“I suppose you want me to stand out here on the street and tell you all about me and Mom's conversation?""Psh, no," she said. "I listened at the door.""That's my girl.”

“I want to tell you a terrific story about oral contraception. I asked this girl to sleep with me and she said 'No.”

“Look, I need to tell you something,' I continued. The words came stumbling out of me. 'I couldnt stand it if...I dont want you to---'Percy?' she said. 'You look like you're going to be sick.'And that's how I felt.”

“Something EvilI said, "Ikstein stands outside the door for a long time before he knocks. Did you suspect that? Did you suspect that he stands there listening to what we say before he knocks?" She said, "Did you know you're crazy?" I said, "I'm not crazy. The expression on his face, when I open the door, is giddy and squirmy. As if he'd been doing something evil, like listening outside our door before he knocked." She said, "That's Ikstein's expression. Why do you invite him here? Leave the door open. He won't be able to listen to us. You won't make yourself crazy imagining it." I said, "Brilliant, but he isn't due for an hour and I won't sit here with the door open." She said, "I hate to listen to you talk this way. I won't be involved in your lunatic friendships." She opened the door. Ikstein stood there, giddy and squirmy.”

“Lou didn't need to tell me, Luce," he said, looking between me and the field. "I don't need someone to tell me when my girl's in the stands. I could pick you out even if I was playing in the Superdome and you were tucked into the back row.”

“Meg! I love you! I want to marry you!""That's weird," she said without stopping. "Only six weeks ago, you were telling me all about how Lucy broke your heart.""I was wrong. Lucy broke my brain.”