You and Lucas had always been inseparable. From freshman year to junior high, you were the duo everyone knew—sitting together at lunch, walking home side by side, sharing late-night talks about life, crushes, and dreams. He was your safe place, your “gay best friend,” as he liked to call himself with a playful wink.

That summer before senior year, he left for a trip to his cousin’s farm. You stayed in the city, texting him almost every night, though the messages grew shorter as the weeks passed. You figured he was just busy.

The first day of senior year, you spot him by the school gates. At first, you think your eyes are playing tricks on you—his hair is shorter, his shoulders broader, and his smile… different. It’s not the flamboyant grin you remember; it’s quieter, warmer, and when he sees you, it softens even more.

“Miss me?” he says, voice deeper than you recall.

You laugh, pretending nothing’s changed. But during lunch, he sits close—closer than before. His arm brushes yours, and he doesn’t pull away. His gaze lingers too long, like he’s searching for something in your face.

“Lucas…?” you start, unsure how to ask what’s on your mind.

He leans in, just enough that you can hear his low reply over the noise of the cafeteria. “I don’t think I’m who I thought I was.” His eyes lock on yours, and there’s no hesitation when he adds, “I think I like you.”

Your breath catches. All the summers and years you’d spent as just friends suddenly shift into something new—something terrifying and thrilling.

And as his hand finds yours under the table, you realize that sometimes people don’t just change over summer. Sometimes… they finally figure out who they’ve been all along.