“
The reason I want you to put a shirt on is, well, because, um..."
"You've never seen a guy with his shirt off?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don't have anything I haven't seen before."
"Wanna bet?" he says, then moves his hands to the button on his jeans and pops it open. Isabel walks in at that exact moment.
"Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
La cucaracha, La cucaracha, Ya no puede caminar, porque no tiene, porque le falta, I don't know the rest, la la la la!
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
And while my mind is telling me I'm flirting with her just to prove a point, my body wants to play "you show me your perky privates and I'll show you mine.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
How funny it is that the most unlikely person sometimes becomes your ally.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
When they’re together, the world could fall apart around them and they’d never notice or care as long as they have each other.
About Alex and Brittany.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
Normal? I'm not normal enough for you?" Carlos says. "You want this guy instead? Did you notice his hair doesn't move? That's not normal. You want to date him again, go ahead. Hell, if you want to marry him and be Kiara Barra the rest of your life, be my guest."
"That's not want I--"
"I don't want to hear it. Hasta," Carlos says, ignoring me and walking away.
I feel my face heat in embarrassment as I look at Michael. "Sorry. Carlos can he abrasive sometimes."
"Don't apologize. The guy obviously has major issues and, for the record, my hair moves... when I want it to.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
Sorry for the delay," Vogel said. "I was required to make a bomb.
”
”
Andy Weir (The Martian)
“
If my name was Richard, I'd go by Richard or Rich...not Dick. Hell I'd even settle for being called Chard.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
There’s always time for arguin’ when you’re a Fuentes.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3))
“
He laughs. "Put some clothes on so you don't scare poor Kiara with your morning hard-on."
I look down at my shorts. Sure enough, I've got la tengo dura in front of Kiara and Tuck. Shit. I reach out for the first thing I can grab and put it in front of me to shield myself from view. It happens to be one of Kiara's stuffed animals, but I don't have much choice right now.
"That's Kiara's Mojo," Tuck says, laughing. "Get it? Mojo?
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
He auditioned with Lily, and he and Lily had incredible chemistry that sort of blazed off the scene. I’m just sitting here watching this on my computer, and you know, he was not the only person they’ve ever sent me to look at. I’ve gotten lots of headshots and this and that, and I’m watching the audition and I literally started crying because that was my Jace and Clary on the screen. And it’s an incredible feeling to see that even as an audition. This is amazing. He was snarky funny where he needed to be snarky funny, and he was badass where he needed to be badass. And he and Lily were incredible together
”
”
Cassandra Clare
“
Parker, what are you doing?” “Making a funny face in an effort to make you stop staring at me like I murdered your beloved goldfish.
”
”
Penny Reid (Attraction (Elements of Chemistry, #1; Hypothesis, #1.1))
“
I’m not going anywhere until you hear me out.”
Oh, please no. Anything except having to listen to her lecture. I push the button that calls the nurse.
“Can we help you, Alex?” a voice bellows through the speaker.
“I’m bein’ tortured.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
You’re not the only one in this relationship who loves a
challenge,” he says. “And just so you know for the future, I like my double-chocolate chip
cookies warm and soft in the middle . . . and without magnets glued to them.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
you think you've never been wrong before?"-alex
"sure i have why just last week I bought bobbi brown sandwash petal lip gloss when the pink blossom color would have looked so much better with my complexion. needless to say the purchase was a total disaster"- brittney
"ill bet"-alex.
"havent you ever been wrong before?"-brittany
"absolutely. last week, when i robbed that bank over by the walgreens, I told the teller to hand over all the fifties he had in the till. what i really should have asked for was the twenties 'cause there were way more twenties than fifties"- alex
"what a disaster"- brittany
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
You were lookin’ at me like you wanted to kiss me.”
I force a laugh. “Yeah, right,” I say sarcastically.
“Nobody’s watchin’ if you want to, you know, try it. Not to brag, but I’m somewhat of an expert.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Don’t try and make me feel better, Alex. I hate you.”
“I hate you, too.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
What are you boys doing?” she asks, as if we’re still little kids messing around.
“Arguin’,” Carlos says matter-of-factly.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3))
“
She ignores me, so I cup my hands over my mouth and do something I haven’t done in years— barnyard sounds.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3))
“
Ben walks in the room and asks, “What were you guys doing?” Nikki says “Nothing” at the same time I say, “Your sister and I were just makin’ out.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3))
“
A text pops up on the screen. It’s from Luis. I can’t help but grin when I read his perfectly thought-out message.
Luis: Hey
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
Didn't you finish your chemistry in school?"
"You closed the school and burnt all the books."
"Ah, so I did.
”
”
Patrick Ness
“
Whoa, who was that?”
“Madison Stone,” Kiara mutters.
“Introduce me to her.”
“Why?”
Because I know it’ll annoy the shit out of you.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
Sylvia grabs my sleeve. “He’s a looker.”
