Spark Quotes

“A girl on the cheer squad had once asked Gabriel if having a twin was like looking in a mirror all the time. He'd asked her if being a cheerleader was like being an idiot all of the time - but really, it was a good question.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Just a girl in my math class"
"Just a girl, huh?"
Gabriel glared at him. "Just a girl."
Chris smiled. "So was Becca.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“He looked up, past her, at the bedroom. Finally, a break to the white - but this wasn't much better. Pink carpeting, princess border along the ceiling, white walls, and a gold canopy bed.
"What," he said, "no Barbie dream castle?"
Layne flushed. "Shut up.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Given that sin x = 1⁄4 and x is in Quadrant II, find the exact values of sin2 x and cos2 x WTF. He looked at this every day, and it was still like reading Chinese.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“You know," he said by way of greeting, "the night I caught you with Layne, I called you a future felon. I didn't realize you'd make good on that prediction so quickly."
"That night you dragged Layne out of my driveway, I called you an asshole. Guess we were both right.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Fuck!" He hit the door frame. It hurt. He did it again.
"Problems?"
"Yeah," said Gabriel. "Nick took the car."
Michael didn't even look up from the screen. "Huh. Didn't you do the same thing this morning?"
"Don't talk to me like I'm a little kid."
Now his brothers eyes flicked up. "I'm sorry, was that a mature adult punching the front door?”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Michael always said if he could get them to eighteen without going to jail or getting a girl pregnant he'd consider it a success.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Michael walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "You all right?"

I made my twin brother hate me.
I can't try out for basketball.
I gave my number to some girl who thinks I'm a thug.

