<div class="floatright">(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_et9ttl8zdzQ/TD_-vwBMOGI/AAAAAAAAN5E/eP7JumXuE2M/s1600/1a3f651e06434edab4aee510aaf9f5b6.jpg)</div><br/>Michelle nodded, smiling her appreciation as she stood up and carried her tray over to toss everything into the trash.  Each step made her feel a little better, knowing that there were genuinely nice people here, that she wouldn't have to be a big bother like her mother always accused her, and perhaps things could actually be great and peaceful.<br/><br/>Of course, it was never quite so simple.  She was ten steps away from Elizabeth when she suddenly froze, realizing that she had nothing to say, that it would be so sudden and unusual to just walk up to someone and try to start a conversation.  Her heart was already racing, and the caffeine certainly wasn't helping her there.  She wasn't used to having to make friends with people that she would absolutely have to get along with, let alone crazy people when she had no idea how they were crazy.<br/><br/>Elizabeth was already chatting it up with someone else anyway.  What was she supposed to do, just walk up and interrupt them, or listen in?  Should she hold back and lurk like a stalker?  She could think of a dozen different possibilities, but they were all things that she would end up doing if she was working on playing a prank or setting up an opportunity.  The idea of being just friends suddenly seemed much more frightening.  She wanted to be herself, but herself was much too nervous right now.  She didn't know how to be nervous, she could be anything but nervous, so long as she didn't have to be herself.<br/><br/>The rabbit reflexes ended up taking over for her.  She just kept on walking, averting her gaze and intending to walk on past and towards the doors to head towards the hallway.  Why couldn't life just be simple?  Why couldn't she stop worrying about that man from earlier?  Why did she come here in the first place?