Keeping You a Secret Quotes

“Cut the ending. Revise the script. The man of her dreams is a girl.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“...the man of my dreams is a girl.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“The best thing about coming out is, it's totally liberating. You feel like you've made this incredible discovery about yourself and you want to share it and be open and honest and not spend all your time wondering how is this person going to react, or should I be careful around this person, or what will the neighbors say? And it's more. It's about getting past the question of what's wrong with me, to knowing there's nothing wrong, that you were born this way. You're a normal person and a beautiful person and you should be proud of who you are. You deserve to live with dignity and show people your pride.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Mom's eyes blazed. "Are you sleeping with her?"

Oh, god. Did we have to do this here? Now? "Well, actually," I smirked, "we don't get a lot of sleep.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Sometimes I felt as if there were no tomorrows, that everything, my whole life, was crammed into one long day. A continuous stretch of meaningless time. Sometimes I even wished there was no tomorrow, if this was all I had to look forward to.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Yet, when we talked, when we were together, she seemed so familiar. Seemed to know who I was, where I was coming from. She knew me better than I knew myself, I think. She was easy to be with. And I wanted to be with her, like all the time.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“It was all about hate. There should be laws. We're there laws? Can you legislate against hatred?”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“They got it wrong when they called it “the closet." This was a prison. Solitary confinement. I was locked inside, inside myself, dark and afraid and alone. (Chapter. 23)”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Sometimes I'd catch myself looking at my reflection in windows and wonder who I was. Where I was going. Then the image would change and it wouldn't be me, just some nebulous shadow person.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“And it’s more. It’s about getting past that question of whats
wrong with me, to knowing there’s nothing wrong, that you were born
this way. You're a normal person and a beautiful person and you
should be proud of who you are. You deserve to live and live with dignity
and show people your pride.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“But hell would have to freeze over before I ever wore a dress.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“I wanted to be with her, like all the time. Eliminate the obstacles, the people and things in our lives that were keeping us apart: Brandi, Seth, Kirsten, society, me.
Me? Make that my fear. What was I afraid of, exactly? What other people would think? I guess, a little. But that wasn’t what was stopping me from acting on my feelings. It was the intensity of them. The desire for her. I knew if I gave into it, I’d have to surrender myself completely. I’d lose all control. Everything I knew, everything I was, the walls I’d built up to protect myself all these years would come crashing down. I might get lost in the rubble. Yet, she made me feel alive in a way I'd only ever imagined I could feel. Bells, whistles, music. (Chapter. 15)”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“You’re running out of tomorrows.”
Running out of tomorrows, I repeated to myself in my room, sprawling across my bed to begin another midnight marathon of homework. Sometimes I felt as if there were no tomorrows, that everything, my whole life, was crammed into one long day. A continuous stretch of meaningless time. Sometimes I even wished there was no tomorrow, if this was all I had to look forward to.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“I hated lying, though. That’s probably why I was so bad at it.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Expectations. They ruled my life. -Ch.14”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“My pulse quickened. Was I? Gay, I mean? If so, what was I doing with Seth? Maybe I was bi. That would explain it. An open heart, willing to give and accept love wherever it came from. The feelings, the stirring, the awakening senses with Cece, though, I’d never experienced those with Seth. With any guy. (Chapter.12)”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Holl?” Seth turned over. “Where you going?”
“Home. Sorry. Go back to sleep.” I pulled on my sweatpants.
“But we have all night.” He pushed to his elbows.
“I know. I can’t.” My voice sounded hoarse, hollow. “I don’t feel good. I’m sorry.” I lurched for the door. I needed to get out, get away. As far away from here as possible. She was in me, in my blood, invading every cell in my body. She was the one I wanted. She was the one I saw, felt, desired. This was wrong. He was wrong. It was all so wrong. (Chapter. 12)”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Do you love him?”
I jumped out of my skin. She was standing right beside me. “Who?”
Her eyes widened.
“Seth?” I peered over my shoulder at his retreating back. “Um, we’ve been going together for a long time. A year.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t risk her seeing through me, reading me.