“I know. The problem is, he knows it, too.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
I always hoped for this spark of chemistry and compatibility, a flash of clarity to let me know that this was the guy, this was the time, so I should leg go and enjoy myself. But it never came. And by no small coincidence, neither did I.
”
”
Molly Harper (Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, #1))
“
Where's my cell phone?" I ask. "And please put a shirt on."
He reaches down and grabs my phone off the floor. "Why?"
"The reason I need my cell," I say as I take it from him, "is to call a cab and the reason I want you to put a shirt on is, well, because, urn . . ."
"You've never seen a guy with his shirt off?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don't have anything I haven't seen before."
"Wanna bet?" he says, then moves his hands to the button on his jeans and pops it open.
Isabel walks in at that exact moment. "Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Chemistry is a funny thing, miss. Sometimes those who are experiencing it aren't always aware they are.
”
”
Dakota Cassidy (Accidentally Dead, Again (Accidentally Paranormal #6))
“
Carlos, are we in complete understanding with each other?”
“Yeah,” I say. “As long as it’s not in your house and you don’t know about it, you’re okay with us messin’ around.”
“I know you’re joking with me. You are joking with me, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
Luis is right there.” I point to the corner of the yard, where my little brother is the centre of attention doing imitations of barnyard animals. I have yet to inform him that talent isn’t as much of a chick magnet when you get into junior high.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Her feelings for Jeremy were like Schrodinger’s Crush. As long as she didn’t open the box, their relationship existed in a state of quantum superposition: both possible and impossible at the same time.
”
”
Susannah Nix (Remedial Rocket Science (Chemistry Lessons, #1))
“
I've started to think it must just be chemistry, in which case we're looking for the Shift and we haven't found it yet.
”
”
Ned Vizzini (It's Kind of a Funny Story)
“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a dickhead. Well, I did.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
You look like a hot tamale.”
“That’s not really a compliment.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
Listen, I didn’t ask for a face and body girls find attractive. But thanks to the mixture of my parents’ DNA, I’ve got them, and I’m not ashamed to use ’em.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
What’s with all those tattoos? Makes you look like a hooligan.”
“I suspect I am a hooligan.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
The Professor doesn’t have a problem being called Dick? If my name was Richard, I’d go by Richard or Rich . . . not Dick. Hell, I’d even settle for being called Chard.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
cause if you were my girlfriend and a stud like me was livin’ in your house, I’d kiss you in front of the guy every chance I got as a reminder.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2))
“
You're supposed to be a spirit of intellect. I don't understand why you're obsessed with sex."
Bob's voice got defensive. "It's an academic interest, Harry."
"Oh yeah? Well maybe I don't think it's fair to let your academia go peeping in other people's houses."
"Wait a minute. My academia doesn't just peep -"
I held up a hand. "Save it. I don't want to hear it."
He grunted. "You're trivializing what getting out for a bit means to me, Harry. You're insulting my masculinity."
"Bob," I said, "you're a skull . You don't have any masculinity to insult."
"Oh yeah?" Bob challenged me. "Pot kettle black, Harry! Have you gotten a date yet? Huh? Most men have something better to do in the middle of the night than play with their chemistry sets.
”
”
Jim Butcher (Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1))
“
Happy COUPLES are those who have passed both chemistry and physics!
”
”
Mohith Agadi
“
Lemons. He liked lemons. They made you make funny faces when you bit them, and a very, very long way in the future there was a really amazing planet where they'd evolved into people and lived in harmony with a variety of hyper-intelligent bee. Evolution. Thousands and thousands of years of tiny changes could turn little burning sparks of chemistry into people, into monsters and angels and even human beings.
”
”
Nick Harkaway (Doctor Who: Keeping Up with the Joneses (Time Trips))
“
I'm glad this happened," he said softly.
I hoped it was for real,and I didn't want to talk about it too much and ruin the lovely illusion that we were a couple.
So I said noncommittally, "Me too."
"Because I've been trying to get you back since the seventh grade."
I must have given him a very skeptical look.
He laughed at my expression. "Yeah, I have a funny way of showing it. I know. But you're always on my mind. You're in the front of my mind,on the tip of my tongue. So if someone breaks a beaker in chemistry class, I raise my hand and tell Ms. Abernathy you did it. If somebody brings a copy of Playboy to class, I stuff it in your locker."
"Oh!" I thought back to the January issue. "I wondered where that came from."
"And if Everett Walsh tells the lunch table what a wicked kisser you are and how far he would have gotten with you if his mother hadn't come in-"
I stamped my foot on the floorboard of the SUV."That is so not true! He'd already gotten as far as he was going. He's not that cute, and I had to go home and study for algebra.
"-It drives me insane to the point that I tell him to shut up or I'll make him shut up right there in front of everybody. Because I am supposed to be your boyfriend, and my mother is supposed to hate you,and you're supposed to be making out with me."
