An Origin Story by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye 4-18-13

• Sarah Kay:
  It started with a sweater.
• Phil Kaye:
  I was looking incredibly fly. First day of college orientation as a freshman... plus, I'm the type of guy who's always trying to make a good impression.
• Sarah:
  He looked like a tool. And it's the first week of school, so I've got people to meet and things to try. I don't have time to waste on this guy loitering backstage at a talent show.
• Phil:
  It started with a freshman talent show, a chance to showcase what I know about spoken word and poetry and try and get some people to notice me.
• Sarah:
  It started with a technical difficulty -
• Phil:
  some sort of delay -
• Sarah:
  somebody's iPod track wouldn't play.
• Phil:
  So I'm stuck waiting backstage when I notice this girl -
• Sarah:
  and he walks over, stupid sweater and all. There was nowhere to run, backstage was too small.
• Phil:
  And I'm so nervous about going onstage, I decide to strike up a conversation.
• Sarah:
  Oh, sorry, I completely got ahead of myself. I totally skipped introductions. My name is Sarah Kay.
• Phil:
  My name is Phil Kaye. I'm from California -
• Sarah:
  born and raised in NYC.
• Phil:
  Let's see, fun fact about me -
• Both:
  My mom is Japanese and my dad is Jewish.
• Sarah:
  Not a common combination, but I think it's kinda cute. People call me Japajew -
• Phil:
  Jewpanese -
• Sarah:
  Ashkenazi kamikaze.
• Phil:
  And come December -
• Both:
  Hanukkah and Christmas!
• Sarah:
  Plus, you should taste my mother's brisket. Jan has matzah ball soup with noodles...brings my father Jeffrey to his knees.
• Phil:
  It took mom and dad to raise this lanky, cock-eyed, half-breed.
• Sarah:
  Well, I think that's it. My mom, my dad, and me - oh, plus my little brother. He's eighteen.
• Phil:
  My little sister is a deadpan firecracker. She's only eighteen, but she keeps me on track. Her name is Sarah.
• Sarah:
  My little brother's name is Phillip.
• Both:
  Anyway.
• Sarah:
  Where was I?
• Phil:
  It started with a backstage interaction.
• Sarah:
  No, it started with a backward first impression.
• Phil:
  Okay, well, I'll tell you where it didn't start. It didn't start at fifth grade summer camp.
• Sarah:
  That's true, it did not start at junior lifeguards. Even though we were both there.
• Phil:
  Matching red bathing suits, white t-shirts, visors, and our counsellor -
• Both:
  Mr. Johnson.
• Sarah:
  Who probably figured that the shy girl in his morning class -
• Phil:
  and the skinny kid in his afternoon class -
• Both:
  were... cousins?!
• Sarah:
  Probably thought we carpooled over together -
• Phil:
  in between family photoshoots and fourth of July barbecues.
• Sarah:
  But instead, we merely co-existed -
• Phil:
  almost met but always missed it -
• Sarah:
  spinning around like two sides of a coin.
• Phil:
  Look!
• Both:
  We've done the research!
• Sarah:
  And we swear, we're not related.
• Phil:
  And we've never dated.
• Both:
  And we're never... EVER... going to.
• Phil:
  Because what are the chances of finding someone with your last name -
• Sarah:
  Japanese and Jewish with siblings called the same?
• Phil:
  What are the odds of finding someone -
• Sarah:
  who can finish your sentences -
• Phil:
  who will let you cut in line -
• Sarah:
  who knows not to just lend a hand, or an ear when you need them to give you their spine -
• Phil:
  who is woman enough to be best man at your wedding -
• Sarah:
  who will keep every secret, save every letter, tell you how you really look -
• Phil:
  who will remember every single one of your birthdays -
• Sarah:
  without checking Facebook?
• Phil:
  What are the odds of finding someone who knows your poetry by heart -
• Sarah:
  who won't freak out if you're hanging out and accidentally fart?
• Phil:
  Yeah. If you have a date and you need to look fresh, I will let you borrow my hair products.
• Sarah:
  And if you don't have a date and you need to look fresh, I will let you borrow... my cousin.
• Phil:
  I will always see you for the alley-oop.
• Sarah:
  I will always save you a seat.
• Phil:
  I will always pick you to be my partner even though you are terrible at handball.
• Sarah:
  When the fire takes all you have, my home will be your home.
• Phil:
  When you are old and can no longer remember my face, I will meet you for the first time again and again.
• Sarah:
  When they make fun of your accent, I will take you swimming because we all sound the same underwater.
• Phil:
  When Ellis Island tries to erase your past, I will call you by your real name.
• Sarah:
  When they call your number for the draft, I will enlist to fight beside you.
• Phil:
  And I will march with you from Selma to Montgomery and back as many times as it takes.
• Sarah:
  We will stand together against the hoses and the dogs -
• Both:
  because it didn't start with us.
• Phil:
  It started with Lennon and McCartney.
• Sarah:
  It started with Thelma and Louise.
• Phil:
  It started with Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin.
• Sarah:
  Bert and Ernie!
• Phil:
  Abbott and Costello!
• Sarah:
  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern!
• Phil:
  Mario and Luigi!
• Sarah:
  Watson and Sherlock!
• Phil:
  Pikachu and Charizard! And they could tell you what a miracle this is.
• Sarah:
  They could tell you how rare this is.
• Phil:
  But they could tell you how rare friendship always is.
• Sarah:
  The chances are slim.
• Phil:
  The cards are always stacked against you, the odds are always low.
• Both:
  But I have seen the best of you, and the worst of you, and I choose both.
• Phil:
  I want to share every single one of your sunshines and save some for later.
• Sarah:
  I will tuck them into my pockets so I can give them back to you when the rains fall hard.
• Both:
  Friend -
• Phil:
  I want to be the mirror that reminds you to love yourself.
• Sarah:
  I want to be air in your lungs that reminds you to breathe easy.
• Phil:
  When the walls come down -
• Sarah:
  when the thunder rumbles -
• Both:
  when nobody else is home, hold my hand -
• Phil:
  and I promise -
• Both:
  I won't let go.