[ He wants to say 'I don't think that' because he'd never accuse his adoptive father of being irrational like that, but he already made his insecurities about his lineage clear. It wouldn't earn him any favor to bluff about it now. ]
- I've let the petty gossip get to me. [ He wasn't like Stephen and Margo, who always seemed so effortlessly self-assured and above it all in a way he only wished he could be. He was a sensitive type, constantly aware of how he was being perceived right now; it was his strength when he needed to build his reputation to the public, and his weakness when it came to dealing with his own social class's bullshit. ]
It's not my sister's fault. This has been building for a while, and I should be above it by now. [ This version of John was, thankfully, raised with enough discipline that he could admit when he was wrong. That didn't mean the root of the issue would be a quick fix, but he could at least admit that the issue was there. ]
no subject
[ He wants to say 'I don't think that' because he'd never accuse his adoptive father of being irrational like that, but he already made his insecurities about his lineage clear. It wouldn't earn him any favor to bluff about it now. ]
- I've let the petty gossip get to me. [ He wasn't like Stephen and Margo, who always seemed so effortlessly self-assured and above it all in a way he only wished he could be. He was a sensitive type, constantly aware of how he was being perceived right now; it was his strength when he needed to build his reputation to the public, and his weakness when it came to dealing with his own social class's bullshit. ]
It's not my sister's fault. This has been building for a while, and I should be above it by now. [ This version of John was, thankfully, raised with enough discipline that he could admit when he was wrong. That didn't mean the root of the issue would be a quick fix, but he could at least admit that the issue was there. ]