He wonders how someone more naturally charming would respond. A person like Jem would have something to say—it'd just come out, spontaneously, a touch biting but still eminently likable. Or Quaid with his wry smile, Gideon with his deprecating smile, Emmett with his earnest eyes. Even Roswell has a quick wit. As for John, he feels the artifice of himself too keenly. Already he can picture the moment he will have to get up and walk away, what expression he will wear, how he will carefully nod at Maggie before turning away to read a magazine or watch Dutch for the continued sign of her breathing. If he says what comes to mind, it's never that one good, right thing.
"You have a strong feeling that your boyfriend is chasing the school's fastest freestyler, Jennifer. When you meet on Saturday, he smells like chlorine. You:
- yell at first whiff, 'I knew it. You're nothing but a no-good cheat!' - ask him if he went to the swim meet. If yes, casually ask why. - assume he's secretly taken a part-time job as a pool cleaner."
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11/12, bite ward
He wonders how someone more naturally charming would respond. A person like Jem would have something to say—it'd just come out, spontaneously, a touch biting but still eminently likable. Or Quaid with his wry smile, Gideon with his deprecating smile, Emmett with his earnest eyes. Even Roswell has a quick wit. As for John, he feels the artifice of himself too keenly. Already he can picture the moment he will have to get up and walk away, what expression he will wear, how he will carefully nod at Maggie before turning away to read a magazine or watch Dutch for the continued sign of her breathing. If he says what comes to mind, it's never that one good, right thing.
"You have a strong feeling that your boyfriend is chasing the school's fastest freestyler, Jennifer. When you meet on Saturday, he smells like chlorine. You:
- yell at first whiff, 'I knew it. You're nothing but a no-good cheat!'
- ask him if he went to the swim meet. If yes, casually ask why.
- assume he's secretly taken a part-time job as a pool cleaner."