[he bites back a rude 'are you sure?' because he knows that it's his own defensiveness and irritation. he probably takes a second, sipping on his drink before he can say anything.]

.... I don't think I'm actually an idiot. I think that I have to keep things separate so I don't get stuck, or overwhelmed - but even if everyone else thinks I'm a moron, I don't.

[ . . . ]

But I felt like such a fucking fool today.