I almost decided to stay.

A friend met me there... probably the only real friend I had, growing up.

[there's a pause. Again, half-truths were only fitting at certain times, and this wasn't one of them] Actually...there's no probably about it. She was my lifeline for a really long time.

I hadn't seen her in years. I wasn't even the same person I'd been back then...but we had a chance to be together.