If your “best friends” are the reason your stomach drops every time your phone buzzes, this episode is for you.221 unread messages, one toxic group chat, and the moment Maria finally chooses herself over being “included.”   In this episode, we follow Maria, an 18-year-old senior in San Antonio, through one of the hardest moves you can make in high school: leaving the friend group that’s been slowly tearing you down. What starts as late-night FaceTimes and “main character energy” turns into backhanded comments, secret plans, and group chat jokes that land like punches. Over Black Friday, Maria hits her breaking point, calls out the dynamic, and gets labeled “dramatic” and “the problem” for finally speaking up. With help from her older brother and a beat-up journal, she makes the terrifying choice to leave the chat, set real boundaries, and rebuild her circle with people who actually see her. This episode is a guide for anyone stuck in a toxic friend group, learning that no is a full sentence, and that temporary loneliness is better than permanently feeling like you’re not enough.