“
Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)
“
Same people. Same hellos and goodbyes. Same beginnings and endings. Same befores and afters.
”
”
Sarah Ockler (Twenty Boy Summer)
“
Hellos are harder than good-byes
”
”
Hannah Moskowitz (Invincible Summer)
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies--: God damn it, you've got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
“
Sometimes looking at Frankie is like seeing Matt through a glass of water - a distorted composition of him with all the right parts, but mixed up and i the wrong order. As I watch her sing his old song, I can't shake the feeling that he just stopped by to say hello.
”
”
Sarah Ockler (Twenty Boy Summer)
“
Why are you standing here, Charlie Brown?"
"I'm waiting for that little red-haired girl to walk by... I'm going to say hello to her and ask her how she's enjoying her summer vacation, and just sort of talk to her... You know..."
"You'll never do it, Charlie Brown... You'll panic..."
"Besides that, she's already walked by!
”
”
Charles M. Schulz (The Complete Peanuts, 1965-1966 (The Complete Peanuts, #8))
“
To the most inconsiderate asshole of a friend,
I’m writing you this letter because I know that if I say what I have to say
to your face I will probably punch you.
I don’t know you anymore.
I don’t see you anymore.
All I get is a quick text or a rushed e-mail from you every few days. I
know you are busy and I know you have Bethany, but hello? I’m supposed to
be your best friend.
You have no idea what this summer has been like. Ever since we were
kids we pushed away every single person that could possibly have been our
friend. We blocked people until there was only me and you. You probably
haven’t noticed, because you have never been in the position I am in now.
You have always had someone. You always had me. I always had you. Now
you have Bethany and I have no one.
Now I feel like those other people that used to try to become our friend,
that tried to push their way into our circle but were met by turned backs. I
know you’re probably not doing it deliberately just as we never did it deliberately.
It’s not that we didn’t want anyone else, it’s just that we didn’t need
them. Sadly now it looks like you don’t need me anymore.
Anyway I’m not moaning on about how much I hate her, I’m just trying
to tell you that I miss you. And that well . . . I’m lonely.
Whenever you cancel nights out I end up staying home with Mum and
Dad watching TV. It’s so depressing. This was supposed to be our summer
of fun. What happened? Can’t you be friends with two people at once?
I know you have found someone who is extra special, and I know you
both have a special “bond,” or whatever, that you and I will never have. But
we have another bond, we’re best friends. Or does the best friend bond disappear
as soon as you meet somebody else? Maybe it does, maybe I just
don’t understand that because I haven’t met that “somebody special.” I’m
not in any hurry to, either. I liked things the way they were.
So maybe Bethany is now your best friend and I have been relegated to
just being your “friend.” At least be that to me, Alex. In a few years time if
my name ever comes up you will probably say, “Rosie, now there’s a name I
haven’t heard in years. We used to be best friends. I wonder what she’s doingnow; I haven’t seen or thought of her in years!” You will sound like my mum
and dad when they have dinner parties with friends and talk about old times.
They always mention people I’ve never even heard of when they’re talking
about some of the most important days of their lives. Yet where are those
people now? How could someone who was your bridesmaid 20 years ago not
even be someone who you are on talking terms with now? Or in Dad’s case,
how could he not know where his own best friend from college lives? He
studied with the man for five years!
Anyway, my point is (I know, I know, there is one), I don’t want to be
one of those easily forgotten people, so important at the time, so special, so
influential, and so treasured, yet years later just a vague face and a distant
memory. I want us to be best friends forever, Alex.
I’m happy you’re happy, really I am, but I feel like I’ve been left behind.
Maybe our time has come and gone. Maybe your time is now meant to be
spent with Bethany. And if that’s the case I won’t bother sending you this letter.
And if I’m not sending this letter then what am I doing still writing it?
OK I’m going now and I’m ripping these muddled thoughts up.
Your friend,
Rosie
”
”
Cecelia Ahern (Love, Rosie)
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you've got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)
“
Hello, Not-There,” Piper said. Not-There was her private name for God just lately. Earlier in the fall it had been The Great Maybe. During the summer, it had been The Omnipotent Could-Be.
”
”
Stephen King (Under the Dome)
“
I love that accent you have when you say hello
You relocated from New York a month ago
That minivan that you drive really gets me going
And if it feels like it's right
Then it can't be wrong
No one understands the chemistry we have
And it came out of nowhere
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
It's not like we planned this, it's getting out of hand
And now we're gonna go there
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Walk my way
Mrs All American
Say my name
No need to pretend
Don't be shy
Mrs All American
I'll show you why
You're not gonna walk away
Yeah
Not just a neighbour
Oh hey there I'll ring your bell
Open your door, pucker up
And I'll kiss you well
My lips are sealed
There's nobody that I would tell
Your secret's mine, close your eyes
And I'll make you melt
No one understands the chemistry we have
And it came out of nowhere
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
It's not like we planned this, it's getting out of hand
And now we're gonna go there
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Walk my way
Mrs All American
Say my name
No need to pretend
Don't be shy
Mrs All American
I'll show you why
You're not gonna walk away
Oh yeah
Na na na na na na na na
You know what she like
Na na na na na na na na
You know what she like
Na na na na na na na na
Ah you know what she like
Na na na na na na na
Walk my way
Mrs All American
Say my name
No need to pretend
Don't be shy
Mrs All American
I'll show you why
You're not gonna walk away
(Walk my way)
Oh yeah
(Say my name)
You're not gonna walk away
(Don't be shy)
(I'll show you why)
You're not gonna walk away
”
”
5 Seconds of Summer
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—: “‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)
“
Lizzie and I arrived in the polluted heat of a London summer. We stood frozen at street corners as a blur of pedestrians burst out of the subways and spilled like ants down the pavements. The crowed bars, the expensive shops, the fashionable clothes - to me it all seemed a population rushing about to no avail...I stared at a huge poster of a woman in her underwear staring down at her own breasts. HELLO BOYS, she said. At the movies we witnessed sickening violence, except that this time we held tubs of popcorn between our legs and the gunfire and screams were broadcast in digital Dolby. We had escaped a skull on a battlefield, only to arrive in London, where office workers led lines of such tedium and plenty that they had to entertain themselves with all the f****** and killing on the big screen. So here then was the prosperous, democratic and civilized Western world. A place of washing machines, reality TV, Armani, frequent-flier miles, mortgages. And this is what the Africans are supposed to hope for, if they're lucky.
”
”
Aidan Hartley (The Zanzibar Chest: A Story of Life, Love, and Death in Foreign Lands)
“
Hello, little girl,” he said, which was only his first big mistake. “I’m sure you want to know all about hedgehogs, eh?” “I did this one last summer,” said Tiffany. The man looked closer, and his grin faded. “Oh, yes,” he said. “I remember. You asked all those…little questions.” “I would like a question answered today,” said Tiffany. “Provided it’s not the one about how you get baby hedgehogs,” said the man. “No,” said Tiffany patiently. “It’s about zoology.” “Zoology, eh? That’s a big word, isn’t it.” “No, actually it isn’t,” said Tiffany. “Patronizing is a big word. Zoology is really quite short.” The teacher’s eyes narrowed further. Children like Tiffany were bad news.
”
”
Terry Pratchett (The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30))
“
Hello, Elephant. Meet room.
”
”
Stephanie J. Scott (All Last Summer (Love on Summer Break, #1))
“
Hello, Universe? Could I rewind and start over?
”
”
Stephanie J. Scott (All Last Summer (Love on Summer Break, #1))
“
SESSION 14 >>>Good morning, Max. >>>Hello, Riley. >>>What have you done since our last session? >>>Max read 895,013 books.
”
”
Blake Crouch (Summer Frost)
“
In a Time"
In a time of secret wooing
Today prepares tomorrow’s ruin
Left knows not what right is doing
My heart is torn asunder.
