Curly hair Quote by Sarah Dessen
““What the hell," I said, pushing off the wall, ready to take off the head of whatever stupid salesperson had decided to get cozy with me. My elbow was still buzzing, and I could feel a hot flush creeping up my neck: bad signs. I knew my temper. I turned my head and saw it wasn't a salesman at all. It was a guy with black curly hair, around my age, wearing a bright orange T-shirt. And for some reason he was smiling. "Hey there," he said cheerfully. "How's it going?" "What is your problem?" I snapped, rubbing my elbow. "Problem?" "You just slammed me into the wall, asshole." He blinked. "Goodness," he said finally. "Such language." I just looked at him. Wrong day, buddy, I thought. You caught me on the wrong day. "The thing is," he said, as if we'd been discussing the weather or world politics, "I saw you out in the showroom. I was over by the tire display?" I was sure I was glaring at him. But he kept talking. "I just thought to myself, all of a sudden, that we had something in common. A natural chemistry, if you will. And I had a feeling that something big was going to happen. To both of us. That we were, in fact, meant to be together." "You got all this," I said, clarifying, "at the tire display?" "You didn't feel it?" he asked. "No. I did, however, feel you slamming me into the wall," I said evenly. "That," he said, lowering his voice and leaning closer to me, "was an accident. An oversight. Just an unfortunate result of the enthusiasm I felt knowing I was about to talk to you.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Unknown (likely contemporary romance) by Sarah Dessen, 2020s
A heated encounter reveals miscommunication and unexpected connection, showing how assumptions can fuel conflict before understanding emerges.
In simple terms: Misunderstandings can lead to conflict but also unexpected connections.
Pause before reacting; seek clarity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- customer service
- personal confrontation
- first impressions
- de-escalation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions did you make?
- How could you have defused the situation?
Assuming intent can worsen tension and block resolution.