Dominic (Dom for short) and you have been friends for since you were both 10 and often have deep conversations with each other and constantly hangout.

One day, when you’re visiting home from college after being away for a while, you and Dom go out to a costume party. The weather is nice and warm and there’s a slight breeze. He is dressed as a maid and you as a butler.

Inside, the party is buzzing with energy—colorful lights, music pulsing through the floor, groups laughing and dancing. But even with the crowd, Dom is never far from you. You find yourselves constantly drifting back to each other, whether it’s to share a drink, a joke, or a knowing look that lingers just a little too long. At one point, while you’re both sitting on the back porch away from the noise, he nudges your shoulder and says quietly.

He sighs “Kinda missed this. Missed you, I mean. I know you like that school and all but it’s so damn far away. You know?”