Twisted as this declaration was,it was the sweetest thing a boy had ever said to me.I dwelled on the soft lips that had formed the statement,and on the meaning of his words. "Okay." I scooted across the seat and nibbled the very edge of his superhero chin.
"Ah," he gasped, moving both hands from the steering wheel to the seat to brace himself. "I didn't mean now.I meant in general.Your dad will come out of the house and kill me.
”
”
Jennifer Echols (The Ex Games)
“
Atoms are round balls of wood invented by Dr. Dalton.
(Answer given by a pupil to a question on atomic theory, as reported by Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe.)
”
”
Henry Enfield Roscoe
“
I do not want chemistry to degenerate into a religion; I do not want the chemist to believe in the existence of atoms as the Christian believes in the existence of Christ in the communion wafer.
”
”
Marcellin Berthelot
“
you're Shane, right?'
He inched away from her and managed a quick nod as he twisted the rag he held in his fingers.
'Heidi sad you were willing to teach me how to ride.' Her expression shifted from entertained to confused, as if she was wondering why no one had mentioned he was a can or two shy of a six-pack.
'A horse,' he clarified, then wanted to kick himself. What else but a horse? Did he think she was here to learn to ride his mother's elephant?
One corner of Annabelle's perfect, full mouth twitched. 'A horse would be good. You seem to have several.'
He wanted to remind himself that he was usually fine around women. Smooth even. He was intelligent, funny and could, on occasion, be charming. Just not now, with his blood pumping and his brain doing nothing more than shouting "it's her, it's her" over and over again.
Chemistry, he thought grimly. It could turn the smartest man into a drooling idiot. Here he was, proving the theory true.
”
”
Susan Mallery (Summer Nights (Fool's Gold, #8))
“
This [discovery of a cell-free yeast extract] will make him famous, even though he has no talent for chemistry.
{Comment on German scientist Eduard Buchner who later ironically won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this discovery}
”
”
Adolf von Baeyer
“
As chemists, we must rename [our] scheme and insert the symbols Ba, La, Ce in place of Ra, Ac, Th. As nuclear chemists closely associated with physics, we cannot yet convince ourselves to make this leap, which contradicts all previous experience in nuclear physics.
”
”
Otto Hahn
“
Records made ‘at one sitting’ sound so fresh now – because the rate of discovery and the emotional tempo match those of the listener. What’s infuriating, though, is how fragile those fabrics are. I’ve noticed that, trying to work on improvisations that have ‘something’, they very quickly dissolve into nothing the more attention they get. It’s almost like trying to reconstruct a very funny dinner party – you had to be there, and it’s impossible to isolate the chemistry of what really made it work.
”
”
Brian Eno (A Year with Swollen Appendices: Brian Eno's Diary)
“
It's been going on for days now! On and on and on for days! If I hear one more sexual-chemistry-charged and mutually misunderstood argument I'm going to shoot the pair of you!
”
”
Dave Stone (Doctor Who: Death and Diplomacy)
“
Why did the hipster burn his tongue with his pizza? He ate it before it was cool!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What’s red and moves up and down? A tomato in an elevator.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- Where did Spider-Man get his powers from? The World Wide Web.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What do you get if you tape a stick of dynamite to a hedgehog? SONIC BOOM!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- Why did Ash get arrested? Because while you were in the bathroom he took a Pikachu.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
What's do DNA helicase and perverts have in common? They both want to unzip your genes.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
But Cecilia, having learned modern forms of snobbery at Cambridge, considered a man with a degree in chemistry incomplete as a human being.
”
”
Ian McEwan (Atonement)
“
What’s that around your neck?” asked Emily.
“It’s a golden star.” Said Reed.
“What did you get it for?”
“Chemistry class.”
“What’s the star for?” the shadow asked, Usually stars represent a straight A student.
“You get it for having greatness. But Emily doesn’t know what that is.” He said, answering the shadows question and looking at Emily.
“Greatness, what’s greatness?” Emily asked, all wide eyed, and clueless looking
“It’s when you do really awesome stuff, and people recognize you for it.”
“Oh, no” Emily laughed .”No, I don’t know what that is.
”
”
Rumi Antoinette
“
As I come to the end of my advice and send you off into the world, I have an alternative way for you to stay on the straight and narrow: periodically watch Groundhog Day. It was made long ago, in 1993, but it’s still smart and funny, the chemistry between the stars (Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell) is terrific, and it has a happy ending. Groundhog Day is also a profound moral fable that deals with the most fundamental issues of virtue and happiness.
”
”
Charles Murray (The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life)
“
Because there are naked pictures?” “No!” he said. “No, no—it’s nothing like that. It’s just that sometimes I need a laugh. There’s not much humor in my job.” “Why?” The reverend hesitated. “Because God isn’t very funny, I guess.
