Brigid Kemmerer

“The first day you meet, you are friends. The next day, you are brothers.”

“Just a girl in my math class""Just a girl, huh?"Gabriel glared at him. "Just a girl."Chris smiled. "So was Becca.”

“I haven't gotten in a fight yet this year!Despite everything, that made her smile. "It's September."He waved a hand. "Details.”

“Given that sin x = 1⁄4 and x is in Quadrant II, find the exact values of sin2 x and cos2 x WTF. He looked at this every day, and it was still like reading Chinese.”

“It means my luck sucks," she said. "It was nice dating a guy wo treated me like a friend instead of a blow-up doll.""You were the one trying to unzip my pants in the truck!""Yeah, well, I thought you weren't interested. I didn't realize that your divining rod just pointed into a different direction.""You're killing me," he said. But it sounded like he was smiling.”

“Adam's thumb tapped against his neck. "Your heart is racing."No kidding.Nick turned his head away and took the ice bag. He set it on the table and had to look into his coffee mug again."Sorry," said Adam. "I know there's no point in pushing your buttons. You're just so adorable when you blush like that." Then he was grinning. "Or like that.”

“Adam touched his face, and Nick froze. His fingers were warm, gentle, and Nick wanted to freeze time.Then Adam said, "I'm an idiot. I should have gotten you some ice."And his fingers were gone, and Nick was sitting there practically breathless with wanting him back.One touch, and he was going to pieces. He wanted to slam his forehead on this table.”

“Gabriel. Number three?" That killed the smile. "Yeah. My twin brother. He says he doesn't care if I go away to school, but I know he does.""Identical twin?""Yeah.""Niiiiice."Nick cut him another look, and Adam smiled. "Sorry.”

“Not special at all.” She changed her mind and leaned in to take a cookie. “I just heard my number called and thought I’d better show up.”

“A girl on the cheer squad had once asked Gabriel if having a twin was like looking in a mirror all the time. He'd asked her if being a cheerleader was like being an idiot all of the time - but really, it was a good question.”

“Becca remembered something Chris had said earlier. "Wait, I thought you would be benched all year if you got in another fight."Gabriel laughed. "You're sweet. I'm not worried.""You're not?""Nah. Don't you remember? They all think I'm Nick.”

“Mom!" Becca stared at her. "You think—you think I'm dating Michael?"Her mom stared back at her, obviously thrown. "You're not?"This would be hilarious if her mom didn't look so serious."Oh my god," cried Becca. "Are you kidding? Michael is the last person I would ever—oh my god. I wouldn't go out with him if someone paid me. Ugh, that's just—""You know I can hear you, right?" called Michael.”

“She was starting to get a little breathless from trailing Casper, though the guys weren’t having any trouble. “How far have we gone? Like three miles?” Gabriel gave her a look. “Like one.” So she needed more cardio.”

“Aren’t your parents going to freak when they see you?”That rough laugh again. “I’d probably freak if I saw them.”

“Give me the gun." Michael put a hand out, his voice soft.Tension rode on the sunlight as she listened to Hunter's breathing shake."It's okay," said Michael. "You don't want to do this."Inch by inch, Hunter lowered the gun into Michael's palm, finally letting go.Michael didn't move. "You alright?"Hunter nodded."Good." Michael wrapped his hand around the hilt.Then he lifted it, cocked the hammer, and put the barrel against Hunter's forehead. "Now where the f*** are my brothers?”

“Could we report Tyler for having a gun?" she said."He's over eighteen," said Chris. "It's probably legal.""It's not legal for him to be shooting at me," she snapped.”

“Rewriting a peace treaty," he said. "Semester project."Talk about a thrill-a-minute. "Why are we moving the desks?"He snorted. "Who the hell knows. He probably read about this in a teachers' magazine.”

“You do his homework?""Just the math. It's a miracle he can count to ten.""I can count to one." Gabriel gave him the finger.Chris sighed.”

“Becky," he said. "Get in the car.""Becca," she corrected automatically. Her voice was breathy, her hands still clenched in fists."For god's sake-" His eyes slid left. "Just get in the car.”

“So, Chris," he said. "You couldn't make a smaller cut?"Nick's eyes were closed, but he smiled."Chris asked me to bite him first."Gabriel gave him a disguested look."You are one sick bastard.""I was desperate." Chris smiled, too, but then he dropped it. "Desperate people do crazy things.”

“Gabriel’s going to be pissed.”It took Nick a second to answer. “Why?”“He’ll have to break his leg so people won’t be able to tell you apart.”

“So are the stories true?” asked Hunter. “Depends,” Becca hedged. “What have you heard?”“That you knocked two seniors on their asses on the soccer field, then flipped off the coach.”“Absolutely true,” said Becca, deadpan.”