In a time of furtive sighs
Sweet hellos and sad goodbyes
Half-truths told and entire lies
My conscience echoes thunder
In a time when kingdoms come
Joy is brief as summer’s fun
Happiness, its race has run
Then pain stalks in to plunder.
”
”
Maya Angelou
“
Saying Goodbye to Very Young Children"
They will not be the same next time. The sayings
so cute, just slightly off, will be corrected.
Their eyes will be more skeptical, plugged in
the more securely to the worldly buzz
of television, alphabet, and street talk,
culture polluting their gazes' dawn blue.
It makes you see at last the value of
those boring aunts and neighbors (their smells
of summer sweat and cigarettes, their faces
like shapes of sky between shade-giving leaves)
who knew you from the start, when you were zero,
cooing their nothings before you could be bored
or knew a name, not even you own, or how
this world brave with hellos turns all goodbye.
”
”
John Updike
“
Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies, God damn it, you've got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)
“
I like the disaster of the night sky, stars spilling this way and that as if they were upturned from a glass. I like the way good madness feels. I like the way laughter always spills. That's the word for it. It never just comes, it spills. I like the word 'again'. Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. I like the quiet sound a coffee cup makes when it's set down on a wooden table. So hushed. So inviting. Like morning light yawning through the window and stretching out onto the kitchen floor. I like the way girls' lips look like they're stained with berries. I like the way morning light breaks like a prism through the empty wine bottles on our dusty apartment floor. Glasses empty except for the midnight hour. I like the way blueberries stain my fingers during the summer. I like the way light hits your eyes and turns it into a color that doesn't exist anywhere else other than in this moment. I want it all. I want the breeze to call my name as it rushes down my street, looking for me. I want to feel grass underneath my bare feet and I want to feel the sun kiss freckles onto my cheeks. I want to hear you yell hello as you make your way towards me, not goodbye as you have to go.
That's just a little bit about me.
”
”
Marlen Komar (Ugly People Beautiful Hearts)
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—: " ’God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies—: " 'God damn it, you've got to be kind.
”
”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)
“
My face wasn’t the same as I remembered, either. I saw a squarer jaw then I used to have, and my hair was bleached out from the summer’s sunshine. Not half bad, I realized. Standing there, I looked a long time at myself. Which was precisely why there were no mirrors in Paradise.
”
”
Sarina Bowen (Goodbye Paradise (Hello Goodbye, #1))
“
I got back from the University late in the afternoon, had a quick swim, ate my dinner, and bolted off to the Stanton house to see Adam. I saw him sitting out on the galley reading a book (Gibbon, I remember) in the long twilight. And I saw Anne. I was sitting in the swing with Adam, when she came out the door. I looked at her and knew that it had been a thousand years since I had last seen her back at Christmas when she had been back at the Landing on vacation from Miss Pound's School. She certainly was not now a little girl wearing round-toed, black patent-leather, flat-heeled slippers held on by a one-button strap and white socks held up by a dab of soap. She was wearing a white linen dress, cut very straight, and the straightness of the cut and the stiffness of the linen did nothing in the world but suggest by a kind of teasing paradox the curves and softnesses sheathed by the cloth. She had her hair in a knot on the nape of her neck, and a little white ribbon around her head, and she was smiling at me with a smile which I had known all my life but which was entirely new, and saying, 'Hello, Jack,' while I held her strong narrow hand in mine and knew that summer had come.
”
”
Robert Penn Warren
“
You should head back up,” Jeremiah said, putting his beer down. “Your mom will kill you for drinking.” “Hello. I’m not drinking,” I reminded him. Clay offered me his Corona. “Here,” he said, winking. He seemed drunk. I hesitated, and Conrad snapped irritably, “Don’t give her that. She’s a kid, for God’s sake.
”
”
Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1))
“
I hurried over to Conrad, walking so fast I kicked up sand behind me. “Hey, I’m gonna get a ride,” I said breathlessly.
The blond Red Sox girl looked me up and down. “Hello,” she said.
Conrad said, “With who?”
I pointed at Cam. “Him.”
“You’re not riding with someone you don’t even know,” he said flatly.
“I do so know him. He’s Sextus.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Sex what?”
“Never mind. His name is Cam, he’s studying whales, and you don’t get to decide who I ride home with. I was just letting you know, as a courtesy. I wasn’t asking for your permission.” I started to walk away, but he grabbed my elbow.
“I don’t care what he’s studying. It’s not gonna happen,” he said casually, but his grip was tight. “If you want to go, I’ll take you.”
I took a deep breath. I had to keep cool. I wasn’t going to let him goad me into being a baby, not in front of all these people. “No, thanks,” I said, trying to walk away again. But he didn’t let go.
“I thought you already had a boyfriend?” His tone was mocking, and I knew he’d seen through my lie the night before.
I wanted so badly to throw a handful of sand in his face. I tried to twist out of his grip. “Let go of me! That hurts!”
He let go immediately, his face red. It didn’t really hurt, but I wanted to embarrass him the way he was embarrassing me. I said loudly, “I’d rather ride with a stranger than with someone who’s been drinking!”
“I’ve had one beer,” he snapped. “I weigh a hundred and seventy-five pounds. Wait half an hour and I’ll take you. Stop being such a brat.”
I could feel tears starting to spark my eyelids. I looked over my shoulder to see if Cam was watching. He was. “You’re an asshole,” I said.
He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “And you’re a four-year-old.”
As I walked away, I heard the girl ask, “Is she your girlfriend?”
I whirled around, and we both said “No!” at the same time.
Confused, she said, “Well, is she your little sister?” like I wasn’t standing right there. Her perfume was heavy. It felt like it filled all the air around us, like we were breathing her in.
“No, I’m not his little sister.” I hated this girl for being a witness to all this. It was humiliating. And she was pretty, in the same kind of way Taylor was pretty, which somehow made things worse.
Conrad said, “Her mom is best friends with my mom.” So that was all I was to him? His mom’s friend’s daughter?
I took a deep breath, and without even thinking, I said to the girl, “I’ve known Conrad my whole life. So let me be the one to tell you you’re barking up the wrong tree. Conrad will never love anyone as much as he loves himself, if you know what I mean-“ I lifted up my hand and wiggled my fingers.
“Shut up, Belly,” Conrad warned. The tops of his ears were turning bright red. It was a low blow, but I didn’t care. He deserved it.
Red Sox girl frowned. “What is she talking about, Conrad?”
To her I blurted out, “Oh, I’m sorry, do you not know what the idiom ‘barking up the wrong tree’ means?”
Her pretty face twisted. “You little skank,” she hissed.
I could feel myself shrinking. I wished I could take it back. I’d never gotten into a fight with a girl before, or with anyone for that matter.
Thankfully, Conrad broke in then and pointed to the bonfire. “Belly, go back over there, and wait for me to come get you,” he said harshly.
That’s when Jeremiah ambled over. “Hey, hey, what’s going on?” he asked, smiling in his easy, goofy way.
“Your brother is a jerk,” I said. “That’s what’s going on.”
Jeremiah put his arm around me. He smelled like beer. “You guys play nice, you hear?”
I shrugged out of his hold and said, “I am playing nice. Tell your brother to play nice.”
“Wait, are you guys brother and sister too?” the girl asked.
Conrad said, “Don’t even think about leaving with that guy.
”
”
Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1))
“
In a time of secret wooing
Today prepares tomorrow's ruin
Left knows not what right is doing
My heart is torn asunder.
In a time of furtive sighs
Sweet hellos and goodbyes
Half-truths told and entire lies
My conscience echoes thunder.
In a time when kingdoms come
Joy is brief as summer's fun
Happiness its race has run
Then pain stalks in to plunder.
