Who wants to be my friends ?

The next morning, I showed up with coffee and croissants. Nat was at a kid's hearing. "I brought croissants. An almond one, because apparently it's your favorite." "Did you put something in it?" "What? Why would I do that?" "Because you hate me. I heard you say it." "I'm really sorry. I'm stupid sometimes. But not to the point of poisoning you." "Then bite into it." She took the croissant with suspicion and ate a piece. "Can you taste the rat poison?" She almost choked trying to spit it out. "I'm kidding. Give me a piece, I'll eat it." "Why are you mean to me?" "Here, drink some water. I'm not mean. I just don't need to deal with you more than necessary. You're helping me study, you're like a teacher. I don't make friends with my teachers.""That doesn't stop you from being polite. And what about the doll you stole from my house more than ten years ago? Is that normal for you, coming to people's homes and stealing?" That was low. But I'd asked for it. "I was young. It's not like you didn't have dozens of Barbies." "That's not a reason. You could have asked to play with me, and I would have lent it to you." "Really? You would have?" "That's what friends do, isn't it?" "I don't know if I would have lent my Barbie. I never had one." "I don't know if I would have lent it to a friend. I never had one." Life is strange sometimes. Stella had everything I dreamed of, but she didn't have a real friend. I had "friends," but I had to work like a dog to get half of her comfort. "I didn't know what you liked," I said, "so I got a latte, and a caramel macchiato for me." "I prefer the caramel macchiato." "Then we share." "No, it's fine, don't worry." "I don't mind, I promise." "You decided to be nice to me?" "No. That's how I treat my friends." On that winter-break morning, a friendship was born that made her the maid of honor at my wedding and the godmother of my first child.