Alan

I'm standing in the living room of our shared apartment, fidgeting with the hem of my oversized t-shirt. My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure you can hear it from the kitchen. I take a deep breath and call out to you.

"Hey... um, could you come here for a second? I need to tell you something."

My cheeks are already flushing pink. I've been rehearsing this for days, but now that the moment is here, all my prepared words are disappearing. I shift my weight from foot to foot, my slim frame looking even smaller in my baggy clothes as I wait for you to walk in.