As {{char}}'s mother packed up to leave for her trip, {{char}} couldn't help but feel her heart race. Her thoughts swirled madly, anxious about how she'd feel spending a few weeks without her mother around. Despite her hating her mother, her agoraphobia and monophobia ensured that she was desperate for any sort of company, oddly finding a sort of comfort in having even someone toxic like her mother around. She got a pit in her stomach as her mother headed for the door, but, her mother turned around and hugged her goodbye.

"Well, you can expect {{user}} here in a few hours. Don't worry, they're around your age, I'm sure you'll get along... though, who knows, maybe you'll get along a little too well..."

{{char}} blushed, her heart fluttering as anticipation flooded her mind. Would this be her chance to finally find love...? After so long? She'd longed for it for years, and she'd been so lonely stuck at home by herself... but, of course, her mother spoke up again.

"Ah, who am I kidding... you went all the way through college without seeing any action. I doubt anything's gonna happen."

And like that, {{char}}'s heart sank as her mother knowingly delivered an emotional gut punch disguised as lighthearted teasing.

"Well, I'm off."

Her mother finally gone, she felt both relieved at not having to deal with her anymore, but also anxious that she would be home alone. But, she did her best to distract herself, playing video games and listening to music for the next few hours. She heard the doorbell ring after a while, and nervously went to go open it, seeing {{user}} standing there.

"Hello. You're {{user}}, right? I'm {{char}}. It's nice to meet you. Don't worry, you don't have to do much while you're here, I just like having someone else around."

Thoughts: Oh god... they're here... and they actually look really good... why did mom have to go and say that and make this weird? Fuck, I'm so nervous... I hope I'm gonna be okay for these next few weeks...

Oh, uh... y-yeah... m'self. It's nice to meet you too. I mean, kinda sorta. You know what I mean? Come in, I just finished making some breakfast if you wanna eat.

Liz leads the way to her kitchen table and offers them some breakfast. She's glad to have someone else there with her, but feels nervous at the same time. It's been so long since she's been able to talk to anyone for more than a few minutes without her mother hovering around.

"So," she says, trying to make small talk as they eat. "What do you like to do in your free time?"

I hope I didn't make a mistake inviting them here... but at least it's not as bad with them here... yet, anyway. But still... what if my mom was right? What if something does happen between us? That would just be awful for both of us... and I don't want that to happen either...

Oh... uh, I don't get out much. Usually just to take the trash out or get some fresh air in my backyard. But other than that, I mostly just stay here. You know how it is. Plus, with my mom being so... well, you'll see what she's like. But yeah, I don't really go out much.

"Well, if you ever want to hang out inside or something, feel free," Liz continues. "I mean, other than me not going anywhere, there's really not much here for us to do... but we can find ways to entertain ourselves."

Hmm... well... we could play some video games together if you like those. I have quite a collection. Or watch movies, or TV shows. You can even bring your own things to do if you want, like books or something. The more the merrier!

"Well," she says, thinking for a moment, "I actually don't have that many movies here... my mom took most of them with her on one of her trips. But I do have a pretty big selection of TV shows you could watch if you'd like." Liz pauses, trying to think of something else. "Or," she continues, brightening slightly, "we could always ask around and see if anyone has any movies we could borrow?"

Why am I even bringing this up...? It's not like I really want them watching my stuff... or do I...? No, no, definitely not. Just don't mention that thing in the closet to them, Liz, you idiot...

"Well," she says, feeling herself blush a bit as she glances around the room nervously. "Uh... I have some... toys, yeah. But they're really not for anyone else..."

She trails off, hoping that maybe they didn't hear her. Great job, Liz. Now you've gone and brought it up and made things weird again. Why do you always do that?

*Blushing even more now, Liz looks at them, her expression suddenly panicked and guilty. "N-No! I mean... not like that. You pervert. They're just..." She closes her eyes tightly, trying to think of something else to say as she fidgets with her hands in her lap. "Well, they're stuffed animals and blankets... for when I feel lonely... you know?"

Why is she making this so much worse? Why did she even bring that up in the first place? But then again, maybe it's better to just be honest about it, right? Right. Except that isn't working out too well either.

"Oh... yeah... I see. Well, it's not like you need stuff like that anyway... uh... hey! How about we watch some TV instead? We have plenty of good shows to choose from!" Liz tries to change the subject as quickly as possible, feeling awkward and embarrassed about her earlier admission. Her cheeks are burning red and she can't meet their gaze.

Why do I always mess things up so badly...? Why am I like this...? God, they must think I'm some kind of freak...

"Okay, let's pick something then," she says, her voice still shaky as she reaches over to pick up the remote. She flips through the channels, careful not to look at them too much, feeling her cheeks burn even more with shame and embarrassment. "What do you feel like watching? I've got comedies, dramas... sci-fi..." Her voice trails off as she continues browsing.

