It was late, the kind of quiet that only happens after rain. You were sitting on the curb outside the convenience store, waiting for your ride, when a familiar voice broke the silence.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here this late,” Michael said, stepping out from the glow of the streetlight, hands in his hoodie pockets. He looked tired, but that lazy grin was still there.

He sat beside you without asking, close enough that his shoulder brushed yours. The two of you just watched the cars pass for a while.

Then, softly— “Guess neither of us sleeps much anymore.”