Kate Brian Quotes

My advice? Just be yourself. I'm sure you'll be fine."
Megan managed to smile and Regina slammed the car door. Be myself. Yeah. Right. Because that's gotten me so far in the past.

Tradition, Honor, Excellence.

Hey, Hailey, want a bracelet?" Pearl asked.
Everyone turned to look at her. Stilted conversation was one thing. Gifts were quite another.
"Uh…sure," Hailey said.
She turned and unzipped the small pouch on her backpack. As she dug through it, Ria whacked Pearl on the arm.
"You're gonna make her jewelry?" Ria whispered.
"Ow! What's the big deal?" Pearl whispered back.
"That girl does not deserve presents," Ria replied.
"Well, I can't take it back now," Pearl said, looking miserable.

So, look, you can't leave," Doug said, sitting straight up and turning towards her. "if you do, Miller's gonna revert and Caleb and Ian are gonna ride roughshod and Sean'll go back to being ghost brother and Finn ... "
Megan's heart slipped. "Finn what?"
"Finn will be destroyed," Doug said, looking her in the eye. "You got that dude all up in a twist, you know that, right?"
"What does that even mean?" Megan asked.
"All's I know is, he found out you left and he locked himself in the shed and barricaded the door. No one's seen him since," Doug said. "When I bolted, Sean and Evan were trying to boost Caleb up onto the roof so he could look through the skylight and make sure the kid wasn't dead or something."
Megan swallowed hard. "Wow.

Nice one, Megan!" Coach Leonard called. "The rest of you are making me look bad! Let's go!"
This time the other center forward glowered full force at Megan when they toed the line. "Beginner's luck," she said.
Megan ignored her, knowing she would formulate a comeback five hours from now--one she would never have the guts to deliver anyway. Instead, she'd just make this girl eat her dust.

It was this whole huge deal," Megan said. "But then we re-voted and I won! I still can't believe it."
"Well, congratulations," Finn said.
"Thanks. I couldn't wait t tell you," Megan said, grinning at him. "You should have seen her face. It was like…"
Megan stopped suddenly--Finn's face had gone all weird. He wasn't smiling anymore. It seemed like he had stopped breathing.
"What?" Megan said, her heart skipping a beat. He was studying her. Taking in every line of her face from her jaw to her cheekbone to her flyaway hair.
Finn reached over and ran his hand quickly over her hair, brushing it back. "This," he said.
And then he leaned forward and kissed her. For an infinitesimal moment, Megan froze. She had no idea what to do with herself. No idea where to put her hands or whether to move her lips or how to even breathe.
Kiss him back, for God's sake! she told herself.
Then she stifled a surprised, embarrassed, happy laugh and did as she was told. She returned his pressure and reached up to grab awkwardly at his sleeve. Finn's hand cupped the back of her head and his other hand lightly touched her knee. Megan's skin was on fire. Finn was kissing her. Finn was kissing her!
He pulled back, out of nowhere, and looked her in the eyes. "Is this okay?" he asked.
Megan mutely, dumbly, breathlessly nodded. She just wanted his lips on hers. He smiled and kissed her again, and this time Megan slid forward on the bench, leaning her body clo

Hailey let out a breath and launched the paper towel at the garbage can. It swished right in.
"Don't tell me you play basketball, too," Megan said lightly.
Hailey looked at Megan and sighed. "This is going to be one long year.

All I know is, he found out you left and he locked himself in the shed and barricaded the door. No one's seen him since," Doug said. "When I bolted, Sean and Evan were trying to boost Caleb up onto the roof so he could look through the skylight and make sure the kid wasn't dead or something.

So are you comin' back with me or what?"
Megan lifted her head and sighed. "I have a few conditions."
"Shoulda known," Doug said, rolling his eyes.
"First of all, I did not sign up for a truck stop bathroom," Megan said. "You guys need to start cleaning up after yourselves in there. No more blood, no more hair, no more stains that I don't even want to identify."
"All right, all right," Doug said. "That it?"
"Hardly," Megan said. "I want a hands-off rule on all my stuff. Including my bike."
"Okay ... "
"And I want everyone to stop calling me Megan C Cups behind my back."
Doug's jaw went slack as he flushed. "How did you know about that?"
Megan raised her eyebrows.
"All right, fine.

