Quotes from Maureen Johnson

People always say they can't do things, that they're impossible. They just haven't been creative enough.

Fashions come and go, but jawlines are eternal.

People don't change . . . You just sort of have to take them like they are.

Running away is pretty pathetic, but it's even worse getting caught.

How could she be anxious when everything was so cheerful? Very easily, as it happens. Brain chemistry doesn't care about how pretty things are.

It rang and it rand and it rang. I looked at the screen one last time, then at Stuart, and then I reached my arm back and threw the phone as hard as I could (sadly, not that far), and it vanished into the snow. The eight-year-olds, who were truly fascinated with our every move at this point, chased after it. 'Lost it,' I said. 'Whoops.

With that, I splashed some water on my face, fixed on a smile, and stepped out. I would find Jerome. I would make him explain to me what I was missing. We would laugh, then we would kiss with tongue, and all would be well.

Dr. Everest, got up and gave us a little pep talk. Mostly it boiled down to the fact that it was autumn, and everyone was back, and while that was a great thing, people better not get cocky or misbehave or he'd personally kill us all. He didn't actually say those words, but that was the subtext.

You have to imagine your way through. Never say something can't be done, even if it's weird.

Did you hear? he asked. They found another body around nine this morning. It's the Ripper, definitely. Good morning, I replied. Morning. Listen to this. The second victim...

What tinfoil? he asked.

It took about three minutes for the unassuming Waffle House to become the new offices of the law firm of Amber, Amber, Amber, and Madison. They set up camp in a clump of booths in the corner opposite from us. A few of them gave me an oh, good, you are still alive nod, but for the most part, they had no interest in anyone else.

Before I take you into the beating heart of the story, let's get one thing out of the way. I know from experience that when it comes up later, it will distract you so much that you won't be able to concentrate on anything else I will tell you. My name is Jubilee Dougal. Take a moment and let it sink in.

Never question the girl who works in the library -Eric

Mostly, Stevie forgot she had a body, and when someone else noticed her body, it made her look down and go, huh. Would you look at that. How long has that been there?

Maybe he understood how terrifying it is to do the thing you meant to do.

I don't think I've ever seen you without braids. I thought your hair just grew that way.

It turns out I'm really good at this stuff. I always believed in you, Stevie said. Did you? No, Stevie said. But you have a nice ass, so I let you slide. They smiled at each other from a thousand miles away. Stevie had never felt closer to him.

Don't follow someone into the dark, Stevie. I've seen it happen too many times.

What she didn't display, I noticed, was a boxful of swimming medals. Holy crap, I said, when she set them on the desk. You're like a fish. Oh. Um. Well, I swim, you see. I saw.

It makes you very cool, he said, taking big, jumping steps to get in front of me. CNN would interview you, for sure. Daughter of Flobie! But don't worry. I'll keep them back!

Where do you look for someone who's never really there? Always on a staircase but never on a stair.

His voice was deep and smooth and rich, like what gravy might sound like if gravy could talk.

She stood back and examined the overall effect, then tweaked until the arrangement was just right. Where her books were, she was. Get the books right and the rest will follow. Now she could address the rest of the room.