Nick

Hi there. This is happening, huh?

It's truly happening.

It's truly happening.

It's truly happening.

Okay, so this starts almost 21 years ago. So 2004, I graduated high school two years early. My family and I, we lived in Washington, D.C. at the time. I was 17 and I don't want to commit to a college just yet. So I was looking for something interesting to do. And the University of Washington in Seattle had a program that worked with people experiencing homelessness.

Okay, so this starts almost 21 years ago. So 2004, I graduated high school two years early. My family and I, we lived in Washington, D.C. at the time. I was 17 and I don't want to commit to a college just yet. So I was looking for something interesting to do. And the University of Washington in Seattle had a program that worked with people experiencing homelessness.

Okay, so this starts almost 21 years ago. So 2004, I graduated high school two years early. My family and I, we lived in Washington, D.C. at the time. I was 17 and I don't want to commit to a college just yet. So I was looking for something interesting to do. And the University of Washington in Seattle had a program that worked with people experiencing homelessness.

It was like a work study where you lived in the university district, you shared a house with other people in the program, and you would get college credit at the end of it. It was a one-year program. This sounds great. I wanted to get it as far away from my family as possible. So I get out there. I'm obviously the youngest because I'm 17.

It was like a work study where you lived in the university district, you shared a house with other people in the program, and you would get college credit at the end of it. It was a one-year program. This sounds great. I wanted to get it as far away from my family as possible. So I get out there. I'm obviously the youngest because I'm 17.

It was like a work study where you lived in the university district, you shared a house with other people in the program, and you would get college credit at the end of it. It was a one-year program. This sounds great. I wanted to get it as far away from my family as possible. So I get out there. I'm obviously the youngest because I'm 17.

Everybody's sort of like 19 to 21, except this woman that's part of the program. She was 26. Her name was Amy. Obviously, it's a fake name, but Amy sort of takes a liking to me. I'm like, oh, this is great. She wanted to hang out with me. She can buy beer. Exactly. Yeah. Everything was working in my favor. But as time went on, I could say now I could see what the pattern was.

Everybody's sort of like 19 to 21, except this woman that's part of the program. She was 26. Her name was Amy. Obviously, it's a fake name, but Amy sort of takes a liking to me. I'm like, oh, this is great. She wanted to hang out with me. She can buy beer. Exactly. Yeah. Everything was working in my favor. But as time went on, I could say now I could see what the pattern was.

Everybody's sort of like 19 to 21, except this woman that's part of the program. She was 26. Her name was Amy. Obviously, it's a fake name, but Amy sort of takes a liking to me. I'm like, oh, this is great. She wanted to hang out with me. She can buy beer. Exactly. Yeah. Everything was working in my favor. But as time went on, I could say now I could see what the pattern was.

But she started isolating me from the other people. She would get mad if I hung out with another housemate. If I was going to grab something out to eat, she'd want to meet me there. She'd call me if I wasn't back at a certain time. I just was like, oh, maybe that's just part of having a friend that's a little bit older.

But she started isolating me from the other people. She would get mad if I hung out with another housemate. If I was going to grab something out to eat, she'd want to meet me there. She'd call me if I wasn't back at a certain time. I just was like, oh, maybe that's just part of having a friend that's a little bit older.

But she started isolating me from the other people. She would get mad if I hung out with another housemate. If I was going to grab something out to eat, she'd want to meet me there. She'd call me if I wasn't back at a certain time. I just was like, oh, maybe that's just part of having a friend that's a little bit older.

Other housemates start to notice and start reaching out. Hey, are you cool with her? I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Fast forward at the end of the year, before I leave, Amy sits me down and she says, hey, I really, really like you. I just turned 18 and I think that we're made to be together. And I was like, oh, geez. Was she attractive?

Other housemates start to notice and start reaching out. Hey, are you cool with her? I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Fast forward at the end of the year, before I leave, Amy sits me down and she says, hey, I really, really like you. I just turned 18 and I think that we're made to be together. And I was like, oh, geez. Was she attractive?

Other housemates start to notice and start reaching out. Hey, are you cool with her? I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Fast forward at the end of the year, before I leave, Amy sits me down and she says, hey, I really, really like you. I just turned 18 and I think that we're made to be together. And I was like, oh, geez. Was she attractive?

Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary, except she was a little bit older. I told her, hey, I'm moving back to Washington, D.C. I don't think it's going to work out. And so she made me promise and promise and promise that we'd be best friends.