It's funny—when people call you "shy," they usually smile. Like it's cute, some funny little habit you'll grow out of when you're older, like the gaps in your grin when your baby teeth fall out. If they knew how it felt—really being shy, not just unsure at first—they wouldn't smile. Not if they knew how the feeling knots up your stomach or makes your palms sweat or robs you of the ability to say anything that makes sense. It's not cute at all.

About Claudia Gray

Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent, an American novelist. She writes in the science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, cozy mystery, paranormal romance, and young adult fiction. She is best known for her Evernight series and for her Star Wars novels Lost Stars; Bloodline; Leia, Princess of Alderaan; Into...

More quotations from Claudia Gray

Either this guy really liked me, or I was inventing things in my head because I wanted him to like me.

—Claudia Gray in Evernight

I could almost feel him near me, the way you can feel a fire's presence in a cold room.

—Claudia Gray in Evernight

For too long, I've been telling myself that I could spend all this time with you and flirt with you and not have it mean anything. It does mean something. You mean something to me.

—Claudia Gray in Stargazer

I hear your insults and plan to silence them with my victory.

—Claudia Gray in Stargazer

silence winning hear victory assertiveness

You're in love. That makes you actually kind of boring to people who aren't in love. You know, the sane ones.

—Claudia Gray in Evernight

love boredom

History

10 Feb 2015 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

It's funny — when people call you "shy," they usually smile. Like it's cute, some funny little habit you'll grow out of when you're older, like the gaps in your grin when your baby teeth fall out. If they knew how it felt — really being shy, not just unsure at first — they wouldn't smile. Not if they knew how the feeling knots up your stomach or makes your palms sweat or robs you of the ability to say anything that makes sense. It's not cute at all.