“His expression changed, and he took a step back. He looked away. "When you said it was broken, you were just being-""No! It is. My phone. Broken." Now she sounded like Yoda on crack.”

“Mr. Merrick, I'd like to speak with you."Mr. Merrick. He hated when teachers called him that, like he was an old man stopping by to learn a few math tricks.”

“He looked up, past her, at the bedroom. Finally, a break to the white - but this wasn't much better. Pink carpeting, princess border along the ceiling, white walls, and a gold canopy bed."What," he said, "no Barbie dream castle?"Layne flushed. "Shut up.”

“Nick,” he said. “I think I’m going to need you to bite my arm.”“I think I’m going to need you to run that by me again.”

“I shouldn’t have hit him.” She flexed her fingers. “My hand still hurts.”Chris smiled. “Oh, no, I loved that part.”

“She hit him. Hard. Right in the face…“Holy shit,” said Quinn. “Would it be wrong if I applaud?”

“So Chris hit him?” said Quinn, when they were getting close to the bleachers. “Jesus, I love when guys fight.”“Yeah, it was great,” Becca returned flatly. “I should have made popcorn.”“Seriously. When they’re all slow and tentative and circling, and then ka-pow, they just explode with power. It’s totally sexy.” …Quinn grabbed her arm and dragged Becca along. “Come on. If they’re jerks, I’ll punch them.”“Great,” said Becca. “It’ll be totally sexy.”

“To whom it may concern: I’m not involved. Honest. Hugs, Becca.”

“So…why is your brother mean to girls?”“Because,” said Michael from the doorway, “I have three younger brothers who think it’s hilarious to parade jailbait through here on a daily basis.”His tone was enough to make her glad she’d worn the pullover into the house. “No one told me there was a parade,” she said acidly. “And here I forgot my banner.”

“She spilled your secrets,” said Quinn“Yeah?” He sliced off a piece of chicken and glanced across the table. “What’s my name Becca?”Busted. Becca wanted to melt into a puddle.Quinn grinned. “You mean it’s not really New Kid?”

“So let me get this straight.”... “He threw the note at Tommy and then told him to fuck off? Or do I have it backwards?”“I’m detecting some sarcasm.”“And then got himself sent the principal’s office because he was ready to defend your honor?”“Quinn.”“Her friend waved a hand. “No, I think you might be on to something. This is clearly an elaborate plot to screw with you. He asks you out, he defends you from that meathead—what next?” Quinn’s eyes flashed wide in mock surprise. “Crap, Bex, do you think he will do something truly horrible like buy you flowers?”

“Nick smiled. “I kind of like the irony.”“Jesus, you are such a nerd.” Gabriel flung the lighter at him. “Stop using big words.”“Five letters is a big word?”

“So she doesn’t like the rain,” said Gabriel.Nick smiled. “I kind of like the irony.”…Chris sighed. “No one likes the rain.”“You do,” said Nick. He flung the lighter back to his brother. Gabriel caught it. “Maybe we should put some money on it, see how long it takes Chris to get her wet.”

“If you want me to fix your homework, you need to leave me alone.” Then he spotted her. “You’re back.”“Yeah.” She glanced between him and Gabriel. “You do his homework?”“Just the math. It’s a miracle he can count to ten.”“I can count to one.” Gabriel gave him the finger.”

“Hey, little brother.” Gabriel came back through the door and flopped on the bed, drawing his legs up to sit against the wall. “Girls are more likely to stay if you don’t fight with them.”

“Casper, she said someone has to hold your leash.”The dog barked.Then he dipped his head, picked up the end of the leash in his mouth, and trotted after his master.”

“Look. Chris.” She dropped onto the bench again and gripped the edge of the table. “I’m not going to sleep with you,” she whispered fiercely, feeling her cheeks flush. “I’m not going to mess around with you under the bleachers. I don’t give hand jobs in the men’s room, or—““Wow. You like to get all this out of the way up front, huh?”

“He half rose from his seat and reached across another student’s desk to drop the mangled paper clip in front of Tommy.“Look, dude,” he said, his voice low and earnest. “You want to ask me out, you man up and do it proper.”

“Good.” Michael wrapped his hand around the hilt.Then he lifted it, cocked the hammer, and put the barrel against Hunter’s forehead. “Now where the fuck are my brothers?”

“Touch was funny like that. How one movement could choke you and kill you, but another meant nothing more than a caress and an invitation. How sex and rape were just a few motions apart.”

“You're probably thinking I owe you my life."[Chris]"No." she [Becca] snapped."Just sixty bucks.""You charge for the hero act?" [Chris]”