What to text when she mentions hanging out with her friends soon

When someone mentions plans with friends soon, they're usually doing logistics, not testing you. She's either thinking about her calendar out loud or actually making space for you elsewhere. The mention itself is forward-moving. People who want to keep you at arm's length just don't talk about their schedule at all.

The trap is reading too much into it. Treat it like she just told you a fact, not like she's sending a coded message. She has friends. This is normal. If she's telling you about it, she's not hiding it from you.

The move here is to respond with your own actual availability, not vague interest. Don't say things like 'sounds good, let me know' because that puts the burden back on her to manage both your schedules. Instead, give her a real day or window that works for you.

This does two jobs at once. It shows you respect her time and have your own going on, and it makes the next step concrete instead of floating. You're not waiting for her to finish with friends before you matter. You both just have lives that need to fit together.

Don't reply within five minutes of her message. It reads like you've been staring at your phone. Send your reply when you'd naturally be texting during the day, maybe a few hours later.

If she doesn't reply within three days, you can send one more message bringing up a specific date or plan. After that, stop. You've made the move twice. If she's into it, she'll text back. Silence past this point means she's figuring out her priorities, and you need to do the same.