There’s a person. She’s pleasant and even actively interested in how I feel and what I’m doing. She’s really nice to me. She asks me questions and offers help.

She makes me feel uneasy. I get along with most people, especially nice, interesting people. But this person… something about her makes me feel tense when I’m around her.

I think… I think it’s because I feel like she’s putting it on, all this niceness. When I am with someone, my instinct is to reflect their attitude, their language, their level of energy. I usually do this without thinking. When I interact with this particular person, I struggle to match the intensity of her scrutiny. It drains me. It makes me feel fake. I find myself wracking my brain, trying to be thoughtful and creative, otherwise I will have to repeat the same inane pleasantries over and over again. It’s tiring but I can’t do any less because then I’d feel like I was being rude.

I’m afraid I’ve put myself in her bad books in a big way at least three times this year. And every time I think of my unintended misdemeanors, I feel icky.

As a result, I’m not sure I like this person. Or rather, I don’t enjoy being around her. It’s no fault of hers. Perhaps there are just some people that you don’t click with.