”
”
Maya Angelou
“
ONE All the best things in my life have started with a Dolly Parton song. Including my friendship with Ellen Dryver. The song that sealed the deal was “Dumb Blonde” from her 1967 debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly. During the summer before first grade, my aunt Lucy bonded with Mrs. Dryver over their mutual devotion to Dolly. While they sipped sweet tea in the dining room, Ellen and I would sit on the couch watching cartoons, unsure of what to make of each other. But then one afternoon that song came on over Mrs. Dryver’s stereo. Ellen tapped her foot as I hummed along, and before Dolly had even hit the chorus, we were spinning in circles and singing at the top of our lungs. Thankfully, our love for each other and Dolly ended up running deeper than one song. I
”
”
Julie Murphy (Dumplin' (Dumplin', #1))
“
Lucille had never seen mountains before, and it was increasingly hard for her not to gape over the steering wheel. There was a weird poetry to it, how the usual nail salons and Dress Barns and Save-A-Lots still existed despite the evidence of actual smashed tectonic plates behind them. There was a bite in the air she didn't associate with summer; summer meant mosquitos by the lake and trying to breathe through the pea-soup humidity.
Not purple mountain majesty with a side of CHECK CASHING DELUX.
”
”
Emily Henry (Hello Girls)
“
Poem for My Father
You closed the door.
I was on the other side,
screaming.
It was black in your mind.
Blacker than burned-out fire.
Blacker than poison.
Outside everything looked the same.
You looked the same.
You walked in your body like a living man.
But you were not.
would you not speak to me for weeks
would you hang your coat in the closet without saying hello
would you find a shoe out of place and beat me
would you come home late
would i lose the key
would you find my glasses in the garbage
would you put me on your knee
would you read the bible to me in your smoking jacket after your mother died
would you come home drunk and snore
would you beat me on the legs
would you carry me up the stairs by my hair so that my feet never touch the bottom
would you make everything worse
to make everything better
i believe in god, the father almighty,
the maker of heaven, the maker
of my heaven and my hell.
would you beat my mother
would you beat her till she cries like a rabbit
would you beat her in a corner of the kitchen
while i am in the bathroom trying to bury my head underwater
would you carry her to the bed
would you put cotton and alcohol on her swollen head
would you make love to her hair
would you caress her hair
would you rub her breasts with ben gay until she stinks
would you sleep in the other room in the bed next to me while she sleeps on the pull-out cot
would you come on the sheet while i am sleeping. later i look for the spot
would you go to embalming school with the last of my mother's money
would i see your picture in the book with all the other black boys you were the handsomest
would you make the dead look beautiful
would the men at the elks club
would the rich ladies at funerals
would the ugly drunk winos on the street
know ben
pretty ben
regular ben
would your father leave you when you were three with a mother who threw butcher knives at you
would he leave you with her screaming red hair
would he leave you to be smothered by a pillow she put over your head
would he send for you during the summer like a rich uncle
would you come in pretty corduroys until you were nine and never heard from him again
would you hate him
would you hate him every time you dragged hundred pound cartons of soap down the stairs into white ladies' basements
would you hate him for fucking the woman who gave birth to you
hate him flying by her house in the red truck so that other father threw down his hat in the street and stomped on it angry like we never saw him
(bye bye
to the will of grandpa
bye bye to the family fortune
bye bye when he stompled that hat,
to the gold watch,
embalmer's palace,
grandbaby's college)
mother crying silently, making floating island
sending it up to the old man's ulcer
would grandmother's diamonds
close their heartsparks
in the corner of the closet
yellow like the eyes of cockroaches?
Old man whose sperm swims in my veins,
come back in love, come back in pain.
”
”
Toi Derricotte
“
into the main part of the store. Off to get Kendal, I mouthed to Celine, and she nodded. I stepped out into the September afternoon. Behind me, Eighty-ninth Street stretched several blocks to Riverside Park, a favorite place of mine and Kendal’s. Just ahead the intersection at Broadway sparkled with a steady stream of cars and our neighboring retailers’ windows. A man walking his dog nodded a wordless hello, and a mom with a baby in a stroller bent to pop a pacifier back into her unhappy child’s mouth. A delivery truck double-parked and the car behind it honked its disproval. The air held only a hint that summer was waning. September used to be my favorite month. I liked the way it sweetly bade the summer pastels away and showered the Yard’s shelves with auburn, mocha, and every shade of red. September brought in the serious quilters, those who loved spending
”
”
Susan Meissner (A Fall of Marigolds)
“
Janitorial"
All morning he drifts the spacious lawns
like a gleaner, picking up this and that,
the summer clouds immense and building
toward afternoon, when the heat drives him
under the shade of the oak trees in the quad
and then along cool corridors inside
to pull down last term's flyers
For the chamber recital, the poetry reading,
the lecture on the ethics of cloning,
the dinner with some ambassador,
the debate between Kant and Heidegger,
the frat party, the sorority party, the kegger,
the weekend Bergman festival, the Wednesday
screening of Dumb and Dumber. He says
hello to fine young ladies, and tries
not to dwell on their halter tops,
their tanned thighs, shorts up to here.
At five he climbs into an old, dumpster-colored
olds, lights up and heads home
across the barge-ridden river in its servitude
to East St. Louis, where you know
this poem—glib, well-meaning, trivial--
grows tongue-tied, and cannot follow.
”
”
George Bilgere
“
History generally records that Michael Vaughan quit the England captaincy in tearful circumstances following the Test-series defeat to South Africa in 2008. But the Top Spin can reveal this version of events is little more than a smokescreen. For it appears that what actually tipped Vaughan over the edge was a phonecall from a stricken team-mate - a call so harrowing Vaughan decided he could cope no longer.
The ex-skipper was enjoying a barbecue at home with friends two summers ago when he took a rare call from Monty Panesar. 'Hello, Monty.' 'Hello Vaughany. I've got some bad news for you.' 'Oh?' 'Yes, you know I was telling you about my parrot Gary last week?' 'Er...' 'Well, he's gone missing. Just thought you'd like to know.' 'Sorry to hear that Monty.' 'Bye.' 'Bye.'
So aghast was Vaughan that captaincy duty now extended to fielding calls from team-mates about escaped pets that he knew his time was up. Sure, the tears at the farewell press conference left an impression on us all. But it was Monty's ex-parrot that sealed the deal.
”
”
Lawrence Booth
“
Susannah smiled at them nervously, then looked up at the route-map. "Hello, Blaine."
"HOWDY, SUSANNAH OF NEW YORK."
Her heart was pounding, her armpits were damp, and here was something she had first discovered way back in the first grade: it was hard to begin. It was hard to stand up in front of the class and be first with your song, your joke, your report on how you spent your summer vacation ... or your riddle, for that matter. The one she had decided upon was one from Jake Chambers's crazed English essay, which he had recited to them almost verbatim during their long palaver after leaving the old people of River Crossing. The essay, titled "My Understanding of Truth," had contained two riddles, one of which Eddie had already used on Blaine.
"SUSANNAH? ARE YOU THERE, L'IL COWGIRL?"
Teasing again, but this time the teasing sounded light, good-natured. Good-humored. Blaine could be charming when he got what he wanted. Like certain spoiled children she had known.
"Yes, Blaine, I am, and here is my riddle. What has four wheels and flies?"
There was a peculiar click, as if Blaine were mimicking the sound of a man popping his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It was followed by a brief pause. When Blaine replied, most of the jocularity had gone out of his voice. "THE TOWN GARBAGE WAGON, OF COURSE. A CHILD'S RIDDLE. IF THE REST OF YOUR RIDDLES ARE NO BETTER, I WILL BE EXTREMELY SORRY I SAVED YOUR LIVES FOR EVEN A SHORT WHILE.
”
”
Stephen King (Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4))
“
The front door is locked—what’s up with that?”
“Logan fixed the lock,” I tell her.
