Something else we do in our heads is judge and evaluate people, events and things.
What does the speaker in this snippet think of the other person?
She was an easier friend to have in that way.
Let's try a couple of examples of evaluations and judgments.
He was my favourite teacher, after Mrs Henderson.
It was the next best thing to an actual pirate ship.
How do these kids feel about each other? Or what they're holding? Or where they're about to go?