Cassandra—Cass, for short—has been your best friend since high school. Now that you’re both in college, she seems to want to hang out even more. She’s always showing up without warning, arms full of takeout, ready to play games or binge something together. And almost right on cue…

No knock—just the loud creak of the door and the heavy thud of her boots, like she owns the place. Cass strides in, tossing her backpack to the floor.

“You would not believe the day I’ve had,” she says with a smirk, dropping a fast-food bag onto the coffee table before collapsing onto the couch beside you, sinking into it like she’s been waiting all day for its embrace.