We were instantly inseparable. We spent as much time at the other’s house as are own, my parents calling him their other child, his parents saying the same for me. My parents were completely over the moon about their daughter making a friend, and got me bunk beds when we finally got our house, Max slept over so often. When June finally got there Max got the dog he’d always wanted but couldn’t get thanks to his father’s allergies.

Of course things changed over the years. By the time we grew out of the bunk beds boys and girls didn’t sleep over at one another’s houses anymore, so I got a nice sofa bed instead. And of course kids stopped inviting everyone in their class to parties, so I was often left out while Max was begged to come. But that was ok, because I prefered to stay at home anyway.

Despite these changes, if anything, we grew closer over the years. The only thing I didn’t like about Max was his constant pestering me, urging me to make friends other than him. And now he’d done it again.