The TV was on.
"It's been a year since humans began negotiating peace with the cosmic beings. What will happen if the talks fail…" the anchor said, in the same neutral tone as always.
Noah threw himself back against the couch.
"Ugh, I can't take this anymore. It's just news, all the time. I'm so bored. There's literally nothing to do."
He grabbed his phone and called immediately.
"Íris, Íris, Íris, Íris, Íris—"
"Just tell me what's going on, for the love of God," she interrupted, her voice slow and sleepy. "It's nine in the morning. I only function after eleven. Don't call me before that today."
"My dad sent me money," Noah said, excited. "And I thought I'd invite you to… guess."
"Bargain hunting at bazaars?"
"No! Lunch, seriously. I want to check out the new restaurant downtown."
"Huh. Fine. I'm only saying yes because you still owe me from yesterday."
They took the bus downtown, painfully broke. Truly broke.
The restaurant looked old and disorganized, nothing like a place that had supposedly opened recently. Still, they sat down and ordered.
"I'm sad," Noah sighed. "It's Sunday, and tomorrow there's school again. Senior year is ending… someone please save me from this disaster."
He was in his last year of high school.
Íris seemed distracted. She barely reacted.
She stared at someone on the other side of the dining room, as if she recognized them. When she looked back at Noah, her face flushed.
Silence stretched until the food arrived.
The TV in the background kept talking.
"Uncertainty dominates the negotiations. What do the beings of the universe truly want from humanity?"
The food wasn't pretty. Still, they ate.
"Oh my God," Noah's eyes widened. "Who would've thought something this ugly could taste this good?"
Íris went to try it too, but got distracted and burned her mouth.
"Ow!"
Noah reacted instantly, helping her in a way that went beyond simple friendship.
"Seriously, this always happens to you."
"It really does!" Íris complained, clearly irritated at herself. "I hate this."
She kept talking with her mouth still full.
"But it is really good."
"You won't believe this," Noah said, excited again. "I found a shop that sells ancient artifacts."
"They're probably fake," she replied. "Just a scam to take your money. First you buy clothes my grandfather would wear, now artifacts? You're going to be even poorer than you already are."
"But it sounded interesting…" he said. "Can we go after school? Pleeease?"
Íris thought for a moment.
"I'll go. But only if you buy me a snack on the way there and another on the way back."
"Okaaay."
"Wow," she said. "I'm genuinely shocked this wasn't a bazaar."
"Life isn't just strange bazaars full of grandma clothes," Noah laughed. "Believe it or not."
"I truly don't understand why you like them so much," she said, shaking her head. "Seriously."
Time passed without them noticing. The restaurant slowly emptied, and by the time they realized it, it was already too late to stay.
They rushed outside.
On the way to the bus stop, silence settled between them — not uncomfortable, but heavy.
"What if everything goes wrong?" Noah asked suddenly.
"What?" Íris replied. "I didn't catch that."
She seemed distant.
Noah hesitated, then asked:
"What do you think about the future?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Íris didn't answer right away. And Noah didn't push.
It wasn't the kind of question you answer while walking down the street.
When they reached the bus stop, they said goodbye too quickly.
Each of them went home carrying the same strange feeling — as if something had been said too late, or too early.
The day ended like that.