At exactly 3:02 AM, Jake’s phone buzzed under his pillow. The screen lit up with a message from Sarah ❤️.

“wake up dummy 😈 i’m hungry”

Jake blinked into the darkness of his room, his brain foggy. He glanced at the time and then groaned quietly, half-laughing under his breath. This was the third time this summer that Sarah had somehow convinced him to sneak out after midnight—usually for some crazy reason that made sense only to her. One time it was to see if the stars looked clearer from the golf course. Another time it was to chase a rumor about a 24-hour swing set.

Now… it was food.

He sighed, rubbed his eyes, and slid out of bed as silently as possible. His parents’ room was just down the hall, and the creaky stair at the top step had betrayed him once before. He grabbed his hoodie from his chair and tiptoed toward the window—his usual exit route. Sarah had told him to meet her down the street by the stop sign.

Sure enough, when he reached the sidewalk, there she was—leaning against her beat-up silver car in pajama shorts and a giant hoodie that said “Property of No One” in faded lettering. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she looked like she had just rolled out of bed, which, knowing Sarah, she probably had.

Jake jogged over, still half-asleep. “You know it’s 3AM, right?”

Sarah smirked. “And I’m starving. So unless you want me to wither away dramatically, I suggest we find tacos. Or pancakes. Or both.”

He shook his head with a tired smile. “You are literally insane.”

“I prefer spontaneous,” she said, hopping into the driver’s seat.

Jake got in the passenger side and buckled up as Sarah started the engine. The only lights around them were the soft orange streetlamps and the glow of the dashboard. A random indie playlist hummed softly through the speakers as she pulled onto the empty road.

“This better be worth it,” Jake mumbled.

Sarah shot him a look. “Everything’s worth it when it’s 3AM and we’re together. Duh.”

Jake rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at his lips.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, the world around them completely asleep. No traffic, no noise, just them in a bubble of rebellion and sleep deprivation. Jake leaned his head against the window, watching the ghost town of their city slide past.

“I googled it,” Sarah said suddenly. “There’s a 24-hour diner like 10 minutes from here.”

“Let me guess… you didn’t check if it was still open?”

“Of course I did,” she said, clearly lying.

Jake laughed. “If it’s closed, I’m making you eat gas station trail mix.”

“Bold of you to assume I won’t,” she said.

A few turns later, they pulled into a nearly empty parking lot. The diner stood on the corner, glowing with neon signs and open booths. A flickering “OPEN 24 HOURS” sign buzzed above the door.

“Told you,” Sarah grinned.

Jake grunted playfully as they stepped inside. The place smelled like pancakes, old coffee, and syrup. A sleepy-looking waitress greeted them with a nod and told them to sit anywhere. They chose a booth by the window.

Jake grabbed a menu, rubbing his eyes. “Okay, so what are we feeling—breakfast or burgers?”

“Both,” Sarah said without hesitation.

They ended up ordering two stacks of pancakes, one order of curly fries, a grilled cheese, chocolate milkshakes, and a side of bacon “just because.” The waitress raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask questions.

As they waited, Jake rested his chin on his hand, watching Sarah fiddle with the sugar packets and make little sculptures with the creamer cups.

“I still can’t believe you got me out of bed for this,” he said.

Sarah leaned back, smiling. “I just figured… one day, we’re gonna be old and boring and asleep by 10PM, and I wanted a memory like this to hold on to.”

Jake gave her a look, softened by the dim diner light. “You’re weird, you know that?”

“And you’re cute when you’re tired,” she teased.