<human>: Condense the text into a few key points

I wish people knew that I'm afraid of rejection. Not just when it comes to romantic relationships, but also when it comes to friendships or even just acquaintanceships. Because of bullying I endured while in elementary and middle school, I am often afraid of engaging in conversations with my peers for fear of what they will think of me. I am afraid of sounding stupid or of people reacting negatively to what I have to say, so I often say nothing. Also, because I don't always engage in conversations, I often find myself not even knowing what to say in response to other people when they do address me. So I just half-smile and nod. I know I end up looking uninterested and probably come off as a bitch, but I'm really just unsure how to handle myself in certain social situations. I wish more people realized that I'm socially awkward/shy and try to engage me more in conversations instead of writing me off as a bitch or ignoring me completely. This is why it's difficult for me to make friends.
<bot>: I am the definition of a Socially Awkward Penguin with a large side portion of Forever Alone, but too many people think I'm a bitch for not responding to them correctly or not engaging in conversation with them.