I have a friend, let’s call him Micheal.
Me and Micheal met a few years ago, we are both still in high school, but there are a few things about his personality that question our friendship.
When we first became friends, he used to make fun of me publicly, mock my father’s name, and compare my appearance to an ostrich, even doing ostrich sounds and movements. He also used to get other kids as “bodyguards” to protect him from me, so I couldn’t hit him.
During that same year, he would take my glasses and run away with them, even when I asked him to stop. I would chase him and get them back, but it lasted the entire break and frustrated me. I often felt depressed because of him, which was a sign to stop being friends.
In the second year, Micheal stopped most of that behavior but still made ostrich sounds and movements and kept calling me "autistic," getting others to side with him. When I ignored it, he guilt-tripped me, saying he “did a lot for me” and I “never thanked him,” and called me the “most annoying person he ever met.” He also acted very religious, commenting on my actions like “Did the Prophet do that?” or “Allah would be mad at you.” Later, when I treated him like he treated me in Year 1, he couldn’t handle it and threatened to report me to the teacher.
In the third year, Micheal became slightly better but still calls me ostrich, makes noises, and calls me autistic. He started hanging out with popular kids and pushed me to stop being friends with one of our mutual friends, Jack, calling him a “weirdo.” He also keeps saying I’m “big,” that nobody likes me, and that I won’t have anyone if he leaves. Sometimes he claims he’s “smarter” because he gets higher scores. Today, he even called me “Autism” on Instagram, and when I told him I’d had enough, he said, “Oh, I forgot you’re sensitive.”
What should I do? I can’t just unfriend him because it’s complicated.
Yta for being friends with him. WHY????
You are not too sensitive, Micheal is a self-righteous AH. Not a scholar of the Koran, but I’m pretty sure the Prophet said not to name-call each other:
[https://quran.com/al-hujurat/11](https://quran.com/al-hujurat/11)
If you can’t (or won’t) unfriend him, and I understand it’s complicated, it is time to Grey Rock him [https://www.selfloverainbow.com/the-gray-rock-method/](https://www.selfloverainbow.com/the-gray-rock-method/) . Give him as little a reaction as you can. Treat him like an especially loud toddler. Do not chase after him when he steals your glasses, calmly state what you are going to do, and then do it (If you do not give me my glasses back, I will tell the teacher you took them and get them back that way). When he makes Ostrich noises, ignore him. When he calls you ostrich, ignore him until you get called by your correct name. This is not because you are too sensitive, it’s because he’s not sensitive enough and needs to be treated as such.
He gets no information from you. Block him on Instagram. Do not seek him out to spend time with you. He is to be treated like a dangerous obstacle in your life. He is Po the Face-Stealer from AtlA. He is Pennywise, Vigo from Ghost Busters 2, all the Emotion Eaters [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EmotionEater](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EmotionEater)
Too sensitive to work
NTA – He’s not your friend.
Flush that turd.
You never had a friend. You have a bully. It seems like he’s the sensitive one when you returned the favor.
YTA for thinking you were ever friends with him.
NTA, and you are not “sensitive”
and why can you not unfriend him?
NTA. He is a bully, keep away from him.
This person is not your friend and you should quietly ghost him. Hang out with Jack (I guarantee jack does not like him either) and avoid Michael as much as possible till you leave school.
NTA- you are not too sensitive for him, Michael is just the asshole here and always has been, and always will be. As lame as it sounds he is insecure about something that you will never be able tot figure out. He’ll be an asshole forever, and it’s just easier to distance yourself from him and move on. Get a new friend, he isn’t going to be worth being around forever.
Yes, you can just unfriend him… Unless you are conjoined twins, nothing is so complicated that it prevents you from getting rid of toxicity from your life.
Having no one is better than having someone who constantly brings you down. Highschool will end and then life begins. All the people who think they are cool will lose their power when reality kicks them in the face.
Forget this AH, focus on yourself and on becoming the person you want to be.
Michael isn’t your friend. He’s your bully who constantly disparages you and makes you believe you will have no one if you drop him as a friend.
You know what, if you do drop him as a friend, you will start feeling better about yourself, and others will notice, and they will want to spend time getting to know you.
Michael and his behavior towards you were keeping these potential new friends away–not you.
Please stop having a friendship with your bully (who is now trying to isolate you from your other friend) and start being your best self.
Nta, I understand that due to being in school together there’s this level of feeling that you can’t not be friends with him (although I suggest pulling away from him) I had this issue with one of my friends where it was clear he was just doing it to put me down and test my limits. I will say the glasses thing is straight out of the “if I tease and be mean to her she’ll know I’m flirting” book. I think he’s lashing out at you for some reason.