He stayed at the cafeteria table, pushing ketchup around the plate with his fries until everyone had left but her. She rose with her tray, and he spoke. "Hey, so, let me know if you wanna go out sometime." "Oh, um, I don't really think, um, that's a good idea. Um, sorry." She looked uncomfortable, and looked down at the receipt, focusing on the tip.

"Oh, wow, uh... I thought, you know, we hang out a lot, and uh, the way we talk made me think we, uh, could be a good match, you know?" He busied himself wiping up condensation left from his soda.

"Um, I guess, but that's just, like, how I talk with everyone. I mean, not everyone, I don't get along that well with everyone, but it's not, um, I'm just not looking right now, I guess." She looked anywhere but at him.

"Oh, sure. Are you, uh, seeing anyone right now?"

"No, it's — I mean, kind of, but it's not that."

"I, yeah, that's cool. I hope this doesn't, uh—"

"Oh, no, I'm cool. I mean, it's cool, don't worry—"

"Cool, yeah, I won't."

"Okay, cool."

"Yeah."

Both looked anywhere but at each other.