She debated within herself, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. I'm being... They are good. Really. I'm just being mean."
"Because," she said, tugging on her braid. "I'm really in love with Arlo. And I can't be friends with you, because even the slightest bit of amicability between us would mean that the timers were onto something. I don't like feeling forced into things."
She frowned at him. "It does mean something, though," she said. "It means we're compatible. And I hate that."