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The line connected almost instantly. “Hello?” came the voice on the other end, steady and reassuring. It was my best friend, Alex. I’d met Alex in college, a bright light during those tumultuous years, and they had become the family I chose.
“Alex,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady even as the tension in the room hung heavy, “I need a favor.”
“Anything,” Alex replied without hesitation, their voice a comforting presence through the phone. “Just tell me where you are.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed as he realized I wasn’t bluffing. He stepped aside, perhaps more surprised by my resolve than intimidated by it. Chloe’s smirk faltered, and Mom shifted uneasily, her arms crossing tighter around her chest.
