Left the group chat on mute for one hour. Came back to 312 messages and a new nickname.

That one friend who replies to a message from three days ago like it's breaking news.

The group chat is quiet. Suspiciously quiet. Someone's planning something.

Me: 'what time works?' Group chat: forty reactions, zero answers.

Sending a voice memo is the new 'we need to talk'.

Muted the group chat. Peace lasted one notification.

Voice note: four minutes long. Could've been 'yes'.