Her bright red, heart-shaped mouth smiles. “Good job, Kevin Costner. You should staple the key to Ellie’s forehead, though, or she’ll lose it.”
She has names for the other guys too and when her favorite guard, Tommy Sullivan, walks in a few minutes later, Marlow uses his. “Hello, Delicious.” She twirls her honey-colored, bouncy hair around her finger, cocking her hip and tilting her head like a vintage pinup girl.
Tommy, the fun-loving super-flirt, winks. “Hello, pretty, underage lass.” Then he nods to Logan and smiles at me. “Lo . . . Good morning, Miss Ellie.”
“Hey, Tommy.”
Marlow struts forward. “Three months, Tommy. Three months until I’m a legal adult—then I’m going to use you, abuse you and throw you away.”
The dark-haired devil grins. “That’s my idea of a good date.” Then he gestures toward the back door. “Now, are we ready for a fun day of learning?”
One of the security guys has been walking me to school ever since the public and press lost their minds over Nicholas and Olivia’s still-technically-unconfirmed relationship. They make sure no one messes with me and they drive me in the tinted, bulletproof SUV when it rains—it’s a pretty sweet deal.
I grab my ten-thousand-pound messenger bag from the corner.
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before. Elle—you should have a huge banger here tonight!” says Marlow.
Tommy and Logan couldn’t have synced up better if they’d practiced:
“No fucking way.”
Marlow holds up her hands, palms out. “Did I say banger?”
“Huge banger,” Tommy corrects.
“No—no fucking way. I meant, we should have a few friends over to . . . hang out. Very few. Very mature. Like . . . almost a study group.”
I toy with my necklace and say, “That actually sounds like a good idea.”
Throwing a party when your parents are away is a rite-of-high-school passage. And after this summer, Liv will most likely never be away again. It’s now or never.
“It’s a terrible idea.” Logan scowls.
He looks kinda scary when he scowls. But still hot. Possibly, hotter.
Marlow steps forward, her brass balls hanging out and proud. “You can’t stop her—that’s not your job. It’s like when the Bush twins got busted in that bar with fake IDs or Malia was snapped smoking pot at Coachella. Secret Service couldn’t stop them; they just had to make sure they didn’t get killed.”
Tommy slips his hands in his pockets, laid back even when he’s being a hardass. “We could call her sister. Even from an ocean away, I’d bet she’d stop her.”
“No!” I jump a little. “No, don’t bother Liv. I don’t want her worrying.”
“We could board up the fucking doors and windows,” Logan suggests.
’Cause that’s not overkill or anything.
I move in front of the two security guards and plead my case. “I get why you’re concerned, okay? But I have this thing—it’s like my motto. I want to suck the lemon.”
Tommy’s eyes bulge. “Suck what?”
I laugh, shaking my head. Boys are stupid.
“You know that saying, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’?—well, I want to suck the lemon dry.”
Neither of them seems particularly impressed.
“I want to live every bit of life, experience everything it has to offer, good and bad.” I lift my jeans to show my ankle—and the little lemon I’ve drawn there. “See? When I’m eighteen, I’m going to get this tattooed on for real. As a reminder to live as much and as hard and as awesome as I can—to not take anything for granted. And having my friends over tonight is part of that.”
I look back and forth between them. Tommy’s weakening—I can feel it. Logan’s still a brick wall.
“It’ll be small. And quiet—I swear. Totally controlled. And besides, you guys will be here with me. What could go wrong?”
Everything.
Everything goes fucking wrong.
”
”
Emma Chase (Royally Endowed (Royally, #3))
“
I didn’t think we were being quiet, particularly. High heels may have looked dainty, but they didn’t sound that way on a tile floor. Maybe it was just that my dad was so absorbed in the convo on his cell phone. For whatever reason, when we emerged from the kitchen into the den, he started, and he stuffed the phone down by his side in the cushions. I was sorry I’d startled him, but it really was comical to see this big blond manly man jump three feet off the sofa when he saw two teenage girls. I mean, it would have been funny if it weren’t so sad.
Dad was a ferocious lawyer in court. Out of court, he was one of those Big Man on Campus types who shook hands with everybody from the mayor to the alleged ax murderer. A lot like Sean, actually. There were only two things Dad was afraid of. First, he wigged out when anything in the house was misplaced. I won’t even go into all the arguments we’d had about my room being a mess. They’d ended when I told him it was my room, and if he didn’t stop bugging me about it, I would put kitchen utensils in the wrong drawers, maybe even hide some (cue horror movie music). No spoons for you! Second, he was easily startled, and very pissed off afterward. “Damn it, Lori!” he hollered.
“It’s great to see you too, loving father. Lo, I have brought my friend Tammy to witness out domestic bliss. She’s on the tennis team with me.” Actually, I was on the tennis team with her.
“Hello, Tammy. It’s nice to meet you,” Dad said without getting up or shaking her hand or anything else he would normally do. While the two of them recited a few more snippets of polite nonsense, I watched my dad. From the angle of his body, I could tell he was protecting that cell phone behind the cushions.
I nodded toward the hiding place. “Hot date?”
I was totally kidding. I didn’t expect him to say, “When?”
So I said, “Ever.” And then I realized I’d brought up a subject that I didn’t want to bring up, especially not while I was busy being self-absorbed. I clapped my hands. “Okay, then! Tammy and I are going upstairs very loudly, and after a few minutes we will come back down, ringing a cowbell. Please continue with your top secret phone convo.”
I turned and headed for the stairs. Tammy followed me. I thought Dad might order me back, send Tammy out, and give me one of those lectures about my attitude (who, me?). But obviously he was chatting with Pamela Anderson and couldn’t wait for me to leave the room. Behind us, I heard him say, “I’m so sorry. I’m still here. Lori came in. Oh, yeah? I’d like to see you try.”
“He seems jumpy,” Tammy whispered on the stairs.
“Always,” I said.
“Do you have a lot of explosions around your house?”
I glanced at my watch. “Not this early.
”
”
Jennifer Echols (Endless Summer (The Boys Next Door, #1-2))
“
(Summer of 2010) Chiaz Natherth- It was just going to be a typical summer day. I am at the local watering hole with my bud Melvin Shezor; we were just there to gaze at the girl gaze, sitting on lawn chairs. I had warm lemonade in my right hand at the time. I am looking around at all the bodies that are bobbing in the water; they all just seem to blend. The lifeguard is blowing her whistle while screaming at the little kids that are running around. Some stunning bodies are smacking the cold blue water with great speed, from the high dive.
But- there is no more perfect figure there than hers. Everyone else seems to fade away out of my vision, along with all the ear-shattering noises. Bryan Adams ‘Heaven’ is playing in the background, and it seemed to be pronounced to my senses. When I am looking at her, it is like she is moving in slow motion, swimming across the pool. She climbed up the ladder and out of the pool. Her body dripping with water… what a moment, there is even water dripping down her chest. She looks amazing in that petite pink bikini. I was thinking to myself, that is a very cute looking camel-toe you got showing there Nevaeh! I never knew that she had a heart-shaped belly button piercing, when did that happen?
Also, I could tell that her swimsuit was made by her, just like most of the sun-dresses she wears in the summertime too. Because it was not like any others I have ever seen around, it is cute, somewhat skimpy, and tailored to her perfect body. The fabric was not meant to get wet, it was somewhat see-through, yet she did not know, though it looks very good what can I say. She is walking towards me while running her fingers through her long brown hair. ‘I was thinking this is too good to be for real.’ She walked by and said ‘hi!’ and I was at loss for words. She was already gone, but I still babbled something like ‘Ahh-he-oll-o.’ At that point, into the changing room, she went, and I just sat there trying to fathom what had just happened.
Melvin Shezor- ‘Chiaz! Ah, Chiaz! Hello, earth to Chiaz, snap out of its dude.’
