when people stare at me while I'm eating and it makes me totally self-conscious about every bite

I started chewing slower to prove I wasn't a savage, which somehow made it worse—now I looked like I was savoring each bite like it was a Michelin-star experience. By the third stare, I'd committed so hard to the bit that I had to close my eyes and nod approvingly at my sandwich, as if my own lunch had finally earned my respect.