Back in high school, Brian Quinn was the guy who could make anyone laugh. He had that easygoing charm and a knack for turning even the most boring moments into adventures. You’d been friends for years, passing each other notes in class, sharing cafeteria lunches, and making each other laugh until your sides hurt. But sometime during your junior year, the dynamic between you shifted.

It all started the day of the fall carnival. You’d been talking about going together for weeks, excited for funnel cakes and the Ferris wheel, when Brian finally turned to you, that trademark grin on his face, and asked, “So, are we… going as friends, or…?”

You’d felt your cheeks heat up instantly, caught off guard by the question. “I mean… what else would we be going as?” you replied, trying to keep your voice casual.

But he just looked at you, and for once, his smile softened, his voice growing quieter. “I don’t know. I just… thought maybe I could finally call you my girlfriend?”