Simone Elkeles

“I brought a condom," I tell her when I slide her panties down. We're both hot and sweaty, and I can't resist hr anymore."I did, too," she whispers against my neck. "But we might not be able to use it.""Why not?" I expect her to tell em this was all a mistake, that she really didn't mean to get me all hot and bothered just to tell me I'm not worthy enough to take her virginity, but it's the truth.She clears her throat. "It all d-d-depends on whether or not you're allergic to l-l-latex.”

“There are no rules to attraction. Jake is nothing like who I wanted.”

“I've never seen anythin' sexier in my life, and she's not even naked yet.”

“were you sleeping?"He chuckles. "Not by a long shot. I was just tryin' to convince myself not to make a move on you.”

“Daddy, What's the horizontal tango?”

“Hay algunas cosas que Dios nunca tuvo intención de hacer a las chicas, orinar en cuclillas está sin duda en el alto de la lista.”

“Isn't that why we're put on this earth to begin with, to make it a better place? It's not a religious quest; it's a humanitarian one.”

“Brittany and I don't date other people.""Why not?""It's called being boyfriend and girlfriend.”

“He opens his window and motions for me to open mine. When I do, he tries to say something. His voice barely carries through the sound of the rain coming down hard between us.I lean out the car window. "What?" He leans out his window, meeting me halfway. We're both wet and soaked, but neither of us seems to care. "Don't run away from me when I need to tell you somethin' important.""What?" I say, hoping he doesn't notice the tears running down my face, and praying they're getting mixed up with the rain. "Tonight was . . . well, it was perfect for me, too. You've turned my world upside down. I've fallen in love with you, chica, and it scares the fuckin' shit outta me. I've been shakin' all night, because I knew it. I've tried to deny it, to make you think I wanted you as a fake girlfriend, but that was a lie." "I love you, Kiara," he says before his lips move forward and meet mine.”

“Where's my cell phone?" I ask. "And please put a shirt on." He reaches down and grabs my phone off the floor. "Why?" "The reason I need my cell," I say as I take it from him, "is to call a cab and the reason I want you to put a shirt on is, well, because, urn . . ." "You've never seen a guy with his shirt off?" "Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don't have anything I haven't seen before." "Wanna bet?" he says, then moves his hands to the button on his jeans and pops it open. Isabel walks in at that exact moment. "Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on.”

“There's been something nagging at me all day. As long as I'm here with him, I might as well ask. "Did we kiss last night?" "Yes." "Well, it wasn't memorable because I have no recollection of it." He laughs. "I was kiddin'. We didn't kiss." He leans in. "When we kiss you'll remember it. Forever.”

“I'm ready for something private, private and real”

“I don't want to always be 'the best I can be.' I just want to be me. ”

“If you could wish on a star right now, what would you wish for?"I ask him."For time to stop."Why?"He shrugs. "Cause I could live forever at this moment. ”

“My history defines who I am.”

“—Para que lo sepas, Lenny, esta no es una cita —Trish dice. —Entonces, ¿qué es? —Soy yo sintiendo lástima por ti, porque eres un perdedor.”

“I wish my life was a John Grisham novel. His heroes always seem to be one step away from death but come up with a brilliant plan. Unfortunately, real life can’t be wrapped up with a nice little bow”

“It’s not Brittney’s face, not her smile, not even her eyes. All of that surface stuff made the world see her as beautiful, but it was the deeper stuff that made her different.”

“Every time I break out of what is expected of me and do what feels right, I feel stronger.”

“I like that girl more that I can remember likin’ anything in my life. I’m not about to give her up. I’ll start carin’ what people think when I am six feet under.”

“Just the fact that you need me to prove I love you is probably a clue it isn’t working”

“From the moment I told her about my dad, it was as if her whole body sighed in relief. As if someone else’s misery comforted her, made her feel as if she wasn’t alone.”

“Alex, Add it up. No matter how much you want her in your life, she doesn’t belong. A triangle can’t fit into a square. Just pointing out the facts”"“Gracias” I don’t point out that if it’s a big enough square, a small triangle can fit inside perfectly. All you have to do is make a few adjustments.”

