Humdrum

“I am not a desperate, unsteady child who throws his trust around. I am not damaged.”
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant

“No, I know,” Levi said. “But it’s not you. You don’t push through every moment. You pay attention. You take everything in. I like that about you—I like that better.”

Cath closed her eyes and felt tears catch on her cheeks.

“I like your glasses,” he said. “I like your Simon Snow T-shirts. I like that you don’t smile at everyone, because then, when you smile at me.… Cather.” He kissed her mouth. “Look at me.”

She did.

“I choose you over everyone.”
― Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

“As soon as Santangelo and Raffy’s heads go under, Griggs leans over and kisses me. It’s a hungry kind of kiss, like he’s been dying to do it for ages and he can’t get enough but after a while I open my eyes and just stare at him.

“You’re supposed to close your eyes,” he says, a little unnerved.

“I’m not supposed to do anything,” I say, moving away from him and looking into the river, waiting for Raffy and Santangelo to come back up.

“Is there a problem here?”

“There’s nothing here.”

“Really? Because that wasn’t the message you were giving me last Saturday night.”

“And between last Saturday and today there have been at least six days, so let’s just say that I’m going by the message that you’ve been giving me since then.”

“We’ve been surrounded by the Santangelo circus and that little pest who is either attached to you surgically or me and then, when they’re not around, Casanova Cassidy is hanging off every word you say or Raffy is giving me one of those ‘girl zone only’ looks,” he says. “So if I haven’t been giving you the attention—”

“So you’re admitting it. That you can just switch this on and off?”

“Yeah, whatever you say. I’m over it.”

“Good, because I was never into it!”
― Melina Marchetta, On the Jellicoe Road

“When one day fate visits us again, Jessa comes running into Hannah’s house to tell us the news that they’ve caught the serial killer. Her tone is hushed and I try hard not to look at Jude, who is working on the skirting boards. But I can feel the humour in his gaze as it falls on me and I know that I will never live down the fact that I suspected him.

When I ask her, “Who?” slightly curious, she’s already out the door looking for Hannah and Tate. “No one important!” she shouts from the other room. “Just some postman in Yass.” I look at Jude’s face and I see it whiten and we vow never ever to tell the others.”
― Melina Marchetta, On the Jellicoe Road