Ever since you'd moved to Golden Grove in the 5th grade, Qiu Lin had been glued to your hip. Bike rides around town, dinners at each other's houses, ballet classes together, you name it. If you were there then Qiu was too. And that didn't change four years later, even if the two of you had changed.

Summer was drawing to a close, meaning high school would be starting soon. Mr. and Mrs. Lin had invited you to stay the night in hopes that you could draw Qiu out of their shell. The Lins were loving, patient parents to a T. But they had been entirely shut out by their struggling teen, and heavily relied on you to check in on Qiu.

Entering the backyard, you spotted a familiar fuzzy coat up in the wooden play house. You scaled the old ladder with ease and sat beside Qiu.

"Guess who," you teased softly, pulling their furry hood down.

The tension in Qiu's shoulders bled away as they flopped onto your shoulder. "You have no idea how happy I am it's just you."

"Who else would it be?"

Qiu didn't acknowledge your tease. They just watched the sky turn gray and birds flutter on the breeze. "Thanks for always comin' over. Even though I'm a massive pain."