The Boyfriend League Quotes

“I leaned my head back. "I look worse than I did the night you met me."
"I thought you looked fine."
I rolled my head to the side, so I could see him. Hoping the shadows made it so he couldn't see me. "What are you talking about? I looked like a Cirque du Soleil performer."
"What are you talking about?"
"The black dots around my eyes?"
He shook his head. "I'm lost."
"You were staring--"
"Oh, yeah." He gazed through the windshield. "Sorry about that. I've just never seen eyes as green as yours. I was trying to figure out if you wore contacts."
"You were looking at my eyes?"
"Yeah."
"Not the makeup?"
He turned his attention back to me. "I didn't realize you were wearing any. That night, anyway. Tonight it's pretty obvious."
"Oh." Didn't I feel silly? "I thought--" I shook my head. "Never mind." On second thought...
"You don't like all the makeup?"
"I just don't think you need it. I mean, you look pretty without it."
Oh, really? That was totally unexpected.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I’m sorry. I know how much players have to focus, and I know not to be a distraction. I just got caught up in the moment, in the great game, in your terrific pitching.”

But I felt a need to explain more.

“Look, Jason, I love baseball. I love the crack of the bat hitting the ball. I love the seventh-inning stretch and singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’ I love eating hot dogs and standing for the singing of the national anthem. I love doing the wave. I love Kiss Cam. I love that the game isn’t over until it’s over.

“I love the thrill of a home run and the disappointment of an out at first. I love the way a batter stands at the plate and the catcher readies himself to receive the pitch. I love watching the pitcher windup. I love sitting in the stands and feeling like I’m part of the game.

“And tonight, watching you pitch, I forgot that I’m only a small part—the spectator. Watching you, I felt like I was in the game, out on that field with you. You’re out there on the mound, living a dream that so few people ever experience.

“I’m sorry, sorry that tonight I ruined the moment for you.”

He was staring at me intently. I’d just bared my soul. Why didn’t he speak? What could he possibly be thinking?

My nerves stretched taut.

“Say something,” I demanded.

“There’s nothing else to say,” he said in that quiet way he had.

