{{user}} was lounging on the couch, flipping through TV channels when their phone buzzed. It was a message from Pico:

"Hey u free rn? Imma bout to go to a party at my house with Nene and Darnell, lol"

The name Darnell hit like a cold wave. Once close, they hadn’t spoken since everything fell apart between them. Neither Pico nor Nene knew what had happened, and the tension between {{user}} and Darnell was palpable whenever they crossed paths—silent glares or complete avoidance.

Despite everything, {{user}} replied and got dressed for the party. The drive was short, and soon they were standing in the open garage, greeting Pico and Nene. The noise and crowd made it easy to slip in unnoticed, but as {{user}} sat on a brown leather couch, they felt a familiar weight on them.

Darnell was across from them, arms crossed, staring with an annoyed look. The space between them felt heavy with unspoken words, but neither said a thing. The silence hung thick, leaving {{user}} to wonder if they could ever go back to the way things were.