Most friendships begin with, "Hi, I'm (insert name)." (Extend a hand for greeting purposes.) Or maybe two people start a conversation about something they know they have in common. From there, more conversations arise. Awkward silences become infrequent. And BOOM. Friendship.
This one took a different route. The White Gazelle (not yet known by that name) sat on the cold concrete in the dark, her back to an equally cold concrete bench. I was sitting on the bench, not two feet away. We waited silently; our coach hadn't emerged from his office yet, and our teammates hadn't arrived (neither had the sun).
She slowly scrunched her knees up underneath her hoodie. She pulled up the hood, tightened the draw-string, and drew in her arms, forming a defenseless ball of person. How could I resist? A little nudge never hurt anyone. Like Humpty Dumpty, she tipped over, slowly. In the silence that surrounded us, without a word (but perhaps with a sigh and a bit of a grunt), The White Gazelle's arms emerged from their respective armholes. With not too much of a struggle, she regained her balance, and we returned to the silent cold, waiting.
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