Miranda Kenneally

“A wise man once said, 'Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.”

“He stares at you at all the time in class. He misses you too.”

“I don't get it. I mean, he told me he loved me and then just disappeared. How could he? We've been best friends forever and now he can't even talk to me? What the hell?”

“I just miss him, that's all." I feel tears welling again. "I hate that we don't play cards anymore. I hate waking up alone.”

“But what happens when you don't find that right person? Do you just spend the rest of your life in a relationship where the conversation isn't great, everything isn't perfect, but it is nice and sweet?”

“And if you didn't want him to take me away from you, maybe you should've talked to me when I needed you so badly on Friday." Tears slip down my cheeks. "Maybe you should've taken me when you had the chance.”

“Sometimes friendship is just that, just being with someone.”

“Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. To get something better, you know?”

“Ty:Damn, he's fine.Damn, he's a good quarterback.Damn, he's nice and sweet.Damn, he's a good kisser.Damn, he's buff.Damn, he's great to his family.Damn, now that I know about Henry,I'm not sure Ty and I are right for each other.Henry:I love the way his curls flop around and hang across his forehead.I love how he never just lets me win. I have to earn it.I love how he touches me just because.I love his loyalty.I love how when we sleep head-to-toe,he always finds a reason to sleep head-to-head instead.I love his unconditional support.I love his spontaneity and crazy sense of humor.I love his stupid dances.I love....him.”

“Henry keeps dealing. When all the cards have been separated, I pick up my stack and shuffle my cards again. Then I look up into Henry's eyes, and he's staring back at me, at my tears, and I see all these tiny wrinkles around his eyes-sadness wrinkles. He frowns, biting his lip.”

“Jordan, he's loved you forever. It's obvious. Have you not seen how he stares at you?”

“All those nights of sharing a bedAll those times he put an arm around meAll the things he's done to make my happy...encouraging me to give Ty a chanceHe must really love me if he'll watch me date another guy just to ensure I'm happyBut he's like my brotherAnd Ty is my boyfriend nowMy dream boyfriendThe guy I lost my virginity toWhat's scary?I'm so hot for Tybut Henry makes me feel wholein a totally different sort of wayeven if I've never considered jumping himF***ety, F***, F***”

“You want me?" "Every bit of you," he mumbles.”

“He whispers, "You're beautiful." "Thank you." I'm not so scared anymore. If he likes me for who I am, it doesn't matter what kind of underwear I'm wearing. Or that I'm not wearing makeup. Or that I'm over six feet tall. "You're really cute too," I say, giving him another kiss on the lips, digging my fingertips into his abs. "I'v never wanted anyone so much in my life.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Thanks for scaring them off. Turn around so I can get dressed." "No." "No?" "No." He stares straight into my eyes. "I didn't scare them off for you. I did it for me. I'm coming in with you.”

“Are you still scared of Mike's room?" I say, giggling. He falls face first onto the pillow I just threw at him. In a muffled voice he replies, "No, I'd rather just stay with you.”

“So what did you want to talk about?" I ask Ty grins that wicked smile of his again. He whispers, "I lied. I just wanted an excuse to sit with you.”

“When unrequited love is the most expensive thing on the menu, sometimes you settle for the daily special.”

“Henry looks from my face back to the field, and his eyes pop open wide. I turn to see why he's gaping: JJ and Carter are messing around, tryingto shove a scrawny wide receiver into Jerry Rice's stroller."JJ!" Henry yells, "You can't fit a freshman in that stroller.”

“Woods? Do you have a sec?" Ty asks."Sure.""Alone?" Ty eyes Henry and Jerry Rice, and I jerk my head at Henry."Fine," Henry says, rolling his eyes. "Divorce me if you must, Woods. I can't believe I've only been married half an hour and I'm already a singleparent." Ty holds the door to the gym open so Henry can get the stroller through. I giggle at the sight of him carrying those diaper bags across thegym.”

“Yo, guys," Ty says, peering down into the stroller. "What the hell is that thing? Satan's spawn?""You'd better watch it!" Henry says. He puts on a serious face, throws an arm around my shoulders, and pulls me in close. "That's our child you'retalking about."Ty smiles, then looks at Jerry Rice. "Its eyes are seriously creeping me out. And I knew something was going on between you two.""You're right," Henry says. "Woods is my husband, and I'm her wife.”

“Shut up!" Henry says, "You're going to wake up Jerry Rice.""Jerry Rice?" Carter says, covering his mouth with a hand. I don't think I've ever seen Carter laugh so hard."Carter, would you like to be the godfather?" Henry asks. "You know, in case anything happens to me and Woods this week?""Charming," Carter says. "I''d be honored. Does JJ get to be godmother?""Obviously," I say."Can I hold Jerry Rice?" JJ asks. "He''s so cute.""No way, man," I reply. "I don't want to wake that thing up before practice. We'll be late if we have to feed it.""What does it eat?" Carter asks."I have to breast-feed, cause I'm the mom," Henry says, continuing to push the stroller toward the locker room."Actually," I say, "It eats a metal rod, made out of, like, lead. So basically, we're learning how to poison babies.""Radical," JJ says as we approach the gym,”

“Congratulations, Mommy," I say, dropping the doll into his hands. "You could've told me I knocked you up.""My bad. I thought you'd force me to get an abortion," Henry replies, taking the baby and cradling it as if it's real. "He has your eyes, Woods.""And your hair." The doll is bald. "Can we name him Joe Montana?""Hells no, his name is Jerry Rice.""No, his name is Joe Montana.""I was in labor with him for fourteen hours!" Henry exclaims as he rocks the baby back and forth. “His name is Jerry Rice."I grin. "Fine.”

“Now that we all have partners, all husbands should come pick up theirprojects."Pick up our project? Shrugging, I stand up and stretch my arms. Henry also stands. "No way, dude," I say. "I'm the man in this relationship.""Oh yeah, absolutely," he says, grinning. He sits back down as I walk to the closet to see this project, which turns out to be one of those fakeelectronic babies. Oh good God. Ms. Bonner hands me a fake baby boy. The doll has these creepy glass eyes that look like they’re staring straightinto my soul. I hold the doll out in front of me like it's a flaming bag of poo and carry it back to Henry."Congratulations, Mommy," I say, dropping the doll into his hands. You could've told me I knocked you up.”