Stephanie Perkins

“De verdad, no conozco a ninguna chica americana que se pueda resistir al acento inglés.”

“But—”“But what? You love him, and he loves you, and you live in the most romantic city in the world.”I shake my head. “It’s not that simple.”“Then let me put it another way. A gorgeous boy is in love with you, and you’re not even gonna try to make it work?”

“No, I don't love Max anymore. But I don't want to give you this broken, empty me. I want you to have me when I'm full, when I can give something back to you. I don't have much to give right now.”

“Do you know my biggest regret?" She asks. "That you turned into this bright, beautiful, fascinating person... and I can't take credit for any of it.”

“Sometimes a mistake isn't a what. It's a who.”

“No more moving. I'm here. I'm wherever you are.”

“I draw him closer by his tie and whisper into his ear, "Cricket Bell, I have been in love with you for my entire life.”

“I collapse in bed and fall asleep with me other hand clasped around the blue rubber band. And I dream about blue eyes and blue nails and first-kiss lips dusted with blue sugar crystals.”

“I know. And I couldn't wait any longer, I have to tell you - "The panic rises, and I grip the French band tighter. "Cricket, please -"But his words pour forth in a torrent. "I can't stop thinking about you, and I'm not the guy I used to be, I've changed -""Cricket -" I look back up, feeling faint.His blue eyes are bright. Sincere. Desperate. "Go out with me tonight. Tomorrow night, every ni -" The words cut off in his throat as he sees something behind me.Cigarettes and spearmint. I want to die."This is Max. My boyfriend. Max, this is Cricket Bell.”

“And, suddenly, I want to touch him. Not a push, or a shove, or even a friendly hug. I want to feel the creases in his skin, connect his freckles with invisible lines, brush my fingers across the inside of his wrist.”

“Is it possible for a home to be a person and not a place? Brigette used to be home to me. Maybe St. Clair is my new home.”

“It's often suggested that as a culture, we're only interested in immediate gratification. Fast food. Self-checkout. Downloadable music, movies, books. Instant coffee, instant rebates, instant messaging. Instant weight loss! Shall I go on?”

“You know, I've heard you actually have to have sex to get pregnant.”

“You ought to stop listening to stereotypes and start forming your own opinions.”

“And even though he doesn't mean it like I-want-to-leave-my-girlfriend-and-start-dating-you cute, something flickers inside of me. The "force of strength and destruction" Tita de la Garza knew so well.”

“I'm here to live, and I feel small.”

“I'm going to be sick. I'm going to vomit that weird eggplant tapenade I had for dinner, and everyone will hear, and no one will invite me to watch the mimes escape from their invisible boxes, or whatever it is people do here in their spare time.”

“Here is everything I know about France: Madeline and Amelie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, although I have no idea what the function of either actually is. Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and a lot of kings named Louis. I'm not sure what they did either, but I think it has something to do with the French Revolution, which has something to do with Bastille Day. The art museum is called the Louvre and it's shaped like a pyramid and the Mona Lisa lives there along with that statue of the women missing her arms. And there are cafes and bistros or whatever they call them on every street corner. And mimes. The food is supposed to be good, and the people drink a lot of wine and smoke a lot of cigarettes.I've heard they don't like Americans, and they don't like white sneakers.”

“You're the most incredible girl I've ever known. You're gorgeous and smart, and you make me laugh like no one else can. And I can talk to you. And I know after all this I don't deserve you, but what I'm trying to say is that I love you, Anna. Very much”

“I'll only be twenty-minute train ride from your school, and I'll make the commute to see you every night. I'd take a commute ten times just to be with you every night.”

“You'll be so busy with Bridge and what's-his-name that you'll forget all about your English mate, St. Clair.""Ha! So you are English!" I poke him in the stomach.He grabs my hand and we wrestle, laughing. "I claim... no... nationality.”

“Thank you for helping my sister,” he says.I lean forward, mimicking his position. “I’m happy to.”Calliope leans out her window. “STOP FLIRTING AND GET BACK TO WORK.”

“Because I was right. For the two of us, home isn't a place. It's a person”

“I'm in love with my new best friend.”

“YOU feel sorry for ME? I am not the one who has never tasted bread pudding.”

“Just because something isn't practical doesn't mean it's not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.”

“You can't avoid your problems forever. No one can.”

“The realization is surprising, but the one that follows stuns me even more. I'm not in love with him anymore.Instead, looking at him makes me feel...hollow.”

“What'd I tell you about musicians? That bad boy type will only break your heart.”

“Welcome to Paris, Anna. I'm glad you've come.”

“If you ask me to kiss you, I will,” he says.His fingers stroke the inside of my wrists, and I burst into flames.“Kiss me,” I say.He does.”

“It's a physical sickness. Étienne. How much I love him. I love Étienne. I love that the accent over his first name is called an acute accent, and that he has a cute accent.”

“I grip the edge of a sidewalk cafe table to keep from falling. The diners stare in alarm, but I don't care. I'm reeling, and I gasp for air. How can I have been so stupid? How could I have ever for a moment believed I wasn't in love with him?”

“Suddenly I register that St. Clair is shorter than Josh. Much shorter. It’s odd I didn’t notice earlier, but he doesn’t carry himself like a short guy. Most are shy or defensive, or some messed-up combination of the two, but St. Clair is confident and friendly and—”

“I’m teleporting to Atlanta. I’m picking you up, and we’ll go someplace where our families can’t find us. We’ll take Seany. And we’ll let him run laps until he tires, and then you and I will take a long walk. Like Thanksgiving. Remember? And we’ll talk about everything BUT our parents … or perhaps we won’t talk at all. We’ll just walk. And we’ll keep walking until the rest of the world ceases to exist.”

“There's a cough behind me, and I find Cheeseburger staring anxiously at my box. I glare at Amanda, the Arm-Toucher, and pull out an entire sleeve of Thin Mints. "Here you go, Cheeseburger." He looks at me in surprise, but then again, that's how he always looks. "Wow. Thanks Anna." Cheeseburger takes the cookies and lumbers toward the stairwell. Josh is horrified. "Whyareyougivingawaythecookies?”

“And friends don't let other friends make drunken declarations and expect them to act upon them the next day.”

“Cricket Bell.” I smiled into my phone. “How did you get so wise?”

“She rests her hand on the ruffled costume beside her. “Just answer this one question. My brother never got over you. Did you ever get over him?”I swallow. “There are some people in life that you can’t get over.”“Good.” Calliope stands and gives me a grim smile. “But break Cricket’s heart? I’ll break your face.”

“Is there a chance if your Lola ?"" Only if the other person is Cricket”

“Honey that treat dosen't work if your gay”

“Wow. See? You can’t say that’s not impressive.” I recognize the names, even if I don’t know what they all did. “I didn’t.” He reaches for his wallet and pays our admission charge. I try to get it—since it was my idea in the first place—but he insists. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he says, handing me my ticket. “Let’s see some dead people.” We’re greeted by an unimaginable number of domes and columns and arches. Everything is huge and round.”

“And that. Why don’t you call me Étienne anymore?”

“You said on my birthday that you were afraid of being alone, but I’ve been here this whole time. This whole time.”

“There’s only one thing I don’t love about him. Her.”

“But I could be mistaking our friendship for something more, because I want to mistake it for something more.”

“I blame it on his pants.”

“I know you aren't perfect. But it's a person's imperfections that make them perfect for someone else.”

“People should say what they mean and not make other people stumble around.”

“When it's right, it's simple.”