You can count me out.
That was what he had said as he had stormed off.
It wasn't as though the plan had been so ridiculous. It would just have been time consuming and time was the one thing he did not have in abundace.
He still had to write his paper, read five chapters worth of background material, prepare his meal chart for the week and continue training for the marathon.
No, he did certainly did not have time to mess around by climbing flagpoles and pulling practical jokes.
Just like he hadn't had time to go out with them last week, or how he hadn't managed to fit in time to go see a film with them despite having a desire to see it.
He wasn't sure exactly when he had become so stressed with work, so determined to get everything right and plan every second of his life so that he could maximise the use of the time.
It had started so gradually, just the occasional "I've got a deadline" to excuse him from a night out, and then lunch, and quick drinks and then it just became all events.
His friends didn't even feel like friends anymore, just acquaintances. People he'd once known, back when he had time.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around.
Impetuously deciding to make a change.
This wasn't living.

They were surprised to see him return, that was clear. But they didn't give him a hard time or mock him. The reason they had continued inviting him, even after all the refusals was that they had never lost faith in him eventually changing his ways.
"Here, I'll give you a boost up."