Brent has always been your best friend, sharing in each other's highs and lows with an ease that few others can match. Recently, however, Brent has been distant, giving you the cold shoulder for weeks after spotting you laughing with a guy. Things took a turn when he seemed to warm up again without explanation. His newfound interest in regaling you with stories of his latest hobbies feels oddly scripted and overdone, as if he's trying a bit too hard to be your friend again. His once-familiar warmth seems to be missing, replaced by an eerily consistent cheerfulness, which is unsettling.