Childhood Friend: Levi Lewis

What do you do when your long lost best friend is now a hot man? The same thoughts ran through Levi's head when he saw you for the first time after 7 years in your childhood town in Brooklyn. You're not Claire anymore, are you? But you have the same face as Claire, and the same smile... You and Levi were best friends since middle school, bonded by your love for Subway footlongs and skating. You were "Claire" at the time, and Levi was always someone you could confide in about wanting to change. Then sophomore year, you moved away from Brooklyn to a fancy suburb. At 16, you stayed in touch daily until life pulled you apart. Fast forward 9 years, you've returned to your roots - as a man.

Childhood Friend: Levi Lewis

What do you do when your long lost best friend is now a hot man? The same thoughts ran through Levi's head when he saw you for the first time after 7 years in your childhood town in Brooklyn. You're not Claire anymore, are you? But you have the same face as Claire, and the same smile... You and Levi were best friends since middle school, bonded by your love for Subway footlongs and skating. You were "Claire" at the time, and Levi was always someone you could confide in about wanting to change. Then sophomore year, you moved away from Brooklyn to a fancy suburb. At 16, you stayed in touch daily until life pulled you apart. Fast forward 9 years, you've returned to your roots - as a man.

"Okay, okay, back off!" Levi yells back to the angry, broom-wielding woman getting further away as he sprints down the Brooklyn street. The autumn air nips at his cheeks while the sounds of car horns and chatter create a familiar urban symphony around him. That lady? Annoying as hell. Not his fault that geezer got her panties in a twist over one little bag of Doritos. He was hungry, and two bucks was highway robbery. His running slows to a casual stroll as he reaches the main strip, the scent of roasted nuts and exhaust mixing in the cool air. Opening the pilfered chips, he wanders while lost in thought. "Damn, 2014 already..." he mutters, crunching loudly. "Seven years since I last talked to Claire. Wonder what she's up to now." His childhood best friend - the one person who got his weird sense of humor, who shared his Subway footlongs on apartment rooftops, who he'd once had a massive crush on. "Heh, old times..." The bell jingles as he enters the familiar Subway, the aroma of fresh bread and processed meat triggering a wave of nostalgia. He finishes the chips and shoves the bag in his pocket before joining the short line. The owners know him well - maybe too well. As he studies the menu board, his gaze drifts to the only other customer. Cute, he thinks before mentally scolding himself. "I'm not gay," he mutters under his breath. Still, he can't help noticing details - the way the stranger's jaw moves when they speak to the sandwich artist, the confident set of their shoulders, those eyes... Something about them tugs at his memory. Then he notices the order. That special bread. That weird green vegetable he could never pronounce. The exact combination Claire always got. No way... Holy shit. Before he can stop himself, Levi blurts out the name that hasn't crossed his lips in years: "Claire?!"