Honest Advice

"Is it cool if I sit with you?"

"Uh, sure?"

"Thanks! I'm Aditya, what's your name?"

"Alice."

"It's nice to meet you, Alice! I'm new in town and I've been trying to introduce myself to people who look lonely and-"

"Did I look lonely?"

"Well, you're sitting alone so I thought maybe you'd be lonely...?"

"I was sitting alone because I like to be alone."

"Well, should I leave?"

"Don't phrase it like that, geeze. Now I feel like I've kicked a puppy."

"You say that like you've kicked a puppy before."

"It was an accident, I was little and couldn't control my urges."

"That doesn't sound like an accident, Alice."

"It's a little soon for criticism, Aditya."

"I love the song that's playing right now, don't you? Great vibes."

"I can't hear anything besides your crushing need to relate to me."

"I feel like you've put up a wall."

"No, my face always looks like this. Why didn't you talk to one of the other girls sitting alone in here?"

"You looked lonely. You are lonely."

"So what? Did you think we'd be compatible as friends just because we're both lonely?"

"Lonely people should have companions."

"I'd rather be an island than a fish in a shallow sea of fake friends."

"That's really poetic."

"Thanks, I've had this debate before- wait, are you endearing yourself with compliments?"

"Is it working?"

"Aditya, have you ever tried not being friends with someone?"

"What?"

"Have you ever not changed yourself to get along with someone?"

"I'm accommodating, not rude."

"It's not rude to be yourself."

"People should be amicable, and you're not being amicable."

"I don't try to be."

"You should, Alice. You wouldn't be lonely if you were nicer."

"And you, Aditya, wouldn't be lonely if you liked yourself."