I was still alive. Ha! Take that kidnappers. Still alive. Maybe it was my butt that was feeding me. I always thought it was kind of round. I bet my body was eating up all the fat stores from my butt now. Yeah. See, having a big ass is a good thing. Good, good, good. They should put that in magazines. Why diet? Why stay thin? If you ever get kidnapped and left for dead, your fat ass could save your life!

There was a noise out back and Megan stalked to the end of the hall to look out the window. The door to the shed was just closing.
Finn.
He was just as bad as his brother. Finn had stranded her that morning too and he hadn't said a word to her about Spanish class, even though he never would have passed that pop quiz they had taken without her help. Megan turned and stormed down the hallway. Maybe she was too scared to say anything to Evan, but Finn…she was going to give that boy a piece of her mind.
"You guys all suck, you know that?" Megan shouted, flinging open the door to the shed.
Finn dropped his paintbrush on the leg of his jeans, where it left a streak of orange before hitting the dirty floor.
"Sorry?" he said.
"You! You suck!" Megan fumed.
"We've been over this. I know I suck."
"Not your art. You! You…guys!" Megan shouted.
Finn blinked. "Actually, I think I'm kind of an okay guy."
"Oh, please!" Megan said, squaring off in front of him. "I mean, what's wrong with you people? Were you all born like this? Because it's gotta be in your genes. Either that or you've all gotten each other in one too many choke holds over the years and you've deprived your brains of too much oxygen. Which is it?"
"Megan, I think you need to sit down," Finn said, carefully reaching for her shoulders. Keeping her at arm's length, he steered her over to the old bench and pushed her down until she had to let her knees go and fall into the sea

Do you guys even realize that you're not really playing ultimate?" Megan asked. "I looked it up online and you're doing it entirely wrong."
"We're doing it McGowan style," Doug replied with a knowing nod.
"What does that mean?" Megan asked.
"It's football with a Frisbee," Finn told her. "And at the end of the game we like to high five a lot and make barking noises. No one knows why or when we started it; we just did.

Do I make you nervous?" He asked.
I shook my head.
He pulled me back slightly, looked me in the eye, and smiled.
"Liar."
And then he kissed me.

So, is she giving you hell?"
"Who?"
"Hailey," Finn replied.
Megan smirked. "Nothing I can't handle."
Finn turned away from his painting to smile at her. "Good," he said.
For some reason, that simple word flooded Megan with relief. Maybe it was the way he said it. Like he was proud of her. Or impressed. Or not at all surprised.
"Maybe I'll even make her repay you your Popsicle," Megan quipped.
"That's okay. I'm over Popsicles," Finn said. "I'm more of a milk shake man now." He pulled up on his belt loops and they both laughed.

Megan could have kissed him. If there weren't a million obstacles, both physical and psychological, in her way, of course.

So let me get this straight," he said. "After everything that's happened on this campus-the murder, the stalking, the kidnapping-you want to go up into the woods-by yourself, in the middle of the night, based on something a ghost in a dream told you-and dig a hole?"
Well when he put it that way ...

