That’s it, I’m a complete idiot. I misjudged this girl way too much. Sure she is probably the most socially awkward person in the world. But is she a bad person? Does she really wants me dead? Was she being mean all this time? I don’t think so anymore. In fact, she might be, as Mike said, “warming up to me”. You see, after I bluntly asked her how to cook what she was cooking, she said:

“You don’t need to know how to make it for now. I made a portion big enough for the two of us.”

How nice was that? I’ll tell you from a starving college student’s perspective that was beyond nice. It was almost holy. And if you think it stopped there, you are so wrong. Gwyn actually offered to teach me how to cook, “should I require it so”, her own words. So that is exactly what we are doing now. Actually we are preparing to do that, because we don’t have a lot of ingredients so we have to go shopping. There is a grocery store just a couple of block from here, so we’ll be walking.

“When you said that growing up you didn’t get to practice talking much, why was that? I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.” I question as we leave the house.

“I don’t mind you asking. I was home-schooled from age five until last year. So I never really talked a lot with people my own age.”

“Oh… Me too.” She looks a little confused, I chuckle. “I was home-schooled too, from four to fifteen. But I did talk to some people my age. My cousins and the other army kids.”

“You grew up in an army base?”

“Many, actually. Both my parents work for the army, though mom is a researcher.”

She nods her head and becomes silent. She looks somehow uncomfortable.

“I… don’t really like the army…”

I think she is trying to express her ideas, but not come too strong. Gwyn seems to be working on her people’s skills after our talk.

“My parents worked for the army too. Here. At the Humane Institute.” Her eyes follow the direction of where the building is all the way across town.

“Did they? Mine too.” I sense she wants to say more, but is unsure, so I give a little push by opening up. “Mom was pregnant. She lost my little brother.”

“I’m sorry to hear that… My mom… died.” Her eyes are a bit teary.

“I’m really sorry.” And I regret being nosy. “You don’t really need to answer everything I ask, you know. Tell me to fuck off if I’m intruding in something too personal.”

“I know that. But I want to talk, though. I feel like I need to even.”

“Been silent for too long?”

“I think so.” She concludes with a rare and weak smile.

At the store Gwyn instructs me on how to see if the fruits, vegetables and even eggs are good. I was really ignorant to the science of grocery shopping, huh.