223 Defeating your own weakness (2/2)
Then, Ben recalled everything he'd gone through these past couple of months: every failure, every fall, and every rise from the ground.
And those little victories, no matter how inconsequential at times, gave him strength! In his moment of doubt, he remembered Beluga's advice that his subconscious mind would sometimes go against him, and so, he stopped listening to it!
'No one can control my mind better than me! I'm its master! Not the other way around!' He first shut it down!
Next, he remembered what it said, calling him d*ckless for 18 years... 'Wait, why does even my mind insult me?!?' He was angry now!
...
However, it wasn't only his mind. His body was rebelling too!
His hands shook!
His heart thumped!
His mouth was dry!
This was a full-scale rebellion!
...
Even so, Ben gritted his teeth, and fought to overcome it!
His hands shook, so he held them against his legs.
His heart thumped, so he did his best to ignore it.
His mouth was dry, but not as dry as the chicken in the dorm cafeteria...so not that bad…
Every part of his body was telling him to run away though!
Every part, except the one yelling something different--his little brother. 'Don't kill me!'
…
Once again though, under this maelstrom of impulses, Ben remembered Beluga's advice: 'Ignore your anxiety, and focus on displaying confidence. You don't need to have it. You only need them to believe you do!'
Gulping, Ben did his best to exude self-belief. As the waitress observed him, he forced whatever parts of his face and body he could control to relax, and as for the ones he couldn't, he disregarded them. It was all for this last line, the one he couldn't afford to mess up!
Locking eyes with her, Ben smirked, radiating supreme self-assurance. ”Well, since you have no tips, I should be a gentleman and help you out. Not to brag, but I've satisfied every waitress that's ever served me—with just the tip.”
...
[Remaining time until activation of Fart Bomb Pheromones: 00:00:59]
[Remaining time until activation of Fart Bomb Pheromones: 00:00:58]
[Remaining time until activation of Fart Bomb Pheromones: 00:00:57]
Although a lot happened in his mind in those seconds before, none of those moments were as stressful as these now, because the waitress...still hadn't responded...
Waiting, Ben did the only thing he could: hold his confident expression and not avert eye contact as long as possible. Yet, he couldn't help but watch the last minute tick down. With each passing second, he became more and more nervous, terrified he'd gone too far!