The weather in District 25 was lovely that day.
In the corridor of Alt Tower, sunlight streamed through the tall windows onto the magnificent marble floor, bathing it in a warm glow. Iris stood outside the office door, her heart pounding. Her fingers lightly brushed the cold door, and a shy blush crept across her face.
"It's not like you're going in to confess. What are you afraid of?"
The voice in Iris's head gave a disdainful laugh. "You spend forever hesitating over every little thing. Other people sprint forward the moment the starting gun fires. You're still standing there two or three seconds later, wondering what color the gun is and whether it's really a starting gun. Honestly, it's pathetic."
"But Mr. Jonas has been busy with important things these past few days, so I haven't disturbed him. What if I go in so suddenly and interrupt something he's doing...?"
"See? Everyone else has started running, and you haven't even reached the starting line. Think about what the others have done. You were the first person to meet Mr. Jonas, and look at you now. How many times do I have to tell you? Leave your worries to me!"
Iris automatically pictured a tiny version of herself strutting around inside her head, huffing and loudly declaring that she would teach her how things were done.
"Oh, please. You're all bark and no bite. You say that every time, but Mr. Jonas sees right through you with one glance. Then you stammer just like I do and can't get a word out. Once you recover, all you can do is act tough with me..."
Iris felt rather aggrieved. It seemed her other self could only talk tough to her, then became utterly speechless in front of Jonas.
Someone who only