“Life's generally not so bad-most people just choose to see the negative.”

“It's just not worth it to be so stressed and angry about everything. Life's generally not so bad- most people just choose to see the negative.”

“Right then I wasn't a freak. I wasn't an ice queen. I didn't have powers. What I had was a friend comforting me when I needed it most. Right then I was just a normal girl, and Ryan was the superhero.”

“Aghhh! You don’t get it! I have to resist! No kiss, no matter how good it is, is worth killing you for. I’ve already lost one boyfriend. I am not going tolose another one! Do you understand me?” Ryan didn’t answer my question, but he was positively glowing. “You just called me your boyfriend!” heaccused.“I—” My mouth dropped all the way to my lap. “I did not!”“Yes you did! You said you weren’t going to lose another boyfriend, and that would be me—the other boyfriend you don’t want to lose.”“But…I…I…”“Ha! You said it, and you can’t take it back! You are so my girlfriend now!”“I am not!”“Are too!“Am not!”“So are too!”“Aghhh!” I screamed again. “You are so impossible!”When I screamed, I lost control for a second and let out a burst of energy that stalled the truck.Ryan just grinned at me. He was lucky the car stopped right then, because I was contemplating knocking the stupid cocky smirk right off his face.Instead, I flung the door open.“Bye, honey!” Ryan called playfully as I jumped out of the truck. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow!”

“The way I see it,” Carter said, “I have to keep your secret because if I don’t call a truce with you, that someone who’s going to get killed somedaywill probably be me.” I shrugged. He was right about that. But I smiled again and held out my hand. “Fine. Truce.”“Truce,” Carter agreed, and shook my hand. “So how about a statement for my article?”“Sure. ‘No comment.’ ”

“I haven’t had time,” I said, exasperated. “As soon as I remembered, I came straight here.” Ryan turned to face me before clicking on the results. Ididn’t like the way he was suddenly looking very suspiciously at me. “You were really upset…” he prompted, but I didn’t know what he wanted me tosay.“Your point?”“My point is, when you freaked out you came straight to me for help. That is the most girlfriendy thing ever. I don’t know why you won’t just acceptwhat you are.”

“You’re already mine. You just don’t know it yet.”