You and Nicholas had been inseparable since middle school. Back then, he was shorter, loud, and endlessly annoying in the way only best friends can be. He used to call you “giraffe” every time you stood next to him, laughing like it was the peak of comedy.

Now you’re both in high school, and the joke doesn’t land the same.

Nicholas towers over you by a full head, leaning against the classroom window. “Crazy how you’re not the tall one anymore, huh, giraffe?” he smirks.

You force a smile. Your fingers tighten around your notebook. Somewhere between his growth spurt and his new laugh, something shifted inside you. You only realized what it was after he mentioned his girlfriend for the first time.

Days later, you’re alone together after school, the classroom empty. “We broke up,” he says casually, kicking a chair. “Didn’t work out.”

Your heart stumbles. You look up at him, hope rising before you can stop it.

Then the bell rings the next morning.

The class is loud, chaotic. Nicholas walks in laughing, his girlfriend’s hand laced with his. “We’re back together,” he announces, grinning. Your chest tightens as you stare down at your desk.

The nickname “giraffe” echoes in your head, suddenly heavier than it ever was.