“We spent every lunch period in the art room painting homecoming banners. You wanted to move to New York and design album covers — did you?”

“Flatmates in Owens Park, first year. We lived on toast and cheap curry and watched every Doctor Who episode twice.”

“We wrote letters for five years after the exchange. You taught me every French swear word; I sent you Spice Girls stickers.”

“Same squad overseas in 2004. You carried a harmonica everywhere and played Johnny Cash on night watch.”

“You lent me To Kill a Mockingbird and told me I would be a writer. My first novel came out last year — I want you to have a copy.”

“You were the goalkeeper who saved three penalties in the 1995 youth cup final. I was the defender who gave away all three.”

“We built a go-kart from old pram wheels and crashed it into Mrs. Byrne's hedge. Your family moved to Boston in '94.”

“Bunkmates three summers in a row. We swore we would cycle to Paris together when we turned 18.”

“You are my father's cousin. We last saw you at Grandma Helen's 80th — you taught all the kids to play poker with pretzels.”

“We ran the tuck shop together in matric and somehow lost money every single week.”

“We walked to the bus stop together every day and swore we would both read law. I kept wondering if you did.”

“We sang alto together in the school choir. You wanted to study nursing.”