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Friends, Peers, and Enemies 143
to give you something you’ll be disappointed in. Don’t assume that the reason she didn’t give
you the gift is because she doesn’t care about you anymore.
If you put distance between you instead of talking about what happened, you may be
throwing away a great friendship. That would be a much greater loss than not getting a birth-
day gift. I wish you well, and Happy Birthday!
In friendship,
Terra
He promised not to tell
Hey Terra,
My friend has made my life hell for the past two weeks. First, he told the girl I have a crush
on that I like her after he swore he wouldn’t. Then he spread the news all over school. Now
this girl who used to be so nice and friendly to me is totally avoiding me, and all of her friends
are saying she thinks I’m some kind of “player.” This situation is really bad, and it’s all my
friend’s fault. What’s even worse is that he says I never told him not to tell anyone, which is
an absolute lie! I’m so mad that I can’t even talk to him!
Steamed
Dear Steamed,
Because you’ve already told your friend how you feel and why, I’d recommend taking some
time to cool off. If he doesn’t apologize, it may be better to end this friendship.
Some people seem to enjoy stirring up trouble, and they never take responsibility for the
problems they cause. Does this sound like your friend? If so, it’s likely that he’ll continue to tell
your secrets and hurt you again. On the other hand, maybe he thought he’d be helping by
telling the girl you like about your feelings. You’ll never know until he’s ready to admit the
truth. Good luck!
In friendship,
Terra