And this is the truth. Because I may be only eighteen, but it already seems pretty obvious that the world is divided into two groups: the doers and the watchers. The people things happen to and the rest of us, who just sort of plod on with things. The Lulus and the Allysons. It never occurred to me that by pretending to be Lulu, I might slip into that other column, even for just a day.
Gayle FormanShe's still beautiful. Not in an obvious Vanessa LeGrande or Byrn Shraeder kind of way. In a quiet way that's always been devastating to me.
Gayle FormanI want to ask him where that kitchen is. Where he's from. But he seems guarded. Or maybe it's me. Maybe making friends is a specific skill, and I missed the lesson.
Gayle FormanThere were signs. Probably more of them than I ever caught, even after the fact. But I missed them all. Maybe because I wasnโt looking for them. I was too busy checking over my shoulder at the fire Iโd just come through to pay much attention to the thousand-foot cliff looming in front of me.
Gayle FormanFor the hundredth time tonight, Iโm back with Lulu, on Jacquesโs barge, the improbably named Viola. Sheโd just toldme the story of double happiness and we were arguing over the meaning. Sheโd thought it meant the luck of the boy getting the job and the girl. But Iโd disagreed. It was the couplet fitting together, the two halves finding each other. It was love. But maybe we were both wrong, and both right. Itโs not either or, not luck or love. Not fate or will. Maybe for double happiness, you need both.
Gayle FormanIf you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay.
Gayle Forman