As Real As It Gets

Telling me to try harder is like telling me I can get to the moon if I drive my car fast enough.
My answer is still the same.
I'm not you. You have to be world-class socially awkward and unpopular to even begin to come close to how low on the food chain I am, kid...

---

She watched them as she sat among them. Occasionally a kind soul or two would attempt to open for her an easy way into the conversation, but each time she accepted their indirect offer, she found she had no common ground with anyone there, and the room would fall into an awkward silence for half a minute or so.

She soon gave up trying.

Glancing often at her watch, she counted the minutes till she could excuse herself politely.

When that time had come, she got up and left the table quietly. It wasn't hard, they were all preoccupied. Somehow, she was more glad than disappointed that the conversation didn't pause when she did so. At least it meant that she wouldn't have to face a group of people who were merely trying to politely fulfill their duty as "acquaintances".

When she had reached the door, she heard a voice call her name amongst the continuing conversation. She inwardly steeled herself and turned around, smiling in as convincing a manner as she could manage.

"What is it?"

He returned the smile with a particularly strange one of his own, which she assumed meant he had seen through her act already.

"What, leaving so soon?"

She'd planned on him asking this question. He was too nice to do anything else. "Yes, I have a headache," she said, meeting his gaze squarely, almost daring him to call her out on her bluff. She knew he wouldn't, though, he was too cordial for that.

He licked his lips, and she could see it in his eyes; he'd seen through the pathetic lie immediately. She expected nothing less of him. Her excuse wasn't even an excuse, really, it was just formality.

"Alright," he replied. "I hope you join us again soon," he added, as sincerely as he could.

She smiled warmly, as though she really meant to take him up on his offer, but the both of them knew she wouldn't. As she turned the doorknob and passed the doorway, he returned to the group, and she heard him make no mention of her departure.

As she took one last glance at the group before she left, she silently thanked him for letting her escape in peace.