Dear Carol,

I have a “friend” who is in all my classes. She mocks me a lot, which was funny at first, but now it’s just annoying and kind of rude. She makes fun of how I talk, eat and makes me feel bad whenever I talk to her. She flipped me off in the hallway and then pushed me into a classroom when I told her to stop. All I did was say hi. She doesn’t talk at all to the other kids in my class, so I don’t think people would take it seriously if I told them. I don’t want to get her in trouble or start drama or for her to be all alone in class, but I really need help.

-Friend Stuck

Dear Friend Stuck,

The expression “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” was invented for situations like this. If your sister told you she had a “friend” who mocked her 24/7, what would you tell her to do? I don’t need to dig very deep into my advice bag to say you should put more space between yourself and this girl. She isn’t “kind of rude,” she is totally rude. She’s getting her jollies by being mean to you. If you don’t want to get her in trouble, no need to report her or gossip about her. But remove yourself from her orbit. You don’t have to be cruel—just take giant steps away from her so you can free up your brain to think about other people and things. And remind yourself that her being alone is her problem, not your problem. She’s making you unhappy, and your feelings count, too. Disengage, hold your head high and protect yourself from her belittling. You have the power to get yourself unstuck. Start by saying hi to three new kids this week, OK?

Carol Weston is the author of 16 books, including Girltalk, Speed of Life and Ava and Pip. Follow her on Insta @carolwestonnyc and visit carolweston.com.

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