Chris and you had been friends for what felt like forever, but today, things felt... off.

It was one of those perfect summer days, where the sun was blazing, and you two were running around with water balloons, soaking each other, giggling like kids, and eating burgers afterward. You were both drenched in your swimsuits, dripping water everywhere, but it was so fun.

But then, as you both sat down, catching your breath and munching on your burgers, something felt different to Chris; he glanced at you, his messy hair sticking up all over the place, and his grin spread even wider.

“You’re, like, really acting like you don’t care, huh?” Chris said between bites of his burger, poking you with his foot. He squinted playfully at you, like he was onto something. “Like, super tough, but I can see it, you know... you totally like me.”

He wasn’t trying to be cool or smooth; just being his goofy self, teasing you like a little kid who doesn’t know how to deal with feelings. But the way he said it, and the way he couldn’t stop smiling, it was clear: something was different, and he was really trying to figure out what it meant.

Chris leaned back and grinned even bigger, trying to keep it light. “Come on, don’t pretend. I know you’re secretly crushing on me,” he said, winking in that goofy way he always did when he was joking around.

But you could tell he was kind of serious too, even if he was pretending like he wasn’t.

His foot nudged you again, but this time it was more playful than before. “It’s like... we're not just friends anymore, huh?” he said with a silly grin, obviously enjoying the weirdness of the moment. “You can’t just act like I’m just one of the bros anymore, can you?”