I know it's part of me but also, it's not really me. I tell people that it's like there's a troll living in my brain. That troll's name is James. He interrupts me a lot. Sometimes.... when I pause, that's *me* pausing, but some....times that's *James* pausing my mouth to troll me. James and I always fight for control of my mouth and my face. Some people just read too much into my pauses and secondary behaviors even after I disclose my stutter, so I have to tell them to treat my stutter as another entity separate from me. Giving it a name seems crazy, but if that's what takes to make them stop assuming my pauses are intentional, so be it. "will you go out with me?" ".....sure.... yyyes." "sorry. never m-" "no, no no, that was James! I mean... yyyes." "Oh, James made your mouth pause, riiiiight. You were frowning." "I was what? oh... when I feel rushed, James gets agitated and makes my face frown. I was rushing myself and James reacted. He's not always an asshole. He scared off my bullies by making me frown like crazy. I will tell him that you are not a bully. He is so protective of me. Come on, James. She is not a thr-" "Tomorrow sounds good?" "tomorrow, Starbucks."