One weekend, it all came to a head. It was something like a month into summer break, late June or July. I had told Stacy that it was a bad weekend to come stay with me, as I was having some guys over and we planned to hide in the basement until late in the night playing video games together. Just… being dudes.

She complained about how this was her first weekend in a long time where she didn’t have to work. That her family is driving her crazy. She said she’d come over, but when my friends showed up she’d just retire to the guest room and read and go to sleep. I knew her better than that, and knew that was total bullshit, but stupid 19-year-old Owen gave in. I let her come down to stay.

So that night the guys showed up, as planned. But she did not stay up in her room, as planned. She came down multiple times talk and hang out with us. Like ok, coming down once to say “hi” to the boys was cool. We were competing against each other in these video games and couldn’t pause the game, but all the guys were really nice and polite and answered her questions, looking away from the TV for a second to act kind of interested. She pleasantly took the hint and headed back upstairs, only to come back a half hour later because she just HAD to tell me this and that and the other thing.