Episode 7: Normal
1044 Words
Lila's POV
“I think I’ve officially reached my limit for polite conversations,” I said after the third person in a row walked away.
“That was only three,” Noah said.
“It felt like ten.”
“That’s fair,” he admitted. “They do tend to repeat themselves.”
“Same questions, same tone, same fake interest.”
“You’re catching on quickly.”
I glanced at him. “You sound like you’ve had a lot of practice.”
“Too much,” he said. “I used to think it got easier.”
“And?”
“It doesn’t,” he replied. “You just get better at pretending you’re not bored.”
I let out a small laugh. “I don’t think I’m there yet.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said. “You can just look slightly uninterested and people will assume you’re important.”
“That’s your strategy?”
“One of them.”
“It’s working for you.”
“I know,” he said lightly.
We moved toward a quieter part of the room, away from most of the crowd. The noise softened just enough to feel like I could think again.
“You didn’t seem like you wanted to be here either,” I said.
“I didn’t,” he replied. “But sometimes it’s easier to show up than deal with the questions later.”
“That sounds familiar.”
“Family?” he asked.
“Family,” I confirmed.
He nodded like he understood without needing more explanation.
There was a brief pause, not awkward, just… comfortable.
“You handle it well,” he said after a moment.
“Handle what?”
“All of this,” he gestured lightly around the room. “Most people either try too hard or disappear completely.”
“And I do neither?”
“You’re here,” he said. “But you’re not pretending to enjoy it. That’s rare.”
I shrugged slightly. “I don’t see the point in pretending.”
“Neither do I.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “You pretend when it benefits you.”
He smiled a little. “Okay, that’s true.”
“I knew it.”
“But not right now,” he added.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t need to.”
That made me pause for a second.
Before I could respond, someone called his name from across the room.
He glanced over, then back at me. “I should go say hi before they come over here instead.”
“Go,” I said. “I’ll survive.”
“You sure?”
“I’ve been doing it all night.”
He hesitated for a second, like he was deciding whether to say something else, then nodded. “I won’t be long.”
I watched him walk off before turning back to the room.
For a moment, I just stood there, letting the quiet settle again.
And then,
“Your standards are interesting.”
I didn’t need to turn this time.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion,” I said.
“Not your opinion,” Adrian replied. “Your company.”
I glanced back at him. “You were watching.”
“I notice things.”
“That sounds like an excuse.”
“It’s a habit.”
I studied him for a second. “And what exactly did you notice?”
“That you seem more comfortable with him.”
“That’s not hard,” I said. “He’s easier to talk to.”
“I can see that.”
Something about the way he said it made me narrow my eyes slightly. “Was that supposed to mean something?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like.”
“Which is?”
“He doesn’t challenge you.”
I let out a quiet breath. “Not everything has to be a challenge.”
“No,” he agreed. “But it usually says something when it isn’t.”
“And what does this say?” I asked, gesturing lightly between us.
“That you don’t like being questioned.”
I stared at him. “That’s not it.”
“It’s part of it.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I know how you respond.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It’s enough to start with.”
I shook my head slightly. “You really do this a lot, don’t you?”
“Do what?”
“Act like you’ve figured people out after one conversation.”
“I don’t assume,” he said. “I observe.”
“And then conclude.”
“And then adjust.”
“That’s still assuming.”
“It’s working with information.”
“That’s a very controlled way to say it.”
“It’s accurate.”
A brief pause settled between us again.
“You’re wrong, by the way,” I said.
“About?”
“Him,” I nodded in Noah’s direction. “It’s not about him being easy. It’s about him being normal.”
“Normal is relative.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” he said. “I just don’t agree.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“Of course.”
Another pause.
Then, more quietly, he said, “You should be careful.”
That caught my attention.
“With what?” I asked.
“With assuming things are simple,” he said. “They usually aren’t.”
I frowned slightly. “Is that a warning?”
“It’s an observation.”
“That’s starting to sound like a pattern.”
“It is.”
Before I could respond, Noah returned, sliding back into place beside me.
“Did I miss anything?” he asked lightly.
“Not really,” I said.
Adrian didn’t add anything this time.
Noah glanced between us briefly, then smiled like he’d decided not to ask.
“Good,” he said. “I’d hate to come back to something complicated.”
I almost laughed at that.
But as the conversation shifted again, I couldn’t ignore the feeling that things were already more complicated than they looked.
- Writer
