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עמוד:34
unexpected sense of belonging . It was incredible , as though there were no time lapse . We just picked up right where we left off . Over the next months I realized the more I hung out with them , the less insecure I became . I was a new person with them ... one I liked . 15 But , there was something that I didn ' t get , something about it being too easy . I mean , weren ' t they hurt when I had so obviously chosen these other friends over them ? Didn ' t they lose faith in me , or resent the fact that I had taken their friendship for granted ? I just didn ' t feel I could truly fit in again until these issues were dealt with . I needed answers . 16 They came a few months later at a camp-out I organizedjust for the kindergarten group ( we joked that it was a makeup for not inviting them to the bat mitzvah ) . When the sun went down we huddled up around the campfire . All night we laughed , roasted marshmallows ( and old teachers ) , counted shooting stars and talked . I finally felt safe enough to bring up my questions . I stumbled through them and waited . After a moment , only awkward for me , one of them said , "Yeah , maybe it hurt a little , but ... " he shrugged , "I don ' t know , I guess ... we just understood . " And that was that . Theyjust understood . 17 They saw me change . They gave me room , freedom to screw up , to grow and learn my own lessons , my own way , in my own time . Through the years , we ' ve all had our phases , our ups and downs , and I expect we'll continue because that ' s the way it goes . We know we will be each other's constant from now on . We will all continue to grow separately together , all the while providing the unconditional love , understanding and support only friends like these are capable of . "There ' s the people you ' ve known forever . Who like ... know you ... in this way . That other people can ' t . Because they've seen you change . They've let you change . " 19 I might never have understood the true magnitude of this seemingly simple concept without having experienced those defining years . From the kindergarten group , the best friend and the cool crowd , I had learned two things : the type of friends I wanted , and the type of friend I wanted to be . Closer Reading Answer in your notebook . 1 List three lessons in friendship that the narrator learned . 2 Why does the narrator refer to the TV series My So-Called Life ! 3 Do the narrator ' s actions toward her different circles of friends reflect the quote at the beginning of the story ? Explain .
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