Jake and I had been best friends since before we could walk. Our moms liked to tell the story of how we met—two toddlers in diapers, fighting over a toy truck at daycare. They thought it was funny how we were always competing, even back then.

We grew up side by side, our houses just a few doors apart. If one of us wasn't home, our parents knew exactly where to find us. We did everything together. But the thing that really defined us? The bets.

"Bet you can't make it to the end of the block before I do," Jake would say.

"Bet you I can," I'd shoot back, already running.

We bet on everything. Who could hold their breath the longest? Who could eat more slices of pizza? Who would get the best grade on a test? Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost, but the bets never really mattered. What mattered was proving something to each other, pushing each other to be better, to be faster, to be braver.

No one understood our friendship the way we did. It wasn't just about competition—it was about trust. If Jake dared me to do something crazy, I knew he'd do it too. If I jumped, he jumped. That was just how it worked.

Then, one night, things got deep.

We were 16, lying on the roof of my house, staring at the stars. It was one of those nights where you felt like you could talk about anything.

"Paul," Jake said, his voice softer than usual, "we should make the ultimate bet."

I turned my head to look at him. "Yeah? What kind of bet?"

"Who lives longer."

I let out a short laugh. "That's a dumb bet. How would we even know who won?"

Jake smirked. "Easy. Whoever goes first owes the other a beer."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Fine. But you better not lose."

Jake grinned. "I never lose."

We thought our friendship would last forever. But then, everything changed.

Falling for Laura wasn't something I planned. It just happened.

She wasn't like the other girls at school—she was smart, funny, and kind. She made me feel different, like I actually mattered. We'd been friends for a while, but somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted more.

The problem was Jake. I wasn't sure how he'd take it. We never let anything come between us before, but this felt… different.

I kept it to myself for weeks, trying to ignore the way my heart sped up whenever Laura laughed or the way I found excuses to be near her. But one day, Jake caught me staring at her in the hallway.

"You like her, don't you?" he said, smirking.

I hesitated. "Yeah. I do."

His grin widened. "Then let's make it interesting. First one to take her out wins."

I blinked. "What?"

"A bet," he said. "You and me. Whoever asks her out first, gets her."

For the first time in my life, I didn't feel the rush of competition. I didn't want to win. I just wanted her.

"She's not a game, Jake," I said, my voice low. "She's a person."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Paul. We've bet on everything. What's the difference?"

"The difference is that this actually matters."

He laughed. "You're acting like you're in love with her or something."

I clenched my fists. "Maybe I am."

His smile disappeared. "Oh."

I shook my head and turned to leave. "I'm done with this, Jake."

I didn't see Laura standing by the lockers. I didn't know she had heard the whole thing.