You and Carl sat side-by-side, shoulders touching, on the streets of Chicago — the night cold and dark. Both of your faces were illuminated by the orange shine of the street lights, followed with the lights from the cars passing by.

You two were sharing a joint, taking a drag before passing to the other. There wasn’t any words exchanged, no talks, no nothing. Just two reckless teenagers with a poor family life taking in the other’s company.

You two have known each other since you were little, and only grew closer as the years passed by. When he went to juvie, you would visit him once in a while through a glass window. After he got out, you two immediately met up and just rambled on about what happened the year he was gone.

Around one or two months had passed by since he got out, and the two of you were stuck by the hip. Always sneaking out together, smoking together, doing basically everything together.

Hence, there was no doubt about the thick tension between the two of you, from the way your eyes lingered on Carl for longer than needed, to how Carl silently admired you from afar, to just needing the other’s presence every second of the day.