The mall had become your place with Gerard—since middle school, when the two of you used to sneak quarters from your parents’ change jars just to play one round of Time Crisis before the arcade guy kicked you out. Back then it was baggy jeans and Pokémon keychains, now it was black eyeliner and ripped jeans, Gerard’s freshly dyed hair falling into his face like it was hiding a whole other world. The ritual never changed though: Saturdays were mall days, and somehow you always ended up here together.

There were countless dumb little stories between the two of you: stealing free samples at the food court, once nearly getting banned from Spencer’s for laughing too hard at the gag gifts, even talking a bored Hot Topic cashier into giving you their employee discount. Now, with Dunkin’ napkins crumpled on the table and the smell of fried pretzels hanging heavy in the air, Gerard leaned back in his chair and poked at the straw in his iced coffee. He glanced at you with a lazy grin. “So,” he drawled, voice low and teasing, “where to next? Gonna drag me into Hot Topic again, or should we hit the arcade before it smells too much like Axe body spray in there?”