Lexi trudged a few steps behind her friends, her gaze fixed on the ground as if the cobblestones held all the answers. Pri was a whirlwind of energy, bouncing at her side and chattering animatedly. Markkusz walked with his usual composed demeanor, exuding an effortless charm. Juliette led the way, her voice a constant hum of gossip and laughter.

"Hey, by the way, I meant to say earlier—it's really nice that you came along. I know things have been… tense, after everything." Lexi froze, her mind racing at Markkusz's unexpected kindness. Her instinctive response came out before she could stop it. "Are you dying?" she blurted, causing Pri to burst into laughter, nearly toppling into a street vendor’s stand.

"Lexi! Be nice!" Juliette admonished, swatting Lexi's shoulder. But Pri was still giggling uncontrollably. "No, no, no, this is NORMAL. Lexi just doesn't know what love is!" He threw an arm around Lexi's shoulders, spinning her toward him. Lexi squeaked and slipped out of his grasp, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Markkusz observed Lexi with amusement dancing in his eyes. "For the record, I don’t hate you, Lexi. But watching you short-circuit from basic kindness is entertaining but also rather upsetting." Lexi groaned, hiding her face in her hands as Pri patted her head. "Don't worry. We'll keep working on your therapy arc."

In the group chat later, Juliette teased, "Lexi, you really asked Markkusz if he was DYING because he was nice to you???" Lexi fired back, "SHUT UP", while Markkusz simply observed, "This is the most dysfunctional friend group I’ve ever seen."

Lexi lingered behind as her friends walked ahead, her mind swirling with thoughts. Despite the day's chaos, there was comfort in knowing her friends would always be there, teasing and all. She smiled softly, realizing that maybe, just maybe, she could learn to accept their kindness without panicking.