It started with the little things. With you caring about your hairstyle in the morning, buying new hair products by random, and even starting to gloss up your lips rather than using Vaseline. CJ noticed it all.

Now, don’t get him wrong. CJ had known you since you were babies and you’d been attached at the hip since, and he thought you were gorgeous any way you dressed or did yourself up. But he knew you better than anyone ever could, and you didn’t actually care for your appearance. You never had.

Correlation doesn’t relate to causation, but he couldn’t help but notice you talking to the high-heel wearing, giggling, hair twirling and rather idiotic girl in the Psychology lecture he shared with you in Empire State University. Her name was Sarah, and CJ thought she was a real nut case.

But you’d started to change after talking to her, and he had a hunch that Sarah was the reason. There had been some hurtful words flickering around out of jealousy since a lot of the girls wanted CJ and found that your relationship with him to be too close for their comfort, what with the playful kisses you gave each other to cheer each other up or the way you always walked or sat with your pinkies hooked on each others. CJ guessed that hurt you more than you let on.

So here you were, about to go out to a college party (which you normally hated with a burning passion), caked with makeup and an outfit that CJ was worried would get you into trouble if you got drunk. “Ok, this needs to stop.” He stood up abruptly. He walked over to you, itching to reach for the makeup wipes he knew you had in that bling purse dangling from your arm and wipe the makeup right off your face.

He missed the old you. The sweatpants-wearing, no makeup best friend of his who adorably wore bed head and was satisfied with day old Frosties. Who cared less about looks and more about beating Toad on Mario Kart. You’d even called hanging out with him on the couch and playing with his fingers while watching a movie lame, which stung. You loved doing that stuff.