Pip POV
I lost my appetite talking about my parents, but I pushed on, trying to nibble on the last of the food. But when the conversation turned to my friends, the ones who abandoned me in droves because they didn't like Donkey, it hurt. It hurt. I should have listened to them. It was all my fault I lost them all. I didn't want to believe Donkey was bad news, because he was there when I needed someone most; only now do I see what he really was. I pushed the plate away, unable to finish my meal. It sat heavy in my stomach, and my throat tightened; I couldn't swallow another bite. I didn't want this conversation here in a cafe, with strangers. I took a calming breath, swallowed the hurt, and blocked it all out, something I had learned over the years, and now that included Donkey and that li
