“Nora: this is crazy. Patch: i’m crazy. About you.”

The truth is, normal might take years. Normal might never happen. But its definitely not going to happen if i lounge around here watching soaps and avoiding life. Im going to school today, end of story.

…Five minutes from now, when everything else had dropped away and i realized the full impact of what id done, id feel my heart breaking.

I have a free couple of hours,” i told him, walking toward my car, which was parked on the next block. “there’s a very private, very secluded barn in lookout hill park behind the carousel. I could be there in fifteen minutes.” i heard the smile in his voice. “you want me bad.

Before i could stop myself, i punched his arm. Careful, he said in a low voice. They might think were flirting.

Im really starting to like all this spy work, vee said. When my normal life gets boring, all i have to do is sidle up next to you.

Jev stroked his chin. “do i look like a summer fling?

Patch? Whatever happens, i love you.” i wanted to say more, those three words painfully inadequate for the way i felt about him. And at the same time, so simple and accurate, nothing else would do.

What i really wanted was the impossible.

Science is an investigation,” coach said, sanding his hands together. “science requires us to transform into spies.” put that way, science almost sounded fun. But i’d been in coach’s class long enough not to get my hopes up.

Don’t blame me. Tell your mom to move closer. Tell her there’s this new club called civilization and you guys should join.

I looked to the window. Patch was gone, but a single black feather was pressed to the outer pane, held in place by last night’s rain. Or angel magic

Something doesn’t look right,” vee said. “is the tire supposed to look like that?” i banged my head against the nearest tree trunk. “so we’ve got a flat,” vee said. “what now?

You find the wrong boy, you ask for trouble. You find the right boy, you find love.

Maybe scotty the potty turned into scotty the hottie. Have you thought about that?

I didnt break his jaw, but if he lays a hand on you, it will be the first of many things to break, patch said.

Patch: lets get out of here. Nora: where are we going? Patch: youll see.

I’ll be firm,” i promised patch, adopting a no-nonsense expression. “no backing down.” by now patch was full-on grinning. He kissed me again, and i felt my mouth soften its resolve. “you look cute when you’re trying to be tough,” he said.

I undress to impress – patch

She’ll kill me if she finds you in here. Can you climb trees? Tell me you can climb a tree!” patch grinned, “i can fly.

Patch’s eyes were slate black, darker than a million secrets stacked on top of each other. He dropped his gaze to the ring in his hand, turning it over slowly. “swear you’ll never stop loving me,” i whispered. Ever so slightly, he nodded.

Does patch have a restraining order against him?’ he read. ‘is patch a felon?’ ‘give-me-that!’ i hissed furiously. Patch gave a soft laugh, and i knew he’d seen the next question. ‘does patch have a girlfriend?

It is extremely rough to follow through with my goals, but I felt a responsibility to show the world what the African Americans are facing through this rough patch.

She would fondly call him her Frankenstein, this man who was a patchwork of all the things she had ever longed for.

Mineral water is a preposterous vanity, either bottled in glass which is stupidly heavy to freight, or in plastic that ends up in one of the plastic patches the size of Texas occupying our oceans.