Alex Ridgemont Quotes

“Sometimes I think people take reality for granted.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Believing something existed and then finding out it didn't was like reaching the top of the stairs and thinking there was one more step.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I didn't have the luxury of taking reality for granted. And I wouldn't say I hated people who did, because that's just about everyone. I didn't hate them. They didn't live in my world.

But that never stopped me from wishing I lived in theirs.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“No, you're not a bad person," he said. "And Richter isn't a bad person, and I'm not a bad person. We're just people, and people sometimes do stupid things.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Dear Asshole: Thank you for keeping your word and believing me. It was more than I expected. Also, I'm sorry you were inconvenienced by my gluing your locker shut at the beginning of this year. However, I am not sorry that I did it, because it was a lot of fun. Love, Alex.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Did you meet your soul mate? That always happens on the first day of school, right?'

'Oh God, Charlie, she's letting you read again! You went straight to the paranormal section, didn't you?”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“In a weird way, it felt like he belonged here. He belonged in the land of phoenixes and witches, the place where things were too fantastic to be real.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Was there some kind of law about drop-kicking assholes in the face? Probably. They always had laws against things that needed to be done.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Mile's fingers pressed into the small of my back. "Basorexia," he mumbled.
"Gesundheit."
He laughed. "It's an overwhelming desire to kiss."
"I thought you weren't good at figuring out what you felt."
"I'm probably using the word in the wrong context. But I'm pretty sure that's what this is.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Our neighbors turned to stare at us, because Miles Richter laughing was one of those things that the Mayans had predicted would signal the end of the world. He wasn't particularly loud about it, but it was Miles laughing, a sound no mortal had ever heard before.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“The only thing missing was Miles. But he was probably circling somewhere, destroying villages and hoarding gold in his mountain lair.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I think you're an improvement on my imagination," I said, flipping back through the pages.
"You, too," he said. "My imagination—well, what little imagination I have—doesn't quite live up to the real thing."
"Agreed," I said. "The real thing is much better.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“My parents didn't grow up here or anything. They chose to live in this nowhere town. Why? Because it was named after Hannibal of Carthage. Their basic train of thought was this: Hannibal's Rest? And we're naming our child after Alexander the Great? MARVELOUS. Ah, the history, it tickles.

Sometimes I wanted to beat my parents over the head with a frying pan.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“There is no force in high school more powerful than one person's blunt disagreement.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I realized everyone around me was wearing a uniform. Black pants, white button-down shirts, green ties. Gotta love the smell of institutional equality in the morning.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Yeah. I told you he was crazy, right? I heard he does some weird stuff at home, too.' He said it with a conspiratorial stage whisper. 'Like mowing his lawn, and trimming his peonies.'

'Peonies?' I balked. 'God, he really is a freak.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Are you French?' I asked instead.

'Oui!'

Foreign. Foreign spy. French Communist Party acted on Stalin's instructions during part of World War II. French Communist spy.

Stop it stop it stop it

I turned to Art, a black kid who was a foot and a half taller than me and whose pecs were about to burst of his shirt and eat someone. I gave him a two on the delusion detector. I didn't trust those pecs.

'Hi,' he rumbled.

I waved weakly.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I wished I had put more cherries on that slice. The whole jar of cherries. I could watch him eat a whole jar of cherries.
Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, what was happening to me?”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“You know a school is run by stuck-up sons of bitches when it doesn't even have a bike rack.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I was diagnosed a thirteen. Paranoid got tacked on about a year later, after I verbally attacked a librarian for trying to hand me propaganda pamphlets for an underground communist force operating out of the basement of the public library. (She'd always been a very suspect type of librarian--I refuse to believe donning rubber gloves to handle books is a normal and accepted practice, and I don't care what anyone says.)”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“It kind of felt like she was kicking me in the gut, and every kick said
I don't want you.
I don't need you.
I don't love you.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I stood there looking stupid, because that’s what I do when I’m accused of something I didn’t do. Forget making a case or, you know, denying that I’d done it.

Denying hadn’t helped me in the past.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I work at the deli counter. Have to give people their succulent, chemical-ridden salami and whatnot.'

I pictured Miles in a dark room, standing at a butcher's block with a large knife in one hand, a blood cow's leg steadied under the other, a huge Cheshire grin spreading over his face--

'I bet the customers love you,' I said.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“I was the big sister. I was supposed to set and example and lead the way so people would say, 'Hey, you're Alex's sister, aren't you? You two look exactly alike!' instead of 'Hey, you're Alex's sister, aren't you? Are you crazy, too?'

The only example I was ever going to set for her was to always check her food before she ate it.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Here.' Miles unzipped the backpack and pulled out the container of IcyHot. 'Go to the dresser. Should be one of the top drawers--smear this in the crotch of every pair of underwear you find.'

'I--what?' I took the container. 'That's disgusting.'

'I'm paying you fifty dollars for this,' Miles hissed, turning toward the bed.

I went to the dresser and yanked open the top drawer on the left. Empty. Crisp white underwear and boxers filled the one on the right.

Well... at least they were clean.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Also,' McCoy continued, 'this is the yearly reminder that our beloved scoreboard's birthday, the anniversary of its donation to the school, is coming up in just a few short weeks. So everyone get ready, prepare your offerings, and be ready to celebrate this great occasion!'

The PA system went quiet. I stared at the ceiling. Did he just say 'offerings?'

For a scoreboard?”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“The first thing I noticed about East Shoal High School was that it didn't have a bike rack. You know a school is run by stuck-up sons of bitches when it doesn't even have a bike rack.

I shoved Erwin behind the blocky green shrubs lining the school's front walk and stepped back to make sure the tires and handlebars were hidden. I didn't expect anyone to steal, touch, or notice him, since his rusty diarrhea color made people subconsciously avert their eyes, but I felt better knowing he was out of harm's way.”
― Francesca Zappia, Made You Up

“Do you do this all the time?' he asked.

'No,' I said. 'Just today.'

He smiled.”
― Francesca Zappia