Time and time again, I’ve felt like an alien—like someone who doesn’t belong in this world. But it’s Juliet who makes me feel like I do. I’ve known her since the seventh grade, when I first moved here. From the moment I met her, I felt like I could be myself around her—something I rarely feel, even with my parents.

What started as a simple conversation turned into a quiet, unspoken obsession. I’v...