Kathleen Peacock

“He kissed me. And then he said it was a mistake."Serena wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Normally, I'd quote that copy of He's Just Not That Into You I picked up at a yard sale but-”

“He turned to face me and his eyes widened. "Are you crying?"He sounded a little panicked, like the sight of a crying girl was scarier than anything that had happened over the past forty-eight hours.”

“Tell me it's not true."He sighed. "Fine. It's not true."...And yet..."Are you lying?"He rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm lying.""Not cool." I muttered.Kyle shrugged. "I didn't want you to start hyperventilating again." His hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it aside. "I figured annoying you was safer than admitting anything.”

“If sharks could smile, they'd smile like he was now.”

“I can't believe I let you talk me into this," muttered Serena, as the number 16 bus rumbled over the bridge connecting the north and south sides of the town."I didn't talk you into anything," I reminded her as we reached Jason's neighbourhood and began passing a string of progressively nicer - and larger - houses. "You invited yourself along.""Okay, then I can't believe you didn't talk me out of this.”

“What a surprise. That boy doesn't have the sense God gave a cactus.”

“Kyle is my best friend. Why would I risk screwing that up?""Mackenzie Catherine Dobson, have you learned nothing from romantic comedies? Do I need to make a trip to the video store?" Tess set her fork down and sighed. "'We're just friends' is the oldest plot device in the book. All it really means is that you're just friends until one of you get the balls to do something about all the unresolved tension.”

“Here, eat this. The chicken gives it protein and I got them to hold the bacon bits."We'd watched Charlotte's Web on cable last week, so I knew it'd be at least a month before she would eat pork again.”

“I was too scared to open my eyes. It was the logic of a child; if you don't open your eyes, the monster won't see you.”

“He shook his head. "You didn't do anything. It'd be like blaming a tornado for ripping through a trailer park. The tornado's just minding its own business. It can't help what it is." A tornado. Something that destroyed everything in its path. A natural disaster. Me.”

“It had never occurred to me that I could lose Amy twice, but that's what it felt like. It felt like I was losing her all over again.”

“Hoisting my brick, I aimed at the white werewolf's head and threw as hard as I could. The brick collided with the wolf's skull and then bounced to the ground. It let go of Kyle and barked out a surprised yelp just as I realized my plan didn't have a step two.”

“Are you alright?" he asked warily. "Sure," I lied as I turned and headed for the stairs. So softly that only a werewolf could hear, I added, "You can't lose what you never had.”

“Jason straightened his shirt. “What’s ‘chauvinistic’ mean?”“It’s in the dictionary next to a picture of your father,” mutteredKyle.”

“If he's dead, I'll never forgive you." I suddenly felt cold and frail and horrible numb.Jason's reply was so soft that I almost missed it." I wont forgive myself, either.”

“People lied. That's just what they did.”

“You can't lose what you never had.”

“Kyle took a deep breath, like he had picked up on the question I hadn't asked. That was one of the differences between him and Jason: Kyle always gave just as much weight and consideration to the things I didn't say as to the things I did.”