Things Change

Maybe This Isn't Right

*Danny*

I was hanging out with Juliet at a Starbucks a few days later and I couldn't help but shake the feeling this was wrong. The whole being with her, saying I still had an interest in her, just didn't feel right. Like I was lying to myself but I don't even understand how that would work. She's virtually perfect: pretty, smart, fun to be around, given we don't have all that much in common and conversation is rather awkward but we haven't known that each other that long either. Well except Alex but it wasn't my fault we had a lot of the same tastes. Most girls don't like video games and sports like I do so it was just her.

"So how's work been?" I asked Juliet a bit awkwardly seeing we've been here for over ten minutes and barely said anything over a 'hello'.

"Just fine. The restaurant will probably never be interesting enough to make a story of it and the zoo has been rather slow lately."

"Really? Whys that?"

"The zoo? It's not all that popular in the hot weather this time of year. The fall was better last year."

"How long you've been working there?"

"A year, I've had the waitress job for two but the zoo always held more of my interest. Plus I needed the money for college."

"How come?"

"Large family. I have too many siblings for my parents to be able to pay for all of our tuitions in full. I've been working for a scholar ship but since I have no special talents for anyone to give me one."

"I'm surprised, you seem perfect to me." I said despite myself. She was but saying in a romantic sense like I did just didn't seem right. I found her plenty attractive so it wasn't like hitting on your family and I wasn't attracted to anyone else, at least I didn't think I was. Maybe. I don't know. 

"Thanks, I don't agree but I appreciate it." She said blushing which made me smile a bit. Yep, cute for her own good.

"But I've been talking too much about myself, what about you? Anything going on with you?" She asked suddenly, probably thinking she was being rude. Polite as hell is she. I think I should lay off the Star Wars for a while.

"Nothing much, my life has never been too interesting." I responded. After the whole date and Taylor being gay thing a few days ago life dulled back down. This was the second time since the date I had met up with Juliet, the last time it was us with Alex and Taylor, and that was less of a date than it was hanging out with a friend, a girl I kind of like, and another girl I was confused about.

"Well ok..." She said trailing off a bit, the conversation becoming awkward once again. See, this is what I mean. We just didn't know how to keep the conversation going. With Alex there we could at least get through it with a joke or something but by ourselves it just didn't work.

"How about you family? You have any siblings?" She asked.

"Nah, only child. My parents were content with me apparently but it sucks being alone all the time. My extended family is small too so not much family fun unless you include my crazy uncle who believes that squirrels will end us all." I don't know what's wrong with the guy but he honestly think that squirrels will again about 10 feet in height and kill us by throwing nuts at us. Yet we still invite the guy to Thanksgiving dinner. Juliet laughed a bit this, not as much as most people have but she wasn't exactly one for roaring laughter either. I was on the other hand and I think it made her a bit uncomfortable.

"That's kind of like Alex except her extended family is huge. She has like two dozen cousins on each side. Jason is the only one that is her age though, I think. At least the only one who I know." She said bringing my thoughts back to the crazy red head and my best friend's boyfriend.

"How do you know him?" I asked curiously. Is this the part where I should be jealous? I don't know. I'm not really plus Jason likes guys.

"He goes to school with Alex and I." She responded.

"Ah, I still have to meet him."

"Yeah. He's real nice." She said making me confused again. I knew that if it was n ex-girlfriend of mine saying that at the time it would have gotten me a little pissed off. Ugh, what the heck.

"Oh shoot. I have to go Danny, sorry. My shift at the restaurant starts in a few minutes." She said as she looked at her flip phone, the thing looked ancient but assuming her whole thing about family and money I wasn't too surprised.

"Nah it's fine. Do you need a ride?" I asked her getting up myself.

"Oh no I wouldn't want to impose-"

"I insist. Trust me, I don't mind." I said and we walked to my car. Her work place was only a few minutes away and we spent the ride in silence. And not the comfortable kind either, the one where nobody knows what to say so they just pretend no ne else is in the room, or in this case, car. When I pulled up to the dinky little restaurant thanked me and got out without much of a goodbye.

The thing that bothered me was the relief I felt when she left. Not in a mean way, I did enjoy her company, but just because we had literally only been with each other for less than a half hour and it was uncomfortable as heck. I liked her to a point, I mean what was there not to like, but a relationship just didn't seem possible by this point. Ugh, this is too much.