“Do I make you nervous?"His gaze travels from my eyes to my breasts and down to where my dress meets my thighs. "In that dress you do.”

“From the moment I laid eyes on you I couldn't stop looking at you. From the moment we talked I couldn't stop arguing with you. From the moment we kissed I couldn't stop kissing you. And from the moment we shared our hopes, fears and insecurities I couldn't stop loving you.”

“I keep my expectations low, so nobody disappoints me." "Yeah, well, I have high expectations." I look toward Miranda. "I guess my friends do, too." "Expectations make people miserable, so whatever yours are, lower them. You'll definitely be happier.”

“Is anyone human actually normal? I'm beginning to think being normal is actually abnormal.”

“Maggie squeezes my hand. It’s a silent message that everything will be okay. Somehow I believe her. In the end everything will be okay. But hurdles have to be jumped through first.”

“What are you gonna do if I break one of your *&^%$ing rules?”

“you think you've never been wrong before?"-alex"sure i have why just last week I bought bobbi brown sandwash petal lip gloss when the pink blossom color would have looked so much better with my complexion. needless to say the purchase was a total disaster"- brittney"ill bet"-alex."havent you ever been wrong before?"-brittany "absolutely. last week, when i robbed that bank over by the walgreens, I told the teller to hand over all the fifties he had in the till. what i really should have asked for was the twenties 'cause there were way more twenties than fifties"- alex"what a disaster"- brittany”

“I now know why people break up in e-mails and text messages.Doing it face-to-face is so hard because you have to stand in front of the person andwitness their reaction. Face their wrath.”

“When my eyes meet his gaze as we're sitting here staring at each other, time stops. Those eyes are piercing mine, and I can swear at this moment he senses the real me. The one without the attitude, without the facade[...]”

“Just FYI," Lenny says, his face still red from the nasty sunburn. "I've got a shitload of condoms in my duffle. Front pocket.""For what?""Listen if you don't know what condoms are for I'm not gonna teach you.""I know what they're for, shithead. I just highly doubt you're getting any ass on this trip.""Watch me," Lenny says. "My boy gets action all the time.""Yeah, I bet your right hand is tired from all that action" I mumble as I walk to the bathroom. "I'm a leftie!" Lenny calls after me.I try not to wince from thinking about it.”

“Stop focusing on the bad stuff because life is too damn short.”

“How funny it is that the most unlikely person sometimes becomes your ally.”

“And right this second I want to live in ignorant bliss.”

“But I know loving someone means losing a part of myself.”

“Unfortunately, real life doesn't have a remote control.”

“There's a thin line between love and hate. Maybe you're confusing your emotions.”

“Gettin' near the fire, chica, doesn't necessarily mmean you'll get burned.”

“A summer apart changes people.s”

“Outward appearances mean everything.”

“I'm the one who got hit by that car, not you,' I tell him. 'Don't act like you're the victim here. You made choices I didn't ask you to make. I'm not sure anyone asked you to make them.' I'm screaming the words, not caring that the entire world can probably hear me. 'You think I like limping everywhere I go? I don't. I'm the victim! Be honest with me! You didn't care about me enough to trust me. I gave you my heart, but it wasn't enough.”

“Why shouldn't I be introspective? We dont' make sense.""Neither do Chocolate and Peanut Butter, but it somehow works." He says "Somehow the mixture of two things is genius.”

“-You think I’ve got a big ego and an attitude problem?-I don’t think you do, Carlos. I know it. Unfortunately, it’s a Fuentes flaw.-I’d call it an asset. It’s what makes us Fuentes brothers irresistible.Carlos and Brittany”

“Hey, Carlos," the Professor says when he walks in. "How was REACH?""It sucked.""Can you be more specific?" my guardian asks."It really sucked," I elaborate, sarcasm dripping from every word.”

“It'll be impossible to protect Brittany for the rest of her life from all the other guys who want to be near her, to see her as I've seen her. Touch her as I've touch her. Man, I never want to let her go.”

“Was Paco in here?”

“I'm losing control."-BrittanyMamacita, I've already lost it."-Alex”

“You're stressing too much about what might be. Do something to take your mind off thinking about what might never happen.”