Stephen Chbosky

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.”

“There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.”

“I would die for you. But I won't live for you.”

“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.”

“I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had th...”

“I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.”

“please believe that things are good with me, and even when they're not, they will be soon enough. And i will always believe the same about you.”

“What about when someone doesn't need a shoulder? What if they need the arms?”

“It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody. I wanted to laugh. Or maybe get mad. Or maybe shrug at how strange everybody was, especially me. I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and than make...”

“I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it al...”

“And I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean. I think it would be great to have written one of those songs. I bet if...”

“And all the books you've read have been read by other people. And all the songs you've loved have been heard by other people. And that girl that's pretty to you is pretty to other people. and that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing 'unit...”

“Everyone gets an ending. Whether or not it's happy is up to them.”

“I just want you to know that you’re very special… and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.”

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”

“So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

“I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.”

“It's just that I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too.”

“It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.”

“Enjoy it. Because it's happening.”

“She wasn't bitter. She was sad, though. But it was a hopeful kind of sad. The kind of sad that just takes time.”

“He's a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.”

“We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough”

“And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter.”

“The fights are always the same”

“This moment will just be another story someday.”

“It’s strange how things can change back as suddenly as they changed originally. When one thing happens and suddenly, things are back to normal.”

“I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am.”

“I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with someone even if they could have. I need to know these people exist.”

“It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody.”

“I feel like a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows.”

“I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me.”

“And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.”

“I feel infinite.”

“I was in my bed trying to figure out why sometimes you can wake up and go back to sleep and other times you can't”

“As you see the opening get closer, you just can't get fast enough. And finally, just when you think you'll never get there, you see the opening right in front of you.”

“I'm not saying she was lying to me, but she just acted so different before I got to know her, and if she really isn't like what she was at the beginning, I wish she could have just said so.”

“But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things.”

“I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will...”

“As we all know, when you're an athlete things are a little bit easier for you. It didn't mean that what was going on inside my heart wasn't a bit of a thunderstorm, but outwardly I got along ok. I was really shy in seventh grade.”

“I am both happy and sad at the same time, and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.”