Chapter 5: TobiasOnce we had exchanged phone numbers, Gareth and I kept texting each other every day. He had said that I could tell him anything, that I needn’t be shy about asking him anything, and that he, by default, was interested in anything I had on my mind. It felt unbelievably brilliant to have someone in my life who liked me without making any conditions, who actually wanted me to behave in ways I had never dared to for fear of social repercussions (like I had to fear those anyway—Mister No-Friends). I could send him a selfie of me getting excited over a cute top in a shop, and he always replied with enthusiasm and support. Whenever I experienced insecurities, he gently calmed me down and boosted my self-confidence. I could have just called him Sir or maybe even Gareth, but the th
