I loved spending time with Lily. When I was with her, I could forget about my parents' fights, I could forget about the kids in the neighbourhood who laughed and made fun of me when I walked by, I could forget about their parents' sympathetic looks. When I was with Lily, I felt like I was important, like maybe I was worth something to someone – like I was more than just the nuisance of a son, the weird neighbour, the sad-looking kid next door. When Lily looked at me, I felt brave, special, cared about. I felt like someone I wasn't.