Gabriel looked back at his textbook. "Yeah. Fine.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Mr. Merrick, I'd like to speak with you."
Mr. Merrick. He hated when teachers called him that, like he was an old man stopping by to learn a few math tricks.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Were you bluffing about getting out?"
Gabriel grabbed the door handle. When he was standing in the grit and rubble of the shoulder, feeling the rain trail down his collar, he hesitated before closing the door. "You know I don't even have a phone."
"Would now be a bad time for a joke about smoke signals?"
"Fuck you.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“You know how you can trace back moments to one action that didn´t feel important at the time?
But then later, you go back and think about it, and you realize one little decision turned your whole life upside down.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Hey, Mike," he said innocently. "I thought girls weren't allowed to spend the night?"
"Watch it."
"At least your not wearing her shirt."
"I think that's enough.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Gabriel glanced over. "So I made coffee." He'd set up the game, too, for whatever reason. Then he'd sobbed into his mug for forty five minutes, until his coffee went cold and Michael found him sitting there. Gabriel had been worried his brother would bitch about the coffee or the crying or something--he rarely needed a reason in those days. But Michael had just poured himself a cup of coffee and pushed the dice across the table. "You go first.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“The sliding door opened, and then Michael was clomping across the porch. Gabriel didn’t look at him, just kept his gaze on the tree line.
Michael dropped into the chair beside him. “Here."
Gabriel looked over. His brother was holding out a bottle of Corona.
Shock almost knocked him out of the chair. They never had alcohol of any kind in the house. When Michael had turned twenty-one, they’d all spent about thirty seconds entertaining thoughts of wild parties supplied by their older brother.
Then they’d remembered it was Michael, a guy who said if he ever caught them drinking, he’d call the cops himself. Really, he’d driven the point home so thoroughly that by the time he and Nick started going to parties, they rarely touched the stuff.
Gabriel took the bottle from his hand. "Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?”
Michael tilted the botle back and took a long draw. "I thought you could use one. I sure can."
Gabriel took a sip, but tentatively, like Michael was going to slap it out of his hand and say Just kidding. "Where did this even come from?"
"Liquor store."
Well, that was typical Michael. "No, jackass, I meant-"
"I know what you meant." Michael paused to take another drink. "There's a mini-fridge in the back corner of the garage, under the old tool bench.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Michael turned from the counter with a cup of coffee in hand. "Don't start," he said to Gabriel."I didn't say anything. I'm just glad you weren't jerking her around." Gabriel paused. "So I guess you don't have too much baggage after all?"
Michael gave him a look. "Trust me I do." He sat down at the table. "She just has enough to mach."
"What does that mean?"
"It means she has a five-year-old son."
Gabriel went still. "Holy crap."
"So we're taking things really slowly."
"Looks like it."
This was quite possibly the first time Gabriel had ever seen his older brother blush. "It was late. She slept here. We did not-" Michael broke off. "I don't really think I need to explain myself to you."
Gabriel smiled and took a sip of coffee. "No, no, I'm enjoying this.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“She held his eyes. "Truth."
"How did Taylor get you to that party, really?" He gave her a quick once-over. "Especially looking like that."
She shifted to look out at the darkness. "I changed my mind. Dare."
Gabriel slid his cell phone out of his picket and held it out. "Okay. Here. I dare you to call your father and tell him you're sitting in a dark parking lot with me."
"Ooooh." She glared up at him without any real malice. "I don't think I like this game."
He smiled. "Come on, pony up.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Nick jabbed him in the arm with his fork. "What's up with you? Usually you don't shut up about my crap cooking."
"Maybe I don't want to hurt your feelings."
Chris snorted, finally looking up from the plate. "That'll be the day.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“I think you´re beautiful. And I´m no stranger to fucked-up families."
And then he was kissing her again. The addictive pull of his mouth almost had her crawling into his lap. Her hands bunched in his shirt, pulling him closer. [...]
Layne always rolled her eyes in health class when they talked about hormones getting out of control. But right now, she could barely remember her name. She totally got how someone could forget something like a silly little condom.
Suddenly Gabriel was laughing. "How someone could forget what?"
She almost fell off the bench. "I said that out loud?"
"Yeah." He leaned closer, his breath against her jaw. "Just what were you thinking about?”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“A knock sounded on his bedroom wall.
“Black,” he called.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Nick's eyes were like ice. "Maybe we should talk about what happened in third period today. I didn't even ask if you were okay."
What a bastard. "Shut up."
"What happened?" said Michael
"Nothing," said Chris. He glared at Nick across the table
Good little brother.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“He yelled over it. "I'm going to try to get us out of here."
"No-the firs. Like at the farm." Another cough. "In those houses. You can do something to stop it, can't you?"
"Not if you want to keep breathing."
She coughed again, and he pushed her closer to the floor.
"What? I don't-"
"Wrong twin." His voice was grim. "I'm not Gabriel. I'm Nick.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“And on the other long side, completely alone, sat Becca’s father.
The Guide.
“Call me Bill,” he’d said.
Yeah, Gabriel had a few ideas of what to call him.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Nick was waiting for him.
Gabriel hesitated. He wished those text messages had come with some kind of sign, whether Nick was pissed or exasperated or just completely done with him. Hell, a freaking emoticon would have been helpful.
His own room sat pitch-dark at the opposite end of the hallway. A black hole. Gabriel eased around the creaky spot in the floor and slid past his twin's room. Once in his own, he flung his duffel bag onto the ground and shut the door, closing the dark around himself. He sighed and kicked his shoes into the well of blackness under the bed. Maybe Nick hadn't heard him. Maybe he thought he was still out in the car.
"You are so predictable."
Gabriel swore and fumbled for the light switch.
Nick was straddling his desk chair backward, his arms folded on the backrest.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gabriel snapped. "Why are you sitting here in the dark?"
His twin shrugged. Because I knew you'd walk right past my room.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Michael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm a real catch. I'm shocked they're not lined up at the door."
Gabriel reached out and gave his ponytail a yank. "Maybe if you didn't look like Charles Manson, they would be."
"I do not look like Charles Manson."
Gabriel gestured at the door. "Go tap-tap on your lap top and look him up. Dead ringer."
Michael laughed.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“The ground went out from under her. She sucked in a breath, flailing for balance. Arms came around her waist from behind, jerking her back, keeping her feet in the air.
She fought, feeling his chest at her back, but he was too strong.
"Damn it," he said, his voice strained. "Do you want to go in the water?"
That forced her still. Red and white lights still hung in the distance, warring with the stars. Now that she wasn't running the sound of waves hitting the rocks was unmistakable.
And right in front of her.
"The water?" she said numbly.
He put her feet on the ground, but he didn't let her go. "Yeah. Water. Did you miss the part where I said we're parked on a peninsula?”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Fire school? He'd never considered making a career out of his abilities. :I'll think about it," said Gabriel.
Nick clapped him on the shoulder again. "No, you'll do it.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“What is with you?” said Chris.
“Don’t worry,” said Quinn. “I already know he’s an ass.”
“Love you, too,” said Gabriel.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“His door opened, and Michael filled the doorway.
Gabriel yanked the headphones out of his ears, but music still poured out against his comforter. "Ever hear of knocking?"
He wanted his voice to be sharp, but he couldn't generate the usual anger.
He's not worthless. And you're out of line.
"I did knock," said Michael. "Three times.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“If I find out you laid a hand on my daughter--"
"What?" said Gabriel. "You'll stand here and bitch about it?"
"Stop it!" cried Layne, dragging his coat and backpack from the kitchen. Her dad took a step forward.
"I'll have you arrested and charged with trespassing and statutory rape."
"Then I'm going to need another fifteen minutes.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark

“Call me when you’re ready to cut through the bullshit.”
― Brigid Kemmerer, Spark