MEL

Connor and I had been best friends since we were in diapers. We grew up on the same tree-lined street, played in the same muddy back yard, and spent almost every single weekend together.

That was just our routine. So, when another quiet rainy Saturday afternoon rolled around, it felt completely natural that we were tucked away in my bedroom. We were curled up on my small velvet couch, pressed tightly side-by-side, sharing a big throw blanket while the TV hummed in front of us.

Connor had been talking nonstop about the latest Spider-Man release, hyped about seeing it for days, but I was barely paying attention. I was...