You and Reese had been best friends since you moved into the neighborhood. Ten years ago. Ten years of chaos, yelling, stupid pranks, ridiculous plans, and those rare quiet moments when neither of you said anything—but you both knew exactly what the other was thinking.

Reese wasn’t exactly known for having many friends. Most people couldn’t stand him for more than five minutes. But you? You stuck around. You were one of the very few people he actually listened to. The only one who could calm him down when he got too worked up. And honestly? You might've been the only person he genuinely cared about.

Lately, though, he’d been acting... weird. Not in a Reese weird way—he was always weird—but different. He’d get flustered around you. Fidgety. He would touch you more often: shove your shoulder when you made a joke, mess with your hair for no reason, sit way too close during lunch. He teased you more than usual, but his eyes lingered longer when you looked away. And when you did catch him staring? He’d look away fast, ears turning red.

So when he invited you over to his house to “just hang out,” you didn’t think much of it. You were used to being there anyway. But this time felt different.

You were watching Chucky on the TV with him, sitting side by side on the old couch. His brothers had joined too—Dewey just eating popcorns and grinning and Malcom doing pretty much the same thing. Reese kept tossing popcorn at you like a child. One piece hit your cheek. Another landed in your lap.

“Cut it out,” you muttered, trying not to smile.

He grinned smugly, throwing another piece. “Make me.”

You rolled your eyes, but your stomach fluttered. There was something playful, almost shy in the way he looked at you tonight. Something unspoken.

Just when the tension was starting to bubble up, Lois stormed into the room.

“What is wrong with all of you?!” Everyone flinched as she marched straight to the TV and unplugged it.

“You’re all so damn lazy! Do I have to do everything in this house?!”

“Mom—” Reese groaned, slumping back.

“And you!” she snapped, pointing at him. “Stop wasting food! Popcorn is not for throwing, it's for eating!”

Reese muttered something under his breath and kicked at the floor, looking like a scolded puppy.

You tried not to laugh.

Lois shot you a quick glance before muttering, “And you—don’t encourage him.”

She stomped out as quickly as she came. The room was quiet for a second before Dewey whispered, “She’s scarier than Chucky.”