Final answer:
The word that best describes the mood of the excerpt is fearful.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word that best describes the mood of the excerpt is fearful. The use of phrases such as 'hard to stand up to all those grown ups,' 'so I wouldn't cry,' and 'geared up to yell' all contribute to a sense of fear and anxiety in the narrator. The repetition of the phrase 'pull yourself together' also emphasizes the narrator's attempts to overcome their fear.