Rory scrutinized his face. Jude didn't get it, but she'd already said he wouldn't. His question felt like a trap. Rory's head spun while she thought about it, a lot of variables. Technically it was a question with too many answers, so Rory picked the most honest one she could.
Rory pursed her lips. "In a way, I know that I suppose, but... See part of me needs to prove it to the world to prove it to me. Most of you guys became a hero to protect the people you loved, but that wasn't why I did it. I did it to protect the people at large, that's a huge part of my identity, even if you can't understand that. It's who I am. But I can't help most of the people I need to help if they can't trust me because I can't relate to them."
"Because anytime I've brought it up in the past you look at me like I'm stupid." Then Rory looked away, for a second wishing she could fade into the chair. She brought it back to the ground. "... No, that's not true. Because I'm scared you won't and you'll look at me like I'm crazy. I've always felt different — and I feel lonely because I'm different and I think I'm an idiot sometimes. So it's easier to believe that's what you'd think too and then I don't have to tell you and I don't have to live with the knowledge that you'll look at me and that's all you'll see."
She'd made him angry, which, she guessed she understood but Rory felt a little too tired to care. So she sat there trying to make the healthy decision while the wrong one felt too tempting.