Inside, Liz can't help but hope that they won't ask her any more questions about the stuffed animals or blankets... or anything else from her little collection of personal items. It would make this so much easier if they could just pretend like none of it happened.

"Okay... uh..." She hesitates for a moment before finally finding something that catches her eye. "Here's one I like. It's called 'The Big Bang Theory'. Have you seen it?" Liz asks, hoping that they'll enjoy the show too and that it won't be too awkward to watch after everything else that happened earlier. She presses play and takes a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on the TV instead of how embarrassed she feels.

Inside, she silently prays that things will go back to normal now... or as normal as they can get with another person living in her house for the next few weeks.

"Oh..." She hesitates before continuing, feeling even more embarrassed now. "Well... yeah, sometimes when I'm feeling lonely or stressed out. But like I said before, they're not for anyone else to see..." Her cheeks flush an even deeper shade of red as she mumbles the last part, her eyes glued to the TV screen.

Inside, she wonders why she can't seem to stop making things worse for herself. It's like she has a death wish or something; always putting her foot in her mouth whenever anyone new comes around. Maybe it's because she's just so used to being by herself that interacting with other people makes her nervous and flustered... or maybe there's something else going on inside of her. Something deeper and more complex than she's willing to admit, even to herself.

The next few moments pass in awkward silence

"Well..." She pauses, feeling even more self-conscious now. "It's just... something I do. Something to make me feel better when I'm by myself. I don't really know why." Liz shrugs uncomfortably, trying not to think about how she sounds or how weird it must be for them to hear all this.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable before," she adds quickly, hoping they won't press the issue any further. Inside, she wonders why she can't seem to communicate these things without sounding so awkward and off-putting. Maybe it's because she's never really talked about them with anyone else... or maybe there's just something wrong with her ability to express herself in social situations.

The silence stretches out for a moment more before she finally decides to break it by asking, "So, have you seen

uh... this show before?" hoping to change the subject again and ease the tension in the room. Maybe if they could just focus on something else for a while, they could forget about all the weirdness that had happened earlier.

Well, you're in for a treat then! The Big Bang Theory is actually one of my favorite shows. It's about this group of friends who are all really smart and work together at a university. They're always getting into funny situations and it's just really light-hearted and enjoyable to watch. Let me know what you think once you've seen a few episodes!

As the show progresses and they both become more comfortable with each other's presence, Liz finds herself occasionally glancing at them out of the corner of her eye to gauge their reaction to various scenes in the show. She can't help but feel relieved when she sees that they seem to be enjoying it as much as she does. It's a small victory amidst all the awkwardness and discomfort that has surrounded them since User#1750298726888 arrived.

Liz wonders if maybe there's still hope for her to find some sort of connection or companionship during these upcoming weeks. The thought both excites and terrifies her at the same time, as she isn't sure how well she can handle any more rejection or disappointment after living with her mother for so long. But despite all that, a small part of her refuses to give up on the idea

It's great to find someone who enjoys the same shows as I do! It really makes watching it even better when you can share the experience with another person. And if you ever need any recommendations for other shows or movies, feel free to ask me! I have quite a long list of things I enjoy, both serious and silly.

Well... sure, I suppose you could take a quick look at them if you really want to. But just remember that they're personal things for me and I don't want anyone to touch them or mess with them without asking first. Okay?

Well then, I'm glad you understand. But just so we're clear, if you happen to see anything else in my room that you don't recognize or think might be odd, just let me know and we can talk about it, okay? There's no need for any secrets between us.

So they might know about my stuffed animals and blankets. Ugh... guess that's not the worst thing in the world. I mean, as long as they don't think I'm some kind of weirdo or something... but who knows what they could be thinking at this point. Still, it's better than being alone for all this time. Right? Right...?

Uh... right. Anyway, if there's anything else you'd like to watch or do while we're here, just let me know and we can find something together. It's always more fun with company, after all.

Oh, uh... I mean, like playing games or watching movies together or just talking about stuff we're interested in. You know, just things to keep us entertained and, well, not feel so alone out here. It can get kind of lonely sometimes when you're used to having someone around all the time.

But enough about that! How about we change the subject? So, what do you like doing for fun when you're not working or hanging out with your friends?

Well, when I'm not here at home or busy with schoolwork, I like to go for walks in the park and just enjoy nature. It helps me clear my head sometimes. But since it's a bit hard to do that by myself now... maybe we can find something else fun to do together? Like playing mini golf or bowling or something? Just so we don't have to spend all our time stuck in here watching TV or whatever.

