A.J. Carter

“If we’re going to cut to the chase, we both know she has some social problems. I’m not saying she deserves to get treated how she does, but she’s not exactly…’ ‘Easy to talk to?’ ‘Yeah.’ I nod along because he’s right. Summer’s main issue is that she’s never wanted to make any friends. I don’t know if that’s what’s causing her reclusiveness or if it’s the other way around. But something has to change because, before we know it, she’ll be shaped into that person her entire life. It’s not helpful for anyone. She needs those basic skills. She needs interaction and a more open view on life. Especially if she wants to be a writer. How can she tell stories about people if she doesn’t understand them? Damian promises we’ll talk about it in more detail later, but right now, he has to go to work. He puts his plate in the dishwasher, kisses me on the head, then leaves to go and run a supermarket for the afternoon. Meanwhile, I’m stuck at the kitchen table with a crisis. I don’t want to fail as a parent.”
― A.J. Carter, The Exchange Student

“I read plenty of books, and they all tell me that people have struggles going on that nobody will know about from the outside looking in.”
― A.J. Carter, The Exchange Student