Home > Work > The Art of Lainey (The Art of Lainey, #1)
1 " Sobs force their way out of my throat. I feel like I’m trapped in a disaster movie where everything is shriveling into darkness and ash. Sunflowers are being uprooted. Puppies are being trampled. Whole cities are crumbling to dust. "
― Paula Stokes , The Art of Lainey (The Art of Lainey, #1)
2 " If you asked me whether I was the type of person who liked trying new things or preferred sticking with what was familiar, I would have told you I was the second girl. The if –it-aint-broke-don’t-fix-it girl. I also would have told you plays were lame. It suddenly occurs to me that I don’t seem to know very much about…me. It’s a weird feeling, like maybe a stranger is inhabiting my body. Or maybe a stranger was, and I kicked her out. "
3 " When you share feelings with someone, or secrets, it adds a layer of complexity to even the simplest things. "
4 " Nothing stings quite like an unanswered text message. "
5 " We wind our way up the spiral staircase and then down the long hallway that leads to his room. I feel almost like I’m watching the scene unfold from outside my body. My fingers are interlocked with his as he pulls me toward a moment that’s going to change everything. We are ten steps away. Five steps. I can’t decide. But then I do. "
6 " Standing up for yourself is about more than flinging barbed-wire insults around. Its about picking your battles, knowing when to fight, knowing exactly what and who is worth fighting for. "
7 " Not sure how you can get them to him without looking like a crazy stalker chick," Micah says."You think I'm a crazy stalker chick?""You're using an ancient war manual to try to win back your boyfriend. I think you're a girl who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants," he says. "Hey, at least you're committed. "
8 " Who would vandalize a doghouse? I ask."Cats?" Bee suggests. "
9 " I've been thinking that when people break up there's usually a reason, and whatever it is, it's still going to be there even if we do get back together. "
10 " I go through memory after memory, looking for reassurance that nothing has changed, but it's like flipping through a book of stories I've outgrown. Everything has changed. "
11 " But if you want him, you might have to fight for him." I let my head fall to the tabletop. "For the love of all that is dead and Chinese, please, no more fighting. This army needs a break. "
12 " Why fight the natural order of things?""I guess becomes some things are worth it. "
13 " Nothing will be the same without him."Micah nods slowly. "I know what you're saying. I guess I'm just wondering how we know when to give up and move on."I shake my head. "Not yet. I'm not ready to quit fighting. "
14 " No really, Lainey. Give it a chance. Millions of readers can't be wrong.""That's like saying millions of boy-band fans can't be wrong," I mutter, but I flip through a few more pages. "