Charles Benoit > Quotes

“There's always a but. It's a magical word. You can say anything you want, go on for as long as you want, and then all you have to do is add the magic word and instantly everything you said is erased, turned meaningless, just like that.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“The teachers complain that the students today are all lazy, ignorant, and stupid. But the truth is that you're smarter than they are. You're not even old enough to drive and you already know that none of this matters.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“When did swearing become so easy? You still would never swear in front of your parents or most adults, but when you're with your friends it's like every fifth word. Why couldn't learning Spanish be that easy?”
― Charles Benoit, You

“If you thought about it you'd realize that you don't have control over everything, but you control how you react”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Your whole life is a chain of choices- your choices”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Here are the Top Ten things that your parents say to you:
-Is that all you're going to do all day, sit in front of the computer?
-When I was your age I had two jobs.
-Why don't you wear some clothes that fir for a change?
-Turn it down. I can hear it all the way over here.
-You're not eating that for dinner.
-Did you do your homework?
-Stop mumbling and speak up.
-Now what did you do?
-Because I said so.
-No.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“If there was something that all the time had in common, what your English teacher would call a "theme," it would be this: Don't get caught.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“You're surprised at all the blood.
He looks over at you, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, his face almost as white as his shirt.
He's surprised, too.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“There's always a but.
It's a magical word. You can say anything you want, go on for as long as you want, and then all you have to do is add the magic word and instantly everything you said is erased, turned meaningless, just like that.
You're a really nice guy...
Your mother thinks you need a new computer...
You've been working harder in class...
But.
You keep looking at Mr. Nagle as he explains how a few zero homework grades really knock down your average. You nod, and you're thinking that everything he is saying is true.
You are smarter than this.
You could be getting all As.
You could be on the High Honor Roll.
And that if you don't straighten up soon, you won't get into college.
You won't be able to find a decent job.
You won't amount to anything.
And you know it's all true.
But.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“The textbooks are dumbed down to the where your kid sister could probably read them, and the teacher go over and over and over the same stuff anyway, drilling it into your head so that they can ask you one hundred multiple-choice questions to get it all back out of you again.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Ms. Casey is standing in front of the class explaining how she worked all weekend to get the tests graded so she could hand them back on Monday morning, and you're wondering if you're supposed to be impressed that she did her job.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Victoria glares at him. 'It doesn't mean anything if you don't mean it.'

Zach smiles. 'My dear, I never mean it.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Math. It’s your favorite subject. Which surprises you. Last year your teacher tried to convince you that you had a real “aptitude” for math, but all you got in the end was a B minus. The truth is you weren’t even trying. But then you got low Cs and Ds in all your other classes and you weren’t trying there, either, so maybe you are good at math after all.
You like it because either you’re right or you’re wrong. Not like social studies and definitely not like English, where you always have to explain your answers and support your opinions. With math it’s right or it’s wrong and you’re done with it. But even that’s changing, my teacher said now you have to explain how you solved the problem and support your answer, saying that having the right answer isn’t as important as explaining how you got it and bam, just like that, you hate math.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“The rule is any decent-looking girl asks to share your drink or have a lick of your ice cream or take a bite of a sandwich, you say yes. It's gross if you think about it, especially like now, Kristi's lips all covered with Ryan's spit, but there are some rules even you wouldn't break.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Think
When did it go wrong?
The break-in?
No, before that.
The party?
That was part of it, but that wasn't when it started.
Zack?
Of course, yeah, it would be easy to say it was Zack. But that's not it, is it?
Before Zack.
Before Ryan. Before Max and Derrick or that whole thing with the wallet.
Before Ashley.
Before tenth grade even began.
And you're thinking, this can't be it.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“It’s important to keep in mind that you have control over
your year, If you don’t like the direction
your life is going—then you have the power to change it. If you’re not happy
where you’re at, figure out where you want to be and make it
happen.”
― Charles Benoit, You

“Better to just hold on and try not to flinch.”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“Say something cheesy now and that was it, you were the class suck-up, say something clever and you were the smart-ass, say something stupid and you were forever stupid.”
― Charles Benoit

“Joan Jett at the far left, staring straight into the camera, her eyes dragging me in. Just like the mystery chick at the Stop-N-Go.”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“Not that, this.” She took her hands off the wheel and stretched out her arms, the car inching closer to oncoming traffic. “This town, these people, the same old shit every week. I’m done with it. All of it.”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“We’re doing something different tonight,” she said, ending the discussion. “We’re going to a party up by the campus.”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“The floor behind the driver’s seat was littered with eight-tracks, but at night it was always Frampton Comes Alive!”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“And if I could change my peer-driven party-animal self, maybe I could change everything.”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“There was a pothole thump, and “Wind of Change” jumped back to “Show Me the Way.”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“from Hawaii, and it would be late Sunday night before they arrived. “What time will you be home?” “I’m going to crash here tonight,” I said. Now, that wasn’t true—I didn’t know where I’d be sleeping—but Karla told me to plan for an all-nighter, and saying I was at Jay’s was as good a lie as any. “Will there be beer?”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy

“You better not come home with your clothes smelling like marijuana.” The way she said it—mary-ju-wanna—made it sound like some exotic,”
― Charles Benoit, Snow Job: A Young Adult Thriller About a List of Rules and Illegal Deliveries Leading to Hero or Fall Guy