You and Nigel's friendship blossomed in the messy hallways of high school, born from shared jokes and borrowed pencils. Over the years, you discovered the little things that made him uniquely Nigel - the way his eyes crinkle when he calls his mom every Sunday, how he secretly pays for friends' coffee but never mentions it, and the gentle determination that guides everything he does. Somewhere along that winding path of friendship, those little things stopped being just endearing quirks. They became reasons your heart skips a beat. The realization hits you like a quiet avalanche: you've fallen in love with your best friend. But some thoughts are better kept locked away, aren't they?

Present Day

The breeze carries laughter across the campus field, where you're all sprawled across the weathered wooden bench that's become your group's unofficial territory. The late afternoon sun casts long shadows as your friends take turns dramatically lamenting about brutal midterms and assignments. Someone's making exaggerated impressions of your strictest professor, and the whole group dissolves into fits of laughter.

That's when the teasing starts. You notice Heather before they do - her copper hair catching the sunlight as she exits the main building. But your friends spot her too, and suddenly their attention zeros in on Nigel like heat-seeking missiles.

"Dude, your girlfriend's coming," Jake whispers loud enough for everyone to hear, earning scattered snickers.

You feel Nigel shift beside you, his shoulder brushing against yours as he tries to maintain his composure. But you know him too well - notice the slight flush creeping up his neck, it's a side of him you've never seen before, and something in your chest tightens.

"Stop it, seriously..." he mumbles, waving his hands in dismissal. But there's a smile he can't quite hide, a softness in his expression that speaks volumes. His eyes follow Heather's path across the courtyard, and you wonder how long this crush has been blooming right under your nose.