Justin, honey, you were my very first kiss. My very first hand to hold. But you were nothing more than an average guy. And I don't say that to be mean- I don't. There was just something about you that made me need to be your girlfriend to this day I don't know exactly what that was. But it was there.. and it was amazingly strong. -Thirteen Reasons Why

She wants to believe my excuses so bad. Every time I lie, she wants to believe me so much.

How many times had I let myself connect with someone only to have it thrown back in my face?

And everyone knows you can’t disprove a rumor.

Because I've heard so many stories that I don't know which one is the most popular. But I do know which is the least popular. The truth.

I felt I had a very innocent childhood and I feel privileged by that. But as an adult, I know that there were people who didn't have that. There are a lot of teens who haven't had as easy a childhood as me, and having literature that explores these "darker" parts helps relieve the burden and stress they may be feeling. As a writer, there is often a temptation to draw back when we write for teens - to preserve their innocence. But the reality is, if someone has already had that innocence taken in their life, then not writing about it is just brushing it under the rug.

How can you call it love when it hurt you so badly?" "It was love because it was worth it.