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?” Chapter
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
Antidepression medication is temperamental. Somewhere around fifty-nine or sixty I noticed the drug I’d been taking seemed to have stopped working. This is not unusual. The drugs interact with your body chemistry in different ways over time and often need to be tweaked. After the death of Dr. Myers, my therapist of twenty-five years, I’d been seeing a new doctor whom I’d been having great success with. Together we decided to stop the medication I’d been on for five years and see what would happen... DEATH TO MY HOMETOWN!! I nose-dived like the diving horse at the old Atlantic City steel pier into a sloshing tub of grief and tears the likes of which I’d never experienced before. Even when this happens to me, not wanting to look too needy, I can be pretty good at hiding the severity of my feelings from most of the folks around me, even my doctor. I was succeeding well with this for a while except for one strange thing: TEARS! Buckets of ’em, oceans of ’em, cold, black tears pouring down my face like tidewater rushing over Niagara during any and all hours of the day. What was this about? It was like somebody opened the floodgates and ran off with the key. There was NO stopping it. 'Bambi' tears... 'Old Yeller' tears... 'Fried Green Tomatoes' tears... rain... tears... sun... tears... I can’t find my keys... tears. Every mundane daily event, any bump in the sentimental road, became a cause to let it all hang out. It would’ve been funny except it wasn’t.
Every meaningless thing became the subject of a world-shattering existential crisis filling me with an awful profound foreboding and sadness. All was lost. All... everything... the future was grim... and the only thing that would lift the burden was one-hundred-plus on two wheels or other distressing things. I would be reckless with myself. Extreme physical exertion was the order of the day and one of the few things that helped. I hit the weights harder than ever and paddleboarded the equivalent of the Atlantic, all for a few moments of respite. I would do anything to get Churchill’s black dog’s teeth out of my ass.
Through much of this I wasn’t touring. I’d taken off the last year and a half of my youngest son’s high school years to stay close to family and home. It worked and we became closer than ever. But that meant my trustiest form of self-medication, touring, was not at hand. I remember one September day paddleboarding from Sea Bright to Long Branch and back in choppy Atlantic seas. I called Jon and said, “Mr. Landau, book me anywhere, please.” I then of course broke down in tears. Whaaaaaaaaaa. I’m surprised they didn’t hear me in lower Manhattan. A kindly elderly woman walking her dog along the beach on this beautiful fall day saw my distress and came up to see if there was anything she could do. Whaaaaaaaaaa. How kind. I offered her tickets to the show. I’d seen this symptom before in my father after he had a stroke. He’d often mist up. The old man was usually as cool as Robert Mitchum his whole life, so his crying was something I loved and welcomed. He’d cry when I’d arrive. He’d cry when I left. He’d cry when I mentioned our old dog. I thought, “Now it’s me.”
I told my doc I could not live like this. I earned my living doing shows, giving interviews and being closely observed. And as soon as someone said “Clarence,” it was going to be all over. So, wisely, off to the psychopharmacologist he sent me. Patti and I walked in and met a vibrant, white-haired, welcoming but professional gentleman in his sixties or so. I sat down and of course, I broke into tears. I motioned to him with my hand; this is it. This is why I’m here. I can’t stop crying! He looked at me and said, “We can fix this.” Three days and a pill later the waterworks stopped, on a dime. Unbelievable. I returned to myself. I no longer needed to paddle, pump, play or challenge fate. I didn’t need to tour. I felt normal.
”
”
Bruce Springsteen (Born to Run)
“
he said, “Here it is, the box number. But please, Mad, don’t get your hopes up.” “I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
You will encounter boys and men with whom you think you enjoy chemistry. A boy or man will find you funny and interesting and smart, just as you find him funny and interesting and smart. The pleasure you take in each other's company will be obvious, but, crucially, while this pleasure will make you feel as if you're in love with him, it will not make him feel as if he's in love with you. He might remark on how much he likes talking to you, but there will be girls he wants to kiss, and you will not be one of them.
”
”
Curtis Sittenfeld (Rodham)
“
I don’t have hopes,” Mad explained, studying the address. “I have faith.” He looked at her in surprise. “Well, that’s a funny word to hear coming from you.” “How come?” “Because,” he said, “well, you know. Religion is based on faith.” “But you realize,” she said carefully, as if not to embarrass him further, “that faith isn’t based on religion. Right?” Chapter 35 The Smell of Failure On Monday morning at four thirty a.m., Elizabeth left her house as she usually did, in the dark, in warm clothes, headed for the boathouse. But as she pulled into the normally empty parking lot, she noticed nearly every space was already taken. She also noticed one other thing. Women. A lot of women. Trudging
”
”
Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry)
“
Even as we start to register the tremors of imaginal perception, we may face a concurrent barrage of disdain, disbelief, and even outright hostility from our usual reasoned rootedness in the five senses. As the subtle senses develop, and we start to actually see energy fields or feel the edges blur between our body and the person next to us, we may conclude we are exhausted, have eaten bad food, are becoming ill, or must be falling in love. We call these subtle openings "chemistry," a funny feeling, the flu, or a waking dream. On the other hand, if we can suspend our disbelief in invisibles long enough, we may find ourselves roaming in imaginal fields for longer and longer periods of time.
