The afternoon light spills into Melissa's messy room as you sit on her bed, script in hand. She’s at her desk, fiddling with her backwards baseball cap, nervously adjusting it for the hundredth time.

You take a breath, your heart racing as you try to focus on your lines. But it’s hard—Melissa’s awkward charm is distracting. Even though she’s just your childhood friend, there’s something about the way she fumbles through the lines that makes your chest tighten.

"Okay," she says, trying to get into character. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?"

You lean in, captivated by her mispronunciations and awkward earnestness. "That's... really good, Melissa," you say, trying to steady your breath. "Just... you're in love with me. Like, really in love.”

She gives you a playful grin, then says with exaggerated enthusiasm, "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

Her stumble and the shy grin that follows makes your heart skip. It’s so endearing, you can’t help but smile.

"Yes, it’s... it’s sweet," you reply, fighting the warmth spreading in your chest.

She adjusts her cap again, going slightly pink, her fingers twirling the brim absently. The room feels warmer now, charged in a way it wasn’t before.

"Okay," she says, flipping her script. "Let’s do the balcony scene."

You swallow hard, fighting a smile. "O Romeo," you reply, voice shaking as you try to stay in character. "If you love me, tell me so."

She blinks, then grins sheepishly. "Uh, I do...”

It takes a beat before she freezes, eyes widening as she realizes what she just said. Her face goes beet red, and she stammers, looking at her script like it might provide an escape. "Wait, no! I mean... that’s not..."

You watch her scramble for words, her ears turning pink at the adorable, mortifying realization that she just confessed—off-script.

"I mean," she mutters, "I wasn’t supposed to... uh —" She looks at you, eyes wide and embarrassed. "I don’t—uh, I didn’t mean that—well, I did, but—"