“I think his chutz is up, don't you?”

“The adult chops down his childhood to help his grown-up self. The unsentimentality is appealing, don't you think?”

“I don't know—” the right corner of his lip quirked upward, “—I can eat a lot. I could probably eat you and not think twice about it.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, tilting his shoulders closer to me. “Do you think you're up for that kind of a challenge, little girl?”“Bring it on.”

“Will you get off me!""But I'm giving you CPR-""I will die before kissing you, Hollywood." Z tried to sit up, his breathing heavy. "Don't even think about it.”

“Darleen studies her drawing, then she looks up.'It's not that I don't believe you can get a B,' she says. 'I don't think you're half as dumb as you think I think you are.'If I was smarter, I'm sure I could figure that out.”

“I know you like me, Ara. You don't have to pretend, just because you think it's improper to fall for someone at first sight.” His eyes lit up, shimmering green like a glass marble held up to the sun. “I can see that you feel the same way I do.”Oh, my God! Is this the point where I can jump off the swing and fall into his waiting arms? No. Don't do that. Don't read into it too much. I looked away from his gleaming, white-toothed grin, and clutched the ropes of the swing tighter.”