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Darren released a lengthy sigh, clearly conflicted. "Should we let her know our location?" he begrudgingly asked, his reluctance evident in his tone.

Liam\'s eyes rolled dramatically, exasperation in his voice. "And have her storm in here, guns blazing? I\'d rather not witness that catastrophe, thank you very much."

Darren nodded in begrudging agreement. "Fine, I get your point. So, what\'s the plan then? What do we tell her?"

Liam\'s fingers tapped impatiently on the table\'s surface, his mind racing. He weighed his options, the rhythmic tapping serving as his contemplative soundtrack. Finally, an idea dawned on him, and a mischievous smirk curled at his lips.

"You know what? Scratch that first idea. I\'ve got a better one," Liam declared with newfound enthusiasm.

Darren raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh really? Do share."

Liam\'s gaze drifted to Allen\'s table, observing as their plates were emptied, an amused glint in his eyes. "Well, think about it. By the time Sophia arrives, Allen will have already left. So, we can tell her exactly where we are. It\'s a perfect excuse to hang out with her."

A slow grin spread across Darren\'s face as he caught onto Liam\'s line of thought. "Ah, I see where you\'re going with this. Pretending to be caught off guard, huh?"

Liam nodded, his smirk growing wider. "Exactly. It\'s a win-win. We get to spend time with Sophia, and we avoid a potential scene with Allen. What do you say?"

Darren chuckled appreciatively. "You\'re a devious one, dude. But I like it. Let\'s go with that."

With a newfound sense of camaraderie and a shared plan in motion, Liam swiftly typed a response to Sophia\'s message.

Darren: We\'re grabbing a bite at Aby\'s Diner on Elderwood Lane.

Just as they anticipated, Sophia\'s response came in lightning-quick.

Sophia: I\'m on the way. Can you hold him for me?

Darren and Liam exchanged a knowing look, smirks dancing across their faces. They didn\'t reply immediately. Instead, they hoped that Sophia\'s urgency would propel her into action, making her race to their location before they gave her an answer.

Several tense minutes passed, and just as Allen and his companions were on the cusp of leaving the place, Darren finally sent a response.

Darren: We\'ll do our best. But let\'s be real, he\'s as stubborn as they come.

Liam chimed in, his fingers dancing across his phone\'s screen.

Liam: Yeah, and honestly, we\'re not exactly his favorite people.

They exchanged a satisfied glance, their smiles widening. It seemed their ploy was having the desired effect. However, a sudden text from Elio caught them off guard.

Elio: Do you need a companion, Sophia?

They both knew Sophia wasn\'t reading his messages, let alone responding. But still, the sight of Elio\'s offer made them chuckle inwardly. It was clear he was worried about her.

Darren: Don\'t worry, we\'ve got it under control. It\'s two against one, after all. Allen won\'t stand a chance.

Of course, both Liam and Darren understood that Elio\'s concern wasn\'t solely about physical confrontation. But providing a plausible reason, even if slightly misdirected, was all part of their game.

A few minutes later, Allen, Bella, and Alice sauntered out of the diner, the encounter seemingly devoid of any hitches. Their conversation flowed naturally as they strolled along, sharing laughter and anecdotes. However, that wasn\'t to say they were completely clueless about the behind-the-scenes machinations.

As they ambled towards the parking lot, Alice couldn\'t help but voice her observations. "It\'s kind of surprising that Liam and Darren didn\'t come over to stir things up."

Allen nodded in agreement, his brow furrowing slightly. He too had expected a confrontational encounter, given the cynical glances they\'d received. "Yeah, I thought they\'d be more... proactive," he admitted, genuine surprise etched on his features.

Bella chimed in, her expression a mixture of skepticism and amusement. "Oh, come on, Allen. \'Peaceful\' is not exactly the word I\'d use to describe their demeanor," she countered, a touch of sarcasm in her tone.

A playful smile tugged at the corner of Allen\'s lips. "Okay, maybe not peaceful in the conventional sense, but at least they didn\'t start a fight right there," he clarified.

Bella\'s brow furrowed, her playful demeanor momentarily shifting to a more contemplative one. "True, but if they were any more \'peaceful,\' they\'d be comatose," she quipped.

Alice couldn\'t help but interject, her tone laced with amusement. "And by \'peaceful,\' Bella means they were clearly dissecting us with their gazes."

Bella grinned, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Exactly! They were obviously having a field day with you." She referred to Allen.

"Us," Alice corrected with a chuckle.

"Right, us. Same thing," Bella replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, a twinkle in her eye.

"Well, believe me, that\'s probably a better scenario. They\'re kind of like how I used to be," Allen remarked, a chuckle escaping him.

Alice arched an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. "Your circle of friends must\'ve been quite the group."

Allen shrugged, a nostalgic smile gracing his face. "Yeah, we were something. Back then, if we didn\'t like someone, we\'d just throw a punch without thinking twice."

Alice\'s gaze held a mix of intrigue and amusement. "Your past sounds like a wild ride."

Allen nodded, his tone nonchalant. "Well, that\'s all in the past. Just normal teenage rebellion."

Bella chimed in, her tone playful. "Ah, the classic \'it\'s just a phase\' defense."

Allen chuckled, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Exactly. It\'s all juvenile delinquency that fades away eventually."

Alice raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eye. "Not all teenagers go around punching people in the face, ya know?"

Bella nodded with mock seriousness, her lips curling into a grin. "Yeah, I think some teenagers manage to avoid that."

Allen feigned a thoughtful expression. "Well, in my defense, I was pretty lost at that time. Fighting seemed like the only way to protect myself. It became a coping mechanism."

Alice\'s expression softened, her teasing tone giving way to understanding. "Hey, no blame here. We all find ways to survive, even if they\'re not the best."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we all have our stories. And it\'s not like anyone\'s holding onto that past against you."

Allen\'s smile grew warmer, a mixture of gratitude and camaraderie in his gaze. "Thanks, guys. It\'s good to be around people who understand."