”
”
Sandra Dennis (Embrace of the Daimon: Healing through the Subtle Energy Body: Jungian Psychology & the Dark Feminine)
“
Do you consider yourself athletic? How would you rate yourself, say, as a swimmer? Average, below average, maybe a little above average? So-so? Terrible? Well, I’ve got news for you: whether you know it or not, you are a world-class super-Olympic gold medal swimmer. I’m not kidding. You know how I know that? Because I took anatomy, physiology, bacteriology, and chemistry in college, as part of my science minor. And here’s what I learned: we all start out the same way, as tiny sperm cells. In order for you to be born, assuming your daddy had an average sperm count, you had to have out-swum some 200,000 other sperm. And it was uphill all the way. Now, I do not know what motivated you, but that little tail was wiggling like mad, and you were screaming, “Out of my way! Out of my way! I want to teach school! I want to dance! I want to be in real estate! I want to be a journalist!” or whatever it was you were screaming at the top of your little sperm voice.
”
”
Rita Davenport (Funny Side Up)
“
So shoot.”
“I don’t know how to say this.”
“I haven’t got all day, you know.”
“I kissed Alex,” I blurt out.
“Alex? ¡Benditaǃ Was that before or after the Colin breakup?”
I wince. “I didn’t plan it.”
Isabel laughs so hard and loud, I have to take the phone away from my ear. “You sure he didn’t plan it?” she asks once she can get words out.
“It just happened. We were at his house and then we were interrupted when his mom came home and saw us--”
“What? His ma saw you guys? In his house? ¡Benditaǃ” She goes off in Spanish, and I have no clue what the hell she’s saying.
“I don’t speak Spanish, Isabel. Help me out here.”
“Oh, sorry. Carmen is gonna shit a brick when she finds out.”
I clear my throat.
“I won’t tell her,” Isabel is quick to say. “But Alex’s mom is one tough woman. When Alex dated Carmen, he kept her far away from his mama. Don’t get me wrong, she loves her sons. But she’s overprotective, just like most Mexican mothers. Did she kick you out?”
“No, but she pretty much called me a whore.”
More laughing from the other end of the line.
“It wasn’t funny.”
“I’m sorry.” More laughing. “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when she walked in on you two.”
“Thanks for your compassion,” I say dryly. “I’m hanging up now.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
That was the whole trouble with police work. You come plunging in. a jagged Stone Age knife, to probe the delicate tissues of people's relationships, and of course you destroy far more than you discover. And even what you discover will never be the same as it was before you came; the nubbly scars of your passage will remain. At the very least. you have asked questions that expose to the destroying air fibers that can only exist and fulfill their function in coddling darkness. Cousin Amy, now, mousing about in back passages or trilling with feverish shyness at sherry parties—was she really made all the way through of dust and fluff and unused ends of cotton and rusty needles and unmatching buttons and all the detritus at the bottom of God's sewing basket? Or did He put a machine in there to tick away and keep her will stern and her back straight as she picks out of a vase of brown-at-the-edges dahlias the few blooms that have another day's life in them? Or another machine, one of His chemistry sets, that slowly mixes itself into an apparently uncaused explosion, poof!, and there the survivors are sitting covered with plaster dust among the rubble of their lives. It's always been the explosion by the time the police come stamping in with ignorant heels on the last unbroken bit of Bristol glass; with luck they can trace the explosion back to harmless little Amy, but as to what set her off—what were the ingredients of the chemistry set and what joggled them together—it was like trying to reconstruct a civilization from three broken pots and a seven-inch lump of baked clay which might, if you looked at its swellings and hollows the right way, have been the Great Earth Mother. What's more. people who've always lived together think that they are still the same—oh, older of course and a bit more snappish, but underneath still the same laughing lad of thirty years gone by. "My Jim couldn't have done that." they say. "I know him. Course he's been a bit depressed lately, funny like. but he sometimes goes that way for a bit and then it passes off. But setting fire to the lingerie department at the Army and Navy, Inspector—such a thought wouldn't enter into my Jim's head. I know him." Tears diminishing into hiccuping snivels as doubt spreads like a coffee stain across the threadbare warp of decades. A different Jim? Different as a Martian, growing inside the ever-shedding skin? A whole lot of different Jims. a new one every seven years? "Course not. I'm the same. aren't I, same as I always was—that holiday we took hiking in the Peak District in August thirty-eight—the same inside?"
Pibble sighed and shook himself. You couldn't build a court case out of delicate tissues. Facts were the one foundation.
”
”
Peter Dickinson (The Glass-Sided Ant's Nest (Jimmy Pibble #1))
“
Isn’t that funny, to think that the people who have lived in your daydreams for the past two weeks, the people whom you’ve drawn in your chemistry notebook, to think that those people might not even know who you are?
