin breakup?" I wince. "I didn't plan it." Isabel laughs so hard and loud, I have to take the phone away from my ear. "You sure didn't plan it?" she asks once she can get words out. "It just happened. We were at his house and then we were interrupted when his mom came home and saw us--" "What? His ma saw you guys? In his house? !Bendita!" She goes off in Spanish,.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| c1a976a | That shouldn't have happened," she says, throwing back her shoulders in a stance as stiff as a statue's. "What? The kiss or you likin' it so much?" "I have a boyfriend," she says as she fidgets with the strap on her designer book bag. "You tryin' to convince me, or yourself?" I ask her." | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 058ddb9 | I take a long drag, thankful for nicotine. I feel calmer immediately. Okay, so my lungs are probably shriveled up, but I have a good idea I'll probably die before my lungs decide to quit on me. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 898c9a7 | Alex!" Brittany yells my name from the front of the gallery. I'm still smoking and trying to forget that she brought me here because I'm her dirty little secret. I don't want to be a fucking secret anymore. My pseudo-girlfriend crosses the street. Her designer shoes click on the pavement, reminding me she's a class above. She eyes Mandy and me, the two blue collars, smoking together. "Mandy here was about to show me her tattoos," I tell Bri.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| a99af60 | Standing in front of my bathroom mirror while music blares from my speakers, I wipe away the third crooked line I've drawn beneath my eye. My hands are shaking, damn it. Starting senior year of high school and seeing my boyfriend after a summer apart shouldn't be so nerve-racking, but I've gotten off to a disastrous start. First, my curling iron sent up smoke signals and died. Then the button on my favorite shirt popped off. Now, my eyeline.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| efd3fed | What I can't figure out is if you know you're a tease and are fuckin' with me or whether you really are innocent." "I'm not a tease." I cock an eyebrow, then look down at my upper thigh where she's parked her hand. She snatches it away. "Okay, I didn't mean to put my hand there. Well, I mean, not really. It just kinda . . . wh . . . what I mean to say is--" "I like it when you stutter," I say as I pull her down next to me and show her my ow.. | brittany-ellis innocent stuttering tease touching | Simone Elkeles | |
| baa7df5 | Bein' here with you . . . you've really got under my skin." "You want to break the rule?" He nods slowly. "Yeah." "Why?" "Because I'm tryin' to push you away when all I want to do is hold you. I know you say you don't want a hero, but damn I'd like to be that guy who'll save you from spiders and whatever and whoever else hurts you." His words seep deep into the core of my heart. With our eyes locked, I straddle him on the chair. "I want t.. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 5cc4fa3 | Brittany's tongue snakes out to wet her perfect heart-shaped lips, which are now shiny and oh, so inviting. "Don't tease me like that," I groan, my lips inches from hers. Her books hit the carpet. Her eyes follow, but if I lose her attention, I may never get this moment back. My fingers move to her chin, gently urging her to look at me. She looks up at me with those vulnerable eyes. "What if it means something?" she asks. "What if it does?".. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| a6f81f8 | I lead Paco through the house. We pass Shelley in the family room looking at some magazine. "Shelley, this is Paco. He's Alex's friend. Paco, this is my sister, Shelley." At the mention of Alex's name, Shelley gives a happy squeal. "Hey, Shelley," Paco says. Shelley smiles wide. "Shell-bell, I need you to do me a favor." Shelley bobs her head in response as I whisper, "I need you to keep Mom occupied while I talk to Paco." Shelley grins, an.. | distract favor friend mom paco shelley-ellis sister | Simone Elkeles | |
| 62ff8e5 | What is this?" "A Smart Car." It looks like an SUV took a dump and out came the Smart Car. I wouldn't be surprised if Westford had said it was one of those toy cars that kids drive around." | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 3312fd7 | You have games on there?" he asks. "Yeah," I answer for her. "She's become a checkers fanatic. Shelley, show him how it works." While Shelley slowly taps the screen with her knuckles, Alex watches, seemingly fascinated. When the checkers screen comes up, Shelley nudges Alex's hand. "You go first," he says. She shakes her head. "She wants you to go first," I tell him. "Cool." He taps the screen. I watch, getting all mushy inside, as this tou.. | brittany-ellis checkers game shelley-ellis smile win | Simone Elkeles | |
| b334148 | Shelley," I say. "You should've let him win. You know, to be polite." Shelley's response is a shake of her head. Applesauce drips on her chin. "That's the way it's going to be, huh?" I say, hoping the scene doesn't gross Alex out. Maybe I'm testing him, to see if he can handle a glimpse of my home life. If so, he's passing. "Wait until Alex leaves. I'll show you who the checkers champion is." My sister smiles that sweet, crooked smile of he.. | brittany-ellis glimpse shelley-ellis smile win | Simone Elkeles | |