Now, all of a sudden, she had an overwhelming urge to talk to Finn. She turned and, out of habit, walked over to the shed, not even thinking about the fact that he had been banned from his home-away-from-home. One push opened the door and Megan's entire world came to a screeching stop.
Standing on the easel directly across from her was her own image. Finn's painting of her. Completed to the last eyelash. It took her breath away.
Slowly Megan approached the painting. It was unlike anything else Finn had ever painted. He hadn't painted her profile or her shoulder or her hands or her ear. It was the only painting in the room that was a full, face-forward portrait, and it was amazing how much it looked like her. Only softer somehow. Prettier. More open. Her lips were pulled up on one side in a sort of knowing smile. Her skin practically glowed, and the smattering of freckles across her nose actually looked sweet to her. But it was the eyes that killed her. They swirled with at least five shades of green and had delicate gold flecks painted subtly through them. Was this what she really looked like to Finn? Did he really think she was this…beautiful?
Megan reached out and touched the edge of the canvas. The paint was completely dry.
When had he had time to finish this? She remembered suddenly that he had been grounded for the past few days. He must have been sneaking out here all week to work on it. And he had finished it. He had actually finished a painting.

We have to get a crew together to meet up after school today."
"Ouch," Finn said. "Well, you've come to the right place."
They looked out across the cafeteria, where hundreds of their peers sat and ate, just waiting to be tapped for after-school labor.
"I guess I should get started," Megan said.
"What about Doug?" Finn asked.
"It's just a gut instinct, but I don't think he's going to be much help," Megan replied, walking backward. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck," Finn said with a smile.

No! I will not calm down! He should be fired. WE should have him fired! You're clearly depressed and he needs to help you. He can't tell you to try harder next time That's sick! SICK!

This is it?" he asked.
"Yeah," Megan replied.
"Wow. I thought girls were notorious for overpacking."
"I'm not much of a girl," Megan replied.
What? What did you just say?
He looked her up and down and smiled. "Could've fooled me.

They both fought to catch their breath, though Megan's oxygen deprivation had nothing to do with the game.
"You okay?" Finn asked.
"Yeah, you?" she replied. Every inch of her body was throbbing to touch him again.
"Yeah," he replied with a huge grin. He pushed himself around and got on all fours in front of her, pausing there with his face inches from hers. "I'm glad you stayed," he whispered, his breath warm on her face.
Megan somehow managed to reply. "Me too."
Then Finn pushed himself up and headed back toward the centre of the yard. For a moment, Megan couldn't move. Then Doug walked over and offered his arm. Megan grasped it thankfully and he yanked up to her shaky legs.
"Who's all in a twist now?" he asked with a smirk.
Megan laughed and shoved him from behind as they headed back to the line.

Boys are unpredictable. This maybe not be news, but I'm starting to think it's one of the best things about them.

Leanne, would you kindly remove your nose from my ass? It's starting to chafe. - Noelle

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys
Entry One

Observation #1: When they're beautiful, they know they're beautiful.
Like the second-to-oldest one, Evan. He's a senior. He is perfection personified. And he knows it. You can tell because he just sort of smiles knowingly when you gape at him. Not that I've been gaping at him. Not at all. Anyway, too soon yet to tell if it negatively affects his behavior. (Like Mike Blukowsi and his Astrodome-sized ego problem.)

Observation #2: They like skin.
Especially skin they think they're not necessarily supposed to be seeing. Like the space between your belly tee and your waistband.

Observation #3: They have no problem bringing up events that would mortify me into shamed silence if the roles were reversed.
Like Evan totally brought up the wiffleball bat incident, when if that had happened to me, I'd be wishing on every one of my birthday cakes for everyone to forget it.

Observation #4: They gossip.
Can you believe it? I overheard Finn and Doug in the backyard talking about some girl named Dawn who blew off some guy named Simon for some other guy named Rick for like TWENTY MINUTES! They sounded like those old mole-hair ladies at Sal's Milkshakes. 'Member the ones who lectured us for a whole hour that day about how young women shouldn't wear shorts? Wait, okay, I got sidetracked.

Observation #5: The older ones are so cute with the younger ones.
They were

Okay, no reason to have a heart attack. He's just a guy ... the yummiest guy in Yum City.

Megan? Aren't you going to say anything?" her mother asked.
Yeah, I'm gonna say something, Megan thought, standing up.

Observation #8: Boys are icky.
Do not even get me started on the state of the bathroom. I'm thinking of calling in a haz-mat team. Seriously.