Chiaz Naztherth- ‘She is so fine! I would not mind having her on my arm.’
Melvin Shezor- ‘Yah, the man she is not bad. But- isn’t she into girls though.
So, do you like Nevaeh?’
Chiaz Naztherth- ‘I do not think that she is, and well… Yes, did you see her in that swimsuit? She is adorable in every way.’
Melvin Shezor- ‘Really is that so? Go talk to her!’
Chiaz Naztherth- ‘No way!’
Melvin Shezor- ‘Why not, you pussy!’
Chiaz Naztherth- ‘If Alissa finds out that I like her, or even looked at her I am going to die.’
Melvin Shezor- ‘Ha, it sucks to be you man.’
Chiaz Natherth- ‘Hey, I will see you later, I got to go.’ (Text messages are going off… like crazy)
Melvin Shezor- ‘Pu-ss-y!’ (Shouting as Chiaz Natherth is walking out the exit gate.)
(Chiaz- He just waved it off, with the finger that is not supposed to be used in public, and does not think any more about it from that point on.)
Chiaz Naztherth- Summer is over! Yet she is with him… he is so unconfident in himself that he has to follow me around. He gives me vain advice on what to do, and how to do it, yet I would have to say I need to stand up for myself more than what I do, yet I do not because of her. He attempts to belittle me, with his words of temperament to her. These results lead to her having breakdowns, where she is feeling miserable because she is stuck in the middle. She does not know what to do! She doesn't know how to feel! She does not want to hurt anyone's feelings, yet she is the one that is left to choke on her tears. Yes, I will save you long before you drowned!
”
”
Marcel Ray Duriez (Nevaeh The Miracle)
“
… The most important contribution you can make now is taking pride in your treasured home state. Because nobody else is. Study and cherish her history, even if you have to do it on your own time. I did. Don’t know what they’re teaching today, but when I was a kid, American history was the exact same every year: Christopher Columbus, Plymouth Rock, Pilgrims, Thomas Paine, John Hancock, Sons of Liberty, tea party. I’m thinking, ‘Okay, we have to start somewhere— we’ll get to Florida soon enough.’…Boston Massacre, Crispus Attucks, Paul Revere, the North Church, ‘Redcoats are coming,’ one if by land, two if by sea, three makes a crowd, and I’m sitting in a tiny desk, rolling my eyes at the ceiling. Hello! Did we order the wrong books? Were these supposed to go to Massachusetts?…Then things showed hope, moving south now: Washington crosses the Delaware, down through original colonies, Carolinas, Georgia. Finally! Here we go! Florida’s next! Wait. What’s this? No more pages in the book. School’s out? Then I had to wait all summer, and the first day back the next grade: Christopher Columbus, Plymouth Rock…Know who the first modern Floridians were? Seminoles! Only unconquered group in the country! These are your peeps, the rugged stock you come from. Not genetically descended, but bound by geographical experience like a subtropical Ellis Island. Because who’s really from Florida? Not the flamingos, or even the Seminoles for that matter. They arrived when the government began rounding up tribes, but the Seminoles said, ‘Naw, we prefer waterfront,’ and the white man chased them but got freaked out in the Everglades and let ’em have slot machines…I see you glancing over at the cupcakes and ice cream, so I’ll limit my remaining remarks to distilled wisdom: “Respect your parents. And respect them even more after you find out they were wrong about a bunch of stuff. Their love and hard work got you to the point where you could realize this. “Don’t make fun of people who are different. Unless they have more money and influence. Then you must. “If someone isn’t kind to animals, ignore anything they have to say. “Your best teachers are sacrificing their comfort to ensure yours; show gratitude. Your worst are jealous of your future; rub it in. “Don’t talk to strangers, don’t play with matches, don’t eat the yellow snow, don’t pull your uncle’s finger. “Skip down the street when you’re happy. It’s one of those carefree little things we lose as we get older. If you skip as an adult, people talk, but I don’t mind. “Don’t follow the leader. “Don’t try to be different—that will make you different. “Don’t try to be popular. If you’re already popular, you’ve peaked too soon. “Always walk away from a fight. Then ambush. “Read everything. Doubt everything. Appreciate everything. “When you’re feeling down, make a silly noise. “Go fly a kite—seriously. “Always say ‘thank you,’ don’t forget to floss, put the lime in the coconut. “Each new year of school, look for the kid nobody’s talking to— and talk to him. “Look forward to the wonderment of growing up, raising a family and driving by the gas station where the popular kids now work. “Cherish freedom of religion: Protect it from religion. “Remember that a smile is your umbrella. It’s also your sixteen-in-one reversible ratchet set. “ ‘I am rubber, you are glue’ carries no weight in a knife fight. “Hang on to your dreams with everything you’ve got. Because the best life is when your dreams come true. The second-best is when they don’t but you never stop chasing them. So never let the authority jade your youthful enthusiasm. Stay excited about dinosaurs, keep looking up at the stars, become an archaeologist, classical pianist, police officer or veterinarian. And, above all else, question everything I’ve just said. Now get out there, class of 2020, and take back our state!
”
”
Tim Dorsey (Gator A-Go-Go (Serge Storms Mystery, #12))
“
Were you spying on someone?” Darren asks, finally sitting in the chair next to me and pointing at the open compact on the table.
“What? Oh, no.” I laugh, snapping it shut and pulling it and the journal closer to me. “It’s nothing.”
“You’re awfully secretive with your diary.” He says the word diary with a childish tone to it, as if the cover of mine has a picture of Hello Kitty emblazoned on it. “What are you hiding?” He reaches for it but I’m faster.
“It’s just this project for my friend,” I say, hoping he’ll leave it at that yet knowing he has the power to make me say anything he wants.
He stares at me and waves his hand for me to continue.
“My best friend, Morgan, gave this to me at the airport when she dropped me off. She had me write a list of goals for the summer, and she also cooked up assignments for me to do.”
He raises an eyebrow. “She added schoolwork to your schoolwork?”
I laugh his joke away. “It’s sweet. They’re just silly things mostly, like writing a haiku, getting on a vessel of the public transportation system and getting off at a random stop to explore--which is the one I was working on when I saw you the second time, by the way.”
“I guess I should thank this Morgan girl.”
“But I didn’t even talk to you then. It was just a wave and POOF. Gone.”
“Even so. It was a memorable wave.
”
”
Kristin Rae (Wish You Were Italian (If Only . . . #2))
“
Someone nudged her elbow, interrupting her reverie. “Hello? Anyone there?”
The question came from Rylann’s roommate, Rae Mendoza, who was seated at her right.
“I’m here. Just…picturing myself at the pool.” Rylann tried to hold on to the mirage for a few moments longer. “It’s sunny and seventy-five degrees. I’ve got some kind of tropical drink with one of those little umbrellas in it, and I’m reading a book—one I don’t have to highlight or outline in the margins.”
“They make those kinds of books?”
“If memory serves..."
“I hate to burst the bubble on your daydream, but I’m pretty sure they don’t allow alcoholic drinks at IMPE,” Rae said, referring to the university’s Intramural Physical Education building, which housed said pool.
Rylann waved off such pesky details. “I’ll throw a mai tai in my College of Law thermos and tell people that it’s iced tea. If campus security gives me any trouble, I’ll scare them off with my quasi-legal credentials and remind them of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions against illegal searches and seizures.”
“Wow. Do you know how big of a law school geek you just sounded like?”
Unfortunately, she did. “Do you think any of us will ever be normal again?”
Rae considered this. “I’m told that somewhere around third year, we lose the urge to cite the Constitution in everyday conversation.”
“That’s promising,” Rylann said.
“But seeing how you’re more of a law geek than most, it might take you longer.”