| 033df5d | Promise me it won't mean anything." I lean my head back on the couch. "It won't mean anythin'." Aren't I supposed to be the guy in this scenario, laying down the no-commitment rules? "And no tongue," she adds. " , if I kiss you, I guarantee there's gonna be tongue." | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 1f2d98f | Paco is walking out of the bathroom and I rush past him. "You might want to wait before you--" Paco's voice fades as I close the door, locking myself in. Wiping my eyes, I gaze into the mirror. I'm a complete mess. My mascara is dripping and . . . oh, it's no use. I slide down and sit on the cold tile floor. Now I realize what Paco was about to tell me. The place stinks; it really reeks . . . almost to the point where I want to throw up. I .. | bathroom eat elena nose paco rotten shit sniff stinks | Simone Elkeles | |
| 2c14f87 | Elena opens the door and yanks me through the house, stopping only when we reach the backyard. She lets me go only to grab the microphone from the lead singer. "Paco!" she announces loudly. "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you," Elena says, pointing to Paco talking to a bunch of girls. "Next time you want to take a dump, do it in someone else's house." Paco's entourage of girls backs up and giggles, leaving him alone." | elena embarrass paco smells toilet | Simone Elkeles | |
| 5ab4797 | Not the way it's supposed to go down: bring girl home, kiss girl, mom insults girl, girl leaves crying. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 45ec7dd | When we're outside, I hear Brittany take a deep breath. I swear it sounds as if she's holding herself together by a thin thread. Not the way it's supposed to go down: bring girl home, kiss girl, mom insults girl, girl leaves crying. "Don't sweat it. She's just not used to me bringin' girls in the house." Brittany's expressive blue eyes appear remote and cold. "That shouldn't have happened," she says, throwing back her shoulders in a stance .. | Simone Elkeles | ||
| a26c7c9 | How's that sister of yours?" I ask, changing the subject. "She's waiting to beat you again at checkers." "Is that right? Well, tell her I was goin easy on her. I was tryin' to impress you." "By losing?" I shrug. "It worked, didn't it?" I notice her fidgeting with her dress as if she needs to fix it to impress me. Wanting to ease her anxiety, I slide my fingers down her arm before capturing her hand in mine. "You tell Shelley I'll be back fo.. | brittany-ellis checkers impress lose rematch shelley-ellis sister | Simone Elkeles | |
| b3a0611 | That shouldn't have happened," she says, throwing back her shoulders in a stance as stiff as a statue's. "What? The kiss or you likin' it so much?" | Simone Elkeles | ||
| 4d75ac6 | I brush a strand of hair from her face, then move beside her. When she wraps her arms around my neck, all I want to do is protect this girl for the rest of my life. I ease her jacket open and lean away. A pink lace bra stares back at me. Nothing else. I whisper. "Is our game over?" she asks nervously. "It's definitely over, 'Cause what we're gonna do next is no game." -- | brittany-ellis game intimate spanish | Simone Elkeles | |
| 8ec2342 | Are you going to dance with me tonight?" I ask. "Hell, yeah." "Colin never wanted to dance with me." "I'm not Colin, querida, and never will be." "Good. I've got you, Alex. I realize it's all I need and I'm ready to share it with the world." Inside the club, Alex immediately heads for the dance floor with me. I ignore the gawking stares from Fairfield students from my side of town as I pull Alex close to me and we move as one to the beat. W.. | brittany-ellis couple dance gawking | Simone Elkeles | |
| f6db706 | I don't deserve you. You know that, don't you?" "When are you gonna realize you're one of the good guys?" When I don't answer, she pulls my head down to hers. "My body is yours tonight, Alex," she whispers against my lips. "Do you want it?" "God, yes." | brittany-ellis deserve good-guy intimate want yes | Simone Elkeles | |
| 719ceb4 | When Brittany walks into Mrs. P.'s class on Friday I'm still thinking about how I'm going to get back at her for throwing my keys into the woods last weekend. It took me forty-five minutes to find the suckers, and all the while I was cursing Brittany. Okay, so I give her props for dishing it out. | brittany-ellis dishing-it-out keys looking | Simone Elkeles | |
| 7387074 | Nice girl. Wears too much makeup." "Most chicks hate her." "Most chicks wish they looked like her. And they wish they had her money and boyfriend." I stop and regard her in disgust. "Burro Face?" "Oh, please, Alex. Colin Adams is cute, he's the captain of the football team and Fairfield's hero. You're like Danny Zuko in Grease. You smoke, you're in a gang, and you've dated the hottest bad girls around. Brittany is like Sandy ... a Sandy who.. | brittany-ellis colin-adams compare danny-zuko fantasy grease hate sandy wish | Simone Elkeles | |
