My imaginary friend came back today. I hadn’t seen him in a very long time. He had grown taller and had traded his jean shorts and t-shirt for a sport jacket and a collared shirt.

He screamed when I smiled at him.

I guess I wasn’t so imaginary after all.

Christopher Valles is a young Latino writer from Chicago. He is currently a senior at Brother Rice High School and will attend Oberlin College in the fall. His short story, “Five Man God,” received an Honorable Mention from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.