Oscar leaned in, eyes wide. 'He's keeping me,' he whispered to the kitten.Pebble chirped. Oscar's eyes flicked to the books underneath his bed. They called out to him: Misfit. Orphan. Idiot.Oscar coughed and shifted his eyes back to Pebble. 'He thinks I can work the shop. ... He said he knew I could do it.'Wolf: He didn't see you work the shop. He doesn't know. Just wait until he hears.'He wants me to do the best I can.'Wolf: If only he knew how bad that was. He'll know soon.Oscar clenched his hands into fists and squeezed his eyes shut. ... 'I'm not going to disappoint him,' Oscar said. He repeated himself once more, in case the words themselves had any power. 'I'm not.
Anne Ursu, The Real Boy
determination, doubt, fear, fear-of-failure, rejection, self-hatred, self-worth