Then he lowered his head and kissed me.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Jason struck out the first, second, and third batters.
“Do not go talk to him,” Bird said.
“No problem.”
“Don’t even look at him,” she said.
“Now, that I can’t do. He’s so cute.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“If you knew how hard I found it to stay on my side of the hall last night after we finished watching the movie…” He shook his head. “Your parents absolutely wouldn’t approve of the direction that my thoughts are going.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I’m going to miss all the takeout,” Jason said later, after dinner, when I walked him out to his car. “Coach said his wife cooks their meals every night.”
“That’s really why you’re leaving, isn’t it?” I asked. “For real home-cooked meals?”
He put his hands on my waist, drew me near. “If you knew how hard I found it to stay on my side of the hall last night after we finished watching the movie…” He shook his head. “Your parents absolutely wouldn’t approve of the direction that my thoughts are going. With or without your mom’s contract, I’d move out.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I found him in the kitchen, at the table in the bay window, already eating his cereal.
“I was going to fix you breakfast,” I said.
He grinned. “I wouldn’t want you to put yourself out.”
“No one can pour cereal like I can. That’s true.”
I crossed the kitchen. He scooted his chair back, and I sat on his lap and put my arms on his shoulders.
“Good morning,” I said, right before I kissed him.
Oh, yes, this was definitely the way to start the day.
“We’re in the house,” he said when we stopped kissing. “Thought we had a rule about not kissing in the house.”
“Yeah, we also had a house rule--no falling for the player living with us. You see how good I am at following rules.”
He grinned. “Lucky for me. Why don’t you come to Ruby Tuesday for lunch?”
“Okay.”
“Then practice.”
“Definitely.”
“Maybe we could do something afterward.”
“Absolutely.”
He kissed me again. He tasted like bran flakes and raisins and bananas.
Me, I tasted like chocolate chip cookie dough.
It was an odd combination but it somehow worked.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“And Mac? After we went to Dave and Bubba’s, he comes out to the mound and tells me he thinks you’re hot. And I know you like him, so I was willing to bunt.”
“Bunt?”
“Willing to sacrifice my happiness.”
“You thought you’d be happy being with me?”
“Are you kidding? You’re cute, easy to talk to. You love baseball. You make me smile, make me laugh. And we won’t even mention how much I liked kissing you.”
Only he had mentioned it. And now I was thinking about it when I really shouldn’t be.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Have you found it different having girls in the house?”
He cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah.”
“Would you care to elaborate?”
“Nope.”
I looked up from my writing. “If you don’t elaborate, it’s going to be a very short article.”
“Look, I’ve already gotten into it once tonight--”
“Are you implying I’m hard to live with? Is that why you won’t comment further? Because you think I’ll be offended? I won’t be.”
“No further comment.”
I sighed, tempted to toss the recorder at him.
“Okay, then, we’ll move on. What’s been the most difficult aspect of living with us?”
There was silence, but it was the kind where you can sense someone wants to speak but doesn’t. Jason was so incredibly still, as though he was weighing consequences.
“Not kissing you,” he finally said, quietly.
My heart did this little stutter. I just stared at him as the recorder continued to run, searching for sound. My hand was shaking when I reached over and turned it off.
“But you did kiss me, and you said it was a mistake.”
“Because getting involved with you is a bad idea, on so many levels.”
“Care to share one of those levels?”
“I’m living in your house. Your parents are giving me a roof over my head. Your mom brings home extra takeout. I’m here only for the summer. Then I’m back at school.” He reached up, removed the ice pack from around his shoulder, and set it on the table. “And Mac? After we went to Dave and Bubba’s, he comes out to the mound and tells me he thinks you’re hot. And I know you like him, so I was willing to bunt.”
“Bunt?”
“Willing to sacrifice my happiness.”
“You thought you’d be happy being with me?”
“Are you kidding? You’re cute, easy to talk to. You love baseball. You make me smile, make me laugh. And we won’t even mention how much I liked kissing you.”
Only he had mentioned it. And now I was thinking about it when I really shouldn’t be.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Have you found it different having girls in the house?”
He cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah.”
“Would you care to elaborate?”
“Nope.”
I looked up from my writing. “If you don’t elaborate, it’s going to be a very short article.”
“Look, I’ve already gotten into it once tonight--”
“Are you implying I’m hard to live with? Is that why you won’t comment further? Because you think I’ll be offended? I won’t be.”
“No further comment.”
I sighed, tempted to toss the recorder at him.
“Okay, then, we’ll move on. What’s been the most difficult aspect of living with us?”
There was silence, but it was the kind where you can sense someone wants to speak but doesn’t. Jason was so incredibly still, as though he was weighing consequences.
“Not kissing you,” he finally said, quietly.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Sure you don’t want any?”
He shrugged and leaned toward me. “Okay, I’ll take some.”
Which I’d so not expected, and which had me wondering what I was supposed to do now. Stick my spoon in his mouth?
I felt a cold drip on the hand holding the carton and realized my spoon was suspended and the ice cream was starting to melt. I extended it toward him, watched as his mouth closed around my spoon. Now what? I was so not used to feeding guys.
He wrapped his hand around my wrist and guided my hand back. I watched appreciation glide over his face like hot fudge over a banana split.
“It tastes like you,” he said.
