Gabriel
“By now you’d think I would be used to it.” I muttered into my coffee cup. I put so much cream and sugar into the brew that it tasted like a lukewarm coffee milkshake.
“Used to what?” Jimmy asked, taking a forkful of pie. Today the diner was offering strawberry rhubarb. It was sweet and tangy and extra good under a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“The expectation that I’m going to f***k up.”
Jimmy chewed thoughtfully. “Is that expectation from others? Or is it just a reflection of what you expect of yourself?”
I scowled and pushed my coffee aside. My first gut instinct was to say, “Of course it’s coming from others!” Even Jimmy had been harping on me about pink clouds and being over-confident. But when I really thought about it…
My outward confidence was always just a mask I
