what can we expect from friendship? - by Ava

I take K to Nari for his birthday and we end up in a Korean karaoke lounge with bisexual light. One bartender has micro-bangs, the other is wearing a hoodie with a bunny tail sewn onto the back. This is like Cloud Atlas, K says. We’ve known each other for almost 10 years. I’ve been thinking lately that friendship to me is a term that encompasses everything—the familial, the romantic, the nostalgic. My friendships have helped me understand what I never liked about dating, which is that I don’t want to get to know people unless I’m going to keep knowing them. I remember being 18, a boy trying to pitch me on the concept of a “summer fling,” and being like… But I want to get married. I mean, probably not to you, but what’s the point of dating if we aren’t trying to be together forever? I was way too serious about everything. I have matching tattoos with three of my friends. I’ve been wondering lately: what requests are we allowed to make of our friends? And what does it mean to really live

saved by

• Eli Qian
• anne g