It’s more like you meet someone, and you fall in love, and you hope that that person is the one—and then at some point, you have to put down your chips. You just have to make a commitment and hope that you’re right.
I’m sort of… coming off a bad relationship”
“When did it end?”
“Slightly before it started.
I don’t want to do anything. I don’t even want to start this day because then I’ll just be expected to finish it.
He shakes his head, and he’s saying something, and I think I might kiss him. Because I’ve never kissed anyone before. (I was afraid I might bite.) And I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone but him. (I won’t bite. I won’t hurt him.) I just want to kiss him, then go. “Simon…,” I say. And then he kisses me.
Maybe we should go on lots of double dates,” Cath said, “and then we can get married on the same day in a double ceremony, in matching dresses, and the four of us will light the unity candle all at the same time.”“Pfft,” Levi said, “I’m picking out my own dress.
Can’t you just like a girl who likes you back?”None of them likes me back. I may as well like the one I really want.
You think that holding someone hard will bring them closer. You think that you can hold them so hard that you’ll still feel them, embossed on you, when you pull away.
Every time Eleanor pulled away from Park, she felt the gasping loss of him.
Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.
Don’t bite his face, Eleanor told herself. It’s disturbing and needy and never happens in situation comedies or movies that end with big kisses.
She smiled, and her eyes started to drift downward.
“Cather…”
Back up to his eyes.
“You know that I’m falling in love with you, right?
My girlfriend is sad and quiet and keeps me up all night worrying about her.
It was the nicest thing she could imagine. It made her want to have his babies and give him both of her kidneys.
Safety, stability–it’s an illusion. It’s a false god, Simon. It’s like clinging to a sinking raft instead of learning to swim.
Can’t you just like a girl who likes you back?’
‘None of them likes me back. I may as well like the one I really want.
You think I’m cute?” He said thinkly, pulling on her hand.
She was glad he couldn’t see her face. “I think you’re…”
Beautiful. Breathtaking. Like the person in a Greek myth who makes one of the gods stop caring about being a god.
The first time he’d held her hand, it felt so good that it crowded out all the bad things. It felt better than anything had ever hurt.
What did he have to mope about, really? What more did he want?…Love. Purpose. Those are the things that you can’t plan for. Those are the things that just happen. And what if they don’t happen? Do you spend your whole life pining for them? Waiting to be happy?
Months are different in college, especially freshman year. Too much happens. Every freshman month equals six regular months—they’re like dog months.
So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.