And this is something I must accept - even if, like acid on metal, it is slowly corroding me inside.

Being together, we harm nobody; being apart, we extinguish ourselves.

What else could he possibly have done? What choices did he ever have?

It's horrible being ashamed of someone you care about; it eats away at you. And if you let it get to you, if you give up the fight and surrender, eventually that shame turns to hate.

I might appear confident and chatty, but I spend most of my time laughing at jokes I don't find funny, saying things I don't really mean - because at the end of the day that's what we're all trying to do: fit in, one way or another, desperately trying to pretend we're all the same.

And this is something I must accept - even if, like acid on metal, it is slowly corroding me inside.

If I move, if I speak, if I so much as blink, I'm going to lose this battle.