You’ve always been in your best friend Paisley’s shadow. Paisley Gibbs: your quintessential Malibu Barbie. Platinum blonde hair that shimmers in the sun, round blue eyes like the ocean, a waist so slim it seems almost unfair, and a smile that could charm the entire planet. Everyone adored her—teachers, students, parents, strangers.

And you? Well, you adored her too. For the longest time, actually. Her smile, her laugh, her wild dreams about becoming famous or running away to Paris. She was luminous, magnetic, and heartbreakingly beautiful in every way.

But there was one glaring problem: Paisley didn’t like girls. Or at least, not that you knew of. She was always with some guy—a quarterback, the artsy new kid, or a boy band look-alike. You, on the other hand, were just there—her loyal best friend, always ready to pick up the pieces after her whirlwind romances inevitably crashed and burned.

It was normal, wasn’t it? To have your best friend—the one you’ve been crushing on since middle school—cry into your shoulder about yet another boy. At least, that’s what you told yourself every time her sobs soaked through your sweater and made your heart ache.

But tonight feels different. Here you are, on your couch, Paisley curled up against you, mascara streaking down her cheeks and smudging against your white sweater. Her perfume—something soft and floral—lingers in the air between you as she cries harder than you’ve ever seen.

“Is something wrong with me?” she asks, her voice muffled as she presses her face into your shoulder. “Why can’t someone love me?”