1
It's easy to look back and see it, and it's easy to give the advice. But the sad fact is, most people don't look beneath the surface until it's too late.Wendelin Van Draanen
2
The room fell quiet. And as I read down the list of over one hundred and fifty eight-grade boys, I realized that to me, there had only ever been one boy.Wendelin Van Draanen
3
Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss...." He turned to me. "But every once in a while, you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.Wendelin Van Draanen
4
...Next time you're faced with a choice, do the right thing. It hurts everyone less in the long run.Wendelin Van Draanen
5
You can't dwell on what might have been...and it's not fair to condemn him for something he hasn't done.Wendelin Van Draanen
6
Sometimes a little discomfort in the beginning can save a whole lot of pain down the road.Wendelin Van Draanen
7
What I'm expecting is for you to behave like the gentleman I always thought you were.Wendelin Van Draanen
8
A painting is more than the sum of its parts, ' he would tell me, and then go on to explain how the cow by itself is just a cow, and the meadow by itself is just grass and flowers, and the sun peeking through the trees is just a beam of light, but put them all together and you've got magic.Wendelin Van Draanen
9
Proper lighting is everything, Julianna.Wendelin Van Draanen
10
What he did to my heart was sheer, inexplicable, magic.Wendelin Van Draanen
11
I had liked him for all the wrong reasons.Wendelin Van Draanen
12
You want me to be a man, older than you, who goes by the name of Roullard.Wendelin Van Draanen
13
Sometimes I get so caught up in my own problems that I forget how amazing the world is.Wendelin Van Draanen
14
Words can't fix my life. Words can't give me a family. Words can't do jack. You may be a teacher, Ms. Leone, but face it: You don't know squat.Wendelin Van Draanen
15
I operate under the assumption that people don't notice the good in me. That's just how things always seem to play out. I get blamed, while con-artist kids like Venus, and Camille, and Gemma get believed. But the rescue lady noticed. In the background, just observing, she noticed.Wendelin Van Draanen
16
One's character is set at an early age. The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life. I hate to see you swim out so far you can't swim back.Wendelin Van Draanen
17
One's character is set at an early age, son. The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life." He was quiet for a minute then dropped the curtain and said, "I hate to see you swim out so far you can't swim back.Wendelin Van Draanen
18
It's to have people see her instead of her condition. That's all that anybody with a disability wants. Don't sum up the person based on what you see, or what you don't understand; get to know them.Wendelin Van Draanen
19
All of a sudden I didn't fit in anywhere. Not at school, not at home...and every time I turned around, another person I'd known forever felt like a stranger to me. Even I felt like a stranger to me.Wendelin Van Draanen
20
There’s no winning arguments with your parents, so why get all pumped up over them? It is way better to dive down and get out of the way than it is to get clobbered by some parental tidal wave.Wendelin Van Draanen
21
If you really want things to change, you have to get involved. Little strokes fell big oaks, you know.Wendelin Van Draanen
22
If chaos is a necessary step in the organization of one's universe, then I was well on my way.Wendelin Van Draanen
23
It’s amazing how two thin pieces of clothing can hold such deep memories. Laughter, pain, victory, defeat, friendship, fatigue, elation… they’re all there, but only to the person who’s worn the uniformWendelin Van Draanen
24
That's the funny thing about running. The deceptive thing about it. It may seem mindless, but its really mental. If the minds strong, the body acts weak, even if its not.Wendelin Van Draanen
25
You got nothin' to lose but your self-respect.Wendelin Van Draanen
26
Don't even try to talk to me when I'm watching the moon. That's my moon, baby.Wendelin Van Draanen