Binge eating is the rock to our serendipitous friendship.

Inez and I met in college. Barely a week into freshman year, I looked at her sitting alongside some friends, awaiting for a seminar to begin, and thought, “I think I should be friends with that girl.” So I asked if I could sit with them and they graciously said yes. A few minutes into the seminar they decided it was not for them and left. Yes, they kindly asked if I wanted to go with them, but exhausted from building up the courage to sit with them, I had no courage left to then go and hang out with them, plus I really liked school and wanted to stay for the seminar.

This solidified, what to me felt like, an awkward interaction every time I saw them since. Why awkward ? Well I was painstakingly introverted, every interaction with anyone was awkward but especially so with the girls I tried and failed to become friends with. Silly I know.

Freshman year passed, I had no friends and had no idea who I was going to live with sophomore year.

One night, I was observing my Friday night ritual. Sitting in my shoebox size dorm, eating my only allowed on Fridays ice cream and, ironically, watching Friends, I got a knock on the door. God, knocked on my door.

Not God incarnate but rather some girls from my floor asking if I wanted to live with them and a few others next year.

The “few others” included Inez and the seminar girls.

After living with and observing Inez, not in a creepy way just in a I notice the person in the kitchen with me kinda way, I developed a hunch that she too had food struggles.

Tactfully, I brought it up and we have been friends ever since.

This is the kinda stuff that makes people say, “God is good.”