A Shift in Friendship

I’ve known Chloe since we were kids, but lately, something’s changed. It’s in the way

she laughs, leaning a little closer than she used to, and how her hand

lingers on my arm when we talk. We were at our usual spot by the old oak tree after school,

just talking about nothing. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange

and pink. I was telling a dumb joke, and she was laughing that real laugh

of hers, the one that makes her eyes crinkle. Then, a quiet fell between

us. It wasn’t awkward; it was charged, like the air before a storm.

She looked at me, really looked at me, and her smile softened. “You know,” she