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Alcohol camouflages the scars from his youth, but strength isn’t measured by a guy’s ability to drain a six-pack and not cry.
It’s scary, coming out to his parents. When it comes to being anything other than straight, it seems there’s a fine-print clause: a penalty for full disclosure when you belong to the LGBTQ community.
And being anything but straight means making these huge declarations to the people closest to you.
Why is coming out to loved ones like giving a speech in your campaign for President?
Confidence is earned by how many flaws you can find in someone else.
Are all teens this emo and undecided?
This line is awful
The world shouldn’t be like that; people shouldn’t be irrationally unaccepting.
But it’s an argument people like Emir have fought through for way longer than Sebastian’s been aware of it. He’s not blind to his own privilege.
“Guys are beautiful. And girls are handsome. Words aren’t gender-specific. Don’t be some jock asshole about this.”
Acceptance has an amazing effect on people who pretend they don’t need it.
“What seventeen-year-old has so many moments of self-reflection?”
Why do people let things so precious to them turn into dark, unbearable secrets?
Sometimes it’s okay not to be the perfect best friend. Sometimes it’s okay for your friends to take care of you.
Then his eyes get a little bleary, but he doesn’t wipe away the tears. These are happy ones, so it’s okay. He doesn’t care if crying’s not considered manly. Who writes these stupid definitions of manly, feminine, beautiful, or handsome, anyway?
“If you’re watching Scooby Doo and think of someone because it’s their favorite cartoon. If you’re allergic to flour but still eat someone’s burnt pancakes. Or if you hate the color green but you wear it because it reminds you of a person’s eyes just before you kiss them—well, it might be love.”
“What’s wrong with being lost?”
The only thing in life you have to do is live it.”
“Just because people create rules doesn’t mean those are your rules.
“High school is just like the night sky. It’s beautiful. Some moments, you’re just in awe of it. But it’s dark and endless, which can be scary, too. When the stars fall away, what’s left?”
“The sun,” she says, giggling. “Darkness goes away, but the sun shows up and you start over again. So let high school happen, and eventually you light up the rest of your life. Burn as bright as you want. The wonderful thing about the sun is, it’s always there. People don’t have to see you to believe you’ll be there.”
And that’s the thing, life is sometimes just another day, and sometimes it’s moment after moment after moment that only paralyzes you if you let it.
The future is only grim because people see it that way. It’s unpredictable. Life is a summer storm of insecure thoughts. There’s an umbrella of precautions to prevent insecurity, but it doesn’t always keep the rain out of your face.
