Chapter 18

Question 1

All sorts of animals –dogs, cats, ferrets, a parrot – are in cages ____________________ in the background.

Answer 1

on the shelves

Question 2

Two men in gray _______ storm into the lab. Dr. Schmaloogan looks up from his work.

Answer 2

suits

Question 3

Man in Gray #2 _________a badge shaped lke a jungle cat.

Answer 3

flashes

Question 4

____________ our attention that you have been perfomraning immoral acts on the zoo animals under your care.
That’s a ______________ lie. I’ve only been conducting board-approved experiment.s

Answer 4

It’s come to; bald-faced

Question 5

Did the board _______________ you attempting to graft an elephant penis onto a hippopotamus?

Answer 5

approve of

Question 6

___________, that hippo was in a tragic pool-filter accident. I was simply attempting to–

Answer 6

for your information

Question 7

Dr Schmaloogan casually ______ his beakers ______a large test-tube shake.

Answer 7

slides behind

Question 8

Please collect your things and leave the ________.

Answer 8

premises

Question 9

Jack Harrigton and Stacy Peters _______ the bleachers at the football field.

Answer 9

hang out on

Question 10

and there’s Nessa– in full ______ makeup–standing in the hallway. What’s up?

Answer 10

ghoul

Question 11

Nessa brushes past me and steps into my bedroom. She looks down at the floor, _______ all of the donated baby stuff.

Answer 11

surveying

Question 12

I don’t think I’ve ever actually been in your bedroom before. She turns her head and _______ me a ____ smile.

Answer 12

shoots; coy

Question 13

You think I don’t know that you and Cathy go through my stuff when I’m not around?
Nessa laughs, ____________ the partially built crib.

Answer 13

running a finger along

Question 14

Not even a journal with angry _____________ about how your sister and her best friend sneak into your room and look at all your shit.

Answer 14

diatribes

Question 15

She slinks over and stops just a few inches from me. Do you mean right now or _______________________?

Answer 15

in the grand scheme of things

Question 16

I just… seeing you in your band.. it was like… I don’t know. I saw you differently ______. I can’t really explain it.

Answer 16

is all

Question 17

Her _______ breath is warm on my face. Look, why are we talking about your mom? That’s kind of a mood killer, don’t you think?

Answer 17

licorice

Question 18

I ____ another ______ and find I’m up against the wall, ________ the closed door and the footboard of my bed.

Answer 18

take; step back; pinned between

Question 19

Sure. All right. Sounds good. I turn my head, ___________________ . Look, I’ve go to get back to work, so—

Answer 19

plotting an escape route over the bed

Question 20

Then, out of the blue, Nessa puts her hand on my face, turns my head toward her, and leans in to kiss me.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! I _______ Nessa’s grasp, leap onto my bed, _________________ the covrs, and ____________ the other side.

Answer 20

wiggle free from; scrambles across; roll off

Question 21

Once upon a time, way back in seventh grade, I would have offered up my firstedition STar Wars comics for the chance to get a kiss from Nessa. But that was a long, long time ago. _________________ far, far away.

Answer 21

in a galaxy

Question 22

A Renaissance ________ dagger. I’m a big fan of sharp objects.

Answer 22

parrying

Question 23

parry means

Answer 23

ward off (a weapon or attack), especially with a countermove.
"he parried the blow by holding his sword vertically"

Question 24

I didn’t know you wrote, Sean. She’s bent over and ___________ my laptop screen.

Answer 24

peering at

Question 25

I don't know if she's giving me _________________ on purpose, but either way the stretched-tight pockets on her black jeans __________.

Answer 25

this view of her butt; have me mesmerized

Question 26

It's not for school. It's just something I'm __________.

Answer 26

fooling with

Question 27

Nessa places her hand on top of mine. My knees ______, but ___________.

Answer 27

buckle; I catch myself

Question 28

The first thing any writer will tell you, she says, is that ________________ is no way to ______________.

Answer 28

self-flagellation; get the juices flowing

Question 29

self-flagellation means

Answer 29

the action of flogging oneself, especially as a form of religious discipline. excessive criticism of oneself.

Question 30

buckle means

Answer 30

bend and give way under pressure or strain. | "the earth buckled under the titanic stress"

Question 31

beat off means

Answer 31

to succeed in winning or gaining something from an opponent Virgin Airlines must beat off stiff competition to win the contract. efforts to beat off their rivals

Question 32

But if you can add that level of ____________ complexity to your villain, then your audience gets that much more invested. Of course you still want him to be _______________, but with an _____________ of allure.

Answer 32

enigmatic; menacing; undercurrent

Question 33

Back in sixth grade, me and Michelle Audette almost got _________________ because we had this contest to see who could write the longest story by the end of the year.

Answer 33

held back

Question 34

The Secret Psychic Princess Society, of course, Nessa ___________.

Answer 34

deadpans

Question 35

deadpan means

Answer 35

say something amusing while affecting a serious manner.

Question 36

It was such a blast. Well, until our parents got __________ an urgent conference with Mr. Provost.

Answer 36

called in for

Question 37

And that's when I get a crazy idea. It's probably totally stupid and I'm undoubtedly ___________ some Cathy related abuse, but...

Answer 37

setting myself up for

Question 38

Nessa stares at me. I can see the _______ turning behind her cat-green eyes.

Answer 38

cogs

Question 39

cog

Answer 39

wheel in a machine that fits into the edge of another wheel or part and makes it turn

Question 40

She's either trying to figure out a polite way to turn me down or she's weighing which ________ will be the most _______.

Answer 40

comeback; cutting

Question 41

We are still mortal enemies, you and I. At least as far as the outside world is concerned. No hellos or __________________ at school, either, understand? I have a reputation to uphold.

Answer 41

acknowledgement

Question 42

Kewl, she says again, and then _________ my room. I'm staring at the open door--wondering what I've just gotten myself into--when my phone _____. I _______ my pocket and read the text from Evelyn: 6pm dnt 4get

Answer 42

slips out of; buzzes; tug it from