Maybe the neighbors club was bitten by clowns? Actually, they seem OK. Just... really, really exuberantly awkward.

But, I mean, there isn't any special skillset required for being friends. It's just... well, this. Being able to sit around and have coffee and chat about stuff every so often. And maybe you're right and maybe I'm dense and I wind up getting hurt at some point. That doesn't mean it's a bad idea. It just has some risks attached, but most firendships do in one way or another.