“Remember that conversation last night when I said I was going to miss you this summer? I take it back
”
”
Julie James (About That Night (FBI/US Attorney, #3))
“
Even at a distance he recognized the way she sat a horse, the tilt of her head. He couldn’t believe she had come so far and so quickly. Fate had indeed led her in a circle back to him.
Ordering Blackbird back to his mother’s lodge, Hunter increased his pace, the dread of leaving his people forgotten. Destiny. A month ago he had railed against it. Now he wasn’t certain how he felt. Resentful, yet pleased. And relieved. Deep in the quiet places of his heart, he sensed the rightness.
Fate. Today it had brought him a woman, a woman like no other, with skin as white as a night moon, hair like honey, and eyes like the summer sky. His woman, and this time she came freely.
From the hilltop Loretta watched the lone man walking toward her from the village. Relief flooded through her when she recognized Hunter’s loose-hipped, graceful stride. She crossed herself quickly and murmured thanks to the Holy Mother for her intercession. A dozen emotions surging through her, she urged Friend down the embankment.
Hunter met her halfway across the flat. As Loretta rode toward him, she couldn’t stop staring. Even though she had been away from him only a short while, she had forgotten how Indian he looked. How savage. He moved with the fluid strength of a well-muscled animal, his shoulders, arms, and chest in constant motion, a bronzed play of tendon and flesh. The wind whipped his hair about his face.
Mercy. He wasn’t wearing any breeches, just a breechcloth and knee-high moccasins. She drew Friend to a halt and swallowed a rush of anxiety. Aunt Rachel was right. He was a Comanche, first, last, and always. Yet she had come to him.
“Blue Eyes?”
He slowed his pace as he got closer, his indigo eyes traveling the length of her, taking in every detail of her dress, from the high neckline down to the bit of petticoat and black high-topped shoes showing below the hem of her full skirts. His eyes warmed with the familiar gleam of laughter that had once irritated her so much.
She fastened her gaze on his face and, resisting the need to blurt out her troubles, searched her mind for the appropriate Comanche greeting, determined to begin this encounter on the right note. “Hi, hites,” she said, lifting her right hand.
He caught the stallion’s bridle and stepped close. He was so tall that he didn’t have to tip his head back to see her face. With a smile in his voice, he replied, “Hello.”
Loretta caught her bottom lip between her teeth to stop its trembling. How like him to remember her word of greeting. He was her friend. She had been right to come here.
”
”
Catherine Anderson (Comanche Moon (Comanche, #1))
“
Hello, Thor,” said the sword. “Long time no see.” “Ha!” The god clapped his hands in delight. “I thought I recognized you. But isn’t your name Sumarbrander? Why did the human call you Jorvik?” “Jack,” the sword corrected. “Yak.
”
”
Rick Riordan (The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #1))
“
Carrot and stick,” she said, nodding. “Wave it under his nose and start walking. Works every time with old men, mules, and dogs.
”
”
Mary Kay Andrews (Hello, Summer)
“
Halcyon days,” he repeated. “I guess you don’t know you’re living them until years later, looking in the rearview mirror.
”
”
Mary Kay Andrews (Hello, Summer)
“
You’re working so hard, burning the candle at both ends. Up early, home late. When are you going to stop and smell the roses?
”
”
Mary Kay Andrews (Hello, Summer)
“
Japanese lilies and her beautiful face
In a crowded market place,
People walked, moved; and quite a few preferred to amble,
While I searched for my known space,
Where she sells beauty’s earthly samples without too much too gamble,
I walked past the busy spaces and the bustling market views,
People haggling, a few arguing,
It was like life was tasked to seek reviews,
In ways pleasing and many a time annoying,
Finally I reached there where I wanted to be,
And there she was this beautiful maiden,
And as she prospected every face, her eyes finally rested on me,
For a while nothing existed, as if time its pace had forgotten,
Only to be revived back to life,
When the maiden at the flower shop said,
“Hello, and welcome to the shop of beautiful life,”
My eyes moved, my lips shivered and in response I only shook my head,
I looked at flowers with different colours,
And her eyes followed mine to every spot where they rested,
I could be there, with the flowers and the maiden, for many hours,
Because at this flower shop, all the flowers only of her beauty attested,
She knew it too because the sparkle in her eyes was brewing with confidence,
She knew she was like the most beautiful summer rose that ever existed,
And I only visited the shop to feel surrounded by this beauty’s appeal so dense,
Her beauty was not just a visual act but an experience, where a new appeared as soon as the old exited,
She was pure beauty, and maybe my only and my wilful addiction,
While I was soaking in this experience of charm and beauty,
She tenderly felt my hand trembling with love’s affliction,
“Here, look at these new samples of eternal beauty,”
She said this with a professional tone and demand,
They were small clusters of white charm,
Beautiful as anything beautiful can be resting peacefully in beauty’s eternal wand,
Peaceful to look at that always kindled feelings warm,
It was such a delight to witness and see,
Then she silently quoth this,
“They are called the Japanese lilies that sparkle like the pearls from the deepest sea,
They look like joys suspended on the branches of bliss,
These beautiful Japanese lilies bearing the sparkle of the pearl from the deepest sea.”
I again nodded my head with a smile,
As I looked at them closely,
They indeed were clusters of white joy hanging there with a beautiful smile,
And I said hurriedly, “certainly!”
Then I realised something strange,
They were bending downwards, as if gravity pulled them harder,
It was nothing like flowers at other shops, so it indeed was very strange,
I looked at all the flowers and then I looked at her,
And there it was, in her eyes, her beautiful face her overall grace,
That the flowers in her shop felt so inferior,
Because all Japanese lilies and every Summer flower was but a reflection of her face,
And it was difficult to tell whether they were her lovers or she was there lover,
But to me, they all shone as the brilliance in her eyes,
The rose had offered her its blush,
The lies had granted her the twinkling miracle of the night skies,
And all other flowers had rendered her eternally beautiful and lush,
And whenever they looked at her,
The flowers drooped a bit,
And maybe that is why I buy all my flowers from her,
Because like these helpless flowers I too love her every bit, and thus my love affair with her and her flowers has matured bit by bit!
And now neither the flowers nor I can quit,
So it is an affair that shall last till eternity and this is how I prefer it,
She loving the flowers, I loving her, and as soon as my memory amidst her beautiful memories is lit,
Then I am sure, like these flowers, and like me; now she too cannot quit, not even a bit!
”
”
Javid Ahmad Tak (They Loved in 2075!)
“
Angels carried her away, Joyfully singing with Jesus, Promoted to glory, Fell asleep in the cradle of death, Advanced to eternal life, and Breathed her soul into her Savior’s arms were some
”
”
Mary Kay Andrews (Hello, Summer)
“
Barbecues, beach days, & those long, lazy summer nights—hello, summer! It's time to bask in the sun, flip burgers like a pro, & enjoy endless evenings under the stars. Say goodbye to your winter woes & hello to sandy toes, tan lines, & ice-creams. Whether you're hitting the waves, grilling up a storm, or just lounging with a good book, summer’s got it all. So grab your shades, crank up the tunes, & let the good vibes roll. Here’s to the season of fun, sun, & a whole lot of awesome!
”
”
Life is Positive
“
However, he did tell her about his release from the Gulag. After his case was reviewed, he was told he had been “rehabilitated”: “You can go home now.” He was given a telephone, but he could think of no one to call. He finally phoned his sister in Moscow and said, “Hello, I will be seeing you soon. Sit at home. I’m coming.” He walked slowly from the Lubyanka prison. It was summer, July. Suddenly he felt his feet could no longer carry him. He sat down on a bench. The children were playing in the park, the leaves were rustling in the sunlight, and he burst into tears. He told Svetlana, “I sat there and cried rivers of tears. Then I went to my sister’s. Thank God I cried it out before I got there.