The heat rushed into my face. “Uh, yeah, my lip balm…same flavor.”
“I think it just became my favorite ice cream.”
Ookaay. So was that an endorsement of my kiss?”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Hadn’t we said no kissing in the house?
Not that the rule had stopped us from kissing in the game room last night after we’d finished our ice cream.
“I’m still craving the flavor of chocolate chip cookie dough,” he’d said.
So of course, I’d let him sample.
But it had been . . . stressful.
Because every time the house creaked, we were looking at the French doors expecting to see Dad standing there with a baseball bat in hand.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I turned away from the mirror.
“That is really hideous,” Tiffany said, stepping back.
“Thanks, Tiff. Your attitude will help me go out into the world with confidence.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Since you like baseball, I guess you know what a closer is?”
“Of course.”
“Tiffany doesn’t.”
“Tiffany is so not into sports.” She thought a baseball diamond was a type of gemstone. Seriously. Don’t even ask how that revelation came up.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“How was work?” I asked to keep the conversation going. Even if it was a downhill direction, movement was movement.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I loooves free,” Ethan said.
“Don’t we all, man,” Mac said. He looked at me, rubbing his fingers together. “Until we make the majors, we’re poor.”
“Aren’t most college students?” I asked.
“Yep. So we have movies, free music, what else?”
“Library, free books,” I offered.
All the guys laughed really loudly, like that was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. But it was a good-natured laugh, not like they were making fun of me. Like maybe they thought I was really clever to offer free books.
“My kid sister has this book called Free Stuff,” Mac said. “She sends away for all this junk: stickers, posters, booklets. She just loves getting mail.”
“You guys must miss your families in the summer.”
“Miss ’em all the time.”
I didn’t ask why they didn’t go home for summer because I knew the answer: They loooves baseball.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“The stadium went black. A colorful array of fireworks--green, yellow, white--burst into the air. A couple of seconds later, a boom sounded.
Everyone oohed and ahhed.
Even me. I’m a sucker for fireworks.
Jason pulled me closer, and everything I felt for him just seem to swell like those fireworks. It was glorious. Brighter than I’d expected it to be. Bursting forth with all sorts of emotions. Joy because he was mine. Sadness because he would be leaving. A scariness because I didn’t know exactly what the future would hold for us.
Red, white, and blue streamers exploded against the black sky. The air popped.
I’d hoped for a summer boyfriend. Pick a boy. Any boy. How dumb was that?
But somehow I’d lucked out. When it came to boyfriends, I’d somehow managed to hit a home run. I was crazy about Jason. And he was crazy about me. And somehow, we’d make it work.
Another explosion of fireworks filled the sky. The colors faded away and then…a burst of red, bang, a burst of white, bang, a burst of blue, bang.
I was sure more followed, because I could hear the distant booms but I was no longer watching the fireworks.
Jason was kissing me, and we were creating our own.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Obviously, he didn’t think I understood the whole ritual scene, and in truth, I didn’t.
I mean, sure, when I played softball, I always chewed cinnamon-flavored gum during the game, and I never started chewing until after the national anthem. But that was different. If I didn’t do that, I missed way more balls than I caught.
But home runs? There was nothing that guaranteed home runs.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Good game,” someone said, patting my shoulder.
“Thanks,” I said, laughing.
Then I felt arms come around me and pull me close.
“Hey,” Jason said, kissing my neck before parking his chin on my shoulder.
Smiling brightly, I turned around in his arms. “Great game.”
“Thanks.”
“You hit a home run,” I said, like maybe he hadn’t realized it.
“I know it seems odd, considering how long I’ve played baseball, but I’ve never hit one before,” he said. “But I knew, I knew as soon as I felt the bat make contact with the ball, that it was going to go out of the park. I don’t know if it sounded different or felt different, but I just knew.”
“You did look stunned out there.”
“I was. Like I said, I’d never done that before. I mean, hitting has never been my strength.”
“It was tonight.” I reached up and kissed his chin.
“I need to figure out what it was I did that made me hit the home run.”
“You connected the bat to the ball.”
“No, it was more than that. Something I did before the game, maybe--”
“No, no, no,” I said, lifting myself up onto my toes so I could look directly into his eyes. “There was no thing you did other than keeping your eye on the ball and hitting at the precise moment when the impact would send the ball over the fence.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Okay, you want to know what it was? It was having me for a girlfriend--”
He put his hand behind my head and kissed me to shut me up. Obviously, he didn’t think I understood the whole ritual scene, and in truth, I didn’t.
I mean, sure, when I played softball, I always chewed cinnamon-flavored gum during the game, and I never started chewing until after the national anthem. But that was different. If I didn’t do that, I missed way more balls than I caught.
But home runs? There was nothing that guaranteed home runs.
Jason drew back. “Maybe it is having you for a girlfriend.”
“I was kidding.”
“I’m not.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“For the briefest of seconds, it was like he looked back into the stands, like maybe he spotted me, shaking my rattle, giving him all the encouragement I could. I could have sworn I saw a corner of his mouth curl up. Then he did the whole Velcro batting glove thing and stepped up to the plate.
The pitch came.
He swung.
Crack!
He hit it! He hit it! I jumped up and started shouting.
