What is Colin afraid of?

All his life, Colin was told that he is special because of his capability of learning almost everything in a short period of time. Being a prodigy meant that people expected him to do great things from an early age and when he failed to do that, they looked down on him and regarded him with superiority. In high school, Colin felt special because it was clear that he was the most intelligent one in his class. When he finished high school however, this changed and Colin became afraid of becoming normal. This fear is a common motif in the novel and Colin mentions it frequently.