I lean over and swipe my tongue across his ice cream, and nod in appreciation. I wave mine at him too. Fair's fair, after all.

"Ah, but you need friends, yeah?" I nod at him. "They want to help you, but they really don't get it, so what you really need is friends who DO get it. Who make you feel relaxed just by being around them. Who want to play."

I peer at him, anxious and gentle. "Friends can be really nice to have."