Mal shrugged. "I'm over him, mostly, but th' other stuff. Like, my friends. Chief, mostly. I dunno, I feel like I'm never straight with people much. Not straight enough." It was kind of a jumble, and not really something he thought he could explain, especially while drunk.

"Like... Okay, I made Val cause I wanted an outlet, you know? She don't give a shit about anythin', least she didn't- dunno if she does now. An' a lotta the time, that's the front I put up. Make jokes, laugh it off, don't let anythin' bother me." He paused, shaking his head and letting out a sigh. "It's all an act, most'a the time. Like I'm playin' a part. So I try... I try to tell people how I actually feel, but I'm jus' so used t' acting that I fuck it up. A lot. I say shit without thinkin' and it screws everything up."