"Many lifelong alliances begin with a period of mild intimidation, and so it was with my friendship with Nichola. We were 18, in the first year at university, and shared a few French classes. I didn't know her name, had never heard her speak in English but, with her voluminous curls and friendly, curious stare, she stood out. I assumed she would be too cool to hang around with someone like me."
"After a couple of years, we befriended Emma (not her real name), and the three of us weathered life's milestones together. Nichola had her first baby the same year I came out as gay, and we survived relationship changes, career shifts, house moves and family dramas. Her successes, of which there were many, were ours; we felt each other's tragedies as if they were our own."
Two university students met at 18 in French classes and initially felt intimidated by each other's presence. Shared social moments — a student social, late-night chats, toasties and hangovers — forged a close friendship. They bonded over being far from home, financial scarcity, and fitting awkwardly into cliques. A mutual friend, Emma, later joined their circle and the trio navigated major life events together. One friend had a baby while the other came out as gay; they endured relationship changes, career shifts, house moves and family dramas. As adults they maintained rituals like Sunday roasts, gossip, cooking and dancing in the kitchen.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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