How to reply when she says she's got a lot going on with her friends

Busy with friends is a real thing. It's not a rejection code. But you need to read the rest of the signal. Is she still texting you a bit, just slower? Is she saying 'I've got a lot going on' or 'I don't think this is going to work'? The first one leaves room. The second one doesn't.

When she brings up her friends specifically, she's giving you context, not a brush-off. She wants you to understand her life is full right now, not that you're unwelcome in it. The question is whether she plans to have space for you later.

Your reply should be two or three sentences max. Acknowledge what she said, make it easy for her to relax, and don't ask her for anything. No 'when do you think you'll have time,' no 'we should hang soon,' no questions about her plans. Those all create pressure.

The best replies show you're comfortable with her being busy. They land light. They don't need a response. If you text back something that requires her to manage your feelings or coordinate something, you've made it harder for her to reach out later when she does have time.

After she says she's busy, don't send another text until she does. This is not playing hard to get. This is respecting what she told you. If she reaches back out in a week or two, that's a good sign she's thinking about you. If it's been four weeks and nothing, you have your answer.

The timeline depends on context. If you two were texting daily, a week of silence is louder. If you'd just started talking, two or three weeks is still in play. But at some point you stop waiting. Send one casual text if you want to, then move on. Don't send multiple check-ins or 'hey, hope you're doing well' messages. That reads as you asking for a reason to talk to her.