Seeing the man just smile and offer her some grace period to relax simply made her smile, but this time her eyes were a little brighter, the warmth of her face a little more genuine.  She wasn't used to a stranger being nice to her just for the sake of random kindness.  She plugged in the number to her cell phone, even putting in the name as Mr. Anderson to remind herself to at least be polite to this man in turn.<br/><br/>With Michelle, respect was something that had to be earned, not freely given, but she had been around enough people that it was easy to see who was worthy of some degree of deference.  Far too many people in the world used their titles as shields in an argument of circular logic, that surely they must be powerful and competent simply because they bear titles that say so.  She appreciated that her father would send her to a school where at least her homeroom teacher wasn't arrogant and foolish.  Of course, it would take time to see whether the others had such narrow perspectives and personality flaws.<br/><br/>"I know partially," she said, keeping her eyes on him as she finished her coffee.  Picking a spot where she could have her back to the wall, she was able to focus more of her attention on him, rather than keeping her gaze drifting to search for that strange man who gave her the shakes earlier.  "See, people like me aren't supposed to be in the spotlight.  If everyone looks up at me, it's because I did something very, very wrong and have to get out of it."<br/><br/>His concerned words made her smile even more.  She hadn't really realized how nervous she'd been until she started talking with him, and now she actually felt better, as if this place might not be so bad.  She was so used to her mother training to "straighten her out" that she missed the chance to just relax with someone who wasn't going to try to change or mold her beyond who she knew she had to become.<br/><br/>She accepted his words of warning with a nod, considering whether she wanted to mention the strange man that she saw.  It somehow felt only cruel to frighten him in return for his kindness; it wasn't exactly unusual for her to be chased, though this felt much different, much worse.  She supposed it was all just a part of growing up.<br/><br/>She did, however, want to give him a point of easing to reassure him that she wasn't just some meaninglessly mischevious miscreant.  "If it helps to know, I don't do lots of those random pranks like tacks on the chairs, chalk hidden in the erasers and the like.  I'm more likely to hide a girl's beauty compact if she's using it far too much and doesn't need it, letting her see that people will like her without all the makeup."