I am 14. I’m at a birthday party at North Bank Lodge, in Pippy Park. A guy I know puts a cigarette out on my neck and laughs with no malice.
I end up with a bottle of wine, stumbling down a hill. I help two girls carry their drunken girlfriend to safety, away from the river. The four of us call ourselves “The Squares” because of the shape we make. I have a crush on over half of the girls here.
When I meet a new person, we instantly become best friends, in my head and possibly theirs. These friendships are validated and expanded over time through ICQ status and bio updates. A simple “Hi Blank” becomes “Miss you Blank” becomes “Inside joke regarding the one interaction we had together, directed to Blank” becomes “Luv u Blank!” becomes “Love you Blank”. At this point the friendship is peaked, and it will soon evaporate entirely.
Public acknowledgement of or by a cool person guides every emotion and decision. The people who meant everything are now triggered references and names on Torbay Road real estate signs.