i called her on a Tuesday evening, my tone cheerful and friendly. The silence on the other end of the line was my first clue.

“Are you serious right now?” she finally said, her voice laced with disbelief.

“What do you mean?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“You’re asking to borrow my expensive camping gear, Alisa? That tent cost me four hundred dollars. Do you have any idea how much of a responsibility that is?”

I was stunned. “Cassidy, it would just be for five days. We would take perfect care of it.”

“Get your own damn stuff, Alisa. You’re pathetic,” she sneered. “Honestly, you have this huge house, that fancy pool, and you can’t even afford to buy your own camping equipment? I’m not running a rental service here.”