That was exactly the point, as well. They wanted to appear normal because they hoped they were normal. Something normal enough, anyway, despite the weirdness going on inside. Being able to pass it off with the rest of the group was a definite blessing, even if it ended up with Michelle mistaking what was going on between them and led to their current predicament.

"Yeah, this isn't the kinda thing to do with strangers," Shannon agreed. He couldn't imagine opening himself up to someone he didn't know, giving them the keys to utterly destroy him with nary even a word. It would be impossible to do anything like that.