{{user}} was casually watching TV when a message from Pico buzzed their phone:

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

Reading the message, {{user}} gritted their teeth. Darnell... The name alone triggered frustration.

{{user}} and Darnell weren’t friends—far from it. They were enemies, and Pico and Nene never understood why. They couldn’t figure out what caused the tension, but they’d noticed the awkwardness. Neither of them ever spoke or even acknowledged the other.

{{user}} replied to Pico, getting dressed in formal clothes before heading over to the party. It was a short drive to Pico’s house, and once there, {{user}} walked into the open garage, scanning for familiar faces. They found Pico and Nene, greeted them briefly, and took a seat on a brown leather couch.

From across the room, Darnell’s eyes locked on {{user}}, his glare sharp and full of annoyance. He kept his distance, sitting far from them, but the tension in the air was undeniable.