From Twinkle, with Love: Chapters 10–13

by Sandhya Menon
Self-described wallflower Twinkle Mehra dreams of becoming a filmmaker — and when Sahil Roy suggests teaming up to make a movie for their school's Midsummer Night celebration, she finally gets her chance. But can Twinkle stay true to herself now that she's in the spotlight?

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–19, Chapters 20–25

Here is a link to our lists for When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Sahil sat there, too tall for the desks (his legs and arms jutted out and he kept jittering because he was so nervous), and I just closed my eyes and tried to visualize success because I read that all the big athletes do it and it’s not hokey like I used to believe.
  2. hokey
    very sentimental or emotional
    Sahil sat there, too tall for the desks (his legs and arms jutted out and he kept jittering because he was so nervous), and I just closed my eyes and tried to visualize success because I read that all the big athletes do it and it’s not hokey like I used to believe.
  3. fray
    a noisy fight
    But then Skid and Aaron, who I had not seen come up, began shepherding people into a semblance of a line and Sahil hopped into the fray going, “Okay, people, let’s have some order. No, don’t break the producer, please!”
  4. exultant
    joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
    “Me?” Maddie said, holding a hand up to her chest. “But I’m just an actress.” I could tell by her exultant smile that she liked calling herself that.
  5. incisive
    demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
    And then she said, “I love this white dress you got me” and “This scene is so incisive!”
  6. keel over
    fall suddenly; collapse
    I don’t like lying to her, but if I told her I was meeting some boy who’s been e-mailing me on the Internet, she would probably keel over of a heart attack.
  7. mousy
    quiet, timid, and ineffectual
    After a pause, she said, “Besides, Hannah just needs a chance to get to know you. In fact, I always thought you were this mousy, weak girl with nothing to say—”
    “Thanks,” I said, raising a combed and powdered eyebrow.
  8. facet
    a distinct feature or element in a problem
    I felt different, like tonight all things were possible. Like every facet of my life would finally shape up and become clear.
  9. debonair
    having a sophisticated charm
    Sahil grinned down at me, debonair in a yellow button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and plaid shorts.
  10. irrevocably
    in a manner that cannot be taken back
    Thankfully, Sahil grabbed my hand at the last second or we’d have been utterly and irrevocably separated from each other.
  11. seething
    in constant agitation
    The crowds were still seething and surging.
  12. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
    I glowered into the darkness.
  13. unsolicited
    not asked for
    “Thank you kindly for your unsolicited opinion, sir! You can shove it right—” Even more laughing.
  14. ensconce
    fix firmly
    I felt safe, ensconced, and protected, even though I knew in my head that was idiotic.
  15. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
    “I could tell you were drawing them in, especially when you said that thing about Dracula representing the untrustworthy foreigner who came to England to plunder and pillage.”
  16. insinuate
    introduce or insert in a subtle manner
    “Something I’ve learned from studying the film industry is that directing’s about helping your actors insinuate themselves into the parts they’re playing as much as it is about getting them on film. I feel like you have this innate grasp of that process. You’re going to touch so many people with your movies, T. I hope you know that.”
  17. innate
    inborn or existing naturally
    “Something I’ve learned from studying the film industry is that directing’s about helping your actors insinuate themselves into the parts they’re playing as much as it is about getting them on film. I feel like you have this innate grasp of that process. You’re going to touch so many people with your movies, T. I hope you know that.”
  18. infinitesimal
    immeasurably small
    I must’ve made a face because Sahil moved infinitesimally closer to me, the movement seeming completely subconscious.
  19. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
    Sahil wasn’t the type of guy to extend frivolous invitations.
  20. sentient
    endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness
    Since the universe is not a single entity, but rather a collection of nonsentient gases, rocks, galaxies, planets, moons, stars, and also encompasses all of space and time, I do not see how the universe could be sending us, mere specks of carbon, who, in the sheer scope of things, do not matter at all, a sign.
  21. encompass
    include in scope
    Since the universe is not a single entity, but rather a collection of nonsentient gases, rocks, galaxies, planets, moons, stars, and also encompasses all of space and time, I do not see how the universe could be sending us, mere specks of carbon, who, in the sheer scope of things, do not matter at all, a sign.
  22. lull
    make calm or still
    Then I stared at the wall beside my bed thinking the blank boringness of it would lull me to sleep, but no.
  23. propriety
    correct behavior
    Hopefully it was just Mummy coming in to put my clothes away and not to wake me to see some horrible auntie who stopped by because she clearly has no sense of time or propriety.
  24. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
    "Dadi?” I said, my voice crumbly. I turned over to see her smiling exuberantly down at me, her eyes bright and shining.
  25. coy
    showing marked and often playful evasiveness or reluctance
    “Desi ladka aaya hai,” she said, putting one hand under her chin like some coy Bollywood actress from the sixties.
  26. platonic
    free from physical desire
    And I probably would forget all my resolve to keep things strictly platonic until I could figure out where this whole N thing was going.
  27. extol
    praise, glorify, or honor
    He’s perfect boyfriend material, my heart said. Swoony, respectful, smart, kind, passionate...It was still extolling Sahil’s many, many virtues when he said, “Thanks.”
  28. flighty
    guided by whim and fancy
    Mrs. Wilson is a little flighty like that, which is why she sometimes pays me to go knock on her door and remind her to clean her hamster cage.
  29. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    Sahil turned down a street and pulled up a driveway to this sprawling gray house with giant windows.
  30. jovial
    full of or showing high-spirited merriment
    “Twinkle!” he called jovially. His voice had just a bit of an Indian accent coating his American one.
  31. carafe
    a bottle with a stopper
    “Except Twinkle’s parents, apparently,” he said, carrying a glass carafe of orange juice over to the table.
  32. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    “I think it was more your charming producer demeanor,” I said, just as Ajit Uncle brought over a platter of pancakes.
  33. modest
    humble in spirit or manner
    “Papa’s being modest,” Sahil said.
  34. tenure
    give life-time employment to
    Speaking to me, he added, “Sorry. Hazards of having overachieving parents. Papa got his PhD at twenty-eight and Mom was the youngest person in her department to achieve tenure.”
  35. crass
    so unrefined as to be offensive or insensitive
    I shrugged, wondering if it was crass to say this in their circles. But then I decided I didn’t care. This was my truth and I was owning it. “I’m not sure I can afford it, to be honest.”
Created on Tue Feb 19 17:05:02 EST 2019 (updated Wed Feb 20 11:28:46 EST 2019)

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