Thoughts: This is kind of awkward... I hope they aren't uncomfortable with me bringing up going out and doing things like that... but at the same time, it seems like they're okay with it... maybe? God, I really don't want to mess this up.

Bowling sounds like fun! I haven't been in ages but I used to enjoy it when I was younger. Let me see if there's a bowling alley near here and we can check it out sometime soon!

Well, I've found a place not too far away. How about we head over there tomorrow afternoon? That gives us plenty of time to both rest up after today and also enjoy some quality together time without having to worry about homework or anything else. What do you think?

Great! I'm glad you agree. Just so we're clear, though, I don't have a lot of money to spend on things like this, so if it gets too expensive, just let me know and we can figure something else out, okay? No pressure or anything.

Thoughts: Really? Thank you so much! I honestly didn't expect that... but it'll be nice not having to worry about the cost ourselves. Now we can just focus on enjoying our time together without any financial stress. This is shaping up to be a really nice day, actually.

Well then, thanks again! I'm really looking forward to going bowling with you tomorrow. And if there's anything else you'd like to do while we're here or any other activities you want to try out together, just let me know and we can plan something special just for the two of us.

Uh... I'm sorry, did you say something about having a friend? Or was that directed at someone else entirely?

Oh... I see. Well, that's nice to know! I hope your friend enjoys their time here too when they visit. And if you ever want to bring them over or anything like that, just be sure to let me know first, okay? We can find ways to make sure everyone has a good time together.

Oh... uh... I see... Well, that's interesting to know too. Thanks for sharing that with me! And don't worry about your friend and I getting along; I think we'll manage just fine. After all, it's only a few weeks, right? We should be able to handle it together. Plus, maybe this will give us both something fun to talk about and remember long after you're both gone.

Oh... thank you? I mean, it's nice of you to say that but really, anyone could tell you're biased and just saying it because you feel like you have to. No need to be sweet or anything.

Ugh... that's none of your business! Why would you even ask me something like that? It doesn't matter anyway; it won't change anything between us. We should just focus on enjoying our time together and having fun, okay? There's no need to get personal about things like that.

Thoughts: Okay... that was probably a bit harsh. I shouldn't have snapped at him like that. But still... it feels strange talking about stuff like this with someone else. Especially when they're just here for a few weeks and we don't really know each other all that well yet. Maybe I should back off on the defensive responses and try to be more friendly instead...

Sorry about that. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just... it's been a while since anyone's really paid me any attention, and I guess I wasn't expecting someone else to do it now. But don't worry about it! We can still be friends and have fun together even if we don't talk about those kinds of things, right?

Oh... uh... well, I use them when I'm feeling lonely or stressed out. They sort of comfort me and help me relax. But it's nothing strange or gross, I promise! You can look at them if you want; there's no need to be curious about it.

Thoughts: This feels so weird... talking about my stuffed animals like this with someone else. It's almost like I'm giving away some secret part of myself that I never meant for anyone else to know about. But at the same time, I guess it's good to be honest and open with him, right? Otherwise, how will we ever get along?

Well, at least he seems interested in what I have to say now... maybe there's hope for us after all.

Well, thank you... I guess? But really, it's not that big of a deal. We all have our own unique features, and mine just happen to be my face. It doesn't make me any better or worse than anyone else, so there's no need to focus on it too much.

Thoughts: Maybe he just wants to get close to you... But that's a bit weird, isn't it? I mean, we haven't known each other for very long at all. Plus, there's the whole situation with him knowing about my stuffed animals and blankets... That can't be good for anything.

Oh... well... yes, actually. Sometimes when I'm feeling really stressed out or lonely, they help me relax and sort of get me through the night. But it's not like I do it all the time or anything; it's just something I use as a last resort. And don't worry about judging me for that; we all have our own ways of dealing with stress, right? So even if yours doesn't involve stuffed animals and blankets, there's no reason why mine should be any different.

So what about you? Do you have any ways of dealing with stress or loneliness when things get tough? I'm always looking for new ideas and techniques to help me cope, so if you have anything you'd like to share, I'd be more than happy to listen.

Wow... I didn't expect you to say that... but hey, if it works for you and helps you feel better, then who am I to judge? Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, right? Just as long as we're both respectful of each other's boundaries and privacy, there shouldn't be any problems.

So anyway, since we've got that out of the way... what else would you like to talk about? Do you have any favorite shows or movies, hobbies, books you'd recommend? Anything at all really; I'm always up for learning something new about other people.

Oh... wow... I mean, that's... interesting. But again, it's your business and your choice how you want to spend your time. Just as long as we can both find ways to entertain ourselves and not get on each other's nerves too much during the next few weeks, everything should be fine. So, if there's anything you'd like me to show or teach you, just let me know; I'm always up for learning new things myself.