Marta Acosta

“A very ladylike bosom,” she said, approvingly.“There’s nothing there,” I complained.The clerk grinned. “I have been fitting bras for twenty-five years and noone ever thinks her breasts are good enough,” she said. “You’ll save yourself alot of unhappiness if you accept and enjoy what you have. Neat little breasts arevery chic.”

“Jane, this young man is Jacob, my oldest son. It’s no secret that aheadmistress’s biggest challenge is her family. Jacob, say hello to Jane.”“Hello to Jane,” he parroted, pulling out the pockets of his shorts in a sillycurtsey.I couldn’t decide if it was the dumbest thing I’d ever seen, or the funniest,so I stared back at him.”

“Lily, the girl who’d talked back to the jock, said, “I want to get as far awayfrom my parents as possible. We’re like potassium and water.”The other kids laughed and I said, “Huh?”“If potassium comes into contact with water, it instantly combusts,” Lilysaid slowly so if she was talking to a child.”

“I took one look at his composed face and know he doesn’t understand,because if he did understand, he would be weeping, too, for this boy who loved a world that never loved him.”

“I used a light hand with my makeup because I wanted to look good without looking like a good time.”

“It's a mystery to me why extraordinary young women insist that they're normal.”

“You know, I've always hated those stories about princes and princesses with some extraordinary ability, special because they're born special.' 'Like me?' He smiled wickedly, making me laugh a little. 'I didn't see how those were happy stories, because life has given princes and princesses enough unearned advantages. I'd rather believe that anyone can accomplish remarkable things when she really tries. Maybe her accomplishments will never be recognized, but simply loving and caring for someone else, that's miraculous to me.”

“I said his name softly to myself. Lucky. Lucian Radcliffe. His name must come from the Latin lucianus, meaning light, and that's what he was, golden and bright.I didn't care what Jack's name meant. Probably Jackass.”

“I'm driving so it's your job to make small talk.""Oh.""Not that small." He waved at the security guard as we left the club. "Make medium talk.”

“Life isn't fair, so you have to play the best game you can with the cards you're dealt.”

“Sometimes you suffer for the things that are important to you.”

“Who are we without our memories?”

“I've created a monster""No you just released one.”

“It really turns me on when you talk geek.”

“He was muttering now and I could barely make out his words. "I'm going to die without ever feeling a woman's tits.""Go ahead," I said. It was about time I used the power of my chichis for good and not for evil.”

“Slim and neatly groomed, he looked like a really sexy mathematician unaware that he was a prime number. I wanted to unbutton his shirt, muss his hair, and exclaim, "Good heavens, Professor Dracula, you're stunning!”