James Patterson

“I led the way toward the crowd, trying to look casual, like, Fly? Me? Nah.”

“I still felt like I might hurl, and I thought about how awful that would be in midair.”

“We probably looked like starving orphan children. Hey! We were starving orphan children.”

“I flipped down the visor so I could check myself in the mirror, and something small and heavy dropped into my lap.I froze, my breath stuck in my throat. What—?Gingerly, I looked down. It wasn’t a grenade. It was a key ring. One key was for this van. I looked at it blankly.“Well, that’ll simplify things,” Fang said.”

“Veins practically popping out of his neck, the jerk leaned out his window and yelled a bunch of swear words, including a new one I tucked away in my brain for future use, if necessary.”

“When did they start coming after you?”“Was it—was it after the oil- slick Hummer crash?” the Gasman asked Iggy tentatively.My eyes widened. Oil-slick Hummer crash?Iggy rubbed his chin, thinking.“Or maybe it was more---after the bomb,” the Gasman said in a low voice, looking down.“I think it was the bomb,” Iggy agreed. “That definitely seemed to tick them off.”“Bomb?” I asked incredulously.”

“I have an idea. It’s risky, and Max will kill us when she finds out.”Iggy raised his head. “Sounds like my kind of idea.”

“Angel wanted them all to burn in h-e- double toothpicks forever.”

“Fang was going to kill me. And after I was dead, he would kill me again.”

“A vet! I started laughing weakly and had to sit on the edge of the tub. A vet. Wait till they found out how appropriate that was.”

“Iggy nodded. “I’m bummed we couldn’t use Big Boy,” he said. “But I don’t want to waste it. We have to actually see them first. I mean, you do.”“Maybe tomorrow,” the Gasman said encouragingly. “We’ll go see what havoc we’ve wreaked.”“Wrought.”

“It’s, like, a safety bomb.”-Iggy”

“Maybe he was a good a good whitecoat—like Jeb. And maybe the moon was made of cream cheese.”

“Jeezum—humans were like eggshells.”

“Even needing to get to Angel, we couldn’t forget the basic necessity of eating.”

“Iggy’s spine tightened, his face like ice. When he’d been at the School, they’d tried to surgically enhance his night vision. Now he was blind forever. Oops.”

“And then as always, I saw the prayer coming at me. And, as always, Number 1 killed me! Set me on fire, cooked me to medium rare and then ate me!I really, really, really hope I haven't just given away the ending of this story.”

“Everything I loved was taken away from me, and I did not die.”

“If you love something let it go.. if it comes back its yours”

“Jane-Sweetie, we've talked about your weight-" my mother began.I'm only eight years old," I said. "How about I promise to be anorexic later?”

“The other Max looked at me, and her eyes narrowed. 'They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,' she said snidely. 'So I guess you're really sucking up.''Who are you?' I gasped, my eyes wide. 'You're an impostor!''No she isn't.' The little creepy one, Angel, turned to look at me. Her arm was still bleeding where Ari had bitten it. 'You are.'I swallowed my anger. Who did she think she was, her and her stupid dog? I gave a concerned smile. 'But Angel,' I said, sincerity dripping from my voice, 'how can you say that? You know who I am.''I think I'm Angel,' she said. 'And my dog isn't stupid. You're the stupid one, to think that you could fool us. I can read minds, you idiot.”

“My invite must have gotten lost in the mail," she said venomously. "But I don't mind crashing this party.-Maximum Ride talking to Max II”

“Once I was seated, I couldn't help people-watching. I'll admit it, I'm an addict from way back.”

“Look, I guess it's natural, you're teenagers, its springtime,everyone's thoughts are turning to birds and bees and caterpillars and moths.....- Iggy”

“I'm a freaking princess when it comes to other people's feelings. Yo dogbreath, get your paws of the everglades. -Max”

“Excuse me? I'm alive too.”

“Holy [Insert your choice of a swear word here]," said Fang stunned.”

“Then I went to bed and cried into my pillow. I wasn't sad, not at all. It was just so beautiful to have an intense feeling and the right words at the same time.What are we but our stories?”