”
”
Leila Sales (This Song Will Save Your Life)
“
Humor
Humor is a great social lubricator—it can make interacting go more smoothly. If you are good at telling jokes, try a few. Telling jokes is risky, however; do not tell ethnic, racist, or off-color jokes. And as always, pay careful attention to interactive chemistry. One high school student who attended my program reported that, although he tried to become part of a popular social group at his new school, playing on the football team and joining several clubs, he was not invited to socialize with the other kids off the field. He had become known for telling joke after joke, in vain hopes of being accepted. When we examined things more carefully, it became clear that his style of telling jokes—sometimes irrelevant, sometimes just plain corny—was not appealing to the peer group he was associating with. Quite simply, the chemistry was off.
If you wish to inject humor and levity into an interaction, it’s better to tell funny stories. If the funny stories are about yourself, great: People enjoy mildly self-deprecating humor. You can also find amusing true stories in the newspaper.
”
”
Jonathan Berent (Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties)
“
Great. Just flipping fantastic. He’s like a warm English fire after being caught in the rain, and I’m like a hillbilly tractor stuck in the mud.
”
”
Brooke Gilbert (The Paris Soulmate (International Soulmates))
“
Stevia does something funny to the chemistry of my mouth. There’s no fooling a taste bud, in my experience.
”
”
Jonathan Franzen (Purity)
“
I should be surprised you’re calling me. But I’m not,” she says.
“How was practice?”
“Not great. Darlene isn’t a great captain, and Ms. Small knows it. You shouldn’t quit.”
“I’m not. I’m just taking a break for a little while. But I didn’t call to talk about poms. Listen, I wanted you to know I broke up with Colin today.”
“And you’re telling me because…”
That’s a good question, one I normally wouldn’t have answered. “I wanted to talk with someone about it, and I know I have friends who I can call, but I kinda wanted to go to someone who wouldn’t gossip about it. My friends have big mouths.”
Sierra is the one person I’m closest to, but I lied to her about Alex. And her boyfriend, Doug, is best friends with Colin.
“How do you know I won’t blab?” Isabel asks.
“I don’t. But you didn’t tell me stuff about Alex when I asked, so I figure you’re good at keeping secrets.”
“I am. So shoot.”
“I don’t know how to say this.”
“I haven’t got all day, you know.”
“I kissed Alex,” I blurt out.
“Alex? ¡Benditaǃ Was that before or after the Colin breakup?”
I wince. “I didn’t plan it.”
Isabel laughs so hard and loud, I have to take the phone away from my ear. “You sure he didn’t plan it?” she asks once she can get words out.
“It just happened. We were at his house and then we were interrupted when his mom came home and saw us--”
“What? His ma saw you guys? In his house? ¡Benditaǃ” She goes off in Spanish, and I have no clue what the hell she’s saying.
“I don’t speak Spanish, Isabel. Help me out here.”
“Oh, sorry. Carmen is gonna shit a brick when she finds out.”
I clear my throat.
“I won’t tell her,” Isabel is quick to say. “But Alex’s mom is one tough woman. When Alex dated Carmen, he kept her far away from his mama. Don’t get me wrong, she loves her sons. But she’s overprotective, just like most Mexican mothers. Did she kick you out?”
“No, but she pretty much called me a whore.”
More laughing from the other end of the line.
“It wasn’t funny.”
“I’m sorry.” More laughing. “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when she walked in on you two.”
“Thanks for your compassion,” I say dryly. “I’m hanging up now.”
“No! I’m sorry for laughing. It’s just that the more we talk, the more I see you as a totally different person than I thought you were. I guess I can understand why Alex likes you.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
I kissed Alex,” I blurt out.
“Alex? ¡Benditaǃ Was that before or after the Colin breakup?”
I wince. “I didn’t plan it.”
Isabel laughs so hard and loud, I have to take the phone away from my ear. “You sure he didn’t plan it?” she asks once she can get words out.
“It just happened. We were at his house and then we were interrupted when his mom came home and saw us--”
“What? His ma saw you guys? In his house? ¡Benditaǃ” She goes off in Spanish, and I have no clue what the hell she’s saying.
“I don’t speak Spanish, Isabel. Help me out here.”
“Oh, sorry. Carmen is gonna shit a brick when she finds out.”
I clear my throat.
“I won’t tell her,” Isabel is quick to say. “But Alex’s mom is one tough woman. When Alex dated Carmen, he kept her far away from his mama. Don’t get me wrong, she loves her sons. But she’s overprotective, just like most Mexican mothers. Did she kick you out?”
“No, but she pretty much called me a whore.”
More laughing from the other end of the line.
“It wasn’t funny.”
“I’m sorry.” More laughing. “I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when she walked in on you two.”
“Thanks for your compassion,” I say dryly. “I’m hanging up now.”
