The Mockingbirds Quotes

“[Referring to rape] It already is bigger than everything else. It lives in front of me, behind me, next to me, inside me every single day. My schedule is dictated by it, my habits by it, my music by it.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I don't need to be any place else, because the music takes me to the only place I want to be right now. To the place where I am and have always been wholly me, the only church I've ever belonged to, the only place I've ever prayed.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“And we're all good, everything is forgiven between Beethoven and me because this is the part of me that hasn't changed. In this monent I'm not defined by the other things, the things that happened to me, the things I didn't choose. This is the part of me that defines me for all time, for always. The thing I choose completely.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Hush, little students, we'll say the word,
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Mama's gonna write down everything.
And so that book won't look the same,
Mama's gonna add a brand-new name.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Standing up for what's right is a huge burden to bear. It's normal to have some doubt.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“In this moment I'm not defined by the other things, the things that happened to me, the things I didn't choose. This is the part of me that defines for all time, for always. The thing I choose completely.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I don't give a shit how many guys you hook up with as long as you use a condom. What I care about is whether you said yes. That's the only thing that matters.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Even though I know Miranda is suppose to jam her heel—she wears leather boots with four-inch spikes in my version—into his shin, sending Caliban to the floor in a crippline mess, I don’t do that.
Instead, like I’m some sort of primitive creature, an animal operating only on instinct, I whip around, lift my knee and jam it into his balls.
Henry grabs his crotch and falls to the ground. He moans, the class gasps, and Ms. Peck stands motionless.”—240”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“And we're all good, everything is forgiven between Beethoven and me because this is the part of that hasn't changed. In this moment I'm not defined by the other things, the things that happened to me, the things I didn't choose. This is the part of me that defines me for all time, for always. The thing I choose completely.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“A cup of chamomile tea before bed might just do the trick,” he says.

Right. That’ll fix everything. And while we’re at it, do you have anything that’ll help me remember losing it with a guy I don’t even know?”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Hey Alex!” Natalie’s voice calls out. “Nice clothes from last night.”

There’s no jamming with the band, no all-night music. Just me in my boots and bedhead, and the whole girls’ track team now knows I didn’t sleep in my room last night.

I want to yell back, “You know nothing!”

But she obviously knows something. She was there. At the club. And I’m the one who knows nothing.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Natalie, who’s built like Serena Williams. Natalie, who slaughters track records in the spring, who smashes lacrosse sticks in the fall, who could crush me with her thigh muscle alone even though I’m no pipsqueak. I’m five-seven, but she’s over six feet and really, what would I defend myself with? My long slinder fingers?”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I will not be caught. I will not have anyone think I’m doing the walk of shame. Besides, I can’t be doing the walk of shame because nothing happened.

The more I repeat it, the more I’ll believe it.

Nothing happened.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I pull the door open and do the one thing I should have done last night.

Leave.

Because you’re supposed to remember your first time.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“He leans back on the bed, rests his head on the pillow.

“Want to go again?”

I narrow my eyes at him, crush my lips together, shake my head quickly. He thinks I’m easy.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“The room titls, like I’m on one of those fun-house walkways, angling back and forth. Only it’s not fun because fun houses never are. They’re distorted.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“This boy, this bed, this room, me. We are like clumsy fingers on the piano, crashing across the wrong keys and over the jarring music, I hear that one word again.

Leave.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“As I looked at the matted bedsheets twisting around this boy and me, snaking across his naked waist, curling around my exposed chest, a draft rushes through the room, bringing a fresh chill with it.

That must be it. It’s chilly. It’s cold. It’s January.

Maybe it was snowing. We went sledding, I took a spill, changed out of my ice-cold clothes and then crashed here in Carver’s room.

No, it’s Carter.
Definitely Carter.

I’m naked in bed with a boy and I can’t even get his name right.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“My heart hammers and my head hurts and there’s this taste in my mouth. This dry, parched taste. This taste of a night I don’t remember with….

I squeeze my eyes shut. This can’t be hard. What’s his name?

Remember, Goddamn it, remember.

Carver.

His name is Carver.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I scan his features, his nose, his lips, searching for something, anything that rings a bell. A clue to connect me to him. But remembering last night is like looking frosted glass.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“My head pounds as I turn to look at this boy whose name I don’t remember. He’s still asleep, his chest moving up and down in time to an invisible metronome.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Three things I know this second: I have morning breath, I’m naked and I’m waking up next to a boy I don’t know.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I kind of just want to go back to being me again. Except life doesn't work that way. I have to go forward.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“I close my eyes and swap out the leading man. Daniel’s dark hair becomes Carter’s pale, almost white hair. Daniel’s shoulders turn into Carter’s. Daniel’s lips, his cheeks, his hands. They all belong to Carter now.

And I’m kissing Carter like I kissed Daniel. I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, forcing Carter to fit, forcing this kiss to become Carter’s. But the puzzle pieces won’t fit.

I don’t remember kissing Carter like this. I don’t remember pulling him close to me, wanting it, wanting him.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“As I yank up my socks, I notice a trash can teeming with Diet Coke cans. Carter doesn’t recycle? Way to pick a winner, Alex.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“He raises an eyebrow, almost winks at me. Something about the gesture reminds me of a politician.

“So did you have a good time last night?”

Let’s see: I’m tiptoeing across your room, praying you won’t wake up, can barely remember your name. Yeah, I had an epic night. Just fantastic. Care to tell me what transpired between say midnight and oh, ten minutes ago? Wait. Don’t bother. Let’s just pretend this never happened and we’ll never mention it again. Cool?”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“And at that moment, Carter wakes up.

“Hey….,” he says, not even groggily. He’s just awake, plain and simple.

“Hey,” I mumble. I don’t usually mumble. No one is a mumbler at Themis Academy.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds

“Carter’s still sleeping, his mouth hanging open unattractively. Small lines of white crust have formed on the corners of his lips. His blond hair is sticking up in all kinds of directions.”
― Daisy Whitney, The Mockingbirds