Then there was Cari. Cari could come off as quiet, but she was every bit as extroverted as Rachel. She just preferred to listen first, then talk after. She also had a mischievous streak. When she and Alex were kids, she once snuck a handful of water balloons into their bedroom during a sleepover, unleashing havoc. Yet somehow, her pranks seemed endearing rather than malicious. Maybe because she always made herself a target as well... like soaking herself with her own water balloon. Within the group, Cari was closest with Jasmine—they played competitive volleyball together.

Jasmine was a bit of a mystery to me. Like Cari, she was an athlete,...