And this is the problem. I do not pick up on non-verbal... anything. Why does it have to be non-verbal? Why can't people talk? Isn't this what is supposed to set us apart form the rest of the animal kingdom?

And as for "hard and fast rules" about friendship... believe me, there are rules. They are unwritten, and no one will tell you what they are or even admit to there being rules. But those of us who apparently can't help but break the rules (rules we don't know and no one will tell us) definitely know there are rules.