“I vill now destroy de Snickuhs bahs!"-Gazzy”

“Love hurts,”

“i play a mean harmonica”

“the next morning, fang and i broke up. now let me get this strait, i broke up with him. a split second after he broke up with me.”

“you...are...a...frige...with...wings...we...are...freaking...ballet...dancers!”

“What did that stupid deserting crap-bag ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend with the most perfect stupid hair do? He DIDN'T delete his crap off the desktop before he fled my life and left me all alone. That's what he did.”

“I dropped my voice and stared into her eyes. I could tell she was trying hard not to look away. I was so furious I could have cheerfully ripped her head off. "But you're going to find out, Mom,' I said very softly."And it's gonna give you nightmares for the rest of your wasted life."Oh, my God, I was so badass. It was all I could do to not give a MWA HA HA!”

“Every other person in the world would have looked at it and thought, Max would hate this. It was girly. It was beautiful. It wasn't made of titanium and black leather with spikes on it. But it seemed exactly right, in a weird, heart-fluttery kind of way. And I really loved it.”

“Uh-oh,' said Gazzy, but Angel was so nauseated she didn't have time to leap to a safe distance, or grab a gas maskBbbbbrrrrrrrttthhhhhhttttttt.'Mother of God, no!' Total cried, doing a fast belly-crawl to the pool and throwing himself in. 'You said it wasn't your digestive system!''What was that?' Dylan asked. He winced and threw an arm oer his nose and mouth....'Sorry,' Gazzy said miserably, but he couldn't help a tiny grin.Nudge was clawing at a stack of towels to cover her face.'Nice one, Gaz,' said Iggy....'Wait-that was Gazzy? Is that why you call him...Oh, crap,' Dylan said weakly.”

“I want to be able to see stuff," Iggy said. "Like I used to, when I was little. And I want to be able to totally kick Jeb's butt.”

“Fang! Come Back!" I started pulling his hair. Shaking his head and shoulders. Hard. "Wake up! Snap out of it! You stupid jerk! I am going to kill you if you die on me!”

“I stood my ground. "You evil scientist are all the same--evil. Count me out."Fang and I brushed past Mr. God and walked quickly but smoothly to the exit. It was barely noon, and I'd already made a huge enemy.Dang, I'm good.”

“Max:"So the first thing we're going to do," I told him, "is push you off the roof.”

“Just between you and me and the lamppost, Dylan could easily be any girl's perfect other half. If I didn't already have a perfect other half, I might have been thrilled with the gift of my very own gorgeous mutant.”

“But if you think I'm going to let you give up on us now, you've got another think coming. Yes, you're a blind mutant freak, but you're my blind mutant freak, and you're coming with me, now, you're coming with us right now, or I swear I will kick your skinny white ass from here to the middle of next week.Iggy raised his head. Flashes of light told me that the cops were almost on top of us. Iggy, I need you," I said urgently. "I love you. I need all of you, all five of you, to fell whole myself. Now get up, before I kill you."Iggy stood. "Well, when you put it that way...”

“He's gonna be fine," I confirmed.Can we see him?" Iggy asked.Ig, I hate to break it to you, but you're blind.”

“You want me to helpyou because fair is fair?Life isn't fair Dean. Tryhelp me so I don't ripyour spin out and beatyou with it. I might respondto that. Maybe.”

“In this family, we always celebrate each other's birthdays. I don't care if you're four or fourteen or forty and scattered around the world. We gotta stick by each other, okay? And meals- as long as you live under the same roof, you have at least one meal a day together. I don't care if it's a dreaded hot dog in front of the dastardly TV as long as you're all there. -Maeve Bennett”

“Awwww, lame, we're not going to disneyworld. (said by the amazing talking dog, Total)”

“What are you guys doing? If you anted me to take a shower, all you had to do was pay me ten bucks, like you usually do”

“I RAISED AN EYEBROW AT HIM, AND HE STUCK OUT HIS TONGUE AND CROSSED HIS EYES WHEN JOSH TURNED AWAY FROM US TO GET THE FLYERS. IT WAS SUCH A DORKY MOVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE FELT SORRY FOR HIM, BUT IT WAS GENUINELY...CUTE”

“I was crazily, deeply, incredibly, joyously, terrifiedly in love.”