Crash Events Quotes

It started way back when I got my first football helmet for Christmas. […] Seems I knocked my cousin Bridget clear back out the doorway and onto her butt into a foot of snow. (1.2)

I got the feeling that he was inviting me to snatch this second button if I wanted. So I did. I plucked it off his shirt. But there was no hole this time to dump it in. […] So I gave it back to h...

"I wanted to ask you if you would like to come to dinner at my house." The only word I could think of was "Why?" "Because you're my first friend in Pennsylvania." (3.16-3.18)

I slammed my own gun to the ground. I stomped and stomped on it till it was green plastic splinters. I stormed up to the garage, over to the flower garden, out to the street, back to him. (4.20)

"So where's the rest?"[…] "The rest of what?" "Your toys." He pointed to the wagon. "There it is." "I mean the rest." I looked under his bed. I nosed into the closet. "Dump trucks. Fire engines....

"So," I said, "are you poor?" […] "No," said the father, "we're not poor at all. In fact, I would say in a lot of ways we're rich." (6.40-6.44)

That night I asked my mother how to spell the words and left a note on my door asking my father to wake me up before he went to bed. (7.1)

I'd say one-quarter of it is checking out other kids' clothes, and three-quarters is showing off your own. Your new sneaks, your labels. Talking prices. (9.4)

"She's gonna go"—I made my voice high like a girl's—"'Oooo, there's that Crash Coogan scoring another touchdown. I do believe I'm falling in love with that boy. He's so good and handsome.'" (10...

"Penn Webb wants to be a cheerleader." He bit off the end of his sandwich. He shook his head, chewed, chuckled, and spoke all at once: "Now, that is terrifying." (13.43-13.44)

We weren't really mad at each other. It was all just part of football. Football, see, is a violent and emotional game. The more charged up you are, the better you play. (15.13)

Mike grinned. "You're just jealous, 'cause you like her." I laughed. "Me? You're crazier than crazy. Why would I like that stuck-up bimbo?" I laughed some more. (16.5-16.6)

"Get a trap." "Me?" said my father. "You're the male. You're supposed to be the hunter." (17.10-17.12)

He's a cheerleader. Same sweater and shoes as the girls. At least he didn't have a skirt on. It was one of the eeriest and uncomfortablest feelings I ever had, watching a boy lead cheers for me. (1...

My dad smacked the table. "I forgot. Your game. How'd it go? Who won? How'd you do?" Suddenly I didn't feel like telling them. I chewed some stew. I shrugged. "Scored six TDs." (19.50-19.51)

Before he could stop her, Abby snatched the top pair of shorts and pulled them on over her jeans. She checked herself in the mirror. "Oh, Scooter, can I have these, please? Just one pair." (20.11)

She had to be in sixth grade, but she had the body of a third grader and the face of a grandmother. She had on enough makeup for ten clowns. She must have put it on in the dark after her mother dro...

This time when she tried to yank herself free, she couldn't. The Grip of Iron had her. And then she kicked me, right above my heel in my Achilles tendon. My leg buckled. I let go of her. (23.19)

As we left, I made sure we passed Webb and Jane coming off the dance floor. I took a quick half step to the left, set my legs, and rammed into him with my shoulder. He went flying on his rear about...

I'm so popular I could probably be school president. I'd get the vote of everybody who was glad to see Little Miss(ter) Cheerleader get dumped by a real man. (25.3)

I reached out but couldn't touch him, so I dove, flew through the air, and tackled him at the knees and brought him down—he felt like sticks—just inches from the Weedwacker. (29.16)

The next day, when I checked the backyard, the woodpile was gone. Where it used to be was Abby's old dollhouse. (30.26)

I entertained myself by trying to picture what [Penn] might get for Christmas. Maybe a nice shirt form Second Time Around with only two holes in it. (32.17)

Christmas stunk. […] For the first time in my life I had to be woken up on Christmas morning. (33.3-33.4)

"What were you doing in there?" His tongue drilled into the doughnut and came out with a clump of jelly. He shrugged. "Lookin' around. Ain't that the old dude's room? Your grandfather?" (34.21-34.22)

Abby was on the bed, jabbering away. He was propped up on the pillow. His face—everything—was different. His mouth was sort of crooked, like he was smirking; only I knew he wasn't. (35.11)

"You're really acting weird." I felt my neck getting warm. "What do you mean by that?" "I don't know. You're just acting different. Like when I said let's trick Webb, you told me you weren't intere...

Scooter talks. One word: "A-bye." At first I thought he was telling us to go, saying good-bye, even the minute we got there. But it turns out that's all he says. It's his only answer. (37.1-37.3)

"Mrs. Linfont found them when she was dust-mopping under your bed today. She said she didn't want to be snoopy, but she thought it was kind of unusual." (38.2)

A couple weeks ago we got an assignment: Write an essay about someone you know. Tell what that person means to you. I wrote about Scooter. Not about the stroke and the rehab and all, just the good...

He thumped me on the chest. "Huh?" Thumped me again, harder. "Huh?" I stood still as a rock. I knew what he was doing. He wanted me to thump him back, like I always did. Locker-room buddy bulls. (4...

I'm trying to get back the old safe-in-the-bed-boat feeling. I can't quite make it. Before, it was like Scooter was captain and we were the mates. Now it's turned around. We're the captains. You do...

"Is Daddy quitting his job, too?" Her face showed what she wanted the answer to be. "No," said my mom, "not unless you want to live in a hut." (45.20-45.21)

The thought came to me: they would have liked each other, Scooter and Henry Wilhide Webb III. Two storytellers. (46.8)

The principal gave the names of the three eighth graders; then he said, "And the anchor leg was run by Penn Webb, who brought the team from last place to second." I could hear cheers from his homer...

"He wasn't home very much in those days, so when I did see him, I looked and looked at him until he was locked into my mind's eye." (48.15)

We're going to a ball game! My mother got the tickets. Five of them—for herself, Scooter, Abby, me, and my father. He says he won't have time to go. (49.8)