I take a slow sip of lukewarm coffee, reopen the book, and read the words scribbled in red ink near the top: Everyone needs an olly-olly-oxen-free. Jay Asher More Quotes by Jay Asher More Quotes From Jay Asher The main thing I wanted to say, and thankfully it’s what most people say they get out of the book, is simply an acknowledgement that we do affect each other in ways we can’t predict. Jay Asher book people way No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same. Jay Asher impact life people You can hear rumors. But you can't know them. Jay Asher rumor knows You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything. Jay Asher mess persons goes-on You can't stop the future You can't rewind the past The only way to learn the secret ...is to press play. Jay Asher change inspirational past And at some point, the struggle becomes too much-too tiring-and you consider letting go. Allowing tragedy... or whatever... to happen. Jay Asher tragedy struggle letting-go Because no, I didn’t push her away. I didn’t add to her pain or do anything to hurt her. Instead, I left her alone in that room. The only person who might’ve been able to reach out and save her from herself. To pull her back from wherever she was heading. I did what she asked and I left. When I should have stayed. Jay Asher pain hurt should-have I wanted people to trust me, despite anything they'd heard. And more than that, I wanted them to know me. Not the stuff they thought they knew about me. No, the real me. I wanted them to get past the rumors. To see beyond the relationships I once had, or maybe still had but that they didn't agree with. Jay Asher real people past If my love were an ocean, there would be no more land. If my love were a desert, you would see only sand. If my love were a star- late at night, only light. And if my love could grow wings, I'd be soaring in flight. Jay Asher stars love romantic You can't go back to how things were. How you thought they were. All you really have is...now. Jay Asher And in high school, people are always watching so there's always a reason to pose. Jay Asher high-school people school When you hold people up for ridicule, you have to take responsibility when other people act on it. Jay Asher bullying responsibility people I needed a break... from myself. Jay Asher break needed If I had a chance with him, I missed it. No, I didn't miss it. I threw it away. Jay Asher chance ifs missing Like driving along a bumpy road and losing control of the steering wheel, tossing you—just a tad—off the road. The wheels kick up some dirt, but you're able to pull it back. Yet no matter how hard you try to drive straight, something keeps jerking you to the side. You have so little control over anything anymore. And at some point, the struggle becomes too much—too tiring—and you consider letting go. Allowing tragedy... or whatever... to happen. Jay Asher losing-control struggle letting-go And what about you-the rest of you-did you notice the scars you left behind? No. Probably not. Because most of them can't be seen with the naked eye. Jay Asher scar naked eye Because when you're posed, you know someone's watching. You put on your very best smile. You let your sweetest personality shine. Jay Asher best-smile shining personality After all, how often do we get a second chance? Jay Asher second-chance chance I swear, guys in groups are capable of the stupidest things." "Like war," Kellan says, heaping napkins and ketchup packets onto her tray. "And jumping off rooftops." "And lighting their farts on fire," she says. Jay Asher jumping fire war In the end....everything matters. Jay Asher ends matter
