The Charmed List
Julie Abe
Top 10 Best Quotes
“You don't want to ride? Go that way." The exit gate, on the far end of the platform, looks like the golden gates of heaven. Or if there's no heaven, then the doorway of a bookstore. I eye it longingly.”
“Maybe we’re all boxed up by walls, caught up in untruths that hold us anchored to all the wrong things. But we need other people to show us the light, and help us break through those barriers.”
“It's almost like he's trying to protect me. He hasn't done this since fifth grade, when the most popular, richest, and prettiest girl (seriously, where is the justice in the world?) in the year below us, Minami Vu, made fun of my overalls. "Those are so last year," she'd sneered, with her perfect button nose pointing up in the air. Her mother is a venture capitalist, and Minami always wears the latest styles before they even started trending on Instagram. I'd been proud of my green corduroy overalls. Hell, I didn't even know overalls had a year. But Jack loudly commented, "I like overalls. They look good on you, Ellie." Then he'd shifted in front of me, facing the girl, and she flushed all red. The following week, she wore the exact same green corduroy overalls to school. For some reason, he never complimented her on them.”
“You’re lucky you don’t have to go through all this paperwork for Lia, but I do. If I didn’t have to do all that, and if your dad didn’t need to take care of the shop, then you wouldn’t even be heading off on this road trip.” “It’s not like it’s going to be fun anymore,” I protest, and Jack makes a noise from next to me. Maybe he feels insulted or something, but I don’t even care.”
“Your list is full of dreams and hopes, and that’s only full of charm—anything but curses. It’s a charmed list, I swear.”
“When I stayed here, Tea-riffic kind of reminded me of being back at your parents’ shop. It’s a nice spot.” “Tea-riffic?” I echo. He grins. “It’s pretty tea-sty.” I groan, but then I let out a laugh. “Well, you had me at tea.” Tea-riffic Café turns out to be the perfect place to load up on caffeine. I go for a milky hojicha with brown sugar boba, and Jack chooses a winter melon green tea with bits of aloe.”
“When I begin, I draw rougher, more jagged lines to get out my excess energy before I can focus on what I see before me. Before I can study the angles and get them right, before my practice and proper theory sets in.”
“We speed past the taffy-pulling machine, which is already churning out a new batch of strawberry-pink taffy, and past the stacks of chocolate-dipped everything (pretzels, strawberries, even bacon), beelining straight to the crinkly bags of taffy.”
“We pass under a sign that declares WELCOME TO PIXLEY’S HIDDEN MAGICAL VILLAGE, ESTABLISHED IN 1875. I roll down the window, staring at this new world. At this hour, only a few people are strolling on the sidewalks. It’s a typical small town, with one main road that runs through, with shops and quaint restaurants. But it’s magical. Each shop looks like a world of its own, with stately brick fronts or sleek glass minimalistic buildings or quirky cottages in a rainbow of colors. And the signs take my breath away:ELIXIRS OF EUPHORIA MYSTIC HAHN’S HAVEN FOR THE OCCULT SARAH AND SUE-O’S SCONES AND SWEETS QUILL TREE FOX ART GALLERY LEON THE LION’S TOY EMPORIUM”
“Those are the best evenings, when we fill up on bread bowls stuffed to the brim with clam chowder and then spend the full-moon-drenched night on the empty pier, gathering the thick, swirling clouds of raw magic. I wouldn't be able to spend late nights with Remy, cozied up in my room with magic-infused globes floating around us as we watch the latest episode of Demon Slayer projected on my ceiling, while sipping charmed mugs of yuzu honey tea.”
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Book Keywords:
reconciliation, clam-chowder, childhood-friends, charmed, magic, art-theory, protective, list, sketching, drinks, chocolate-dipped, puns, tea, exit, taffy, pier, summer-nights, last-chance, anime, imagery, bookstore, grade-school, signs, escape, urban-fantasy, drawing, village, magical, insulted, book-title