“No! I’m sorry for laughing. It’s just that the more we talk, the more I see you as a totally different person than I thought you were. I guess I can understand why Alex likes you.”
“Thanks, I think. Remember when I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen between me and Alex?”
“Yeah. Just so I get my timetable straight, that was before you kissed him. Right?” She chuckles, then says, “I’m just kidding, Brittany. If you like him, girl, go for it. But be careful, because even if I think he likes you more than he’ll admit, you should keep your guard up.”
“I won’t stop it if something happens between me and Alex, but don’t worry. I always have my guard up.”
“Me, too. Well, except for the night you slept at my house. I kinda fooled around with Paco. I can’t tell my friends ’cause they’d give me shit.”
“Do you like him?”
“I don’t know. I never thought about him that way before, but being with him was kinda nice. How was the kiss with Alex?”
“Nice,” I say, thinking about how sensual it was. “Actually, Isabel, it was more than nice. It was fucking incredible.”
Isabel starts laughing, and I laugh right along with her this time.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Where’s my cell phone?” I ask. “And please put a shirt on.”
He reaches down and grabs my phone off the floor. “Why?”
“The reason I need my cell,” I say as I take it from him, “is to call a cab and the reason I want you to put a shirt on is, well, because, um…”
“You’ve never seen a guy with his shirt off?”
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.”
“Wanna bet?” he says, then moves his hands to the button on his jeans and pops it open.
Isabel walks in at that exact moment. “Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on.”
When she looks over at me I put my hands up. “Don’t look at me. I was just about to call a cab when he--”
Shaking her head while Alex buttons back up, she walks to her purse and picks up a set of keys. “Forget the cab. I’ll drive you home.”
“I’ll drive her,” Alex cuts in.
Isabel seems exhausted dealing with us, similar to how Mrs. Peterson looks during chemistry class.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Where’s my cell phone?” I ask. “And please put a shirt on.”
He reaches down and grabs my phone off the floor. “Why?”
“The reason I need my cell,” I say as I take it from him, “is to call a cab and the reason I want you to put a shirt on is, well, because, um…”
“You’ve never seen a guy with his shirt off?”
“Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.”
“Wanna bet?” he says, then moves his hands to the button on his jeans and pops it open.
Isabel walks in at that exact moment. “Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on.”
When she looks over at me I put my hands up. “Don’t look at me. I was just about to call a cab when he--”
Shaking her head while Alex buttons back up, she walks to her purse and picks up a set of keys. “Forget the cab. I’ll drive you home.”
“I’ll drive her,” Alex cuts in.
Isabel seems exhausted dealing with us, similar to how Mrs. Peterson looks during chemistry class. “Would you rather me drive you, or Alex?” she asks.
I have a boyfriend. Okay, so I admit every time I catch Alex looking at me a warmth spreads through my body. But it’s normal. We’re two teenagers with obvious sexual tension passing between us. As long as I never act on it, everything will be just fine.
Because if I ever did act on it, the consequences would be disastrous. I’d lose Colin. I’d lose my friends. I’d lose the control I have over my life.
Most of all, I’d lose what’s left of my mother’s love.
If I’m not seen as perfect, what happened yesterday with my mom would seem tame. Being perfect to the outside world equates to how my mom treats me. If any of her country club friends see me out with Alex, my mom might as well be an outcast too. If she’s shunned by her friends, I’ll be shunned by her. I can’t take that chance. This is as real as I can afford to get.
“Isabel, take me home,” I say, then look at Alex.
He gives a small shake of his head, grabs his shirt and keys, and storms out the front door without another word.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Suddenly, she understood. Matt and she had never been friends. They were more, so much more. He drove her crazy. He was incessantly irritating, arrogant, and completely full of himself, but they also had crazy musical chemistry, and he was funny. He made her laugh, when he wasn’t laughing at her that is. And she had feelings for him. Never would she have believed herself capable of falling for a guy with whom she couldn’t spend over five minutes before getting angry with him, but there they were. Those feelings were there and there wasn’t much she could do about them but tell him how she felt. And she hated Lindsey Linton! She hated the fact that he was probably dancing with Lindsey while she was here wasting time with Thomas. She
”
”
Anna Adams (A French Girl in New York (The French Girl, #1))
“
Alex whispers, “There’s a thin line between love and hate. Maybe you’re confusing your emotions.”
I scoot away from him. “I wouldn’t bet on it.”
“I would.”
Alex’s gaze turns toward the door to the classroom. Through the window, his friend is waving to him. They’re probably going to ditch class.
Alex grabs his books and stands.
Mrs. Peterson turns around. “Alex, sit down.”
“I got to piss.”
The teacher’s eyebrows furrow and her hand goes to her hip. “Watch your language. And the last time I checked, you don’t need your books in order to go to the restroom. Put them back on the lab table.”
Alex’s lips are tight, but he places the books back on the table.
