Flipped

• The first day I met Bryce Loski, I flipped. Honestly, one look at him and I became a lunatic.

• My heart stopped. It just stopped beating. And for the first time in my life, I had that feeling. You know, like the world is moving all around you, all beneath you, all inside you, and you’re floating. Floating in midair. And the only thing keeping you from drifting away is the other person’s eyes. They’re connected to yours by some invisible physical force, and they hold you fast while the rest of the world swirls and twirls and falls completely away.

• So maybe I should go over there and thank him for the tree. Maybe we could sit on the porch and talk. It just occurred to me that in all the years we’ve known each other, we’ve never done that. Never really talked.

• I left it open-ended because I want my readers to think about the character’s future—what do you think should happen? I mean, if it were you, what would you do? Basically, I want you to make your life the sequel to the story. I want you to think about the steps you take and the people you know, and see beneath the surface—or beyond the moment. Then take the steps that you believe will make your life a happy one. Sometimes those steps will be harder or more painful than the easy ones, but in the end you’ll have risen farther in your life and have accomplished more for having taken the time to consider what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.