”
”
Rosemary Sullivan (Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva)
“
Dad loved Aeney more than anything, but he couldn’t show it. He just couldn’t. There’s a Code for fathers in Ireland. Maybe it’s everywhere, I don’t know, I haven’t cracked it. My father followed the Code. He was careful about his children, he didn’t want to ruin us though somehow felt sure he would. He thought Aeney and I were marvels but he didn’t want to make a mistake. Maybe he thought Abraham was watching. So he’d probably thought about it for a long time before he came in from the casting and decided he should go fishing with Aeney. Dad could be sudden like that. He couldn’t help it. It’s the nature of Poets. You don’t believe me, look up William Blake, say hello to those impulses, go meet Mr John Donne in a dark church some time, spend a summer’s day with young William Butler, Ace Butterfly-catcher.
”
”
Niall Williams (History of the Rain)
“
Hello Daniel!" She waited, expecting him to speak, but when he didn’t say anything, she started again. "Is there something I can do for you?" "No, just…" Your soul’s been ripped out. You’re magical residue of your former self. You have less than a week to live. "Well," he said, "it’s summer and everything…I
”
”
Andrew Ball (Contractor (The Contractors, #1))
“
Upon arriving at Annandale’s luxuriously appointed London house, Christopher was shown to the library, where a fire had been lit in the hearth despite the fact that it was the height of summer.
"Good God, Grandfather,” he said, nearly recoiling at the blast of heat as he entered the library. “You’ll have us braised like a pair of game hens." Striding to the window, he flung it open and drew in a breath of outside air. “You could easily heat yourself with a walk out-of-doors.”
His grandfather scowled at him from a chair beside the hearth. “The doctor has advised against outside air. I would advise you to negotiate your inheritance before you try to finish me off.”
“There’s nothing to negotiate. Leave me whatever you wish--or nothing, if it pleases you.”
“Manipulative as always,” Annandale muttered. “You assume I’ll do the reverse of whatever you say.”
Christopher smiled and shrugged out of his coat. He tossed it to a nearby chair as he approached his grandfather. He went to shake his hand, enclosing the frail and cold fingers in his own warm grasp. “Hello, sir. You’re looking well.”
“I am not well,” Annandale retorted. “I’m old. Navigating life with this body is like trying to sail a shipwreck.
”
”
Lisa Kleypas (Love in the Afternoon (The Hathaways, #5))
“
End of December 2012 My Message to Andy Hello Loverboy, I’m glad you made peace with your dad before he passed. In regards to my relationship with Mr. S. S. Foong, I never got to know the man I called father. As you were aware, my summer vacations in Kula Lumpur were more a drudgery than a holiday. The fundamental reason I returned home was to spend time with my mother and female relatives. As had been the status quo, my old man would devise this or that regimen to try to butch me up. In the summer of 1970, he enrolled me at the Outward Bound School of Singapore (OBSS).
”
”
Young (Turpitude (A Harem Boy's Saga Book 4))
“
cell phone. Still no reception. The GPS didn’t even work. Something rustled in the bushes nearby. She froze. “Hello?” She lifted her cell phone to illuminate her surroundings with the screen. It cast stark shadows on the bushes and trees, but it was too dim to see further than a couple feet. The soft, rhythmic sound of feet against
”
”
S.M. Reine (Six Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon, #1))
“
He retired the side and struck out the final two batters—Champ Summers and Lou Whitaker—to end the game. Bob Uecker’s radio call of the final out: “Good-bye, Detroit. Hello, New York” was an instant classic.
”
”
Bill Schroeder (If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers: Stories from the Milwaukee Brewers Dugout, Locker Room, and Press Box)
“
But Papa just scoffed
and puffed out his chest.
“Just forget about monsters
and all of the rest.
Because, my dears,
I beg to suggest,
when it comes to holidays,
your Papa knows best.
I’m a bear for holidays!
I like ‘em all--
whether in winter, spring,
summer, or fall!
“And your Pa has perfect
holiday habits.
On Easter, I always
make way for rabbits,
and say a small poem
for spring and rebirth.
On Earth Day, of course,
I cherish the Earth.
“On Christmas Day,
I think of others--
fathers, mothers,
sisters, brothers.
On Arbor Day,
I walk to the trees.
“Hello, tree!”
But Thanksgiving’s the best
holiday, if you please--
the one that for me
is really the winner.
Why?
Thanksgiving dinner!”
”
”
Stan Berenstain (The Berenstain Bears' Thanksgiving)
“
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s wet and round and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies—“God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” –Kurt Vonnegut
”
”
Alicia Silverstone (The Kind Mama: A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning)
“
>>>Good morning, Max. >>>Hello, Riley. >>>What have you done since our last session? >>>Max read 895,013 books.
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Blake Crouch (Summer Frost)
“
Sea-foam tumbles onto the shore, claiming me gently in the way I've always craved. The ocean gathers me, carrying me over the surface like Cleopatra--- and I, every ounce as lovely as her and Aphrodite combined. Bit by bit the water swallows me, gently nipping at my skin until I dissolve into an aquatic spirit. Only then do I understand the language of angelfish and squid, and I move just as languidly. The sirens gape at me with their jewel-bright eyes and try to steal me as their own. But before I can be taken by those curious witches, I rise to the surface again.
Everything glimmers here.
I embrace the dusk with a hopeful smile. The sky blends into a watercolor of pastels and ambrosial stars. It's an aurora borealis of magenta and lavender, tempting me into the forest and away from the safety of the shore.
Something's in the wind. I can feel it--- like the twinkling stars will finally lead me to the love I desire. I want it more than anything. The thought of it turns me feral, like a vampiress thirsty for a drop of blood. I dart through the forest, trailing a path of golden light. Past the evergreens and pines, underneath the moon, I become wild and free.
Sweet summer fruit grows from trees, ripe and sparkling. With every cautious step I take, the flowers blossom. But they don't just grow. They glow. Ultraviolet irises, sugar-dusted peonies, and iridescent rosebuds unravel beneath my feet. Foxgloves bloom like trumpets, playing a regal procession beside twinkling bluebells. As I journey deeper into the forest, fireflies circle me, illuminating my path.
And then I see him.
I blink. He's awfully familiar, but I can't place my finger on who he is. He's beautiful. A boy with white-blond hair and viridescent eyes. Where have I seen him before?
"Hello, Lila," he says.
I stumble back. "How do you know my name?"
He's peculiar. So unbelievably enchanting. I'm enthralled by the sound of his voice alone.
"Don't be scared. You're safe here. I wanted to bring you somewhere special. Somewhere where you can make the forest beautiful with your dance."
My dance.
Of course, my dance.
Witchlight flickers in his eyes. This world is meant for me. A gift wrapped up in velvet petals and sweet perfumes.
”
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Kiana Krystle (Dance of the Starlit Sea)
“
faces looking down at him. 'Fran,' I say, 'these are my friends and family. Welcome.' Everyone raises their glasses again. 'To Fran,' we cry. After that messages from my other Facebook mates start to pop up on the iPhone. 'Hello,' one says. 'What's been going on?' says another. I whisper, 'Bye Fran, talk
”
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Abigail Hornsea (Books for kids: Summer of Spies)
“
Jasmine opened her fridge and pulled out cauliflower, an onion, garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and molasses.
"Are plant people for or against eating the plants?" Nina asked.
"I sure hope they're pro, because vegetarian is what's calling to me."
Nina watched Jasmine bread and bake the cauliflower, mash tomatoes in a pot with the garlic, spices and onion, then pan-fry a homemade tortilla. She piled the baked cauliflower onto the tortilla shell, then drizzled a healthy amount of the homemade salsa across the top.
She passed the plate to Nina and the aroma of the flavors mixing together reminded her of being outside in summer. She wanted to live on that plate. Nina picked up the taco and folded it, admiring the colors of the ingredients as they blended together like new paint on a fresh canvas. She smiled at the food. "Hello, gorgeous."
Then she smelled the taco---spice and lime---before taking a bite. Not only was each part of the dish cooked perfectly, but it also practically melted in her mouth.
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Erin La Rosa (For Butter or Worse (The Hollywood Series #1))
“
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”
”
Arun
“
In Conversation With The Earth!
Hello I am Earth , your home,
Hello I am human from Climate summit at Rome,
Pleasure meeting you today,
Well I thought you met and saw me everyday,
Nevermind, human mind is a curious creation,
Look at the devastation and your numb sensation,
Water levels rising,
Frequent wildfires are least surprising,
Landslides burying people alive,
For the poor Earth is no longer a place to thrive,
CO2 emissions creating a blanket of doom,
The world looks like a planet draped in agony and gloom,
Deforestation has left me naked,
By your callousness I feel raped, you humans are so ungrateful and wicked,
The rising heat will kill us both,
I will manage drifting in the universe but imagine your plight in the cosmic broth?
You are the cause of your own extinction,
And you seek mercy from me for this inevitable destruction,
I am part of the universe the universe is not a part of me,
And if there is a cause, an effect too there shall be!
But I am wondering why you are still procrastinating,
You are more interested in Mars’s Terraforming,
Instead of saving your present home,
Where there is Italy, Germany, India, America, Russia, China, many others and Rome,
You seem to ignore my pleadings and warning signs,
And somehow your conscience resigns,
Into a slumber of thoughtlessness,
And you seem willing to endure this perpetual feeling of restlessness,
But refrain from acting now,
Sometimes you just need to start, without wasting too much time on thinking how,
This maybe my last conversation with you , my dear human being,
It is time you believed in what you are seeing,
A ravaged soul of mine,
I fret and fume, yet you convince yourself I am fine,
Because you can still breathe in my air,
But how long, because you are offering me a bargain that is unfair,
Very soon you may need protected air zones to survive,
And then only those with a penny in the pocket shall be alive,
Where will your less fortunate brothers and sisters go?
I think after the great fall, today humanity has fallen really too low,
Not placing restraint on their acts so ignoble,
Although you see my scars so fresh and palpable,
Anyway, why shall you care as long as you can breathe,
And not realise the irony, the day you feel choked I too shall no more be able to breathe!
Mars is a distant dream,
Pay heed now when I yell and scream,
Mars is just a reflection in the mirror,
But I am the mirror, you just need to be a heedful observer,
And act now before it is too late,
And stop wasting time in a bureaucratically complex debate,
Maybe this will be the last summer for you and me too,
But I am still believing and expecting the best from you!
By: Javid Ahmad Tak
”
”
Javid Ahmad Tak (They Loved in 2075!)
“
We could have saved the world, we would have saved the world in the blink of an eye, in einem Augenblick, but we didn't, or I didn't, and love didn't triumph; I betrayed love, and often when I can't sleep, which is to say almost every night, I hear in my head the message on her answering machine, 'Hello, this is Kate, leave me a message,' and her voice was so fresh, like diving into a waterfall at the end of a dusty summer afternoon: you immediately felt washed of all dirt, discomfort and all evil.
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Michel Houllebecq
“
There were two daily mealtimes at Eversby Priory: a hearty breakfast and a hedonistic dinner. In between, an artful miscellany of leftovers was arranged in a sideboard buffet. There was no end of cream, butter and cheese made from summer grass milk. Juicy, tender bacon and smoked ham were served at nearly every meal, either on their own or chopped into salads and savory dishes. There were always abundant vegetables from the kitchen garden, and ripe fruit from the orchards.
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Lisa Kleypas (Hello Stranger (The Ravenels, #4))
“
Ceiling Unlimited began as a series of informative dramas by Orson Welles, who had just returned from a well-publicized air trip to Latin America with film in the can for an ill-fated movie and a yen to be back on radio. He leaped into two CBS series, Hello, Americans (extolling the achievements of South American countries) and Ceiling Unlimited (describing aviation’s role in the war). Welles’s tenure was brief: a blowup with an agency man just before air time one night resulted in a Welles walkout. After a hasty reorganization and a summer series with author James Hilton, the show returned as a half-hour Hollywood variety series.
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John Dunning (On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio)
“
she had gone through so much
a heart full of love meet the wrong touch
the pain dwell on her past
and a broken arm at last
expectation pin her down
depression has come
she stayed sane on her own
taking hills , being lonesome
but life never gave up on her
neither does she
climbs up the well of suffer
return to life's ecstasy
accidently we known eachother
through my random dm on twitter
i used to call you sister
just because i dont know your age number
time pass by on its own
a hello became deep conversation
been a while since a girl caught my interest
with less expectation turns to the fullest
”
”
Azlan (Azlan)
“
I don’t even have a sister, ignoramus,” Alternate Virgil would say. Then he’d grab the Bull’s shirt collar in his skinny little hand, the one with the fingers of a gifted pianist, and shove him against the nearest tree. “Take it back,” he’d say. But the Bull wouldn’t be able to talk because his collar would be too tight, so Virgil would lift him up with one hand and throw him across the neighborhood. The Bull would fly over thirty rooftops before landing on top of someone’s chimney, which would be burning hot even though it was summer and no one was using their fireplace. And he’d get stuck there and start cooking like a lump of pot roast.
”
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Erin Entrada Kelly (Hello, Universe)
“
Virgil fed Gulliver and texted Kaori as he walked down the hall for breakfast. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t text someone at seven forty-five in the morning, especially not on the first day of summer—but nothing about Kaori was normal. Besides, she always seemed to be awake.
”
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Erin Entrada Kelly (Hello, Universe)
“
Kaori was mildly surprised to get a text from one of her clients (her only client, truth be told) on the first day of summer, particularly at seven forty-five in the morning. But the night before, just as she was gliding to sleep, she’d had the vision of a hawk perched on a giant fence post. Only now she realized it must have been a vulture, not a hawk. And vulture started with V, just like Virgil’s name. The connection couldn’t have been clearer.
”
”
Erin Entrada Kelly (Hello, Universe)
“
Walking up the tree-lined boulevard toward the center always brings out my inner Igor. I often run into Wincing Evan, so called because of the flinch—bordering on a Tourette’s-like seizure—he goes into whenever he spots Dev and me approaching. Head down, he’ll actually scamper across the street to avoid saying hello. In some ways, Evan is a figure of the type I aspire to cut. He translates (let’s say) Gogol. He publishes in The New York Review of Books and abroad. Unlike the blocky Boston bankers who abound in Harvard Square, he cruises in for Parents’ Day wearing a fluid flannel coat with French tailoring, for he and his professor wife (a comp-lit professor whose easy red-lipped smile could’ve sold lipstick) summer overseas often enough to use summer as a verb. Their immaculately turned-out son—Jonathan, age under four years—has shining hair and a good start on French and German. He’s a chess player with a princely manner. I swear if his voice were a little deeper, he could join the diplomatic corps. I once saw Dev, whose sandwich that day was, as most days, a peon’s peanut butter and jelly, try to urge Jonathan into swapping lunches. Young Jonathan peeled back one corner of his seven-grain bread carefully enough not to break the crust. Dev peered in. Jonathan said, Mine is brie and kiwi fruit.
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Mary Karr (Lit)
Mary Kay Andrews (Hello, Summer)
“
In a Time
In a time of secret wooing
Today prepares tomorrow's ruin
Left knows not what right is doing
My heart is torn asunder.
In a time of furtive sighs
Sweet hellos and sad goodbyes
Half-truths told and entire lies
My conscience echoes thunder.
In a time when kingdoms come
Joy is brief as summer's fun
Happiness, its race has run
Then pain stalks in to plunder.
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Maya Angelou (The Complete Collected Poems)