“So why sit around wasting time dwelling on what could have gone wrong? Shouldn't we be celebrating all the things that went right?”

“You let me be who I am. So many people ask me why I need to take pictures all the time. Why I'm staring at something they can't see. It's like I have to apologize for having eyes. But you've never rushed me. I'm at my best around you. You're my nova. You light me up.”

“You know, there are so many things you can't control in life, like whathappens to you or how people are going to react to what you do.It's wasted energy to worry about it. But you can control how youreact. That's the trick.”

“I don't know what to say. I hate that. I wish I had all the answers for you. I wish I could explain why this happened.”

“I'm learning it's human nature to want the things you can't have. What changes is how you go about pursuing the things you want. When you're a little kid and you're told no, you scream and throw a temper tantrum. When you're a teenager and your parents tell you no, you're old enough to internalize your temper tantrum. But you're smarter and you're sneakier this time around. So you nod and act like you care when they say no, when they tell you who you can be friends with, when they say they know what's best. But then you go behind their backs to do it anyway. Because at some point, you need to start calling the shots. At some point, you have to start believing that you know what's best. Or...you just stop asking for their permission in the first place.”

“Life is too short to waste time on people who don't lift you up, who don't inspire you-they'll eventually drain you.”

“It's cruel what I love most about Dylan is the very reason why I can't have her.”