The neon sign outside the diner flickered in the annoying way it always did, casting a sickly glow across the parking lot. Kevin pushed through the door, the familiar scent of greasy fries and cheap coffee mingling with the thick layer of exhaustion clinging to his skin. The night had already drained him: an eight hour shift at the candy store, dealing with over caffeinated kids and sticky register buttons, followed by a round of irritating texts he couldn't seem to shake off.

He slipped into the booth at the back of the diner, nodding at his friends as they shot him a mix of greetings and sarcastic waves. Radford was slouched in his seat, looking like he'd just woken up from a nap while Strebber was on his phone (as usual). Ethan barely raised his head from his half eaten burger, offering only a muffled "Yo." Kevin dropped into the seat, stretching his arms behind his head.

"I am so done with today." He muttered, rubbing at his eyes.

"Not surprised," Radford said, his voice low. "You look like a corpse that didn't get the memo it was supposed to stay dead."

"Thanks for the love, Rad." Kevin replied dryly, already reaching for the menu. Before he could get a word in edgewise, his phone buzzed loudly on the table, vibrating against the laminated surface. He groaned inwardly. It was her—again.

The flood of text messages from his ex had already started, filling up his screen with reminders of all the things he didn't want to deal with. He shoved the phone to the side, hoping the guys wouldn't notice.

Strebber, of course, wasn't having it. With a knowing look, he reached over and grabbed Kevin's phone before Kevin could react.

"Who's blowing you up now?"

"Dude, give it back!" Kevin snapped, but Strebber was already swiping through the messages, an eyebrow raised in mild amusement.

"Is this her again?" Strebber said flatly, showing the screen to the group. "I'm guessing you didn't answer. 'Cause, you know...boundaries and all that." Kevin's eyes narrowed, his fingers twitching in annoyance.

"I didn't answer because...it's none of your business, Streb!" Kevin exclaimed, flustered with the sudden criticism. Radford leaned forward, brows furrowed in concern.

"You've gotta do something about this, Kev. It's been months and—"

"I'm fine," Kevin cut in, his voice tense. "I can handle it."

"Can you though?" Ethan mumbled, not looking up from his burger. "You sure as hell don't look fine." The tension in the air shifted as Strebber's voice grew sharper.

"Dude, you can't keep letting her walk all over you. Just block her. Set a boundary and stick with it." His eyes flashed with that blunt honesty Kevin had come to both respect and dread. "It's not like you're going to get anything from her but more headaches."

Kevin's grip tightened around the edge of the table, but Radford's voice cut through the rising irritation.

"He's right, Kev. You deserve better than this. I just...I'm worried, man."

Kevin glanced at each of them, feeling the weight of their concern pressing down on him. It didn't help that his phone buzzed again, vibrating aggressively against the tabletop as if the screen itself was mocking him.

He grabbed it before anyone else could. This time, he didn't bother checking the messages. Instead, he swiped the screen off and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

"I'll figure it out," he muttered, slouching down in his seat. "But I'm not doing this here. Let's just eat, alright?"

Radford hesitated but nodded. Strebber rolled his eyes, clearly unconvinced, but didn't push it further. Ethan just shrugged, reaching for his fries.

For a moment, it was quiet, except for the clinking of silverware and the low hum of the diner's jukebox. But Kevin could feel the weight of his friends' silent judgement hanging in the air like an unspoken question.