teen-literature

What I know about you, Henry,_ he said. __s that you, as big as you are, know how to walk gently on this earth.

I get that. For you, it__ more than following a bunch of rules__o sex, no booze, no swear words, pray every night and twice on Sunday.

I worried I would miss it, and I knew, from losing Wyatt, that things happen the moment the soul is released. Wyatt had been there in the school, watching me, making sure I survived. Souls linger_they do. They linger a bit before they turn toward eternity. It could be that no matter how perfect their future will be, the past still tugs for a moment.

My mom told me once that Wyatt loved her the way a boy will love his mother, but I loved her the way an artist loves another. Jo taught me what that meant.

I really want to believe that when our Quiet Waters kids wake up in the middle of the night, scared, they__l remember being in their bunks with John and Kate and Whit and me right there protecting them,_ he said. __ hope we gave them that sense of belonging because I know there__l be times in their lives when grasping at those bonds could mean the difference between making it and not.

I didn__ look at Thanet. I couldn__ because he would see the hurt on my face.__e loves you,_ Thanet said. __e__ hurting and it__ not just the Quinn thing. It__ being away from you and wondering if you__e hurting, too. Or if you__e having too much fun to hurt. What he really needed was to laugh, though. So we laughed_until he cried.__hat undid me. I looked at Thanet with so many questions on my lips.

Quinn spoke their language__ll mystery and inside jokes, scarred souls and statement shirts. It was a beautiful moment for him__n his element and completely happy.When they started playing, he leaned over and whispered in my ear. __ee that guitar?__ nodded.__hat__ a 1969 Martin D28. Hear me when I say if I had to choose between a beautiful girl and that guitar, I__ choose the guitar. Natch._ He took a huge gulp of water, clearly affected.__aturally,_ I whispered. __t could be why you__e still single.

I needed out. The Jeep wasn__ fast enough. I shut it down, grabbed the keys and started running like a bear was at my heels. I couldn__ even see Henry anymore through my tears so it surprised me when he caught me in his arms halfway. The first thing I did was pound on his chest and ask him why he hadn__ called. The second thing I did was kiss him so hard he couldn__ answer me.

I thought back to Meg__ advice about Hemingway sentences__imple declarative statements that showed the truth and distilled the meaning. My first attempt at that had been cynical and messed up. I gave it a go again.Find one lost sheep.The angels rejoice.

He smiled and squinted at me again, tilting his head up and to the right as he stared. __aybe what I__ attracted to in you is more than your looks and your brain and your humor._ He leaned closer like he had a secret. __t could be your soul,_ he whispered.I pushed his cheek until he was squinting at the door to the kitchen instead. __s this when you tell me I__ your soul mate, O__eill?