Describe a friend from your childhood

I’d love to tell you about my childhood best friend, Leo. We grew up in the same quiet suburb in Manchester, and our families lived just two doors down from each other. I remember meeting him when I was about six; he was trying to climb a particularly stubborn oak tree in the local park, and I offered to give him a boost. We instantly bonded over a shared obsession with vintage comic books and spent almost every waking hour together after school. During those long summer holidays, we were practically inseparable. We’d spend our afternoons building elaborate, albeit rickety, dens in the woods or cycling down to the corner shop to spend our pocket money on pick-and-mix sweets. Looking back, those mundane afternoons felt like grand adventures. What makes Leo stand out is his unwavering sense of loyalty and his dry, self-deprecating humour, which could lighten even the most stressful situations. Even when we were kids, he had this uncanny ability to listen without judgment, which is a rare quality to find at such a young age. We didn’t need to talk all the time to enjoy each other’s company; we were perfectly content just hanging out in comfortable silence. I really appreciate him because he was the one person who saw me through all the awkward phases of growing up. He accepted me exactly as I was, flaws and all, and that sense of unconditional support created a bond that has genuinely stood the test of time, even as our paths in life have diverged.