Eighteen Quote by Laura Wiess
““Now, I learned a long time ago how to be quiet on the outside while I'm freaking on the inside. How to turn away like I don't see all the things that need to be seen, just to keep peace. How to lie low and act like I want nothing, expect nothing, and hope for nothing so I don't become more trouble than I'm worth. I'm five months short of eighteen and I know how to be cursed and ignored and left behind, how to swallow a thousand tears and ignore a thousand delibarate cruelties, but it's two in the morning on New Year's Eve and I'm mad and scared and bone tired and really, really sick of acting like I'm grateful to be staying on a hairy, sagging, dog-stained couch in a junky, mildewed trailer with a fat, dangerous, volatile drunk who sweats stale beer and wallows in his own wastewater, and who doesn't think there's one thing wrong with taking his crap life out on his dog, who comes bellying back for forgiveness every single time, no matter how rotten the treatment-””
About This Quote
Source Novel: “The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea” (fictional excerpt), 2022
The narrator masks inner turmoil with a calm exterior, sacrificing authenticity for safety.
In simple terms: Hiding pain behind calmness.
Allow yourself honest expression.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- family dynamics
- mental health
- self‑preservation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When have you pretended to be okay?
- What risks come from suppressing true feelings?
Masking emotions can deepen isolation and harm.