"I like Mara's jokes," Brian Chen responded. "They help me remember it's okay to smile. I don't know if I'd still be coming to these things if it wasn't for Mara."
"Thank you, Bri," I said, and at that point I began to realize that we were a bit of a cliché. Stories about troubled teenagers often feature support groups where smart-ass comments fly and feelings get hurt, where friends and enemies are forged over one-liners and tears. But here's the thing. Even if we were a bit of a cliché, we were only a cliché for a bit. Because almost immediately after announcing his dedication to my humor, Brian Chen blew up.