Looking for advice on a group friend drop
So my son called me from college and I don't want to steer him wrong (though he would kill me for asking reddit for advice.)
My son (a sophomore) made friends with a group who all went to the same high school. So they are an established group. He goes to the same club activities and they got into a dorm hall together. They lived all year on the same floor.
He went to a school event last night and one of the girls wanted Chick-Fil-A and others wanted Taco Bell. He said anyone who wanted Chick-Fil-A should come in his car. Only the one girl wanted to. They aren't dating. He drove her there, then asked if she wanted to meet everyone at Taco Bell. She said to just drive her back to the school. Once they got back, he said, "Ok, we're here." and she said, "We can just talk while I eat in your car." They talked for an hour. Then they both went back to their own dorms.
He didn't ask her out, make a move, or refer to anything sexual. (He's very shy and would never talk to a girl he wasn't dating that way.)
He got back and one of his guy friends texted to say, "People in the group are uncomfortable with how you acted. You're out." This is the 8 friends he hangs out with twice a week at school and eats every meal with. The girls have called him before when they were "creeped out by somebody" and had him pick them up.
I thought he should text the girl (who is actually not part of the high school group but from another state) and apologize. As in "Hey. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I thought you wanted Chick-fil-a." But that might be weird too?
I don't want to steer him wrong with the social dynamics thing. But I also don't want him to panic and lose the friendship he's already established with a girl not in the group. He's pretty shocked and hurt by the whole thing. And his first reaction is always to go silent and never interact with any of them again. I know he's now dreading the last few weeks of weeks of school along with living on the same floor again with them next year. He's even rooming with one of the group next year (who doesn't seem to be in the drama).