| 0bbba60 | I'll never let it happen. I'll do everything in my power to keep my sister at home. "I don't want to have a civilized discussion. My parents want to send my sister to a facility behind my back and my head feels like it's about to split open. Leave me alone, okay?" Something is sticking out of my pocket. It's Alex's bandanna. Isabel isn't a friend, yet she helped me. And Alex, a boy who cared about me last night more than my own boyfriend di.. | bandanna brittany-ellis cry emotional shelley-ellis sister | Simone Elkeles | |
| 15269b6 | Why can't you call me Alex?" I ask, my head down while I stare at the food in front of me. "If I wanted to call you Alex, I wouldn't have bothered to name you Alejandro. Don't you like your given name?" My muscles tense. I was named after a father who is no longer alive, leaving me the responsibility of being the designated man of the house. Alejandro, Alejandro Jr., Junior . . . it's all the same to me. "Would it matter?" I mumble as I pic.. | alex-fuentes carlos-fuentes goad mama mexicano name-calling spanish white | Simone Elkeles | |
| 0a1f8bf | You call that a kiss?" "Yep." Okay, so I'm in shock the girl put my hand on her creamy cheek. Damn, you'd think I was on drugs by the way my body reacted. She had me totally under her spell a minute ago. Then the pretty witch turned my game around so she was the one with the upper hand." | brittany-ellis game kiss spell trick upper-hand | Simone Elkeles | |
| 68da341 | You know those giant stuffed-animal prizes at the carnival? The kind practically nobody wins, except the lucky few? I've never won one." "Yeah. I've never won one, either." "Alex was my giant prize. I hated you for taking him away," she admits. I shrug. "Yeah, well, stop hating me. I don't have him, either." "I don't hate you anymore," she says. "I've moved on." I swallow and then say, "Me, too." Carmen chuckles. Then, just as she walks out.. | brittany-ellis carmen-sanchez hate moved-on prize won | Simone Elkeles | |
| ed2a40f | Where's Shelley?" I ask, scanning the room. "Playing checkers, as usual," Georgia says, pointing to the corner. Shelley isn't facing me, but I recognize the back of her head and her wheelchair. She's squealing, a hint that she won the game. As I get closer to her, I catch a glimpse of who's playing against her. The dark hair should have been a clue that my life is about to be turned upside down, but it doesn't fully register. I freeze. It c.. | brittany-ellis checkers georgia reunited-lovers shelley-ellis won | Simone Elkeles | |
| 9837b0d | To alcohol! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems. | Alcoholic beverages | ||
| 229d908 | You quit? I thought you said it was too dangerous to quit, Alex. You said people who try to get out die." "I almost did. If it weren't for Gary Frankel, I probably wouldn't have made it. . . ." "Gary Frankel?" The nicest, geekiest guy in school? For the first time I scan Alex's face and see a faint, new scar above his eye and nasty ones by his ear and neck. "Oh, God! W-what did they d-do to you?" He takes my hand and places it on his chest... | beaten brittany-ellis comfort crying danger gang quit tears | Simone Elkeles | |
| cf8e85d | When I spot Alex leaning on his motorcycle waiting for me in the parking lot, my pulse skips a beat. Oh, boy. I'm in trouble. Gone is his ever-present bandanna. Alex's thick black hair rests on his forehead, daring to be swept back. Black pants and a black silk shirt have replaced his jeans and T-shirt. He looks like a young Mexican daredevil. I can't help but smile as I park next to him. "Querida, you look like you've got a secret." I do, .. | appearance brittany-ellis dress tease wedding | Simone Elkeles | |
| 810d4ac | Hey, How about you ditch those losers and come with us. We'll show you a real good time," one of them shouts through the window. "Fuck off," Doug shouts. One of the guys stumbles out of the car and advances on Doug. Sierra yells something but I'm not paying attention. Instead, I'm watching Alex tear off his jacket and block the guy's path. "Get out of my way," the guy orders. "Don't lower yourself by protecting this white dick." Alex stan.. | alex-fuentes defend doug hispanic pick-up sierra spanish white | Simone Elkeles | |
| 085a8b2 | Sometimes good men need to do things that aren't good. Right?" I ruffle his hair. Luis is way more innocent than I was at his age. "You know, I think you're gonna be the smartest Fuentes yet, little bro." | brother good-men little-brother luis-fuentes smart | Simone Elkeles | |
| ef2f48c | Let's get out of here. You and me, I breathe a sigh of relief as I straddle Julio and Brittany hops on behind me. She wraps her arms around my waist, holding on tight as I speed out of the parking lot. We fly through the streets; which eventually become a blur. I don't even stop when rain starts pouring down. "Can we stop now?" she yells through the deafening storm. I park under an old abandoned bridge by the lake. Heavy rain pounds the ce.. | brittany-ellis dangerous intimate kissing spanish stupid | Simone Elkeles | |
| 2190846 | Come here and lie on your stomach. I know how to give Swedish massages. It'll relax you." "You're not Swedish," I say. "Yeah, well, neither are you. So if I do it wrong you'll never know the difference." | brittany-ellis massage | Simone Elkeles | |
| 8dfa777 | Some writers take to drink, others take to audiences. | Alcoholic beverages |