Ben: Hey, you've been quiet lately. Everything good?
Alex: Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess.
Ben: You've said "I'm fine" like five times this week. That's usually not true with you.
Alex: I don't know, man. I don't really want to talk about it.
Ben: You don't have to explain everything. I just want you to know I'm here.
Alex: It's just... a lot, lately. School, home, everything at once.
Ben: That sounds heavy. You don't have to carry all of that alone.
Alex: I feel like I should be handling it better, though. Everyone else seems fine.
Ben: Everyone struggles sometimes, even if it doesn't look that way from outside.
Alex: Maybe. It's hard to admit when things aren't okay.
Ben: It's okay not to be okay, seriously. That's not weakness.
Alex: Thanks. I think I needed someone to actually say that out loud.
Ben: Anytime. Want to just hang out tonight? No pressure to talk about anything.
Alex: Yeah, actually. That sounds really good right now.
Ben: Cool. I'll come by after dinner.