Late evening had already crept through the house. A faint strip of neon light from the lamp was the only thing keeping the room from sinking completely into darkness.
Kyle, as usual after finishing his homework, was playing Apex Legends with his online friends. Voices — sometimes annoyed, sometimes sharp — came through his headset, cutting through the quiet.
He barely spoke. Mostly typed. It was easier that way.
The round was almost over when he heard it — a soft knock, barely noticeable beneath the game. Then the door creaked open.
Kyle didn't turn around.
Megan stepped inside, kicked off her shoes, and dropped onto his bed with a quiet, tired exhale. She didn't interrupt him. Just waited.
She knew better than to rush him mid-game.
Only when the match ended and Kyle pulled his headset off did she speak.
"Hey."
"Hey," Kyle replied, glancing at her. "How was work?"
"Exhausting," she said — and still smiled.
"Yeah. I can see that."
Kyle turned his chair to face her, mirroring the smile without thinking about it.
Megan watched him for a second longer.
"So," she said lightly, tilting her head, "big day tomorrow."
Kyle's expression didn't change much.
"Is it?"
"Wow. Rude," she huffed, though she was still smiling. "Your birthday?"
Kyle shrugged, like it barely counted. "Oh. Right."
Megan studied him, then let it go.
"Anyway…" she added, shifting slightly on the bed. "Hey, I wanted to ask you something."
There was something in her tone — not quite casual, not quite serious.
"Do you mind if my friend joins us tomorrow?"
"Um… I'm not sure," Kyle said, his gaze drifting past her for a moment. "Do I know this person?"
They usually celebrated together — just the two of them.
"We-e-ell… actually, you don't," she said. "We only started getting close recently."
She rushed through the explanation, as if speed might make it easier for him to agree.
"But please… you have to say yes. You'll like him. I promise."
Kyle didn't answer right away. He turned back to the screen, finishing the last seconds of the match. Then he pushed his chair back and finally looked at her.
A minute passed. Then another.
"Okay," he said. "You win."
He had never been good at refusing Megan.
"Hooray!" she said. "Then we'll be here tomorrow at six. And—"
She glanced around.
"—clean your room. It's a mess."
"Yeah, okay, Mom."
The conversation ended. Kyle turned back to his computer. Megan didn't stay.
She had always tried to find friends for him — real ones.
Outside the virtual world, things rarely worked out.
Kyle suspected his father had something to do with it. If someone wasn't welcome, the house made sure of it.
But some of it was on him.
Kyle didn't talk much — not because he had nothing to say, but because sometimes he didn't want to. And other times, he wasn't sure how it would sound once it left his mouth.
Most people didn't wait long enough to find out.
After another round, Kyle leaned back, resting his chin in his palm.
Megan rarely brought people into his space. When she did, it meant something.
Still, it had never ended well.
Darren, she had said.
Kyle turned the name over in his head, trying to attach it to something — a face, a voice, anything.
Nothing came.
"Never heard of him," he murmured.
But the thought stayed.
And for some reason, it made it harder to focus on the screen.