This past year and a half, I (18M), have been hanging with a new group of friends because we all split from our old groups due to conflicts or other miscellaneous reasons. Within the past 6 months, an old friend of mine from my old group, reached out to me wanting to hang out – never had real problem with him, just fell out due the the group separating. Things went well and we vibed. After hanging out a few more times he mentioned wanting to come to a hangout with my friends. My friends were chill with it so he pulled up and we ended up inviting him to the next few times. After this, I started noticed weird things; for example, he started copying my style, music taste, and using stories I had told him as though they were his. He also made strange, hurtful jabs at me when we were in a group and constantly prying into my private relationships with family and other friends to the point I felt my privacy was being invaded. Today I confronted him and told him I don’t want him around anymore because I feel like everything he is he took from me and I didn’t like how he was moving, he denied everything. I talked to other friends and they agreed. Is this run of the mill high school drama, is this behavior coming from a place of insecurity, does it have malicious intent, or am I overreacting? (This is a pretty summarized version of the story so I can provide any clarification if needed.)
NTA. Trust your gut here. Copying your style, retelling your stories as his, making jabs at you, and digging into your personal life are all valid reasons to feel uncomfortable. That kind of behavior usually comes from insecurity, but intent aside, it is still disrespectful. You set a boundary and that is fair. This might be common young adult drama, but you are not overreacting for protecting your space.
You weren’t overreacting. The copying, hurtful jabs, privacy invasion, and denial form a real pattern rooted in insecurity, not coincidence. You handled it maturely by confronting him, checking with others, and setting boundaries. It’s not just “high school drama” it’s healthy self-respect. NTA