“Do you hear bells?” she asked.
I had to smile at that. “Bells?”
“You know, bells. Music, fireworks.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I let out a short laugh. It sounded strangled, same way I felt. “Only in my dreams.”
“Oh, yeah?” She arched an eyebrow.
Why did I say that? God.
Cece said softly, “Maybe you should listen to your dreams.”
My stomach suffered a major eruption.
She pushed off the locker she’d been balancing against with the sole of her shoe and said, “Think about it.”
Like I haven’t been. “Do you think about it?” I asked at her back.
She stopped and turned around. “I don’t have to. I know.” (Chapter13)”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Cece was all I had. Without her, I’d be totally alone in the world.
Oh, God. I probed her gentle face, her receptive dream state. What would I do without you?
Stop it, my brain screamed. She’s here with you now. Thats what matters.
I took a deep breath to quell my anxiety. Try to. I needed her. Cece was a part of me now. The me that felt solid and sure and strong. She was the one thing in my life that kept me going, made me happy.
And that happiness hadn't come without a price. I'd given up a lot to be with Cece: my home, friends, family. Maybe even my future family. Plus this sense of belonging I’d always had. The sense of fitting in, knowing where I stood. It might not be so bad if could be like her. Out. Proud. With a new place of belonging in the gay community. With new friends. A new family.
But what I’d lost was insignificant compared to what I’d found. Me. The missing part of myself. And Cece. Knowing love. Being loved.
“Please, God," I whispered into the night. “Let me be loved.”
Beside me, Cece whimpered a little and rolled onto her side. She snaked an arm around my hip and pulled me close. Cece gave me life, she nurtured me, and I burrowed into the warm cocoon of her. –Ch.22”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“She was in me, in my blood, invading every cell in my body. She was the one I wanted. She was the one I saw, felt, desired. This was wrong. He was wrong. It was all so wrong.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“She smiled. “You did. And my gaydar never lies. Although later, I thought you might be bi.” No, I wasn’t bi. I was sure of that now. The depth of desire—it was unbelievable. That, and the certainty of this being right. Being me.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“I knew if I gave into it, I’d have to surrender myself completely. I’d lose all control. Everything I knew, everything I was, the walls I’d built up to protect myself all these years would come crashing down. I might get lost in the rubble. Yet, she made me feel alive in a way I'd only ever imagined I could feel. Bells, whistles, music.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Cece was still in bed when I arrived. Her father bellowed up the stairs, “Cece!” then turned to me and said, “It takes divine intervention to get her up before noon.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Dammit." Kate folded her arms. "I don't understand why she has to flaunt her sexuality. It's a private thing. She should keep it that way. Be discreet, like her sister. I don't see you out there exposing yourself to the world."
Not because I wouldn't, I wanted to say. And it wasn't about sexuality. Not entirely. It was about identify. Love.
Kate added, "She's just asking for trouble."
I thought she was asking for acceptance.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Trust. That’s what this was about. If you can’t trust the person you love, you don’t have anything.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“I always do that, pick a spot the first day and never move. What does that say about me? Boring and predictable.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“She left and Cece said, “I love you.” “Do you?” After today I wasn’t so sure. “No.” She shook her head. “No, I only get up at the butt-crack of dawn so I can pretend we’re having breakfast together at our lockers. I don’t even have a seven o’clock class, you know. I dropped it after the first day.” “What!” “Then I have to haul ass down three flights of stairs to pass you in the hall between third and fourth period. And I stall around outside the restroom by the art studio so I can watch you walking down the hall. I’m late to algebra every day. I love the way you move, by the way.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“I wasn’t really sure what was going on with you. I mean, you gave out mixed signals. Then it dawned on me, duh. You hadn’t come out to yourself yet. I thought I’d let you decide how you wanted to handle it. You needed to be sure. You needed to make the first move. And girl,” she flopped an arm across her eyes, “you were killing me.” I smiled. “What if I’d never made the first move?” She peeked under her forearm. “I was prepared to get a sex change operation.” I smacked her shins and we both cracked up.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Please,” I’d say. “Don’t leave. Come back and subject yourself to more violation and sexual assault.” God, what if she felt that way? What if she felt threatened? I was up all night obsessing about it. About her.”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret

“Why didn’t she go to college if she was so psyched about it?”
― Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret