Chelsea M. Campbell > Quotes

“My mom's a mad scientist. It's a lot like being a regular scientist, except without worrying about legal or moral limitations, and it's a commom profession among the scientifically inclined supervillain.”
― Chelsea Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“I've been kidnapped by a madman in tights and a cape.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell

“I'm partial to telling all the sharks they're not as cool as they think they are, and that it's people like them who bankrupt the tooth fairy and don't leave any tooth money for the rest of us. Or we can make out some more. I'm planning on moaning, 'oh, Salty! You bad sea demon!' next time. Just so you're prepared."
Kat grins. "Who says we can't do both?"
"I knew I loved you." I lean in and kiss her. And then a shark swims by and I shake my fist at it and ask it where all my quarters are.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“I explained that I'd been homeschooled but that didn't help. She must have been picturing cavemenlike supervillians in capes grunting and showing me how to rub two sticks together to make the pretty fire stuff.”
― Chelsea M Campbell

“I mean, before I innocently knocked him off Sarah’s bed and he, all on his own, injured himself by not falling to the floor properly.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Trials of Renegade X

“This is why everyone thinks villains are evil. Because when superheroes start spouting off crap about how much better they are than us, it makes it really hard not to kill them.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Trials of Renegade X

“Maybe there's hope for her after all. I'm upgrading her future potential to trophy wife and/or anchorwoman on the local news.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Betrayal of Renegade X

“Nobody here tonight has looked at me like I’m the scum of the earth, or like I shouldn’t exist. Like I don’t deserve to. And I know it shouldn’t feel weird to be treated like a real person, but a weight lifts from my chest that I didn’t even know was there.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Betrayal of Renegade X

“know what”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“At the other end of the train car, the middle-aged man opens his coat to reveal a red supervillain outfit underneath. His chest has the letters TB on it, plus a picture of jacks. Not the kind you use on a car, but the kind kids play with. And the TB doesn’t stand for tuberculosis, either. This is Jack the Toy Boy. Erg. His name makes him sound more like a porn star than a supervillain.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“Alex, my nine-year-old half brother, looks up at me adoringly and says, “I can’t wait to go to Heroesworth, just like you!” I gave him a dollar to say that. Though he’s laying it on a little thick, which isn’t what I paid for. I guess I can’t expect quality at such low prices.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Betrayal of Renegade X

“I can’t do it on command.”

“You don’t have to. Everyone just needs to think you can. And that you’re choosing not to and honoring your vow.”

“My vow. What, exactly, did I promise to do?”

He suddenly gets real interested in a book on the shelf.

“Amelrik?”

“It’s, uh, not important. Oh, look. Here’s one for you. Start with this.” He hands me another book.

This one is a lot thinner, with drawings, clearly meant for children. I think it might be the alphabet. “I don’t want to learn your language—I want to know what you said!”

He stares at me. “You hear what’s wrong with that, right?”

“You know what I mean! What did I promise?”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound

“I do not have words for what I want to do to Gordon, my loving father, right now. He’s dressed as the Crimson Flash, the world’s moralest superhero, and no one thought to stop him as he dragged a sixteen-year-old boy through the streets of Golden City, going, “It’s okay to be nervous. I was my first time, too. It’s hard to take the plunge, but before you know it, you’re going to be enjoying the ride.” Why couldn’t anybody have taken that out of context and saved me?”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“He’s got a lot of bad ideas and thinks people will listen to him if he just says everything forcefully enough and shoots down anyone who argues with him. A method that was working pretty well for him, actually, at least until I showed up.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Trials of Renegade X

“There’s a look of surprise on his face when he answers. Then his eyes dart away guiltily. “Vee . . . I thought . . . I thought you were still mad.”

“Oh, I am. Don’t think this visit means I’ve forgiven you.”

He swallows. “Well, I heard. About your . . .” He bites his lip, struggling to come up with the right words.

“Betrothal?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure my future husband will keel over our first time together. Before anything, you know, happens. Then I’ll have fulfilled my family duty.”

“Uh . . . right.” He wrinkles his nose. “Until your father makes another arrangement.”

“I’ll be in mourning. He won’t be able to arrange anything for at least another six months.”

“Well, as long as you have it all figured out.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound

“Amelrik groans as he slowly pulls himself to his feet. He has a black eye and a bloody lip, but it looks like those are the least of his injuries.

“Virgin,” he whispers, and there’s a catch in his throat, like he’s so relieved to see someone, even me, that he might cry.

“It’s Virginia,” I mutter, glancing away.

“You’re here to torture me with words now, is that it?”

“I-I shouldn’t have—I have to go.”

“No, stay.” The word comes out desperate, urgent.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound

“Maybe those other kids haven’t given you a reason not to trust them, but they haven’t given you a reason why you should, either. I have.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Trials of Renegade X

“One benefit of being the black sheep in the family—or in this case, being the only half villain and going to an all-hero school—is that everyone expects me to screw up. So when I don’t, it’s like I performed a miracle.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Betrayal of Renegade X

“That left only four potential people, and one of them is a girl, and I don’t think she did any siring.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“Well, I don’t know anyone who’s done it, do you?” And I don’t know anyone who was conceived in a public bathroom either, because things like that don’t happen. No, they do not.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“fluent in being human.” “In”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound

“I stepped inside a church once, when it was raining really hard and I couldn’t get my umbrella open. It smelled like old people, and every little noise I made echoed really loudly. I remember everyone in the pews turning to stare at me funny, but that could have been because I interrupted their service. You know, by jumping up and down and screaming that God was burning me.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Rise of Renegade X

“We move to the far side of the clearing. Amelrik stands right in front of me, his head held high, like he’s putting on a brave front as he faces his executioner. He takes a step back. Then another. Then he changes his mind and steps forward again. He wipes his palms on his pant legs and takes in a slow breath. “Okay. Okay. I’m ready. Do it now. I’m—No, no, wait. Wait!”

You’d think from the way he’s saying that that I was actually doing something, instead of watching him have some kind of breakdown. “We don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, we do.”

“But we don’t have to do it today.”

“If we put it off, I’m going to lose my nerve.”

“Going to?”

He glares at me. “I wore that dragon ring for ten days, I think I can handle this.”

“You know you don’t actually have anything to worry about, right? There’s no way I’m really going to manage the binding spell.”

“Just hurry up before I change my mind.”

“Chicken out, you mean. But . . . okay.” ”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound

“Virgin,” he whispers, and there’s a catch in his throat, like he’s so relieved to see someone, even me, that he might cry.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound

“I wouldn’t have listened, either, when I was your age. But maybe that’s a good thing. If kids listened to their elders, the world would be full of people who never try.”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, The Phobia of Renegade X

“pissing”
― Chelsea M. Campbell, Dragonbound