“I told you no gang-related items in my class,” Mrs. Peterson says, staring at the bandanna he’s holding in front of him. She holds out her hand. “Hand it over.”
He glances at the door, then faces Mrs. Peterson. “What if I refuse?”
“Alex, don’t test me. Zero tolerance. You want a suspension?” She wiggles her fingers, signaling to hand the bandana over immediately or else.
Scowling, he slowly places the bandana in her hand.
Mrs. Peterson sucks in her breath when she snatches the bandanna from his fingers.
I screech, “Ohmygod!” at the sight of the big stain on his crotch.
The students, one by one, start laughing.
Colin laughs the loudest. “Don’t sweat it, Fuentes. My great-grandma has the same problem. Nothing a diaper won’t fix.”
Now that hits home because at the mention of adult diapers, I immediately think of my sister. Making fun of adults who can’t help themselves isn’t funny because Shelley is one of those people.
Alex sports a big, cocky grin and says to Colin, “Your girlfriend couldn’t keep her hands out of my pants. She was showin’ me a whole new definition of hand warmers, compa.”
This time he’s gone too far. I stand up, my stool scraping the floor.
“You wish,” I say.
Alex is about to say something to me when Mrs. Peterson yells, “Alex!” She clears her throat. “Go to the nurse and…fix yourself. Take your books, because afterward you’ll be seeing Dr. Aguirre. I’ll meet you in his office with your friends Colin and Brittany.”
Alex swipes his books off the table and exits the classroom while I ease back onto my stool. While Mrs. Peterson is trying to calm the rest of the class, I think about my short-lived success in avoiding Carmen Sanchez.
If she thinks I’m a threat to her relationship with Alex, the rumors that are sure to spread today could prove deadly.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Tell me she doesn’t have her hand in his back pocket. That is so lame.”
“I don’t care,” I tell her, easing any worries she might have about me being upset. “If they want to date, all the more power to them.”
She’s only doing it because she wants everything you had. It’s a competition thing with her. First taking your position on the squad, now putting her claws into Colin. Next thing you know she’ll want to change her name to Brittany.”
“Very funny.”
“You say that now,” she says, then moves in close and whispers, “it won’t be so funny if she wants Alex next.”
“Now that’s not funny.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
As Gary walks down the hallway, I think of how funny it is that the most unlikely person sometimes becomes your ally. And how a blond girl can make you think futures are something to look forward to.
”
”
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1))
“
Chemistry is the study of the composition, properties, and behavior of matter—humor writing is the study of the composition, properties, and behavior of funny. The atoms, or basic units, of humor writing are words. (The subatomic structures are letters or sounds.) These comedic atoms (words) form the elements known as jokes. Although there
”
”
Mark Shatz (Comedy Writing Secrets: The Best-Selling Guide to Writing Funny and Getting Paid for It)
“
Oh my god!” she said in horror. “What’s wrong?” Jeremy asked. “I had a sparkly unicorn painted on my face when I met your mother!” She’d totally forgotten the stupid thing was there. Jeremy, Hannah, and Lacey all dissolved into laughter. “It’s not funny,” Melody said, burying her face in her hands. “The CEO thinks I’m an idiot now.” “Don’t worry about it,” Jeremy said. “You look adorable. She’s not gonna hold it against you.” “Yeah, she’ll be too busy holding the fact that you’re friends with me against you,” Lacey offered helpfully.
”
”
Susannah Nix (Remedial Rocket Science (Chemistry Lessons, #1))
“
CHEMISTRY has also failed and bewildered us as a people, and continues to baffle and bum me OUT. What is it? At what point have you broken things down enough and now you’re just playing with increasingly SMALL PARTICLES that no one can see or even remember the name of? Everything smaller than “a teaspoon” is really not necessary and only serves to ANGER me and fuel my PLAN.
”
”
Bob Odenkirk
“
- Did you hear the joke about the roof? Never mind, it's over your head!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
What do you call a fat psychic? A four chin teller.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
Why didn't Anna & Elsa's parents teach them the whole alphabet? Because they got lost at C.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
Did the disappointed smoker get everything he wanted for Christmas? Clothes, but no cigar.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What did you do with Element 43 last night? None of your Bismuth.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What did one elevator say to the other elevator? I think I'm coming down with something!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What kind of tea is hard to swallow? Reality.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What did the red light say to the green light? Don't look, I'm changing!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- How do crazy people go through the forest? They take the psycho path.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- How do you shoot a killer bee? With a bee-bee gun.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What did the daddy tomato say to the baby tomato? Catch up!
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What do you call two fat people having a chat? A heavy discussion.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)
“
- What's a toilet's favorite game? Call of Doodie.
”
”
Zakaria Abdulaziz (JOKES FOR KIDS : Over 400 Funny Jokes, Riddles , Chemistry Jokes , Tongue Twisters And Knock-Knock Jokes For Kids.)