Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

• Have you ever been in a situation similar to the writer’s, where you wanted something more from a friend than they could give? What did you want? What ended up happening?

• Did a friendship ever change because you had a relationship with that person? Did it change for the better or worse? If you had to do it over, would you become involved with that person? Why or why not?

• The writer values emotional closeness in a relationship more than any other thing. What do you value most in a friendship or relationship, and why?

Roleplay: Two students, playing Zarah and the writer. Zarah doesn’t understand why she and the writer can’t continue to “casually date.” The writer explains what he wants from a relationship, and why Zarah can’t give it to him.