"It would help if you treated me like an adult," she said, batting her eyes at him as she gave him an over-the-top cute grin. Then she dropped the look. "I don't know what to do or say, is the problem. I feel like there's so much at stake, and every first step out counts for so much weight, I have to be careful what I say and do. I can't afford to make mistakes in presenting who I am, and I don't know how to do that."