I had a second to see the stunned look on his face, like maybe he’d never hit the ball before, but that couldn’t be…
And then I realized what it was. As he started running, he turned his head, his gaze following the ball…
The ball that went out of the ballpark!
Right over the Backyard Mania billboard!
Home run!
My boyfriend had hit a home run!
I jumped around, pointing at the number on my jersey, hugging Bird, hugging Tiffany, watching Jason slapping his coach’s hand as he rounded third. I watched him cross home plate, wearing the biggest grin on his face.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Bird said.
“That we’re ahead two to nothing?”
“It means he’ll insist you sit in this exact spot for every game. He’ll think this is the good luck spot.”
“No way.”
“Either that, or he’ll ask you not to wash your underwear.”
“Ew! That’s so not happening. Maybe I can convince him it was wearing the jersey.”
Yeah, I thought. That’s the ticket.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Jason was the next batter. He did his whole Velcro routine. Then he stepped up to the plate.
The first ball went past.
“Strike!”
I groaned. “Come on, Jason.”
He swung at the second.
I didn’t realize I was squeezing Tiffany’s and Bird’s hands until Bird said, “You know, bones break under pressure.”
“Oh, sorry.” I tried holding my own hands, but it wasn’t as comforting.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Is there room for me to sit with y’all?”
Not really, but she was, after all, Miss Teen Ragland. And my sister.
“Sure,” I said. “We’ll make room.”
I scrunched up next to Bird.
“It’s a good thing I like you,” she whispered.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Big surprise. Mom had instituted a curfew. Like there was something we’d do after midnight that we wouldn’t do before.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“And I thought, of all the girls in this town, she is the one that I absolutely can’t find fascinating.”
“Is that the reason you sounded like you really didn’t want to take me home after that first night of pizza?”
“Yep. I wanted to limit contact. I was trying so hard not to fall for you.”
“Well, that’s why I knocked you over,” I said.
He laughed.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I started falling for you as soon as you bumped into me. I knew I could be a goner so easily.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. And when I pictured you in shoulder pads and a helmet--”
I shoved his shoulder. “You did not!”
“Oh, yeah, I did. And I thought, of all the girls in this town, she is the one that I absolutely can’t find fascinating.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I’m going to miss all the takeout,” Jason said later, after dinner, when I walked him out to his car. “Coach said his wife cooks their meals every night.”
“That’s really why you’re leaving, isn’t it?” I asked. “For real home-cooked meals?”
He put his hands on my waist, drew me near. “If you knew how hard I found it to stay on my side of the hall last night after we finished watching the movie…” He shook his head. “Your parents absolutely wouldn’t approve of the direction that my thoughts are going. With or without your mom’s contract, I’d move out.”
“I can’t believe she did that.”
He grinned. “Yeah, it was that first night, after she came out of your room.”
“Weren’t you offended?”
“How could I be? I started falling for you as soon as you bumped into me. I knew I could be a goner so easily.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. And when I pictured you in shoulder pads and a helmet--”
I shoved his shoulder. “You did not!”
“Oh, yeah, I did. And I thought, of all the girls in this town, she is the one that I absolutely can’t find fascinating.”
“Is that the reason you sounded like you really didn’t want to take me home after that first night of pizza?”
“Yep. I wanted to limit contact. I was trying so hard not to fall for you.”
“Well, that’s why I knocked you over,” I said.
He laughed.
“Will you still come play ball with Dad?”
“Sure. But you have to play, too.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
It was so, so hard--a dozen kisses later--watching him leave. But at least I knew he’d be back.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“I’m going to miss all the takeout,” Jason said later, after dinner, when I walked him out to his car. “Coach said his wife cooks their meals every night.”
“That’s really why you’re leaving, isn’t it?” I asked. “For real home-cooked meals?”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Actually, I signed a contract stating I’d move out if I kissed either of your daughters more than twice.”
“The League makes you sign a contract?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“Uh, no, your mom did, that first night.”
“Mom!” I couldn’t believe she did that.
“Like your dad said, I was young once.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to move out?” I asked Jason.
“Because I thought you might try to talk me out of it.”
I scowled at him. I would have.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Why…why do you think you need to do that?” I asked.
Dad touched his glasses. “These work you know.”
“Only for close up.”
Shaking his head, he gave me an indulgent grin. “Dani, your mom and I were young once. We see the way you and Jason look at each other.”
I glanced over at Mom. She was leaning against the counter, her arms crossed.
“I know I promised--” I began.
“Sweetie, no girl is going to keep that kind of promise when she starts falling for a guy. But you could have said something.”
“Like what?”
“Like…‘we have problem.’”
“In all honesty, we didn’t realize we had a problem until last night,” Jason said from the doorway.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Tiffany had taken Mac to Lettuce Eat, a salad bar extravaganza. I couldn’t see that working out, but if it did, I figured Mac’s feelings for her were true.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League

“Why don’t you come to Ruby Tuesday for lunch?”
“Okay.”
“Then practice.”
“Definitely.”
“Maybe we could do something afterward.”
“Absolutely.”
― Rachel Hawthorne, The Boyfriend League