“So how did our friendship end? With a scolding, of course; it was in the cards from the very beginning. All relationships have the potential to end abruptly, it’s an inherent risk, but when I became friends with Niki I knew that the brutal end wasn’t just one of the many conceivable scenarios; it was the only possible end. I knew with certainty that no friendship survived her, and nevertheless I was surprised. Like death, I guess.”
